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<\/p>\nInstallation is optional for users and organisations that have not encountered reset or recovery failures<\/p>\n
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Microsoft has rushed out emergency patches to resolve a critical Windows bug that broke reset and recovery functions for users who installed the company’s August 2025 security updates.<\/p>\n
The flaw, confirmed by Microsoft on Monday, affects both Windows 10 and earlier builds of Windows 11.<\/p>\n
It prevents users from completing key troubleshooting operations, including “Reset my PC” and recovery via the “Fix problems using Windows Update” tool.<\/p>\n
These features allow systems to be reinstalled while retaining files, apps, and settings \u2013capabilities that many users rely on during maintenance or system crashes.<\/p>\n
The faulty updates that triggered the problem included:<\/p>\n
KB5063875 for Windows 11 versions 23H2 and 22H2
\n KB5063709 for Windows 10 22H2, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021
\n KB5063877 for Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2019<\/p>\n
The bug also disrupted RemoteWipe CSP, a tool used by IT administrators to reset devices remotely, posing a particular headache for enterprise environments.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday evening, one day after acknowledging the issue, Microsoft released out-of-band (OOB) cumulative updates designed to replace the problematic ones:<\/p>\n
KB5066189<\/a> for Windows 11 (23H2 and 22H2) “A non-security out-of-band (OOB) update was released today, August 19, 2025, to address this issue,” Microsoft said<\/a> in a statement.<\/p>\n “This is a cumulative update, so you do not need to apply any previous updates before installing this update, as it supersedes all previous updates for affected versions.”<\/p>\n The company recommends that anyone who has not yet installed the flawed August 2025 security updates should skip them entirely and instead apply the new OOB patches.<\/p>\n For users and organisations that have not encountered reset or recovery failures, installation is considered optional.<\/p>\n These emergency updates are being distributed through Windows Update, Windows Update for Business, and the Microsoft Update Catalog.<\/p>\n Because they are cumulative, administrators do not need to install prior patches, simplifying deployment across large IT environments.<\/p>\n Reset and recovery are among Windows’ most important safety nets for both home users and businesses. Microsoft’s response indicates the critical nature of the bug, which risked leaving affected systems unable to perform essential repair operations.<\/p>\n
\n KB5066188<\/a> for Windows 10 22H2, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021
\n KB5066187<\/a> for Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2019<\/p>\n