Microsoft released Windows 11 update KB5083769 around the middle of April, and it has caused a number of serious issues, the latest of which is that it’s breaking third-party backup programs that rely on the Volume Shadow Copy service (VSS).
Those 3rd-party backup programs affected to date include Acronis, Macrium, NinjaOne, and UrBackup Server. However, I can add another to that list, namely Aomei Backupper.
I recently attempted to create an image backup with Aomei Backupper Pro but ended up with a Black Screen of Death instead, with the message “What failed: volsnap.sys“, which is a critical system file that drives Volume Shadow Copy.
At first, I put it down to possible system file corruptions, but a scan using the command sfc /scannow reported zero issues, so I turned to an online search for help and discovered that update KB5083769 was causing the problem.
Update KB3083769 has also been problematic for some users, causing issues such as BitLocker lockouts, unexpected reboots, and a Remoter Desktop bug. At this point in time, it is not known if Microsoft is working on a fix or when a fix is likely to be released.
*If you want full control over Windows Updates, including selectively installing updates, hiding and unhiding updates, etc., you need to read: How To Take Full Control Of Windows Updates
Fix Issues Arising From Update KB5083769
As a temporary workaround for those affected, it is recommended to uninstall update KB5083769, which you can do by navigating to Settings > Windows Update > Update History, then scrolling down to Related Settings and clicking Uninstall Updates. Locate KB5083769 and click the associated Uninstall button.
Once you’ve done that, pause Windows Updates and restart the system.
BOTTOM LINE:
This is yet another buggy update from Microsoft in what seems to be a never-ending rollout of buggy updates. In the face of user backlash, Microsoft recently announced that it would be taking steps to address this issue, among others, so let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later.
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