KB4601554 – May .NET Framework

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I have a question about the May .NET Framework KB4601554, which I became aware of when I checked Susan’s most recent Master Patch List.

I am Windows 10/Pro, Version 20H2. I have GP=2 (notify download/install) and I also have GP: Local Computer Policy >Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Updates > Windows Updates for Business |”Select when chose Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received” enabled, “Select when the Windows readiness level for updates you received” — Semi-Annual Channel – “After a Preview Build or Feature Update is received, defer for 1 day, which is supposed to prevent optional updates from appearing with a “Download and install” link in the lower half of the WU update display.

I also have the Feb .NET Framework KB4601050 installed. It was installed a day after I upgraded from 1909 to 20H2 on April 9.

I have not seen the May .NET CU KB4601554 appear, neither in WU nor in wushowhide. Shouldn’t I have seen it, since I have KB4601050 installed?? (I know that a .NET Framework CU will not appear if the superceded .NET CU has not been installed. But, it my case, the superceded .NET CU WAS installed 6 weeks ago. And it is not an optional update either.)

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lmacri

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I am showing KB4601554 as the 2021-05 .NET 3.5/4.8 CU released on 5/10/2021
I see KB5003254 as the .NET CU Preview released on 5/25/2021.

The GP settings will apply to the System CUs and Previews.
If I recall correctly, the .NET Preview does not follow the same rules as other updates. If the monthly .NET CU is installed, I think the Preview will be offered later in the month, no matter your GP settings.

See Susan’s answer #2367398.

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Is Susan saying that since .NET CU KB4601544 does not include any security updates, it will not show up in the WU queue, even though the superseded .NET CU KB4601050 has been installed?

I am newly on 20H2. My experience in 1909 with regard to .NET CU Previews was that with the GUI setting that defers FUs set to 1 and at the same time TRV was set to 1909, I never saw any .NET CU Previews on the WU screen, because that FU setting is supposed to prevent optional updates (.NET CU Previews are optional) from showing up, and in fact it did just that.

I expected the same would happen in 20H2 (with the FU changes made in GP rather than the GUI), i.e., that GP: Local Computer Policy >Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Updates > Windows Updates for Business |”Select when chose Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received” enabled, “Select when the Windows readiness level for updates you received” — Semi-Annual Channel – “After a Preview Build or Feature Update is received, defer for 1 day would prevent .NET CU Previews (since they are optional) and at the same time .NET CUs (non-previews) would show up only if the superseded .NET CU had been installed.

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I think I’ve figured out why I have not seen .NET CU KB4601554 in the WU queue. I think it’s still coded as a Preview and therefore my 20H2 GP FU deferral setting blocks it from appearing in the WU queue.

Why do I think this? When I look at Package Details for #4601050–i.e., the superseded CU, it lists KB4601554 (2021-02) .NET CU Preview as the superseding patch. Then KB .NET CU (2021-05) comes along and its KB# is the same — no change in KB# between the preview and the later non-preview. Since there is essentially no change between the preview and the later non-preview, the later one (i.e, 2021-05) still contains some kind of ‘preview’ designation, so that is why it is blocked from the WU queue by the 20H2 GP FU deferral.

Just a hypothesis, but it stands to reason —

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lmacri

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Hi WCHS:

Thanks for posting about this. I have a Win 10 Pro v20H2 OS and I’ve also been wondering why I haven’t seen a .NET Framework update delivered since KB4601050 (2021-02 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10 Version 2004 for x64) was installed on my system on 19-Feb-2021.

After KB4601050 was installed I updated from Win 10 Pro v2004 to v20H2 on 08-Apr-2021, and on 14-Apr-2021 I disabled delivery of week C/D Preview Builds in my Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit) at Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components| Windows Update | Windows Update for Business | Select When Preview Builds and Feature Updates Are Received (i.e., Enabled, Semi-Annual Channel, defer for 1 day). As you noted, the package details for KB4601050 in the Microsoft Update Catalog (both the 2004 and 20H2 versions) state that KB4601050 was replaced by the KB4601554 Cumulative Update Preview build released in Feb 2021 (see attached image), so your suspicion that our custom Group Policy Editor tweak is preventing the delivery of the KB4601554 Preview might be correct. However, that would seem to contradict PKCano’s 27-May-2021 statement in post # 2367388.

