Microsoft is investigating the reports, it seems

Aug 5, 2020 05:19 GMT  ·  By

KB4559309 is quite a controversial Windows update, as it’s the one that the software giant used to push the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser to Windows 10 devices running version 1803 through 2004.

Many users didn’t agree with this aggressive approach and criticized Microsoft for forcing the new browser on then, some turning to the Edge Blocker Toolkit to prevent the app from being installed.

But leaving all this controversy aside, it looks like there’s something else to worry about when it comes to update KB4559309: users on Microsoft’s forums are now complaining that this update causes performance issues, including slow booting and massive slowdowns every once in a while.

Spotted by WL, the thread also reveals that Microsoft is currently investigating the problem, but for now, no information as to whether a fix is on its way or not is available. The Microsoft Edge team needs more details on what exactly is happening before it can share an ETA for the fix.

Some of the issues reported after installing update KB4559309 on a Windows 10 device include the following:

  • Slow boot
  • Failed installation of the update
  • PC slow at random times
  • Wireless network disabled
  • Slow network connection
  • Video and audio freezing
  • Huge memory usage

Needless to say, some of the problems that are mentioned here might not be directly caused by the Edge update, but users say that they noticed them after installing it.

So technically, once Microsoft shipped this update on Windows Update for these computers, the aforementioned problems were noticed by the people using them, so the company looking into the whole thing is obviously the right way to go right now.

Is there anything you can do about it at this point?

Users in the linked thread are looking into all sorts of workarounds, and some say that disabling BitLocker sometimes fixes the performance issues on their devices. Others claim that turning off the fast startup deals with the slow boot glitch that they’re seeing.

But on the other hand, there’s no workaround that does the trick for everybody, so right now, it’s pretty clear that Microsoft needs to come up with a fix.

Windows update KB4559309 is only shipped to Windows 10 Home and Pro devices, as the company doesn’t offer the new Edge update to Enterprise devices.

“This update is not intended to target Enterprise devices. Specifically, this update targets devices that run Windows 10, version 1803 or later versions that are either Home Edition or Pro Edition. Devices that run Windows 10 Home or Pro Edition that are joined to an Active Directory or Azure Active Directory domain, or are WSUS or WUfB managed, are also excluded from this automatic update,” the company explains.

The update is supposed to bring the new Chromium-powered Edge browser to Windows 10 devices, and when this happens, the legacy version of the app becomes a second-class citizen of the operating system.

The new Edge imports most of the data from its predecessor, including passwords, favorites, and open tabs, while also taking over shortcuts, Start menu pins, tiles, and everything else.

In other words, once the update is installed and the Chromium engine becomes available on your device, Project Spartan becomes just a piece of history, as it’ll be hidden on the OS – as a matter of fact, Microsoft says that Edge legacy won’t be removed completely, but it’ll stay there for compatibility reasons; however, there’s no doubt that sooner or later Microsoft will just pull the browser completely, most likely when the transition to the Chromium successor is complete.