Windows 10: Data Protection API broken since Update 2004

Discus and support Data Protection API broken since Update 2004 in Windows 10 Ask Insider to solve the problem; It took me a month to realize because the issues can go undetected for a while. Problems include: Some applications, including Outlook and some... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Ask Insider' started by /u/AyrA_ch, Oct 17, 2020.

  1. Data Protection API broken since Update 2004


    It took me a month to realize because the issues can go undetected for a while.

    Problems include:

    • Some applications, including Outlook and some Google products, forget passwords
    • Network drives that require authentication are no longer working properly after a restart
    • VPN connections seemingly broken without reason
    • Applications complain about corrupted configuration (for example the mega.nz sync client)
    • Certificates to which you have a private key are no longer working

    Apparently the 2004 update broke the data protection API for some people, me included. I've so far not been able to fix this issue, because not a single error from the Windows system is reported anywhere.

    Are you affected by this?


    A simple way to test this is to check if new key files appear on every restart in a certain folder. This would be %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Protect\<SID> (the SID is different for each of you).

    The directories and files are marked as system and hidden, so you need to tell Windows to show protected system files in the folder options to see them. The mentioned folder should only contain a few files (on average, one every 90 days).

    I've also made an application that tests for this problem by actually using the API.

    submitted by /u/AyrA_ch
    [link] [comments]

    :)
     
    /u/AyrA_ch, Oct 17, 2020
    #1
  2. AyrA.ch Win User

    Data Protection API (DPAPI) seemingly broken

    The Data Protection API seems to be broken on my machine. Data Encrypted using the "ProtectData" function will only reliably decrypt if it was encrypted using the machine key. Data encrypted using the user account key will no longer decrypt after the machine
    has been restarted.

    On every restart, a new file will appear in %APPDATA%\Roaming\Microsoft\Protect\<SID>

    Is there a way to reset the data protection API somehow?

    I can't find any indication on what goes wrong. There are no event logs. This has become quite annoying since apparently it's not that uncommon to use this API to protect configuration files.
     
    AyrA.ch, Oct 17, 2020
    #2
  3. The "Open Diagnostic Data Viewer" is broken in Windows 10 (64) Version 2004

    Hi,

    Since the issue is still not solved so as to the next step I would suggest you roll back the Windows 10 2004 update and try updating it again following the below instructions.

    To Rollback windows 2004 update follow the below instructions:

    Open Settings by typing in the search box next to windows icon

    Click on Update & Security.

    Click on Recovery.

    Under “Go back to the previous version of Windows 10,” click the Get started button.

    Select a reason why you’re uninstalling version 2004.

    Click the Next button.

    Click the No, thanks button.

    Click the Next button.

    Click the Next button again.

    Click the Go back to the earlier build button.

    Once you complete the steps, the device will remove the latest feature update, and it’ll revert to the previous version

    Next

    To Install the Latest Windows Feature Pack 2004 update manually steps:

    Step: 1

    Open the link below

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-downlo...

    Step 2:

    Click Update which will download the Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant

    Step 3:

    Run the Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant & then click Update now.

    Step 4: It will start downloading the update and also shows the percentage of download.

    Regards

    Shuaib

    Windows Expert User
     
    MohammedShuaib1986, Oct 17, 2020
    #3
  4. Data Protection API broken since Update 2004

    MessageBeep API function broken since Fall Creators Update

    Thank you for the update, Christoph.

    Regarding your concern, we suggest that you perform an in-place upgrade using an ISO file to repair any broken system files while keeping your personal files, settings, and installed applications. This is to revert your device settings to default and fix broken
    system files that may have occurred during the update as well. To do this, please follow the steps provided by
    PaulSey in this
    article
    .

    If the issue persists after performing an in-place upgrade, we recommend reinstalling the specified application. this will ensure that you're working on the default configuration of the app. The goal of this is to reverse any untoward changes that you may
    have applied prior to the issue.

    Should the above steps doesn't suffice, we'd recommend performing a system restore to bring back the device to an earlier state (prior to the upgrade). To do this, please follow the steps on this

    link
    . Once you're on the page, refer to the steps listed under
    Restore from a system restore point.

    For any results, just send us a reply.
     
    Eileen Gal, Oct 17, 2020
    #4
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Data Protection API broken since Update 2004

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