malfunction Archives

Winsage

February 1, 2026

Microsoft confirms that a stack of bad Windows updates is causing boot issues

Windows 11 is facing significant issues following the January Patch Tuesday, particularly with boot failures on commercial devices. These problems are linked to both the January update and a flawed December update, leading to a "UNMOUNTABLEBOOTVOLUME" Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error. Microsoft has indicated that devices that did not successfully install the December security update are left in an improper state, which can prevent booting when subsequent updates are attempted. While Microsoft is working on a partial solution to prevent further installations that could cause boot failures, this fix will not resolve issues for devices already affected. The company is investigating the causes of these update failures and their consequences.

Winsage

January 21, 2026

Windows 11 update is breaking sleep mode on some PCs — but there’s one trick that might help

Windows 11's January update, KB5074109, has caused a bug affecting sleep mode on certain older PCs, leading to system crashes that require hard reboots. Users have reported that the issue appears only when the update is installed and resolves upon its removal. This problem primarily affects older machines using the S3 sleep state, while newer devices with modern standby features are less impacted. A suggested workaround involves unplugging USB webcams. Additional issues reported include freezing with the Outlook app for POP accounts, shutdown failures for enterprise users, and problems with keyboard and mouse functionality. Microsoft has acknowledged some of these issues and has deployed emergency fixes for certain problems.

Winsage

January 19, 2026

Windows 11 shutdown bug forces Microsoft into out-of-band damage control

Microsoft released an out-of-band update for Windows 11, designated as KB5077797, on January 17 for version 23H2 to address a critical malfunction that prevented some systems from shutting down, restarting, or hibernating after the January Patch Tuesday update. This issue primarily affected systems with System Guard Secure Launch enabled by default. The update also resolves a separate authentication problem with Remote Desktop that caused credential prompts to fail or loop indefinitely. Additionally, Microsoft acknowledged a bug affecting classic Outlook POP account profiles, which has not yet been fixed. Users are urged to install KB5077797 to resolve these issues.

Winsage

January 18, 2026

Windows 11 KB5074109 issues: black screen, freezes Outlook POP, breaks Azure Virtual Desktop, LocalizedResourceName (desktop.ini)

Windows 11 KB5074109 has caused several issues for users, particularly those with Nvidia GPUs, including black screens, Outlook freezing with POP accounts, and problems with File Explorer's desktop.ini settings. Users have reported random black screens and desktop freezes after installing the update, with some finding temporary relief by changing their monitor's DisplayPort mode. Outlook Classic has been problematic, remaining active in the background and freezing shortly after opening, prompting users to terminate the process in Task Manager or uninstall the update. Additionally, the update disrupts Azure Virtual Desktop functionality, leading to sign-in failures and connection issues. Microsoft has acknowledged these problems and is investigating solutions, including a Known Issue Rollback for AVD. The update also breaks the LocalizedResourceName directive in File Explorer, preventing folder name customization. Users can uninstall the update through Settings, but this may expose them to security vulnerabilities.

Winsage

January 14, 2026

Windows 2000 rusts in peace by the sea

A ticket machine at Comboios de Portugal is malfunctioning, running on Windows 2000, which has caused the system to freeze and made card payments unavailable. The issue appears to be related to the software rather than hardware failures. Despite the machine's wear and tear, there is currently no Blue Screen of Death. The situation highlights a decline in rail travel in Portugal as travelers increasingly prefer express bus services.

Winsage

December 17, 2025

Microsoft security updates breaks MSMQ on older Win systems

Microsoft has acknowledged that Message Queuing (MSMQ) may fail on certain Windows 10 devices and older Windows Server versions after the December 2025 Security update. Reported issues include MSMQ queues becoming inactive, IIS sites generating "Insufficient resources to perform operation" errors, and applications failing to write to queues. System logs may show misleading messages about insufficient disk space or memory due to folder permissions and MSMQ's write access requirements. The root cause is linked to changes in the MSMQ security model and NTFS permissions for the C:WindowsSystem32MSMQstorage folder, which now requires write access typically restricted to administrators. This issue primarily affects Windows 10 versions 22H2 and earlier, as well as Windows Server versions 2012 to 2019, with minimal impact on Windows Home or Pro editions. Microsoft recommends contacting support for workarounds, and some users have resolved the issue by uninstalling the update, though this would remove security enhancements. The problems are confined to older operating systems often used by enterprises delaying upgrades.

AppWizard

November 27, 2025

Epic Games Store Down Right Now? Why The PC Launcher Is Having Issues

The Epic Games Store is experiencing significant disruptions, with many PC players unable to log in, access their game libraries, or launch titles due to issues with Epic Online Services (EOS) login systems. An active incident titled “EOS Login Issues” has been logged for November 26, 2025, affecting not only the Epic Games Store but also popular games like Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys. Epic has acknowledged the problems and is investigating, but no timeline for resolution has been provided. Reports indicate that thousands of players are facing launcher errors and login loops. The root cause appears to be a malfunction within EOS, which is responsible for user authentication. Players are advised to check Epic’s status page and avoid local troubleshooting measures. The outage disrupts free game claims, store sales, and access to online titles, but players should not lose their games or purchases as they are linked to their Epic accounts.

Winsage

November 19, 2025

Microsoft’s new recovery tools rebuild Windows when it glitches

Microsoft has announced two new tools for enhancing Windows PC recovery capabilities within organizations: point-in-time restore and cloud rebuild. Point-in-time restore allows users to revert their system to a previous state by taking snapshots of the Windows environment at various intervals, facilitating recovery from issues like update failures and driver conflicts. This feature will be available for testing by Windows insiders in an upcoming build. Cloud rebuild enables IT administrators to restore the operating system directly from the cloud, similar to the existing Reset feature. Administrators can select the Windows version and language through the Microsoft Intune portal, prompting the PC to download the necessary installation media. This tool resets Windows while allowing for the restoration of personal files, applications, and settings using OneDrive and Windows Backup for Organizations. Both tools are designed for businesses using Microsoft Intune and are expected to be integrated into Intune in the first half of 2026 as part of Microsoft's Windows Resiliency Initiative. Additionally, Microsoft is introducing Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) to address boot-up problems and enhance Windows driver resilience.

Winsage

November 17, 2025

Microsoft’s New 25H2 Windows 11 Update Finally Fixed A Decades Old Bug

Windows 11 has received an update on October 28, 2025, to fix the "Update and shut down" bug that caused computers to restart instead of shutting down after updates. This fix is part of the optional KB5067036 update for Windows 11 25H2 Build 26200.7019 or Windows 11 24H2 Build 26100.7019. Users can manually install the patch through the "Check for updates" option in Windows Update settings, or it will be included in a mandatory update on November 11. The update also improves system stability by addressing various errors, including "Error 0x80070103" during driver installations, "Error 0x800f0983" during Windows Update, and issues with video and game display, large archive extraction, application responsiveness, and File Explorer freezing.

Winsage

November 13, 2025

Microsoft rushes out a fix for Windows 10 orphans

On November 11, Microsoft issued an emergency out-of-band update (KB5071959) to fix a malfunction in its enrollment wizard for the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, which had prevented eligible Windows 10 users from accessing security updates after the end of support on October 14. The enrollment system was not functioning properly, leading to a complete halt in security updates for many users. Microsoft had previously extended a complimentary year of ESU updates to users in the European Economic Area and introduced alternative qualification methods for support. Affected users must install the emergency update, re-enroll their devices, and will then be able to access the Windows 10 November 2025 security update. The enrollment wizard issue follows earlier complications, including incorrect out-of-support warnings for some enrolled devices.