This week, Microsoft made an unusual request to Windows 11 users: ignore alarming firewall configuration errors that may appear after rebooting their systems following the installation of the June 2025 non-security preview update (KB5060829). The warnings, logged as ‘Event 2042’ in the Event Viewer under Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, show a “Config Read Failed” notification with a “More data is available” message. Despite the intimidating wording, Microsoft assures that users can—at least for now—safely disregard these alerts, marking a rare instance of a tech giant explicitly telling its customers to look the other way when their operating system throws security warnings.
The root cause, according to Microsoft’s Windows release health dashboard, is a new Windows Firewall feature currently under development. This feature has not been fully integrated into the operating system, leading to the spurious Event 2042 errors after the June 2025 update is applied. Importantly, these errors are only seen on Windows 11 24H2 systems, the most recent major feature update in Microsoft’s client OS lineup.
Microsoft’s official response emphasizes that the firewall remains operational and users should experience no degradation in actual security or system processes associated with Windows Firewall. The errors are described as “informational noise” that does not reflect a real configuration or operational issue within the firewall’s core functionality.
“Following installation of the June 2025 Windows non-security preview update (KB5060829), security event logs might include an error event related to Windows Firewall With Advanced Security, which can be safely ignored. Please note Windows Firewall is expected to function normally, and no action is required to prevent or resolve this error event. This event is related to a feature that is currently under development and not fully implemented.”
For users familiar with the Event Viewer, the specific error signature is:
The tech community broadly agrees that, while the warning is new, such ‘ghost errors’ are not unprecedented during the phased rollout of new Windows features.
However, there is a caveat. By normalizing the presence of error messages—especially those connected to fundamental security services like the firewall—Microsoft runs the risk of conditioning users to ignore legitimate warnings. Security professionals urge caution, warning that regularly telling users to disregard errors may weaken proactive responses to future, genuinely serious issues. As security researcher Mark Stockley notes, “Confusing or noisy logging undermines confidence in the accuracy of security event monitoring, especially in enterprise scenarios where event logs are routinely parsed for threats.”
While Microsoft’s communication is clear for individual users, organizations with centralized monitoring and compliance requirements may need to suppress these errors or update custom alerting rules temporarily until a patch is released.
Similarly, another acknowledged and fixed error in April involved invalid 0x80070643 failure messages after Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) updates were installed. Both incidents highlight a trend: as Windows becomes increasingly complex and modular, underlying mechanisms for logging, error reporting, and update integration occasionally stumble.
As a result, development code and diagnostic mechanisms sometimes leak into production environments, resulting in errors that, while benign, can cause confusion or concern.
This is an inherent risk in fast-paced development driven by cloud-connected testing and feature delivery pipelines.
To minimize confusion, users can:
This approach, while pragmatic, also highlights the ongoing balance Microsoft must strike in deploying new features rapidly while maintaining user trust.
As more enterprise administrators rely on automated event log parsing to detect real security events, even small increases in background ‘noise’ can slow down response times and inflate support costs, especially in larger organizations.
Going forward, clear communication, rapid bug-fixing, and improved testing for new error-logging features will be crucial for maintaining the confidence of both consumer and enterprise Windows customers. For now, Windows 11 users encountering Event 2042 following KB5060829 can rest easy—the warnings are harmless, with no action required—though ongoing vigilance and skepticism remain the best tools for keeping your systems genuinely secure.
Source: BleepingComputer Microsoft asks users to ignore Windows Firewall config errors
What’s Behind the Firewall Errors?
The root cause, according to Microsoft’s Windows release health dashboard, is a new Windows Firewall feature currently under development. This feature has not been fully integrated into the operating system, leading to the spurious Event 2042 errors after the June 2025 update is applied. Importantly, these errors are only seen on Windows 11 24H2 systems, the most recent major feature update in Microsoft’s client OS lineup.Microsoft’s official response emphasizes that the firewall remains operational and users should experience no degradation in actual security or system processes associated with Windows Firewall. The errors are described as “informational noise” that does not reflect a real configuration or operational issue within the firewall’s core functionality.
Microsoft’s Guidance
Here’s the statement provided on the Windows release health dashboard:“Following installation of the June 2025 Windows non-security preview update (KB5060829), security event logs might include an error event related to Windows Firewall With Advanced Security, which can be safely ignored. Please note Windows Firewall is expected to function normally, and no action is required to prevent or resolve this error event. This event is related to a feature that is currently under development and not fully implemented.”
For users familiar with the Event Viewer, the specific error signature is:
| Event ID | Source | Message |
|---|---|---|
| 2042 | Windows Firewall | Config Read Failed, More data is available |
Assessing the Risks
Real vs. Perceived Threat
The priority for most users is understanding whether these errors represent a real threat to their system security. Based on the technical details provided by Microsoft and corroborated by several sources including BleepingComputer and Windows Central, the answer is no: the firewall engine is not malfunctioning, and no misconfiguration of actual firewall rules is occurring.However, there is a caveat. By normalizing the presence of error messages—especially those connected to fundamental security services like the firewall—Microsoft runs the risk of conditioning users to ignore legitimate warnings. Security professionals urge caution, warning that regularly telling users to disregard errors may weaken proactive responses to future, genuinely serious issues. As security researcher Mark Stockley notes, “Confusing or noisy logging undermines confidence in the accuracy of security event monitoring, especially in enterprise scenarios where event logs are routinely parsed for threats.”
