Microsoft published security updates for all supported versions of Windows recently that protect systems running Windows from Meltdown and Spectre attacks.

The company released updates for Windows 10 via Windows Update. Cumulative update patches for all supported operating systems are available on the Microsoft Update Catalog website as well.

Windows 7 users and administrators who install KB4056894 on machines running the operating system may run into Blue Screen of Death issues after doing so.

The update does not appear to be distributed via Windows Update right now, but system administrators can download it from Microsoft’s Update Catalog website and install it manually. Microsoft announced plans to release it tomorrow on the January 2018 Patch Day.

KB4056894 causing Bluescreen on Windows 7 PCs

It appears that the patch does not play well with specific AMD configurations. Reports suggest that the bug affects a wide range of AMD processors including AMD Athlon X2, Opteron, and Turion models.

Systems affected by the issue throw the BSOD error Stop: 0x000000c4 followed by additional information. Admins and users who did not install the patch already on AMD systems should hide the update for the time being to block it from installation.

The situation is different if the update is installed already on the system. Windows won’t boot anymore thanks to the Blue Screen of Death error. This means that the main method of removing updates from a Windows machine does not work.

A user on Reddit came up with a solution that should work on the majority of devices affected by the Blue Screen of Death:

1. Use the F8-key during the boot sequence and select Repair Your Computer in the menu that pops up. If you have difficulties opening the menu hammer on the F8-key repeatedly until the menu appears.
2. Open a command prompt window.
3. Run dir d: to check that the Windows drive is mapped.
4. Run
   Code:

   dism /image:d:\ /remove-package /packagename:Package_for_RollupFix~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~7601.24002.1.4 /norestart

You should get a processing message and a progress bar. The command removes the package from the Windows system. Doing so should resolve the BSOD issue, and Windows should boot normally.

Note that you cannot get into SafeMode, as SafeMode throws a BlueScreen as well. The only option that you have to resolve the issue is to open the startup repair prompt and run the command mentioned above.

You do need to hide the update as it will be picked up by Windows Update and installed if automatic updating is configured.