Windows 10 users will be faced with issues as the newest update bug reportedly affects users who make use of VPN services to protect their privacy and security on the internet.
Microsoft has acknowledged the update issue, saying that the bug only affects a small number of Windows 10 users.
The good news is that a solution is already out, which we’ll detail in a later section in this guide. But first, some context:
Yet Another Issue with Windows 10
After forcing users to update from older operating systems, Microsoft’s Windows 10 has become the company’s most popular general-purpose operating system.
Despite this popularity, Windows 10 continues to suffer from bugs and glitches. Microsoft released a huge update back in May that affected users’ ability to use VPNs on their machines. While this was a serious issue, it was not the only one found within the update.
One of the issues they faced was that the new update stopped devices which relied on Bluetooth for connection to the user’s computer.
Another bug caused Windows computers to show the user a black screen filling the entire display, especially when rebooting the device.
The latest update, version 1903, has a bug that crashes the internet connections of Windows 10 Enterprise Edition users who use VPNs. Sources in the media spotted the issue and reported that it interfered with the operating system’s Remote Access Connection Manager (or RASMAN).
Microsoft came out with many statements regarding the issue, the latest of which mentioned that the RASMAN may stop working and the user may receive an error code that reads: 0xc0000005.
Microsoft went on to state that this issue only affects users who have manually configured the diagnostic data level of their computer to 0.
Microsoft also stated that the bug only affects users who have their VPN profile configured as an Always On VPN (or AOVPN) connection with or without a device tunnel. They went on to say that manual-only VPN profiles and connections were unaffected.
Microsoft has confirmed that they’re working to find a fix for the problem and they anticipate the solution should arrive later this month. In the meantime, they’ve provided a workaround for the issue (more on that later in this article).
This bug, along with the others in this update, may have shaken users’ confidence in Microsoft’s updates, which may lead them to be wary about updating in the future. This isn’t good news for Microsoft, which has announced big changes with their next update. Most reports say that Microsoft will be delivering enterprise features and improvements to performance and quality in their next update, known as 19H2.
The company has also declared that they’ll be experimenting with a slightly new way of delivering updates for their 19H2 Windows update and that the new method will be less disruptive than past update procedures. They’ve also stated that they plan to start releasing smaller updates on a monthly basis, rather than having two major updates per year.
Readers should note that the new update would only be available to Windows 10 users who have already installed the May 2019 update.
How to Fix the Windows 10 1903 Update Bug
We’ve established that Windows 10 version 1903 has the potential to disturb a user’s RASMAN and cause the crash of a VPN connection.
The update changelog put out by Microsoft says that the RASMAN service may stop working and users may be presented with this error code: 0x0000005.
Let’s take a look at how you can fix this issue using the workaround Microsoft has provided.
You’ll need to set the group policy settings to the following configurations:
- The Group Policy Path:
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Data Collection and Previews Builds\Allow Telemetry - The Safe Policy Setting:
Set it to Enabled and then set it to 1,2 or 3 for Basic, Enhanced or Full, respectively.
If you’d prefer not to use this option, you can set the following registry value and still fix the issue:
SubKey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection
Setting: AllowTelemetry
Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1, 2 or 3
Once you’ve applied these changes to your registry or Group Policy, you’ll need to restart your machine’s RASMAN service or restart your computer.
This workaround should fix the issue. Microsoft has stated that a permanent fix for the problem should be available before the end of July. Until then, use this method to ensure that you’re able to use your VPN to keep yourself and your data protected on your Windows 10 device.