Microsoft’s July and August updates for PrintNightmare vulnerabilities eliminate the security risk but affect Alt-Tab feature and system performance. This is the third consecutive Windows update blunder Redmond made ahead of a broad Windows 11 rollout. Although this time, at least the security issue was eliminated.
Each Windows update rolled out every month by Microsoft is like flipping a coin nowadays. The update will either solve the issue, or will solve the issue in one section of the operating system and introduce a new one in another. At least the ones from July and August, tracked KB5004296Opens a new window and KB5005033Opens a new window respectively, will create some new problems after clearing up known issues in Windows.
Upon installation of KB5004296 and KB5005033, an important functionality in Windows 10 systems seems to malfunction. The Alt-Tab functionality, a mainstay of most versions of the Windows operating system, stops working.
For those of you who don’t know, although it is highly unlikely, pressing the Alt key followed by the Tab key on Windows allows users to toggle between different applications and open windows. It is there by default and a nifty little feature that not only helps in quick navigation on the OS, but also to exit from a prevalent Windows issue: application crashes.
Gamers in particular faced issues after installing the July update. “After the latest windows update to my computer, the games I play no longer work because when they start, windows minimizes them. I see them running in the task bar, and if I click them or use Alt-Tab to switch to them, they briefly try to go full screen, but then drop back to minimized after a second or two,†a reddit user notedOpens a new window .
Another user postedOpens a new window , “To me there appears to be a regression. If I alt-tab from a game (here, Witcher 3) and try to resume it, it just flickers and automatically alt-tabs out from the game. It pretty much prevents me from going back to the game if I alt-tab out from its fullscreen.â€
Gamers also noticed a drop in system performance after computers were updated with KB5005033.
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Workarounds
Fortunately, the update has a workaround, which is to completely uninstall the update. Unfortunately, it may make your Windows machine susceptible to the recently found flaws in Windows print spooler service.
KB5005033 was particularly important considering it patches a set of PrintNightmare vulnerabilities tracked as CVE-2021-34527Opens a new window (CVSS score 8.8). These two flaws can allow an attacker with low access privileges to escalate privileges. Both can also lead to remote code execution.
What’s more is that the proof of concept for CVE-2021-34527 is publicly available. This is why KB5004296 was released as an optional update while KB5005033 as a mandatory one.
So if you are willing to risk being targeted through a known Windows security threat, you could uninstall the KB5005033. Just open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history > Uninstall updates. This opens the control panel and allows you to find and uninstall all updates applied so far.
There is a silver lining though. If users have no particular need for the print spooler service, which enables Windows users to print documents over locally networked printers, they can simply disable it. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in June recommendedOpens a new window users should disable print spooler service in Domain Controllers, Active Directory, and machines that do not print until a patch is released.
Another way to rid your Windows machine of print spooler flaws is to disable inbound remote printing through Group PolicyOpens a new window . The system will no longer function as a print server, but local printing to a directly attached device will still be possible. Print spooler can be disabled by the following PowerShell commands:
- Stop-Service -Name Spooler -Force
- Set-Service -Name Spooler -StartupType Disabled
Basically, uninstalling the July and August updates would revert Windows 10 setups to pre-July levels. However, the effects of uninstalling the update to restore the Alt-Tab functionality and improve affected performance, and then disabling print spooler to mitigate PrintNightmare vulnerabilities may vary according to different hardware.
And for those who are unwilling to compromise security for functionality, you may try disabling ‘News and Interest’ feed. This is a relatively new update in Windows 10 located on the taskbar. To disable it, right click on the News and Interest widget, find News and interest in options and select Turn Off.
Closing Thoughts
Defective updates do not bode well for Microsoft, especially at a time when the company is set to roll out the ambitious Windows 11. Microsoft Windows 11 will go toe to toe with Apple and its macOS MontereyOpens a new window later in 2021.
The fact that Microsoft botched the print spooler updates not once or twice, but thrice doesn’t evoke confidence in the way the company handles major issues.` In fact, it is indicates a lax attitude, which may push hardcore Windows users into testing the waters of Cupertino, California.
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