Microsoft has admitted that it might have broken Windows components including the Start menu and Explorer in the latest round of updates.
The problem, which "primarily affects a limited number of enterprise or managed environments," occurs on PCs running Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2 with a monthly cumulative update released from July 2025. XAML-dependent modern apps such as the Start menu, Explorer, Windows Search, and the taskbar might abruptly crash or fail to load.
The cause, according to Microsoft, is a failure to register certain XAML packages in a timely manner after an update installation. The bad news is that there is no immediate fix, and the workaround involves fiddling with the Windows registry for virtualized environments or a PowerShell script to prevent Explorer launching before the required packages are provisioned.
Affected users might see a black screen or experience a crash on startup when Explorer loads. The Start menu might fail to open, and the taskbar might not appear on the desktop. Any app that depends on XAML could also crash or fail to start. Microsoft said: "We are working on a resolution and will update this article as more information becomes available."
The Copilot company also noted that the issues were "very unlikely to occur on personal devices used by individuals." But never say never, eh?
According to Microsoft, the "difficulties" might occur if Windows updates are installed before a first-time user logs on to a persistent OS installation, or before all users have logged on to a non-persistent OS installation (such as Virtual Desktop Infrastructure).
Although there is a workaround for admins to deploy when the support calls come in, breaking Windows to the point where fundamental parts of the user experience stop working is not a great look for Microsoft, particularly since it appears these problems go back to July 2025.
At this point, we'd usually say something about the company's "legendary approach to quality control," but, as always, The Register readers had far better ideas.
Paul Herber's "Well, it compiles!" seems to sum up things pretty well as affected administrators gaze glumly down the barrel of yet another problem with Windows updates. ®
Source: The register