Windows 10 will automatically uninstall problematic updates

Updates to Windows are supposed to fix problems and improve security, but sometimes they do the opposite. Many Windows 10 users will have experienced startup problems after installing an update to the operating system, and this is something that Microsoft is looking to address.

Rather than leaving it down to users to seek out the problematic update and uninstall it, Windows 10 could start to automatically uninstall updates that have caused issues. If this happens to you, you'll be greeted by the message: "We removed some recently installed updates to recover your device from a startup failure."

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The removal of updates is not something that Microsoft takes lightly. The company explains that "this is only done when all other automatic recovery attempts have been unsuccessful".

Once an update has been removed, Windows will not attempt to reinstall it for another 30 days. Microsoft says that this will give time for software developers to investigate what may have been causing the problems and then issue a fix.

The way the process works is explained in a Windows Support document:

Windows automatically installs updates to keep your device secure and running at peak efficiency. Occasionally, these updates can fail due to incompatibility or issues in new software. Your device has recently recovered from a startup failure if you have received this notification: "We removed some recently installed updates to recover your device from a startup failure." If Windows detects this, it will try to resolve the failure by uninstalling recently installed updates. This is only done when all other automatic recovery attempts have been unsuccessful.

To ensure that your device can start up and continue running as expected, Windows will also prevent problematic updates from installing automatically for the next 30 days. This will give Microsoft and our partners the opportunity to investigate the failure and fix any issues. After 30 days, Windows will again try to install the updates.

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