Enterprise Impact
For enterprise IT departments, even ‘cosmetic’ errors can pose operational challenges. Automated monitoring software might flag Event 2042 messages, potentially triggering unnecessary investigations or alerts. Large organizations typically depend on clear, actionable security logs to maintain compliance and protect network infrastructure.While Microsoft’s communication is clear for individual users, organizations with centralized monitoring and compliance requirements may need to suppress these errors or update custom alerting rules temporarily until a patch is released.
The Bigger Picture: Not the First Rodeo
This episode follows a recent pattern in which Windows update rollouts have produced incorrect, misleading, or non-impactful error messages. In April of this year, Microsoft cleared up a bug causing incorrect BitLocker drive encryption error messages—a reporting glitch that only affected managed environments with enforced encryption but caused confusion among IT staff and users alike.Similarly, another acknowledged and fixed error in April involved invalid 0x80070643 failure messages after Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) updates were installed. Both incidents highlight a trend: as Windows becomes increasingly complex and modular, underlying mechanisms for logging, error reporting, and update integration occasionally stumble.
- April 2025: Incorrect BitLocker encryption errors, later clarified and fixed by Microsoft.
- April 2025: Invalid 0x80070643 WinRE update failure warnings, also subsequently resolved.
Analysis: Why Are These Errors Happening?
The Evolution of Windows Updates
Ever since the launch of Windows 10’s “Windows as a Service” model, major and minor updates are delivered with far greater frequency compared to historical release cycles. New features are often included behind feature flags or staged rollouts, leading to scenarios where code is present in the OS but not fully activated or tested across all deployment states.As a result, development code and diagnostic mechanisms sometimes leak into production environments, resulting in errors that, while benign, can cause confusion or concern.
The Perils of Rapid Feature Development
Microsoft’s push to accelerate innovation—particularly within the Windows 11 family—means that some features are being developed and integrated in partial states. Features may land on PCs before they are visible or complete, leveraging switchable code paths to enable or disable new capabilities remotely. Occasionally, as with the Event 2042 firewall error, the underlying diagnostic or configuration routines for these features output warning messages that don’t reflect actual problems in user deployments.This is an inherent risk in fast-paced development driven by cloud-connected testing and feature delivery pipelines.
How Should Users Respond?
For now, the best approach is to follow Microsoft’s guidance: ignore the Event 2042 firewall configuration error if you are running Windows 11 24H2 with the June 2025 preview update installed. No immediate action is required, and the firewall is expected to continue protecting your system as designed.To minimize confusion, users can:
- Periodically check the official Windows release health dashboard for updates and fixes.
- Avoid using third-party registry tweaks or workaround scripts suggested on unofficial forums.
- For enterprises, consider suppressing Event 2042 from alerts or ticketing rules pending an official patch.
When to Worry: Critical Errors vs. False Positives
Despite Microsoft’s reassurance, users should remain vigilant for any of the following:- Recurring error messages outside Event 2042, especially those tied to firewall rule application or unexpected process blocks.
- Inability to open the Windows Firewall console, or errors when attempting to view or configure firewall rules.
- Noticeable changes in network connectivity or a loss of applied firewall rules.
Community Reactions and Best Practices
Early responses from IT forums and sysadmin communities highlight a mix of annoyance and understanding. Many professionals note that update-induced spurious warnings are a reality of modern IT management. However, persistent ‘noise’ in the logs can erode confidence in the reliability of event auditing.Recommended Steps for IT Pros
- Update system documentation to reflect Microsoft’s guidance on Event 2042.
- Temporarily adjust automated alert thresholds if firewall ‘Config Read Failed’ is repeatedly triggering tickets.
- Educate users and helpdesk staff on which messages can safely be ignored.
- Monitor Microsoft’s support and health dashboards for a future resolutive patch.
How Microsoft Is Responding
Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and stated that it is actively working on a permanent fix, promising to update its documentation when more details become available. The company’s transparent communication—coupled with swift labeling of the warning as safe to ignore—has helped reduce panic and clarify the true risk level, at least in the short term.This approach, while pragmatic, also highlights the ongoing balance Microsoft must strike in deploying new features rapidly while maintaining user trust.
Broader Implications for Windows Reliability
Smaller errors such as the Event 2042 Windows Firewall message may not affect most users’ day-to-day activities, but they carry outsized symbolic significance. For power users and enterprises, every erroneous or unexplained event increases the friction in managing and trusting foundational platforms like Windows.As more enterprise administrators rely on automated event log parsing to detect real security events, even small increases in background ‘noise’ can slow down response times and inflate support costs, especially in larger organizations.
The Modern Windows Update Landscape
Between cumulative updates, feature previews, and developer channel releases, users now deal with a nearly constant stream of patches, new features, and accompanying documentation. While this innovation cycle brings rapid improvements, it also makes temporary glitches like this one more likely and, perhaps, more visible than they were in prior eras of less frequent OS changes.Final Thoughts: User Confidence and Transparency
Microsoft’s decision to communicate openly about the spurious firewall error demonstrates a commendable level of transparency, but it also serves as a reminder of the complexity of modern OS platforms and the challenges of balancing feature velocity with stability and trust.Going forward, clear communication, rapid bug-fixing, and improved testing for new error-logging features will be crucial for maintaining the confidence of both consumer and enterprise Windows customers. For now, Windows 11 users encountering Event 2042 following KB5060829 can rest easy—the warnings are harmless, with no action required—though ongoing vigilance and skepticism remain the best tools for keeping your systems genuinely secure.
Source: BleepingComputer Microsoft asks users to ignore Windows Firewall config errors
