Transform Your VPN Experience Easily with Microsoft’s Certain Fix

If you’re a Microsoft user who has recently been having VPN connection failures, Microsoft may be both the cause and the solution to your problem. Staying updated to the latest OS is usually smart, but sometimes it can have undiscovered bugs. Here’s a quick rundown of what happened and how to fix it.   

Security Update KB5036893

On April 9th 2024, the security update, KB5036893, unexpectedly triggered VPN problems for Windows 11. If you installed this between 4/9 and 5/13, you may have experienced this issue. Windows 10 users had the same VPN failures if they installed the update, KB5036892. 

Not only did it make VPN connections fail, but users also were unable to change their account profile picture, getting an error code instead. 

For Enterprise users, the update caused problems when upgrading from Windows Pro to an enterprise subscription. The upgrades would fail and they’d be given an Access Denied error, causing issues and negating the upgrade.

How To Fix Microsoft Security Update Error

For about a month, users were left unsure of what to do about these security update bugs. Fortunately, on May 14th, Microsoft released the security update KB5037771 for Windows 11, which had a patch that solved the VPN issues. Windows 10 users had the same fix via update KB5037768. 

The user profile error was patched via update KB5037853, for those affected. The Enterprise level issues, however, are as yet unresolved at the time of this writing. 

What To Do When Updates Cause Problems?

The current advice is to download the most recent security update for all the latest patches and fixes. This is usually good advice for all operating systems. It’s a bit ironic that they can sometimes be the actual cause of problems. Here are a few strategies to try when you start experiencing problems caused by installing updates: 

Run Updates Again

It might sound silly, but this is a legit tactic that Microsoft recommends. Even if you’ve already downloaded updates, there may be more you missed that can solve or patch your problem. To run a Windows Update again: 

1. Go to Start
2. Go to Settings
3. Go to Update & Security
4. Go to Windows Update
5. Check for Updates
6. Download and install any available ones

Run Windows Troubleshooter

If you get an error code while trying to install updates, you can run the troubleshooter to try to address the problem. Here’s how:

Windows 10:

1. Go to Start
2. Settings
3. Update & Security
4. Troubleshoot
5. Additional troubleshooters
6. Go to Get up and running
7. Choose Windows Update
8. Run the troubleshooter
9. Restart PC after the troubleshooter is finished

Windows 11:

1. Go to Start
2. Settings
3. System
4. Troubleshoot
5. Other troubleshooters
6. Under “Most Frequent”, choose Windows Update
7. Run
8. Restart PC after the troubleshooter is finished

Remove An Installed Update

Normally, Microsoft advises against removing installed updates, but when they are the cause of the problem you may have no choice. Here’s how: 

1. Go to Start
2. Settings
3. Windows Update
4. Update history
5. Uninstall updates
6. Find the update you want removed and choose Uninstall

Other Troubleshooting Methods

Other things to try include:

• Restore your PC or device to a backup before you install the update
• Check with official Microsoft sources to see if they’ve issued a statement of next steps or instructions
• Wait to see if Microsoft releases a patch

Say Goodbye to Errors: Security Update

Unfortunately, these types of problems are quite common. Regardless of the operating system, device, or company, bugs and glitches happen. Sometimes they’re minor, sometimes they’re downright concerning. Luckily, these issues are usually fixed pretty quickly. It may be tempting not to stay current on updates for fear of these problems, but it’s still best practice to stay current with security and other downloads. The reason is, there are plenty of past bugs and vulnerabilities lurking out there already. You can’t get them patched if you don’t keep up with updates. 

FAQ

Did Microsoft fix the VPN issue?

Yes, Microsoft admited there was an issue with the April 2024 security update and fixed it with a new update that can be installed.

How to resolve VPN conection issues?

There are many ways to resolve this, but the most common is to check your internet connection and firewall settings. If it’s a problem with the VPN, check the server status. Otherwise, depending on the issue – you may need to update, restart, or reinstall your VPN app.

What does a VPN failure mean?

This usually results from a network connection issue, for instance, when the network is overloaded or down. Check your network connection if your VPN is giving error 800.