After a couple of weeks of uncertainty Microsoft has confirmed that having problems with Windows and VPNs. The security update for the month of April was being the protagonist for, supposedly, breaking the compatibility of the operating system with private network services, something that It is no longer a hypothesis.
If you use a VPN service on your computer you can stop blaming the company: your private network works perfectly. Windows is the culprit. Microsoft has not confirmed why, but the problem has been registered and they are working on it. “We will provide an update in a future version,” they say from his blog.
The guilty? The April 2024 security update (KB5036893). It was launched on April 9, and after a couple of weeks roaming around on user devices, the failure has been confirmed. Microsoft confirmed the problem on April 30, about 20 days after launch.
VPNs can fail in Windows 10 and 11
Unfortunately, the problem is being reported in major versions of the operating system. Namely: Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2008 and later. That is, almost all of Microsoft’s market share is facing the problem. Despite being a massive report, VPN support is not completely broken.
What Microsoft has commented, and which is confirmed by user comments, is that VPN services are reporting failures. That is, they do not stop working at 100%, but they emit certain specific problems that prevent correct use and a good experience.
Therefore, depending on the use you want to make of your VPN in Windows you may or may not be at risk. These glitches don’t matter if you use the service to watch a Netflix series that is only available in South Korea. The private network will fail, you will have to restart it and that’s it until it gives problems again.
Now, they are much more relevant when you use VPN to hide your identity on the Internet and leave no trace of what you visit or do. A service failure when you are using it can remove the security layer and leave you exposed, something that is already causing more than a bit of anger on networks and forums around the world.
Microsoft’s solution is almost nonexistent
If you are one of those affected, for the moment, you are going to continue like this. Microsoft has shown on its support website that, if you are a home user, You can contact them through the ‘Get Help’ app. What solution are they giving? Uninstall the security update with a command linesomething that does not sound very encouraging or easy for most people.
Beyond this ‘solution’ there is nothing that can be done– VPNs will continue to fail on Windows until Microsoft releases a patch or fixes the bug in a future security update. When this will happen is, of course, anyone’s guess.
