Last month, Microsoft released its Windows 10 May 2020 Update after months of internal testing. Released as Windows 10 version 2004, the feature update is available for systems running Windows 10 version 1903 and version 1909 through the Windows Update option.
However, the rollout of the version 2004 Windows 10 update hasn’t been received well as tons of issues have started flooding in and even Microsoft has listed some of them on its website. The following is a list of problems you might face if you try to install Windows 10 version 2004 on your PC.
Error when updating and starting up your system
There’s an incompatibility issue that has been found inside some drivers and apps that use aksfridge.sys or aksdf.sys files. When a specific version of aksfridge.sys or aksdf.sys is present, Windows either fails to update the system to version 2004 or doesn’t start up after the update process.
To prevent this error, Microsoft has held up the rollout of version 2004 on devices with affected versions of aksfridge.sys from and is currently “working on a resolution” through an upcoming update.
Cannot use the mouse in select apps and games
Some apps and games that use GameInput Redistributable were found to no longer have mouse input. This means, if you’re playing a game or using a certain application, you won’t be able to use the mouse to move around and navigate. Microsoft first put a compatibility hold on devices with GameInput Redistributable installed but later withdrew it on account that the issue no longer persisted.
High CPU temperature and slowing down issues
Users who updated their systems to Windows 10 version 2004 are reporting (on Reddit 1, 2) that their systems are constantly running at high temperatures, even when they’re in idle state. In some other systems, the update appears to have slowed down the process of opening apps and overall performance. The issues went away when the system was rolled back to the previous Windows 10 version 1909.
Critical system process error pops up
Microsoft investigating an issue where users are being shown a critical system process error with status code c0000008. The error message reads “A critical system process, C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe, failed with status code c0000008. The machine must now be restarted”. The issue seems to persist on devices with the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service file (lsass.exe). Microsoft says a solution to the problem will be available in July.
Disk usage is shown as full
Some users on Reddit are complaining that ever since they installed the new version of Windows 10, the disk usage function inside the task manager shows that it’s being fully used. Some suggest that the issue is occurring because of a new bug inside Disk Defragmenter utility which defragments SSDs more often than they should be and executes the trim function in regular HDD drives.
Microsoft is yet to give a word on the issue, meaning it might be a while for it to release an update for the same.
Microsoft Edge launches on startup, syncing doesn’t work
The new update is also causing a couple of issues inside Microsoft’s own Edge web browser as users are reporting that some versions of Edge keep launching during startup while for some, Edge fails to sync passwords, favorites, and other browser settings during setup. The issue is currently being addressed by the Edge Insider team who are awaiting feedback on the former issue.
Google Chrome freezes and doesn’t load webpages
Just like its Microsoft counterpart, Google’s Chrome browser is also facing issues after updating to Windows 10 version 2004. In this Reddit post, users are facing random freezing and websites not-loading problems which seem to persist even when the application is closed and re-opened. Users are only able to get it working again by rebooting the system.
Windows 10, version 2004 update: Chrome is freezing up or saying no internet connection? from Windows10
NVIDIA GPU doesn’t show up
Some systems are crashing after being updated to Windows 10 version 2004, often leading to the blue screen of death. Both Microsoft and NVIDIA have acknowledged the issue, saying it’s occurring due to select display driver versions older than version 358.00. Microsoft’s support page says a temporary workaround for the issue is to check for updates for your graphic driver and install them while both companies are vowing to provide a fix in an upcoming release.
Anyone crashing with no error on Windows 10 version 2004? from ffxiv
Cannot connect to Bluetooth devices
Microsoft’s issues page has highlighted that some systems are facing issues when trying to connect to multiple Bluetooth devices after the version 2004 update. Microsoft says the problem can happen if you have a Realtek Bluetooth audio driver which isn’t able to connect to more than one Bluetooth device at a time. A solution to this is currently being devised and could release in an upcoming update.
