Beta testers of Windows 10 may need to uninstall Microsoft Office to get the latest update for the operating system to install properly. The latest build of Windows 10 has been riddled with problems, which isn't unexpected with pre-release software. However, the latest glitch will see beta testers forced to remove and reinstall Office 2013 if they want to install a security patch.
"Hey, #WindowsInsiders, we just made a tough call after working through the night that I thought I should share with you," tweeted Gabe Aul, engineering general manager at Microsoft. "We have a security update going out today, and the installer fails on [Build] 9879 if Office is installed. Rather than rolling a nex fix (losing several days in the process) we're going to publish it as is. The workaround is painful: uninstall Office, install the hotfix, reinstall Office. Sorry. We're working hard to fix this."
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Aul later tweeted that Windows 10 users should try and install the KB3022827 update before they uninstall Office, just in case it does work on their system. "It will work for many, no harm if not," he said.
Build 9879 has rather tested the patience of those running the next-generation Windows. A bug in the initial update saw the operating system crash repeatedly when using Windows Explorer. Microsoft released a small patch for that problem last week, but many users are reporting that it hasn't fixed the problem.
Bugs are, of course, a known risk for anyone who installs the pre-release software, and that's why you shouldn't install Windows 10 on any computer that you depend on.
Windows 10 is scheduled to be completed by the middle of next year, but before then Microsoft will release at least one more major build of the operating system to preview testers, which is expected to arrive in early 2015. To date, most of the new features of Windows 10 have concentrated on the desktop computing experience, as Microsoft attempts to woo back the laptop and desktop users who were put off by Windows 8's touchscreen-centric approach. However, Microsoft is expected to unveil new features for tablet and touchscreen users next year, as it bids to keep both camps happy.