Windows 10: Update KB4023057 re-released

[German]Microsoft Microsoft seems to have re-released old update KB4023057 for Windows 10 (for versions 1507 to 1703) and/or released it with a new description.

It almost slipped through my mind – but Woody Leonhard keeps a revision list for KB descriptions including changes. And one of its readers (@MrBrian) noticed the change.

Update KB4023057 for Windows 10

Update KB4023057 has been revised on March 8, 2018 and is available for Windows 10 versions 1507, 1511, 1607 and 1703. This is a reliability update,  here ist the description from Microsoft:

This update includes reliability improvements that affect the update components in Windows 10 Versions 1507, 1511, 1607, and 1703.

This update includes files and resources that address issues that affect the update processes in Windows 10. These improvements ensure that quality updates are installed seamlessly to improve the reliability and security of Windows 10.

Only certain builds of Windows 10 versions 1507, 1511, 1607, and 1703 require this update. For devices running these builds, the required update is automatically downloaded and installed through Windows Update.

This update is also offered directly to the Windows Update Client for some devices that do not have the latest updates installed. This update is not offered in the Microsoft Update Catalog. The update replaces update 4022868.

The nasty details in background

The current kb article list the files altered by this update. Here is a screenshot of the files updated from the re-released package

Microsoft hasn't documented the purpose and meaning of these files. However, I've uncovered a few details within my blog post Windows 10 reliability update KB4023057 (02/08/2018). There you can read about hooks and cliffs, e. g. what the file Remsh.exe does. I've described the purpose of some files in the best possible way. For the new file luadgmgt.dll I found only a hint on the internet that it belongs to the Microsoft Windows Vista Promotional Pack, which I hardly can believe. Addendum: The DLL is part of a Windows Compatibility pack – I guess for the Lumia smartphones.

Is update KB4023057 causing a forced W10 upgrade?

Within my article Windows 10: Microsoft forces feature upgrades again I wrote about a forced upgrade of older Windows 10 builds to the most recent Windows 10 version 1709. Within this thread at askwoody.com Woody Leonhard writes, that update KB4023057 is resposible for this forced Windows 10 upgrade to the most recent build (nicely called feature update by Microsoft).

I found also this article from Michael Horowitz, published in January 2018. Michael described a similar experience – and in January 2018 we've had a forced Windows 10 upgrade already. Within this mydigitallife.com forum entry update KB4023057 is claimed also as responsible for the forced Windows 10 upgrade to newer builds. There a Windows10UpgraderApp.exe is mentioned to manage the upgrade. And it seems that update KB4023057 creates tasks in task scheduler under:

Library\Microsoft\Windows\UpdateOrchestrator\

These entries are responsible to bypassing Windows Update and force an upgrade to the most recent build.

Addendum: Microsoft admits a bug

Microsoft admits in a note in kb article 4023814, that the force upgrade happens due to a bug (Susan Bradley cateched it here):

Important

Microsoft is aware that this notification was incorrectly delivered to some Windows 10 Version 1703 devices that had a user-defined feature update deferral period configured. Microsoft mitigated this issue on March 8, 2018.

Users who were affected by this issue and who upgraded to Windows 10 Version 1709 can revert to an earlier version within 10 days of the upgrade. To do this, open Settings > Update & Security > Recovery, and then select Get started under Go back to the previous version of windows 10.