Patch Tuesday Woes for Windows 11 Users
Microsoft’s recent Patch Tuesday update has encountered significant challenges, particularly for users operating on Windows 11. Reports indicate that the installation process is failing on a subset of machines, predominantly virtual environments, leading to unexpected recovery mode entries accompanied by boot errors. The company’s immediate guidance for affected users is straightforward: avoid the update for the time being.
In an advisory released on Wednesday, Microsoft detailed that the issue pertains to Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2, specifically during the installation of the May 13 update. The company noted that a limited number of devices are impacted, primarily focusing on virtual machines, including Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Virtual Desktop, and on-premises VMs hosted on platforms like Citrix or Hyper-V.
When the update fails, users may find their systems in recovery mode, displaying a message that reads:
“Your PC/Device needs to be repaired. The operating system couldn’t be loaded because a required file is missing or contains errors. File: ACPI.sys. Error code: 0xc0000098.”
The Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), managed by the ACPI.sys driver in Windows, plays a crucial role in controlling hardware resources and power states. This particular file has been identified as the culprit behind the recovery error triggered during the unsuccessful installation of the May update. Linus Torvalds once famously critiqued ACPI as “a complete design disaster in every way.”
Interestingly, Windows 11 Home users, along with those on Pro editions, are likely to remain unaffected, as the use of virtual machines is primarily associated with enterprise environments.
However, Microsoft has also indicated that in certain instances, users may encounter similar recovery issues linked to different system file names. This could potentially reference the 0x8007007e error, which is also associated with file corruption and has been reported by some users since the last Patch Tuesday.
At present, Microsoft has not disclosed the number of customers impacted by this issue or whether there exists a workaround beyond uninstalling the patches. The advisory confirms that the company’s engineers are actively working on a resolution.
This incident is part of a broader narrative regarding Microsoft’s patching challenges this year. Earlier this month, the company was compelled to release an emergency update to prevent Windows 10 systems from entering an endless loop of BitLocker recovery prompts. Following April’s Patch Tuesday, users expressed concerns over an unexpected Internet Information Services folder that appeared on their hard drives. Microsoft clarified that this was intentional, aimed at addressing a Windows Update vulnerability; however, researchers later demonstrated that non-admin users could exploit this configuration to hinder future security updates, inadvertently creating a new attack surface.
Additionally, back in February, a problematic update to Windows 11 24H2 and Server 2025 resulted in Remote Desktop sessions freezing shortly after connection, rendering mouse and keyboard inputs unresponsive. The only available workaround was to disconnect and reconnect the session to regain control.
