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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- A brand new bug stops USB units within the Home windows Restoration Setting.
- You possibly can’t navigate the WinRE screens utilizing a mouse or keyboard.
- Microsoft is engaged on a repair, however there’s one workaround.
What would a month-to-month Home windows replace be with out a minimum of one bug? That is the case with the October Patch Tuesday update rolled out by Microsoft virtually per week in the past. This one mounted greater than 170 safety flaws, nevertheless it additionally launched a glitch that impacts some Home windows 11 customers who flip to the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to troubleshoot boot-up points.
Additionally: Windows 11 AI agents will act on your behalf – how much can you trust them?
“After putting in the Home windows safety replace launched on Oct.14, 2025 (KB5066835), USB units, resembling keyboards and mice, don’t operate within the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE),” Microsoft revealed on its known issues page for Windows 11. “This subject prevents navigation of any of the restoration choices inside WinRE. Word that the USB keyboard and mouse proceed to work usually throughout the Home windows working system.”
Additionally: Don’t want to upgrade to Windows 11? You don’t have to, but here’s what you should know
The difficulty impacts Home windows 11 25H2 and 24H2, in addition to Home windows Server 2025. Microsoft stated it is aiming to roll out a decision within the coming days.
Workarounds
WinRE is a restoration instrument that may step in if Home windows is unable besides up correctly. In some situations, the instrument might routinely begin and try to restore the problem; in others, you may manually choose sure choices, resembling a recovery drive or Secure Mode, to attempt to restore or a minimum of slim down the issue. However with out assist for a USB mouse or keyboard, there is not any technique to navigate the surroundings. Nonetheless, there’s one workaround.
Additionally: Microsoft’s ultra compact Windows 11 25H2 update is here – get it in a single restart
In case you have an old-style PS/2 keyboard or mouse and a suitable port in your PC, you need to be capable to work with the WinRE screens, because the glitch impacts solely USB units. In any other case, you will have to attend for Microsoft’s repair, which ought to arrive earlier than too lengthy.
An alternative choice is to easily take away the October replace, however that presumes you are still capable of boot into Home windows with none points. In that case, head to Home windows Replace, choose Replace Historical past, scroll to the underside of the display, and click on the choice to uninstall updates. Search for the KB5066835 replace and click on the Uninstall hyperlink to take away it.
Different bugs
Past the WinRE glitch, a number of different bugs have popped up within the newest October replace. One affects IIS websites, however solely these saved by yourself PC. Should you’re utilizing your laptop as an IIS server to host web sites, these websites might fail to load. This one impacts Home windows 11 25H2 and 24H2, in addition to Home windows Server 2025. Right here, Microsoft stated it is engaged on a repair slated for a future Home windows replace.
Additionally: Did you know that Windows 11 has an emergency shutdown feature? Here’s where to find it
With one other subject, as documented by Windows Latest, the File Explorer preview window might cease working accurately. When attempting to show a file downloaded from the cloud and even an inner community, the preview might set off an error telling you that the file may hurt your laptop. Although Microsoft hasn’t publicly acknowledged this one, hopefully a repair is on the best way.
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