Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Insider Preview (10.0.22635.3646) (KB5037858) Fails

People not using Parallels have reported the same error(s) on other forums. It could be both you know.

 

I updated Windows and now I'm stuck at the BitLocker screen - I don't think I ever setup a BitLocker password. I've gone to my 365 account and there's nothing in there for BitLocker.

Is this going to be fixable via a Parallels update? - Or did I just loose my VM and all the files in there?
Will installing an earlier version of Windows ARM fix this?

 

I agree; many of us use this on Mac for business and cannot run Dev builds. That is awful advice for a program for which we are paying PRO price! VM Ware offers theirs for FREE, which is working with this update.

 

That is awful advice for a program for which I am paying the PRO price! Many of us use this on Mac for business and cannot run Dev builds.

 

For free... For personal use only, not for business...

 

Same or similar problem. Mac M1, Windows 23H2. Attempts to install the update, fails, requires Bitlocker recovery key.

 

No, I don't use BitLocker and still have the issue. It just boots into recovery after 30%.

 

No. It does not. It will not prompt for bitlocker, but it will just reboot several times and then repair, and finally boot back and say the update failed.

 

I tried installing a new Windows 11 ARM VM from Parallels Console. It fails to install 2024-05 Cumulative Update Preview for Windows 11 Version 23H2 for arm64-based Systems (KB5037853)
With the error Install error - 0x800f0845

 

I really hope that the Parallels team comes up with a fix soon. Usually, I immediately installed every Parallels update, and never had show-stopping problems. If they don't fix it quickly, it will greatly impact the reputation of Parallels as a reliable way to run Windows on a modern Mac. For me it will be cheaper to buy an additional Windows PC than lose several days of productivity when Parallels doesn't work... And then I won't come back, ever.

 

Agree, I have been debating ditching Parallels for a while now and getting a mid-spec Windows laptop to add to my ever-weight-gaining rucksack!
It seems to be the new 'norm' with top software/game developers in the past few years, with a 'that'll do, it works on my machine -> deploy/publish' attitude and let the customer be the QA testers. It's not like the ARM/Apple Mx chips came out yesterday and the Parallels engineers don't have access to the updates before public release.

 

I am seeing it is taking so long for them to fix; in the while, for the first time in four years, I turned off my licence auto renew option

 

Guys! If I understand correctly, this is about the fact that a system update recently provided by Microsoft cannot currently be installed in Parallels Virtual Machines. Does this really put your IT operations at risk?

 

A similar problem happened in both the Canary and Dev channels. MS never admitted there was a problem. Surprisingly after about 3 ARM updates that did the exact same thing (install up to 30%, reboot, repair), the updates started working again. This is NOT a new problem, it seems to happen randomly to differing versions of upgrades. Use the MS FEEDBACK HUB and report that you're having a problem upgrading. You can file a report just like the 300000 other people who also have the problem.

 

Parallels team please correct me if I'm wrong on this and I do hope that I am, but...

As many of you probably know Microsoft is preparing, with several partner vendors to launch Qualcomm Elite X based laptops later this month which will be running Windows 11 ARM64, essentially if not identical to the version that has up this point been used primarily for Apple Silicon Macs running Parallels. Speculating that build 23H2 is the new build of Windows 11 Pro for ARM64 with the AI features and has optimizations in it specific to the Elite X NPUs, etc....

If I'm right, general incompatibility for some time, at least until the smoke clears on the Elite X laptops and Microsoft releases the time gate on these new features. It really sucks, because every one of us running Windows 11 Pro on Parallels paid Microsoft in full for a Windows 11 Pro license in order to use Windows 11 through Parallels, but they aren't just dumping on us, think of all those Intel Windows 11 users who just bought new multi-thousand dollar Intel workstations or gaming laptops who are also not getting the new features anytime soon.

We are specifically impacted because we're on ARM64 Windows 11 and for obvious, yet I think highly unethical reasons, Microsoft is prioritizing Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite X ARM64 hardware for the time being.

