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Facepalm: The problems associated with Microsoft's latest Windows 11 preview serve as a reminder of the potential risks associated with early adoption of software updates while underscoring the need for caution and thorough testing in IT environments. Microsoft has issued a fix, but that is probably of little comfort to the users who experienced the blue screen of death yet again.
Microsoft's latest Windows 11 preview, KB5043145, is causing significant problems for users. The update, released last week as a preview for the upcoming October Patch Tuesday, has led to numerous stability issues and complaints.
Many users have reported that their devices are experiencing multiple restarts or becoming unresponsive with blue or green screens after installing the update. In some cases, devices are automatically opening the Automatic Repair tool after repeated reboot attempts. In other instances, BitLocker recovery is being activated by the system.
The problems are not limited to system stability. Users have also reported issues with USB devices, Wi-Fi connectivity, and the Windows Subsystem for Linux 2. Hardware connected via USB and Bluetooth, such as keyboards, memory sticks, printers, and wireless mice, no longer work after installing the update. In these cases, the USB Host Controller under the Device Manager displays a yellow exclamation mark.
Some computers have even failed to boot after the update was installed.
Despite these issues, the update does introduce some new features when it works correctly. These include the ability to share local files directly from search results and the addition of a sign-out command to the account manager in the Start Menu.
Other changes allow users to enter their credentials only once for Outlook or another encrypted email app. Additionally, users with a Copilot Pro subscription can now manage it in Settings.
The update also aims to fix a problem with Microsoft Edge not responding to requests to use Internet Explorer mode. However, the widespread issues are overshadowing these improvements.
Microsoft has acknowledged the problems with the Known Issue Rollback it has distributed. The KIR is deployed automatically for most consumers, so all they have to do is restart their computers.
Microsoft has also released a specialized Group Policy, but end users on managed systems cannot implement this fix themselves. Instead, they need to collaborate with their IT departments to have the system administrators deploy the update across the organization's network.
It's worth noting that KB5043145 is an optional preview update. Users must choose to install it, which means many may have avoided these issues by waiting for the full release.
It is just over a week before the October Patch Tuesday, which will be the last update for Home and Pro users of Windows 11 version 22H2. Microsoft is likely working to resolve these issues before the full rollout.