Windows 10 Anniversary Update bug drops Wi-Fi connections

[Karlston]

The problem doesn't seem to be caused by today's KB 3201845, which brings version 1607 up to 14393.479

Credit: Pixabay

 

If your Windows 10 Anniversary Update PCs (version 1607) are suddenly dropping their Wi-Fi connections and the Network Diagnostics troubleshooter is spouting "Wi-Fi doesn't have a valid IP configuration" nonsense, you're not alone.

 

I've heard from many people who blame the Wi-Fi disconnect on today's KB 3201845, the patch (which still isn't documented on the Win10 update history site) that brings version 1607 up to build 14393.479. It's unlikely that the new patch brought on the bug because the large influx of complaints started on Dec. 7 -- two days before the patch.

 

Although the vast majority of Wi-Fi problem reports come from Win10 version 1607 systems, there are other reports of the same problem on Win 7 and 8.1 PCs using domain-connected and not-connected systems with a wide array of ISPs, routers, and network cards.

 

Speculation at this point says the disconnect results when a machine performs a fast startup, setting the machine's IP address to 169.x.x.x. It's an old problem, but somehow it's come back in spades in the past two days. I have no idea what triggered the sudden outbreak, as there were no Win10 1607 patches issued on Dec. 6, 7 or 8.

 

Microsoft acknowledged the problem on Dec. 8, with moderator and 'Softie Lonnie_L posting on the Microsoft Answers forum:

We are looking into reports that some customers are experiencing difficulty connecting to the Internet.  We recommend customers restart their PCs, and if needed, visit https://support.microsoft.com/help/10741/windows-10-fix-network-connection-issues.  To restart, select the Start button from the taskbar, click the Power button and choose Restart (not Shut down).

You can also perform a clean restart by holding down the Shift key, then clicking Start, the power icon, then Shut Down. Don't let go of the Shift key until the machine's completely gone.

 

Looks like KB 3201845 didn't cause the bug. But the patch didn't fix it, either.

 

Source: Windows 10 Anniversary Update bug drops Wi-Fi connections (InfoWorld - Woody Leonhard)

 

Mysterious “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” bug in Win10 1607 wasn’t caused by today’s cumulative update (AskWoody)

[Airstream_Bill]

Guess I am just lucky again.  Sure took a long time for it to install the update.  Ha!

[steven36]

Is it safe  to update or not?  ive still  not updated today  . last time there was a update were they didn't  put at Windows update history before this one,  they swore it messed up there PCs and was spyware but it was nothing but a service stack update lol .. I never had no trouble with my WiFi or on Win 10 RS1 before but i will hold off on this update  tell at lest  they say what its for because there will be another update Tuesday. the 13th is patch Tuesday. Maybe i will install it just to see  and make a restore point just  encase lol.

 

Edit here is changelog

Quote

 

Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 and Windows Server 2016: December 9, 2016

SummaryThis update includes quality improvements for Windows 10 Version 1607 and Windows Server 2016. No new operating system features are being introduced in this update. Key changes include:

• Improved the reliability of mobile device management (MDM) disenrollment, Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM), Peripheral Component Interface and PowerShell.
• Addressed issue that causes excessive battery drain if you have a Chinese Input Method Editor installed and use Windows Hello to log in.
• Addressed issue with OLE drag and drop that prevents users from downloading a SharePoint document library as a file.
• Addressed issue with Super Floppy-formatted fixed media devices that are not recognized by Windows 10 Anniversary Update or accessible in Windows Explorer.
• Addressed issue that causes the System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) client to fail installation when a device is re-imaged using the SCCM task sequence.
• Addressed issue that causes the loss of optional component (OC) state information, including all Hyper-V virtual machines, after upgrade.
• Addressed issue that causes Windows Explorer to display information that’s inconsistent with what’s stored on the Floppy disk.
• Addressed issue that, after connecting a shared CD/DVD-hosted drive with no media inserted, causes some of the commands, like DIR and NET USE, to hang.
• Addressed issue where customers cannot use directory cache sizes greater than 64 KB.
• Addressed issue where Windows Explorer sometimes does not prompt for credentials when a user logs on using a Microsoft account.
• Addressed additional issues with application compatibility and Internet Explorer

 

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3201845

x64 update is 937 mb its a big update lol.

[steven36]

1 hour ago, Airstream_Bill said:

Guess I am just lucky again.  Sure took a long time for it to install the update.  Ha!

I downloaded it with IDM and I installed  it with powershell  I'm already done nothing seems wrong with my wifi  it came on like normal  once it finished updating lol .

[Ryrynz]

Had a computer at work today with this exact problem. Just restarted and WIFI was fine.

[Karlston]

Notification – but no explanation – for the “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” bug

 

As far as I know, this is unprecedented.

 

Microsoft has not only acknowledge the bug I talked about yesterday – the one that knocks out Wi-Fi on Windows 10 Anniversary Update machines – they’ve gone so far as to put a banner at the top of the Windows 10 Update History page.

 

 

As mentioned in that article, the easiest way to fix the problem (as best I can tell) is to use the technique posited by SIBIT-UK on the Microsoft Answers Forum:

Hold down the shift key and then perform a shutdown from the start menu in the normal way – do not let go of the shift key until off.

That seems to reset the IP address, bypassing Fast Startup, correcting the bug that sets the IP address to 169.x.x.x.

 

We still have no official explanation from Microsoft and no solution to the problem, other than manually restarting. Our own ch100 has posed an interesting theory for the sudden appearance of the bug:

A rogue scheduled task triggered on Wednesday?
This may explain the rush to release the CU containing the fix early.
Just speculation

I continue to get reports that some Win10 1607 users are NOT seeing KB 3201845, the cumulative update for 1607 released yesterday. KB 3201845 and version 14393.479 aren’t listed on the Win10 Update History page although the patch rolled out early Friday morning.

 

I’m completely baffled. KB 3201845 didn’t cause the problem. Best I can tell, it doesn’t solve the problem either. (If you’ve seen differently, I’d love to hear about it!) I have no idea why KB 3201845/14393.479 aren’t on the official update list. And a banner at the top of an update history page warning folks to bypass Fast Startup… I’m scratching my head and other parts of my anatomy.

 

This may be the biggest Win10 updating screw-up to date. Let’s see how it unfolds.

 

UPDATE: It may not be a Win10-specific problem. MikefromMarkham notes in the comments that the banner now appears on both the Win7 update page and the Win8.1 update page.

 

I wonder how many tens (hundreds?) of millions of dollars have been wasted on this bug.

 

ANOTHER UPDATE: I hear from a very reliable source that KB 3201845 just kicks a reboot, and doesn’t fix the underlying problem.

 

YET ANOTHER UPDATE: Abbodi notes in the comments that EVERY support.microsoft.com page sports that banner. Man. I’ve never seen anything even remotely close to this. Lonnie_L’s post now has 43,000 views (and no comments because comments are closed).

 

Source: Notification – but no explanation – for the “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” bug (AskWoody)

[Karlston]

21 minutes ago, Karlston said:

Abbodi notes in the comments that EVERY support.microsoft.com page sports that banner. Man. I’ve never seen anything even remotely close to this. Lonnie_L’s post now has 43,000 views (and no comments because comments are closed)

 

So this bug might be immune from Microsoft's standard patronising "A very small number of users..." description?

[csmdew]

Got this after chrome update and then rebooted and everything fine; just rebooting chrome was not enough to solve problem. So maybe guys that had problems updated chrome at same time.