 

Does that put my IT operations at risk? No. Does that annoy me as a paying customer (both to Parallels and Microsoft)? Big time. I run Windows on my Mac, because I have a number of professional programs that are only available for Windows, and I like to run macOS for the rest. The former I must be able to run, the second is convenience. For that convenience I pay Parallels. If the convenience is gone, so will be Parallels. One thing I know for sure: it will hurt me less than it will hurt Parallels if their reputation is going south.

 

I don't believe (or don't want to believe) that MS is that stupid.

 

The simple answer is to create another Windows VM using the Dev (or Canary version if you're adventurous) build. Then you can attempt the update on your existing release version and do work using the Dev version.

 

Well, I can confirm for you that they are just that "stupid" when it comes to the time gating part of new AI features. Here's what I can share and for those blaming Parallels team, just stop! As I'll reveal Microsoft is likely the problem. 24H2 is the build with CoPilot+ and we won't be getting it as MacOS users.

I was in a developer AMA session during the Microsoft Developer Conference event last month where the new ARM64 Snapdragon Elite X laptops were announced, along with the new exclusive AI features for Windows 11 and Microsoft confirmed that the new AI features will be exclusive to Snapdragon Elite X for a period of time. I also directly asked about both Intel Windows 11 users with NPUs and GPUs capable of running the features as well as MacOS users who bought a Windows 11 license for Parallels and was pointed to the blog post below. This confirms that, although Microsoft is aware that existing Windows 11 customers have the hardware capable (more than capable) of this new bag of AI features they've labeled CoPilot+, Microsoft has chosen to prioritize where their Software Engineering efforts go, selectively supporting Windows 11 features for certain CPU and SoCs and effectively time gating the release of these features for older hardware and competitors hardware, if they ever bring them to these devices at all. Here's what it says in the press release linked below.

". .. The first Copilot+ PCs will launch with both the Snapdragon® X Elite and Snapdragon® X Plus processors and feature leading performance per watt thanks to the custom Qualcomm Oryon™ CPU, which delivers unrivaled performance and battery efficiency. Snapdragon X Series delivers 45 NPU TOPS all-in-one system on a chip (SoC). The premium integrated Qualcomm® Adreno™ GPU delivers stunning graphics for immersive entertainment. We look forward to expanding through deep partnerships with Intel and AMD, starting with Lunar Lake and Strix Point. We will bring new Copilot+ PC experiences at a later date. In the future we expect to see devices with this silicon paired with powerful graphics cards like NVIDIA GeForce RTX and AMD Radeon™, bringing Copilot+ PC experiences to reach even broader audiences like advanced gamers and creators. "

So that tells you their priority is
1. ) Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite X (2024 end of Q2)
2. ) Intel Lunar Lake (2024 end of Q3)
3. ) NVidia RTX and Radeon based Intel systems (... TBD, if ever)
4. ) MacOS Apple Silicon users running Windows 11
(unannounced, probably never. In spite of licensing Windows 11 to MacOS Parallels users, Microsoft is in competition with Apple with their new ARM64 based Surface product line, it's a conflict of interest for them to even license Windows 11 to us, so they are making features exclusive to their new hardware)

This is a case where they have charged us full price for a Windows 11 Pro license and are now refusing to give us all the update features. Can they do this? I fed ChatGPT 4o the full Windows 11 EULA and it had this to say

The Windows 11 End User License Agreement (EULA) does not explicitly state that Microsoft reserves the right to withhold certain features from specific hardware or time-gate features to support hardware partners. However, the EULA outlines that Microsoft has broad discretion regarding how the software is used and updated. It stipulates that certain features and updates may be provided solely at Microsoft's discretion and may depend on the hardware meeting specific system requirements that Microsoft sets out periodically.

The EULA includes terms that allow Microsoft to offer updates and new capabilities that might only function with particular hardware specifications. Additionally, features and updates may be rolled out in a manner that could favor newer or specific types of hardware, effectively encouraging users to adopt newer technology that supports these features.

https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2024/05/20/introducing-copilot-pcs/

 

I had sent a technical report to Parallels support about a week ago after I ran into this problem.
It would be nice to hear back from them what they found out and if they are going to provide a fix.