Microsoft has fixed a known Windows 11 issue that caused black screens, desktop loading problems, and Windows Explorer crashes after installing updates released since August 2026.
The issue, which Microsoft acknowledged last month, affected users who experienced a black screen after signing in, preventing them from accessing their desktops until they manually started the desktop session. Some users also reported Windows Explorer crashes recorded in application event logs.
The problem primarily affected Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) hosts running FSLogix, Microsoft’s solution for improving user profile loading in virtual desktop environments.
Microsoft has now resolved the issue through cumulative updates released on October 13, 2026, as part of its October Patch Tuesday updates. The company recommends that affected users install the latest available Windows updates to receive the fix and other security and reliability improvements.
” This issue was resolved by Windows updates released October 13, 2026, and updates released after that date,” Microsoft explained in its Windows release health dashboard. Users who install the October 13 updates or later do not need to apply the previously recommended workaround.
For users who cannot install the latest updates, Microsoft has provided a temporary workaround that involves manually launching Windows Explorer. To do this, open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc, select Run new task, type explorer.exe, and click OK. This should restore access to the desktop session.
Microsoft has also provided an alternative mitigation for enterprise customers through Known Issue Rollback (KIR), which allows administrators to reverse a problematic change without uninstalling the entire Windows update.
Enterprise IT administrators can deploy the relevant Group Policy package based on the affected Windows version. Windows 11 version 26H1 users can use the KB5124006 Known Issue Rollback package, while Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2 users can use KB5124010. After installing and configuring the appropriate policy, administrators must restart affected devices for the change to take effect.
Microsoft noted that the rollback policy disables the change responsible for the problem until a permanent resolution is delivered through a Windows update. Administrators can consult Microsoft’s support documentation for instructions on deploying and configuring Known Issue Rollback policies.
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