Microsoft has acknowledged a significant issue affecting the Reset and Recovery operations on several versions of Windows, specifically warning users of Windows 11 23H2/22H2 and Windows 10. Following the mandatory August security updates, the tech giant has advised caution, as attempts to reset or recover devices may fail due to the recent update (KB5063875).
Details of the Issue
The problem arises when users initiate a reset to address issues via Windows Update or utilize the RemoteWipe CSP feature. While Windows 11 24H2 remains unaffected, millions of Windows 10 users, who recently celebrated Microsoft’s decision to extend security support beyond October, now find themselves in a precarious situation, awaiting an emergency out-of-band update.
According to Windows Latest, the situation is critical, with calls for Microsoft to retract the faulty updates (KB5063875 and KB5063709). Reports suggest that an emergency patch could be released as early as August 19, with Microsoft testing KB5066189 for version 23H2, although it has yet to appear on the Update Catalog or Windows Update.
Compounding the issue, there are reports of another August update causing corruption in PC SSDs when handling large file writes, creating a troubling landscape for users—just weeks after Microsoft’s last apology for a broken Windows experience.
Emergency Update Released
As of August 20, Microsoft has rolled out an emergency out-of-band update, confirming that the issue has been resolved in update KB5066189. Users affected by the previous problems are urged to install this new update instead of KB5063875. Notably, this cumulative update supersedes all prior updates for the affected versions, meaning there is no need to apply previous updates before installation.
While this update rectifies the specific issue, it does not introduce any additional security enhancements beyond those included in the August 2025 security update. Users should be aware that applying the update will necessitate a device restart. For organizations still deploying the August 2025 security update, Microsoft recommends prioritizing this out-of-band update.
Today’s emergency updates are being distributed via Windows Update and specifically address the failures associated with the “Reset this PC” feature. The updates include:
- Windows 11 23H2 KB5066189 (OS Builds 22621.5771 and 22631.5771) Out-of-band
- Windows 10 KB5066188 (OS Builds 19044.6218 and 19045.6218) Out-of-band
