Windows 11 Won't Shutdown? Microsoft Issues Emergency Patch for January Update Glitches.

Windows 11 Won't Shutdown? Microsoft Issues Emergency Patch for January Update Glitches.

Microsoft has officially confirmed that the recent January 2026 Patch Tuesday updates have introduced significant bugs across several versions of Windows. These issues range from power management failures, such as inability to shutdown or hibernate, to critical connectivity disruptions for Microsoft’s Cloud PC services.

The "Unstoppable" Windows 11: Shutdown and Hibernate Issues

Users on Windows 11 version 23H2 who installed the security update KB5073455 have reported an unusual bug: the system restarts automatically whenever a user attempts to "Shutdown" or enter "Hibernate" mode.

According to Microsoft, this conflict specifically affects Secured-core PCs with Secure Launch enabled. This deep-level security feature utilizes Virtualization-based Security (VBS) and the Dynamic Root of Trust for Measurement (DRTM) to prevent firmware-level attacks. As an interim workaround, Microsoft initially advised users to execute the shutdown via Command Prompt (CMD) using the command: shutdown /s /t 0.

Cloud Connectivity Outages

The January update also struck a blow to enterprise users across Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server. Many reported being unable to connect to Microsoft 365 Cloud PC, Windows 365, and Azure Virtual Desktop. The root cause was identified as a credential prompt failure within the Remote Desktop app and the Windows App, preventing successful authentication.

The Solution: Out-of-band (OOB) Emergency Updates

To mitigate these widespread disruptions, Microsoft has released Out-of-band (OOB) Updates. These emergency patches address both the Cloud PC connection errors and the Secure Launch power bugs on Windows 11.

Important Deployment Note: Unlike standard updates, these emergency fixes are not currently pushed through the automatic Windows Update service. System administrators and users must manually download them from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

For organizations unable to deploy manual patches immediately, Microsoft suggests using Known Issue Rollback (KIR) via Group Policy. This allows administrators to remotely revert the specific problematic change without uninstalling the entire security update. Microsoft advises that if your devices are not experiencing these specific issues, you may skip the OOB update and wait for the cumulative fixes in the next scheduled Patch Tuesday.

• Microsoft's advanced security standards, developed in collaboration with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), protect at the firmware level. Therefore, the occurrence of bugs on these machines is significant, as they are often enterprise-level systems requiring high stability.

• Manual update installation via the Microsoft Update Catalog carries risks if the user downloads the wrong version (e.g., x64 vs. ARM64). Therefore, it's crucial to emphasize the need to carefully check the KB code and machine architecture before installation.

• KIR is a technology developed by Microsoft to "flicker bugs" without removing the main security update, ensuring the machine remains protected from other vulnerabilities in that month.

• Bug related to Azure Virtual Desktop and Cloud PC directly impacts remote workers worldwide, significantly reducing productivity over the past week. 

 

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