After several users report losing the system and user certificates after upgrading to the latest Windows 10, Microsoft has confirmed the issue and said to be working on it. This happens when a user updates the system to a new version, using the old update tool that doesn’t have the updated LCU. Also, it now happens to only a few systems that are running on specific versions.
Windows 10 Upgrade Kills System and User Certificates
Upgrading to the latest Windows 10 updates has become a nightmare to Windows users since they’re coming with many bugs than patches and features. Several users reported one such longing issue last week, where upgrading the system to a new Windows 10 update results in losing the user and system certificates!
Now, Microsoft has acknowledged the issue that’s widely spreading and explained, “Devices will only be impacted if they have already installed any latest cumulative update (LCU) released September 16, 2020, or later and then proceed to update to a later version of Windows 10 from media or an installation source which does not have an LCU released October 13, 2020, or later integrated.”
It also mentioned that systems running on Windows 10 version 1809 and later might lose their certificates if upgraded to the latest LCUs. An LCU is a mandatory security update pushed by Microsoft every month on the second Tuesday to address any critical vulnerabilities reported earlier.
Regarding the issue, it’s explained that using outdated updating tools like the media or update management tool like the Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) or Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager results in losing certificates. Also, outdated ISO images and physical media Disks can cause the same. This would affect systems updated from Windows Update or Windows Update for Business tools.
The affected versions are Windows 10 1903, 1909, 2004, the latest 20H2, and the corresponding Server versions. While Microsoft is making the patch, it suggested some interim workaround like rolling back to a previous version of 10- to 30- day uninstall period may help.