It also seems odd to me that when I search the Microsoft Update Catalog <here> for “KB4601554 windows 10 Version 20H2” (see attached image) I can find both a KB4601554 Preview (2021-02, last updated 23-Feb-2021) that replaces the 2021-02 KB4601050 as well as a “stable” final version of KB4601554 (2021-05, last updated 10-May-2021) that replaces the 2021-01 KB4586876. I’m still not entirely clear how Preview builds of .NET Framework updates are managed by Windows Update with Win 10 v2004/v20H2 but it doesn’t seem logical to me that there are Preview and “stable” versions of KB4601554 that share the same KB number even though they were released three months apart and have a different supersedence chain. I wonder if Microsoft has mucked up the metadata / supercedence chains for KB4601050 and KB4601554?
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v20H2 build 19042.985 * Firefox v89.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2105.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.4.0.117-1.0.1318

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lmacri wrote:

Thanks for posting about this

Hi Imacri,
My question is the same as yours: why do the Preview (2/23) and the stable version (5/10) have the same KB4601554 number? It seems to me that the stable version should have a different KB number, even though there are no new security updates in it. I guess we’ll see what happens with the new .NET update coming today, particularly if there are no new security updates in the stable version. It’s still early here (10:30 am) so I haven’t seen any June patch Tuesday patches in the WU queue (via wushowhide). But, since there was a preview on 5/25 (KB5003254) that means that there is a stable version to be released today. I expect it to show up in the WU queue today, but if not, the question still pertains.

There has been a rule that if the superseded .NET update has not been installed, then the superseding one will not be installed. I wonder if the rule is still in effect because if the rule still works and if there is a release of a stable version on 06/08 with the same KBnumber as the preview and if it doesn’t appear in the WU queue, that means that this issue will continue in the months ahead, given the same conditions of the preview & stable version having the same KB number, i.e., no .NET update in the WU queue.

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Hi WCHS:

Just an FYI that I currently have my June 2021 Patch Tuesday updates paused for a few weeks (Settings | Update & Security | Windows Update | Advanced Options | Pause Updates | Pause Until | <select date>) until I’m sure there are no major bugs in this month’s batch of updates. I’ll post back after I resume Windows Update and let you know if a new .NET Framework update was delivered to my Win 10 Pro v20H2 machine this month.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v20H2 build 19042.985 * Firefox v89.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2105.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.4.0.117-1.0.1318

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lmacri wrote:

There has been a rule that if the superseded .NET update has not been installed, then the superseding one will not be installed. I wonder if the rule is still in effect because if the rule still works and if there is a release of a stable version on 06/08 with the same KBnumber as the preview and if it doesn’t appear in the WU queue, that means that this issue will continue in the months ahead, given the same conditions of the preview & stable version having the same KB number, i.e., no .NET update in the WU queue.

Hi Imacri,
I have GP=2 (Notify download/install) and I also have GP, Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components| Windows Update | Windows Update for Business | Select When Preview Builds and Feature Updates Are Received (i.e., Enabled, Semi-Annual Channel, defer for 1 day). So, I should be seeing a June .NET CU KB5003254 in the WU queue because it supersedes KB4601554, as evidenced by the MS-Catalog image what supersedes stable KB4601554-08-Jun-2021.

However, for whatever reason, KB4601554 never appeared in the WU queue, although its superseded KB4601550 had been installed the day after I did a feature update to 20H2 on April 9. You can see this in the image my installed updates 08-Jun 2021.

And as I predicted, since for whatever reason KB4601554 never appeared in the WU queue for it to be installed, its superseding KB5003254 is also not in the WU update queue now (after the Patch Tuesday updates were released on Jun 8), as evidenced by the hidden Jun Patch Tuesday patches that you see in the image wushowhide-08-Jun-2021. No KB5003254 is there.

I also note for KB5003254, as you noted above for KB4601554 in the MS Catalog, that both the Preview and the stable version have the same KBnumber. You provided a screenshot of the MS-Catalog for KB4601554 to show that. Here is a image showing the same thing for KB5003254: MS-Update-Catalog-NET-Framework-Update KB5003254-Stable-and-Preview-08-Jun-2021. KB4601554-stable version never appeared in my WU queue and KB5003254-stable has not appeared either now. I sense that its not appearing has something to do with the KBnumber of the Preview and the stable version being the same.

