Windows 11 security Archives

Winsage

July 21, 2026

Microsoft Releases New Windows 11 Security Update Fix For Dell Users

On July 21, Microsoft announced an emergency security update, KB5121767, for Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2, due to complications from the July Patch Tuesday update, KB5101650, which caused performance issues for certain Dell users, including unexpected system shutdowns. The problem was linked to a conflict between the Windows USB-C Connection Manager interface and the Intel Innovation Platform Framework Processor Participant driver. Affected Dell models include the Dell Pro Max 14 Premium MA14250, Dell Pro Max 16 Premium MA16250, Dell XPS 17 9720, and Dell XPS 17 9730. Microsoft recommends that only users of these impacted devices install the update, while assuring unaffected users that no action is necessary. Additionally, Microsoft acknowledged issues affecting Windows Server Update Services that hinder Windows Update scans, stemming from a buildup of publishing metadata, and has implemented a service-side mitigation to address this.

Winsage

July 21, 2026

Microsoft Releases New Windows 11 Security Update Fix For Dell Users

Microsoft has released an emergency out-of-band security update (KB5121767) for Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2 due to performance issues caused by the July Patch Tuesday update (KB5101650) affecting certain Dell devices. The issues include system shutdowns, stemming from a conflict between the Windows USB-C Connection Manager and the Intel Innovation Platform Framework Processor Participant driver. Confirmed affected Dell models include the Dell Pro Max 14 Premium MA14250, Dell Pro Max 16 Premium MA16250, Dell XPS 17 9720, and Dell XPS 17 9730. The update is specifically for users of these devices experiencing performance-related issues, and Microsoft stated that no action is required for unaffected devices.

Winsage

July 15, 2026

Microsoft: Some Dell PCs shut down after recent Windows updates

Microsoft has temporarily halted the rollout of the Windows 11 security updates for certain Dell devices due to reports of shutdowns and performance issues linked to the KB5101650 cumulative update. The issues began after the installation of the June 23, 2026, preview update (KB5095093), which caused a conflict with the Intel Innovation Platform Framework Processor Participant driver. Affected Dell systems are showing a yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager and may experience unexpected shutdowns, poor performance, increased heat, and battery drain. Microsoft is working with Dell to resolve the issue and will not distribute the KB5101650 update to impacted systems until a fix is implemented.

Winsage

July 14, 2026

Microsoft rolls out massive Windows 11 security update with 416 fixes

Microsoft released its July 2026 Patch Tuesday cumulative updates for Windows 11, addressing numerous security vulnerabilities and enhancing Secure Boot functionalities. The updates include: - KB5101650 for Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2, updating systems to builds 26200.8875 and 26100.8875. - KB5101649 for Windows 11 26H1, updating devices to build 28000.2525. The release addresses a total of 622 Microsoft Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs), including: - 416 vulnerabilities in Windows. - Fixes for Microsoft Office, Edge, Exchange Server, SharePoint Server, SQL Server, Defender, and Azure services. Key vulnerabilities fixed include: - CVE-2026-50661: A BitLocker Security Feature Bypass vulnerability. - CVE-2026-56155: An AD FS Elevation of Privilege vulnerability that has been exploited. - CVE-2026-56164: A SharePoint Server Elevation of Privilege vulnerability. The updates also introduce new Secure Boot certificates, rectify issues from previous patches affecting third-party applications, and incorporate curl 8.21.0 for security improvements. Users are advised to back up data before installation, which requires a system reboot.

AppWizard

June 25, 2026

Riot Vanguard finally drops its controversial always-on requirement for anti-cheat — new on-demand mode requires a strict Windows 11 security stack

Riot Games has introduced a new feature for its Vanguard anti-cheat system called Vanguard On-Demand, which allows the kernel driver to load only when a Riot game is launched and unload upon exit. This change ends the previous practice of loading the driver at Windows start-up, which has been in place since 2020. The new mode is supported by Windows 11 25H2 and requires specific hardware configurations, including UEFI Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, Virtualization-Based Security (VBS), Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI), and IOMMU. Approximately 35% of players currently meet these hardware requirements, while around 3% are using incompatible systems. Riot has created a checklist called Vanguard Pre-Check to help players determine if their systems qualify. The percentage of fully secured machines is estimated to be around 34.33% and is increasing monthly. Players whose systems do not meet the criteria will need to make manual adjustments in their BIOS. Vanguard On-Demand mode will be available for players on Windows 11 starting later today. The feature is based on Microsoft’s Runtime Driver Attestation Report, which tracks driver activity since boot and helps ensure no vulnerable drivers have been loaded while Vanguard is inactive. Riot Games has required TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot on Windows 11 since 2020 and has faced criticism for these requirements. Enabling VBS and HVCI may affect frame rates and could disable older peripheral drivers due to Microsoft's vulnerable driver blocklist.

