Windows Server 2022 patch is breaking apps for some users

The latest Windows Server 2022 patch has broken the Chrome browser, and short of uninstalling the update, a registry hack is the only way to restore service for affected users. KB5034129 is a security update for Windows Server 2022 and was released on January 9, 2024. The patch includes a large number of fixes, and as such, …

[43300]

"Alternatively, users could decide not to use desktop applications on a server operating system. "

It also includes Edge, which is the pre-installed Browser in Server 2022. I've not encountered any issues with Firefox (and we have had systems affected by this problem).

One suggestion seems to be that installations which have been in-place upgraded from Server 2016 to 2022 are those affected. I am unsure whether it is only these, though.

[Jou (Mxyzptlk)]

That line shows: El Reg has made itself a fool. Again. That single line is unprofessionalism pure.

[Anonymous Coward]

might check the registry settings of your sarcasm detector

as one of the next lines pointed out that many admins are probably going to want to anyway. The terminal server crowd aside, WAY TOO MANY business products only provide a web interface. Most of those work properly on chrome on a 500:1 ratio by time and urgency compared to other browsers.

Also, a stick in the eye of any wanker that intentionally puts code in that detects Edge as an incompatible browser but allows an equivalent version of Chrome to load unmolested.

[0riole]

I think El Reg is forgetting about RDS and Citrix farms....

[Anonymous Coward]

Exactly, and with the latest office 365 update, freshly installing it in a new updated template (what we do for updating our rds deploys) the excel exe and shortcut is missing. This is on server 2019, 2022 is buggy used in an RDS still.

[Piro]

OK, so terminal servers don't exist now???

"Alternatively, users could decide not to use desktop applications on a server operating system. "

[Mike 137]

Some risk

" This is a security update, so removing it could leave a system vulnerable. However, making Registry changes could also leave a Windows installation unstable or hopelessly broken."

Clearly the entire system has evolved into something much too darned complicated for safety. That's almost inevitable where the development regime is based on incremental tweaking of existing code. I remember a conference in 2009 where M$ declared that "NT5 will be built from the ground up". Sadly, that policy wasn't implemented, so we have the current bloated mess that breaks somewhere else when anything's fixed.

[mpi]

Remind me again what exactly we are paying those licensing fees for?

> The latest Windows Server 2022 patch has broken the Chrome browser, and short of uninstalling the update, a registry hack is the only way to restore service for affected users.

https://companiesmarketcap.com/

'nuf said.

[ldo]

Re: Remind me again what exactly we are paying those licensing fees for?

What do you mean “we”, Microsoft sucker customer?

[chivo243]

Browsing from a server?

Not on my watch... no way!

[Roland6]

Re: Browsing from a server?

So don’t run an RDS server….

[mpi]

Re: Browsing from a server?

From localtesting a webservice, to using a localhost analytic page, to the simple fact that a goddamn chromium-based webbrowser comes as part of the OS anyway there are many good reasons why people would want to run a browser on a Windows Server, and why Microsoft should test this.

[Lee D]

Re: Browsing from a server?

You're already doing it, and don't even know.

Many modern system administration tools are just web-interfaces to local services, and a local browser or web browser control in a window.

[DCdave]

Using a browser vs browsing

Just because you're using a browser on a server doesn't mean you're browsing the internet, which certainly isn't recommended - indeed in our organisation it is actively prevented.

However, apart from Edge Chromium being part of Server 2022, there are all manner of applications these days that require administration via browser - even to administrate services running on the local machine, so it's not as simple as saying "no browser" in every environment. If your browser is not working, your app might not be working either, which is a problem, and is very much the downside of cumulative patches.

[DougMac]

Re: Using a browser vs browsing

And many "local admin app" might just be an electron wrapped web page as well.

Which depends on Chromium, which is one affected app..

[Trixr]

Re: Using a browser vs browsing

While I totally agree with your main point - we have such products too with a web front-end - and I know this is a losing battle, but can we (soooo many techs) please say we "administer" our systems rather than "administrate"? The proper verb has been around for a very long time and is actually quicker to type/write.

[Jou (Mxyzptlk)]

Luckily less than 1% have this problem after updating.

This means only a few million users affected due to market share.

All those in my hands are not affected.

[sqlrob]

Re: Luckily less than 1% have this problem after updating.

What? Since when does Server 2022 have hundreds of millions of installs?

[Jou (Mxyzptlk)]

Re: Luckily less than 1% have this problem after updating.

I repeat: Users. Not Installs.

[ldo]

The Year Of The Windows Server Desktop

Not gonna happen, at this rate.

[Tron]

I wish M$ would get fined every time this happened.

Multiplied by the number of users affected in each case. Why are they immune from punishment for this? Everyone else coughs up when they fail and cause damage.