I note a post by @abbodi86 at #2315056, , in answer to my post at #2314991, , that if a .NET CU (stable version) has the same number as a .NET Preview and if the .NET CU is not a security update, the .NET CU (stable version) is a wrapper for the .NET Preview. KB4601554 was not a security update. I don’t think KB5003254 is a security update either. As a matter of fact, at the history of .NET Framework updates, 20H2, KB5003254 is not listed at all. KB4601554 is listed on the left for June 8 (the most recent Patch Tuesday) (and not KB5003254), but oddly, on the right, the blurb is dated May 11 for KB4601554!!!

What a mess!! Why don’t I see or why haven’t I seen the May KB4601554 in the WU queue? Why don’t I see the June KB5003254 in the WU queue?

Should I be manually downloading the May KB4601554 now that I’ve already installed the two other May patches when MS-DEFCON was 3+ (i.e., the May CU and the May MSRT)? And should I be manually downloading KB5003254 when MS-DEFCON becomes 3+ for the June patches?

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Hi WCHS:

You might also want to monitor doneagar’s 09-Jun-2021 .NET Update Confusion on the same topic, which stated:

“…The last .NET update on my PC is 4601050, which was installed when I was still running 2004 prior to moving to 2oH2…”

I posted <here> in that thread with a summary of what I’ve observed so far. I’m curious to learn if users posting in doneagar’s thread also used Group Policy Editor (gpedit) to tweak Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components| Windows Update | Windows Update for Business | Select When Preview Builds and Feature Updates Are Received.
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64-bit Win 10 Pro v20H2 build 19042.985 * Firefox v89.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2105.5 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.4.0.117-1.0.1318

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WCHS

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lmacri wrote:

I’m curious to learn if users posting in doneagar’s thread also used Group Policy Editor (gpedit) to tweak Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components| Windows Update | Windows Update for Business | Select When Preview Builds and Feature Updates Are Received.

I have the setting ‘ Not Configured’ and never got .NET updates past 2021-02.

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lmacri wrote:

… I have a Win 10 Pro v20H2 OS and I’ve also been wondering why I haven’t seen a .NET Framework update delivered since KB4601050 (2021-02 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10 Version 2004 for x64) was installed on my system on 19-Feb-2021….

Hi WCHS:

Just an FYI that my January 2022 Patch Tuesday update delivered KB5008876 (Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10, version 20H2, Windows Server, version 20H2, Windows 10 Version 21H1, and Windows 10 Version 21H2 – released January 11, 2022. This .NET Framework update includes a security update that patches CVE-2022-21911.

I haven’t run a manual “Check for Updates” to trigger a Windows Update to look for available updates since my last .NET Framework update was delivered in February 2021 (i.e., KB4601050 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10, version 2004, Windows Server, version 2004, Windows 10, version 20H2, and Windows Server, version 20H2 – released February 9, 2021 that patched CVE-2021-24111). My results would seem to confirm the theory that one of the tweaks I’ve made to the Windows Update settings in my Win 10 Pro Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) – most likely by setting Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components| Windows Update | Windows Update for Business | Select When Preview Builds and Feature Updates Are Received to Semi-Annual Channel – has the unexpected side-effect that stable .NET Framework updates will not be delivered unless they include a security update. However, I won’t be able to confirm unless I disable this setting and see if my .NET Framework updates, including those that do not include a security update, are delivered on a regular basis again.   I don’t use WUMgr or any other third-party utility to control my Windows Updates so I’d rather not disable this Local Group Policy Editor setting for testing if it means that I’m going to start receiving Preview Builds again.

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Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1466 * Firefox v96.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v.4.18.2111.5-1.1.18800.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.0.152-1.0.1538

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Hi Imacri,
Thanks for keeping me in the loop. Before I saw your post to me here, I saw YOUR post to Doneager at #2418045 and I replied there.

Just curious — how you you get the blue font in your replies? I tried to PM you with this question, but PM, for some reason is not working for me. Maybe, you can PM me on what you do to get it. (Don’t want this thread to go off topic.)

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