Output/input sound is broken
Version 2004 of Windows 10 also seems to have broken the sound output and input on a ton of devices. While some users (via Reddit) are no longer able to capture audio from their microphones due to cracking, the same seems to be happening when audio is being played on some other devices.
It’s possible that these issues could be related to incompatibility issues that have been found by Synaptics and Microsoft for Conexant ISST and Conexant audio drivers. Microsoft recommends that users DO NOT manually update to version 2004 and have applied a compatibility hold until an update is released in the future.
Unexpected restarts after updating
This issue seems to occur on Microsoft devices including the Surface Pro 7 and Surface Laptop 3 both of which use an Always On, Always Connected network adapter. In these devices, you might encounter random errors or unexpected shutdowns/restarts. The issue has since been resolved in the KB4557957 update and Microsoft is expected to withdraw the compatibility hold on affected devices in the coming weeks.
Microsoft Office no longer works
Microsoft has acknowledged that users aren’t able to use Microsoft Office even since installing the May 2020 Windows 10 update. When an Office application is opened, affected users are shown the “Windows cannot find “c:\program files\microsoft office\root\office16\winword.exe” Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again” error message.
The Redmond company has since detected that the issue occurred on some versions of Avast or AVG applications and can be fixed by updating the respective apps. You won’t need to update Windows or Office to resolve the issue.
Some printers aren’t able to print anymore
Version 2004 is making rendering some printers useless as the Print spooler often closes randomly when you attempt to print something. Microsoft says the issue could also lead to unexpected closing of the app you’re trying to print from and also affects software-based printers like exporting it as PDF.
The issue has since then been addressed in an out-of-band update KB4567523 which should install automatically on your system. If not, you can use the Windows Server Update Services to import the update manually.
Microsoft OneDrive “cannot connect to Windows” error
After users updated their systems to Windows 10 version 2004, Microsoft’s own OneDrive app is showing an error message (1,2) on opening. The error message reads “OneDrive cannot connect to Windows” giving you two options – Try again and Download all. Microsoft already offers a workaround for the “OneDrive cannot connect to Windows” error but it’s yet to be tested if that resolves the current issue.
Intel iGPU doesn’t support variable refresh rates
Some compatibility issues with Intel’s integrated GPU is causing the Variable refresh rate feature to no longer work on devices using Direct X 9. The issue is currently being investigated by both Microsoft and Intel and we can expect a solution in a future update. Until then, Microsoft has requested to not attempt to manually update to Windows 10 version 2004.
Connectivity issues with Thunderbolt devices
Windows 10 devices with the latest version installed are facing a stop error flashed in the blue screen when connected to a Thunderbolt dock. The company is yet to resolve the issue and has confirmed that a solution is being developed with the help of Intel. You might get the same error if your device has a Thunderbolt port, Windows Hypervisor Platform disabled, and Kernel DMA Protection enabled.
DISM incorrectly reports corruption after repair
Windows uses a Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM.exe) process to regularly detect and correct system corruption in your Windows 10 device. The feature appears to misbehave since the version 2004 update as it shows that corruption is still present even after a repair.
Microsoft has suggested a workaround by using the /restorehealth or /ScanHealth commands inside DISM.exe.
‘Intel Optane memory pinning’ error
According to users on Twitter and Intel community, devices with Windows 10 May 2020 update installed are getting the ‘Intel Optane memory pinning’ error message shown on the desktop. This could be another compatibility issue which in this case is regarding select Intel Optane memory modules.
To solve this, disable and re-enable Intel Optane by opening the Intel Optane Memory application, heading over to Setup and then select Disable.
External display goes black
A Microsoft support page has brought light to a Windows 10, version 2004 issue where external displays could go black when users attempt to draw on apps like Microsoft Office Word and Whiteboard. The issue seems to happen if the device has a built-in screen like a tablet or a laptop and during a drawing session, both the primary and external displays first flicker, and then the latter goes black.
A temporary workaround for the issue is to restart your device and the external display should function as normal. Microsoft has confirmed that a fix will be released a future version of Windows 10.
What other issues are you facing on Windows 10 version 2004?
