Windows 10 update panic: Older VMware Workstation Pro app broken
Found on The Register on Wednesday, 09 October 2019
In a thread on Microsoft's site, one affected user complained that upgrading their 100 VMware Workstation licences would cost €11,500.
There are other factors, though. A user trying to run the networking software GNS3 found that after upgrading, the software no longer worked. In addition, newer versions of VMware do not work on some older processors, so an upgrade is not always possible.
This is part of the Application Compatibility Framework which is able to patch applications on the fly as well as informing the user of compatibility issues. Some desperate users (not only in the VMware case) have tried replacing this file with an older version to get blocked applications to run.
Another Windows update, another fallout. Usually the updates are loaded with bugs that cause a wide range of unpleasant errors or even data-loss, but this time the block was intentional. Microsoft could just scan the system before borking it and notify users, giving them the option to decline the update; but in the new world, forced updates are mandatory even if they break your system.