Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 update has caused widespread issues for some users. Following the Sept. 26 update (KB5043145), many experienced various problems, including PCs freezing, blue or green screens of death, and persistent reboot loops. For others, the update disrupted their USB and Bluetooth devices, rendering keyboards, mice, headphones, and other peripherals useless.
What’s Happening & Why This Matters
Users have voiced their frustrations online. One user reported that their system was so severely affected that a complete Windows reinstall was necessary, as they experienced a blue screen of death every 15 minutes. Additional issues have been observed with Wi-Fi connectivity and software such as VirtualBox and Linux’s WSL2. Owners of Asus laptops, in particular, appear to be facing a disproportionate amount of trouble after this update.
Microsoft has acknowledged the problems, advising that the Automatic Repair tool can resolve reboot loop issues in some cases. Users stuck in these loops are recommended to use the tool or try a BitLocker recovery if available. Additionally, Microsoft’s Known Issue Rollback (KIR) service has been deployed to address these bugs, though users may need to restart their PCs to benefit from the fix.
For PCs managed by IT departments, the problem has yet to be resolved. IT administrators are being asked to install and configure a group policy workaround until Microsoft provides a comprehensive fix in a future update. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Windows 11 updates have caused reboot loops. A similar issue in June 2023, after the release of update KB5039302, forced Microsoft to pull the update following user reports of system failures.
The 24H2 version of Windows 11, which introduced new features like Copilot+ integration, Wi-Fi 7 support, and updated File Explorer options, has also brought fresh compatibility issues. Gamers, in particular, have reported crashes due to incompatibility between the update and Easy Anti-Cheat software, affecting popular games like Call of Duty, Apex Legends, Fortnite, and Destiny. In extreme cases, these crashes lead to a blue screen of death with a “MEMORY_MANAGEMENT” error.
In response, Microsoft has temporarily halted the rollout of the 24H2 update to affected systems until the issue is resolved. The company is also addressing compatibility problems with Intel’s 11th-gen processors and their Smart Sound Technology drivers.
TF Summary: What’s Next
Microsoft has several pressing issues to address with its recent updates. While fixes are already being rolled out through the KIR service and IT admins are working with group policy configurations, solutions will arrive via official updates. In the meantime, affected users are encouraged to stay updated on patches and fixes, and IT administrators will closely monitor environments applying workarounds until Microsoft provides a permanent solution.
As Windows 11 add features with Windows 12 on the horizon, users can anticipates hiccups to be addressed, but careful monitoring of future updates will be critical to avoiding similar frustrations.
— Text-to-Speech (TTS) provided by gspeech