Windows 10 has had a terrible few months. An update to the PC operating system released by Microsoft has caused data loss and blue screens for many users, and it appears that the only way to avoid problems for sure is to not download the update.

The KB4535996 update had previously been reported to cause slow startup, computers unexpectedly starting up in sleep mode, corrupting development tools, audio and performance issues, and even the dreaded BSOD.

This appears to be primarily affecting those running the 1909 and 1903 Windows 10 updates in November and May 2019, respectively.

As reported by WccfTech, Windows Support recommends that users uninstall the updates in at least one case. While they do not acknowledge that all of the problems listed by users were caused by the new cumulative update, it may be worth trying to uninstall the KB4535996 update if you are experiencing any of these problems.

As reported by TechRadar, one user on the Microsoft Answers website stated that over 200 PCs in his organization are crashing and displaying the blue screen of death. He also said that "uninstalling the update does not cleanly remove it and causes a lockup on first boot."

If you have not yet installed this update, you should avoid installing it, as it may cause similar problems.

The Windows 10 update is not the only trouble that has happened recently: in January, a security update failed to install on certain machines. And in February, one update caused WiFi and sound problems, while another Windows 10 update hid files and deleted user settings.

Hopefully, once this issue is settled, Microsoft will be able to provide more stable Windows 10 updates.