[ldo]

Re: I wish Mightgrowsoft would get fined every time this happened.

Are there really still users who believe that they can somehow hold Microsoft to account for the (lack of) quality of its software? How naïve.

[sabroni]

Re: Everyone else coughs up when they fail and cause damage

Fuck me, what planet are you on where MS are the only major corporation fucking the plebs over?

[Anonymous Coward]

Edge pre-installed on Server 2022

@43300: “.. It also includes Edge, which is the pre-installed Browser in Server 2022”

It's virtually impossible to remove msEdge from Windows. Even if you manage, Mcrosoft re-installs it at the next update. Even still if you manage to remove msEdge, Windows threatens to break msOffoce in retaliation.

[Jou (Mxyzptlk)]

Re: Edge pre-installed on Server 2022

This is the server OS, which is not as locked down as the consumer OS. You open control.exe. Click on remove programs. Click uninstall. Gone. Won't come back. I wish it would be that easy with Windows 11. But it is possible to remove it there too, though you have to uninstall-remove the Widgets feature first, aka "MicrosoftWindows.Client.WebExperience" and a few other small things relying on Edge. But for the Windows 11 pro I don't care, I need a separate "only for microsoft stuff" browser anyway. Just like Vivaldi is the "only facebook and nothing else" browser. And the one I actually use is Waterfox, which hits my spot of "least annoyance". Oh, and tor of course.

[ldo]

Re: not as locked down as the consumer OS

What an ironic thing to say, considering that the security implications of a screwup on a single server are likely to be more far-reaching than those on a single desktop.

[Jou (Mxyzptlk)]

Re: not as locked down as the consumer OS

Unless it is a Terminalserver you don't "surf" on a server. If you do you have other problems, no matter which server OS you use. None of them are free of risk.

[ldo]

Re: Unless it is a Terminalserver you don't "surf" on a server.

Even then it sounds dangerous. Windows has no Linux-style container technology, does it? You really need something like that for privilege isolation.

[Jou (Mxyzptlk)]

Re: Unless it is a Terminalserver you don't "surf" on a server.

> Windows has no Linux-style container technology, does it?

only since 2016... But you need to activate and configure it accordingly.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Edge pre-installed on Server 2022

> .. the one I actually use is Waterfox, which hits my spot of "least annoyance". Oh, and tor of course.

Try Thorium Browser - a de-junked Chromium fork

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Edge pre-installed on Server 2022

Just install server core like you are supposed to do. Then manage using RSAT tools from a management machine.

Very few server roles require the Desktop (RDS being the obvious exception). Even Exchange server will run on core now which was always the biggie you couldn't stick on core.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Edge pre-installed on Server 2022

No no no.

Read the comments.

These aren't Windows users, they have no interest in how to do it properly.

Jou (Mxyzptlk) has made it clear they don't manage any Microsoft machines.

These are linux users who are angry that Windows isn't linux.

[Jou (Mxyzptlk)]

Re: Edge pre-installed on Server 2022

> Even Exchange server will run on core now which was always the biggie you couldn't stick on core.

Yeah, but requires a separate machine for administration. Not much of a change where you put the additional 4 GB or 8 GB RAM into an extra VM or not. Doing it with core is only for large customers which run several (i.e. 5 + management VM at minimum) Exchange servers. Else there is no benefit to run Exchange on a core OS.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Edge pre-installed on Server 2022

If all your other servers are core, then you already have a management machine. Using core for Exchange reduces its attack surface and its resource requirements.

[eswan]

"making Registry changes could also leave a Windows installation unstable or hopelessly broken"

Much like installing Microsoft updates.

[Anonymous Coward]

Who puts Google spyware by design on a Server ffs? At least with Edge it's already got the Microsoft spyware in the OS. And Edge is faster and less resource hungry.

[GBE]

I thought the article was about Windows

Then again, it's also reasonable to expect that hugely popular applications such as Chrome that worked perfectly well before an update would continue working afterward.

Eh? I thought we were talking about Windows...

[Anonymous Coward]

"Upgrade".

98SE to ME was not an upgrade. And it might be true of various server releases also.

[Luiz Abdala]

Totally unrelated?

That happened to me yesterday. Except it was a Windows 10 machine, Google Chrome didn't open as it should, and Opera GX opened right away when I asked for the same page.

Unrelated?

[Ideasource]

Registry editing

For something relatively routine to any experienced Windows user,

What's with the scare tactics?

As long as the registry edits necessary are published, review and deploy. Done.

[43300]

Re: Registry editing

On a client machine, yes, but pissing around with the registry on servers is best avoided unless really necessary.

[Trixr]

Re: Registry editing

It still requires change control palaver in most enterprises - it's not like you can just jump into an operational server and tweak away without warning in larger environments.