A widespread bug affecting Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, as well as Windows Server 2025, is causing significant issues with troubleshooting, recovery, and repair processes, compounded by previous bugs and emergency fixes.

Microsoft acknowledged the widespread issues on October 17, 2025, emphasizing the risk for IT professionals and users who rely on recovery options during system failures.

The issues raise concerns about the ability of users and IT staff to troubleshoot and repair systems effectively, especially when normal boot or recovery options are inaccessible.

The company has confirmed that a fix is in development and will be released soon, although no specific timeline has been provided.

This bug disrupts system recovery tools like Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), making it difficult or impossible for users to access essential troubleshooting features.

As a temporary workaround, users can uninstall the problematic update KB5066835 through Settings, but this increases security vulnerabilities by removing recent patches.

Many users have experienced installation failures with cryptic error codes, often forcing manual rollbacks to restore system functionality.

The problem is part of a series of recent issues caused by Windows updates, including broken localhost connections and failures in the Windows Media Creation Tool.

A specific bug in the October update KB5066835 has rendered WinRE unusable for many, as USB keyboards and mice stop working in recovery mode, preventing interaction with troubleshooting tools.

While peripherals work normally within the OS, their unresponsiveness in WinRE hampers recovery efforts, forcing users to wait for an upcoming patch from Microsoft.

Microsoft has previously released quick fixes for related bugs, such as localhost connection problems, indicating active efforts to address these issues, but a permanent solution is still pending.

Additional problems linked to the update include network diagnostics failures, system sluggishness, and application launch delays, further complicating user experience.