Windows updates may cause desktop loading issues, including black screens · Digg

Windows updates may cause desktop loading issues, including black screens

BleepingComputer reports that Microsoft has confirmed the issue may affect some users after installing the August 2026 preview updates and subsequent updates.

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2 Sources, 9h ago, first seen 9h ago

Windows 11 desktop shown on a laptop display.

TLDR

Microsoft has confirmed a desktop-loading issue after recent Windows updates, BleepingComputer reports. It mainly affects Azure Virtual Desktop hosts using FSLogix and can produce black screens after sign-in or Explorer crashes. Users can manually start explorer.exe from Task Manager; enterprise administrators can deploy Microsoft’s Known Issue Rollback policy and restart affected devices. Microsoft says the rollback disables the triggering change until a permanent fix arrives.

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Microsoft has confirmed a Windows issue that can leave some users staring at a black screen after sign-in, but the affected population is narrower than the headline symptom suggests.

BleepingComputer reports that the problem mainly affects Azure Virtual Desktop hosts using FSLogix, Microsoft’s profile-management software for virtual desktop environments. Affected sessions may fail to load the desktop automatically, and Windows event logs can show Explorer crashes.

A manual workaround and an enterprise rollback

Microsoft’s temporary user-level workaround is to open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc, choose “Run new task,” enter explorer.exe, and select OK. That manually starts the shell when the desktop does not load on its own.

For enterprise-managed systems, Microsoft has issued Known Issue Rollback group policies for Windows 11 26H1 and for Windows 11 24H2, 25H2 and Windows Server 2025. Administrators must install the policy package for their version, configure it and restart affected devices. Microsoft says the policy disables the change responsible for the issue until a permanent fix arrives in a future update.

The known issue follows the August 2026 preview updates and later cumulative updates, including KB5120996 and KB5120998. It should not be read as a warning that every consumer PC receiving those updates will encounter a black screen.

2 Sources

@BleepinComputerMicrosoft: Recent Windows updates cause desktop loading issues https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-recent-windows-updates-cause-desktop-loading-issues/ https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-recent-windows-updates-cause-desktop-loading-issues/

@TheRegisterWindows update leaves some virtual desktops staring into the void https://www.theregister.com/os-platforms/2026/09/25/windows-update-leaves-some-virtual-desktops-staring-into-the-void/5299106?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

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2 Sources, first seen 9h ago

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Windows updates may cause desktop loading issues, including black screens

TLDR

A manual workaround and an enterprise rollback

Windows updates may cause desktop loading issues, including black screens

2 Sources

Combined views

A manual workaround and an enterprise rollback

Combined views

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TLDR

A manual workaround and an enterprise rollback

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Summary

Sentiment

Summary

A manual workaround and an enterprise rollback

2 Sources

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