How To Fix Microsoft Update Windows 7

Windows 10 is still broken thanks to a recent update from Microsoft – here's how to fix it

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In a depressingly familiar turn of events, a recent Windows 10 update has ended up causing serious issues for the people who installed it.

Despite only being released on February 27, several users have complained that Windows 10 KB4535996, which was designed to fix issues with Windows search and printing, is causing their computers to crash, or won't properly install.

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As Windows Latest reports, people have been taking to Microsoft's support forum to try to find fixes for their problems.

The issues people have been encountering include random freezes, where the PC becomes unresponsive; installation problems, which is when the update fails to install and instead throws up a generic error message; and even the dreaded Blue Screen of Death. A classic Windows 10 update, then.

How to fix the problems

While these latest issues are certainly annoying, there is some good news. For a start, the Windows 10 KB4535996 is listed as 'optional' by Microsoft, which means your PC won't automatically install it – in fact, you need to go into the Windows Update section of the Settings app to find and install it manually.

That should mean that the number of people affected by this faulty update should be relatively low. However, if you have installed the update and are experiencing problems, then the way to fix them is to uninstall the update.

To do that, open up the Settings app (the cog icon in the Start menu, or by pressing Windows + I on the keyboard), then click 'Update & security'.

From the window that appears, click 'Windows Update' on the left-hand menu, then 'View update history'.

Click 'Uninstall updates' then select KB4535996 to uninstall it. The problems should now be fixed.

If you installed the update and you've not experienced any problems, then you'll be fine to continue with it installed.

This is once again an example of Microsoft issuing a faulty Windows 10 update, which the company is beginning to get quite a reputation for. We really hope this stops happening soon.

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Senior Computing editor

Matt (Twitter) is TechRadar's Senior Computing editor. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. If you're encountering a problem or need some advice with your PC or Mac, drop him a line on Twitter.