Winsage

June 18, 2026

Microsoft fixes Windows Server 2016 security update failures

Microsoft resolved an installation issue affecting the June 2026 security updates (KB5094122) on Windows Server 2016 systems that had not previously installed the KB5087537 update, which was a prerequisite. Users had encountered 0x80070002 or FILENOTFOUND errors. Microsoft acknowledged the problem and confirmed that affected devices should no longer experience installation failures for the June 2026 update. Additionally, Microsoft fixed a similar issue with the May 2026 Windows 11 security update (KB5089549) that resulted in 0x800f0922 errors due to insufficient space on the EFI System Partition. They also warned users about potential installation issues with error codes 0x80073712 or 0x800f0993 on devices upgraded to Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2. Furthermore, Microsoft addressed a boot issue for Windows Server 2025 devices after the April 2026 update and a bug affecting installation failures for updates since May 2025 using the Windows Update Standalone Installer (WUSA). Lastly, they are investigating a separate issue preventing third-party applications from launching essential Office programs after the June 2026 updates.

Winsage

June 10, 2026

Microsoft: Some Windows PCs fail to install latest monthly updates

Microsoft has warned customers about potential installation complications with the latest monthly updates on certain Windows devices upgraded to Windows 11 versions 24H2 or 25H2. Users may encounter error codes 0x80073712 or 0x800f0993 when attempting to install cumulative updates for June 2026. Affected devices include a small fraction of those running Windows 10 versions 22H2 and 21H2, as well as Windows 11 version 23H2. Users may find that updates have failed, and the specified error codes will appear in the Windows Update log files. Microsoft plans to deploy a resolution for unmanaged enterprise devices and personal PCs after a system restart, with no new devices in these categories affected starting from May 19, 2026. For impacted devices, Microsoft has released specific updates as part of its June 2026 Patch Tuesday to prevent the issue. However, the problem will not be fixed for systems already upgraded to Windows 11 versions 24H2 or 25H2, and users are advised to remove the affected package using a command in an elevated Command Prompt. If this does not resolve the issue, users may need to perform a Windows 11 in-place upgrade. Microsoft has previously addressed similar challenges related to Windows update installations, including issues from the March 2026 non-security preview update and the January 2026 optional non-security preview updates.

Winsage

June 1, 2026

Microsoft fixes KB5089549 Windows security update install issues

Microsoft resolved an issue causing installation failures and error code 0x800f0922 during the deployment of the May 2026 Windows 11 security update (KB5089549), which was linked to insufficient free space on the EFI System Partition (ESP). The problem mainly affected devices with 10 MB or less available space, leading to automatic rollbacks of the update. The resolution was provided through the release of the Windows 11 KB5089573 preview cumulative update on May 26, 2026. Users installing updates released on or after this date will not need a workaround, while those with earlier updates can use the Known Issue Rollback feature. Additionally, IT administrators in enterprise settings can manually address the issue through Group Policy configurations. The KB5089573 update introduced 30 changes to improve performance and reliability.

Winsage

May 28, 2026

Windows Server 2016 fails to find domain controller

Microsoft has acknowledged an issue with the May 2026 security update for Windows Server 2016, affecting systems with hostnames of exactly 15 characters, which leads to failed domain controller (DC) lookups. The error occurs during DC lookups, specifically returning the error code ERRORINVALIDPARAMETER. Servers with 14 or 16 character hostnames are not affected. Administrators may face challenges with DFS Namespace management and other functions reliant on DC access. Microsoft is investigating the issue but has not provided a timeline for a fix. Windows Server 2016's mainstream support ended in January 2022, but extended support will continue until January 2027.

Winsage

May 26, 2026

Microsoft: Domain Controller lookup may fail on Windows Server 2016

Microsoft has acknowledged an issue affecting Windows Server 2016 systems related to domain controller lookups after the installation of the KB5087537 security update released in May 2026. The problem occurs specifically for devices with hostnames that are exactly 15 characters long, causing domain controller discovery to fail and resulting in an ERRORINVALIDPARAMETER during DCLocator calls. This issue may disrupt administrative operations that depend on domain controller lookups, such as DFS Namespace management. Microsoft is investigating the issue but has not provided a timeline for resolution.