Episode Summary
Microsoft’s first Windows 11 security update of 2026 triggered serious bugs on some systems, and the company has now issued an emergency out-of-band fix. The most visible problem: certain PCs failed to shut down or hibernate properly after the January security patch.
According to reporting from The Verge, the shutdown and hibernation issue was limited to machines still on Windows 11 version 23H2, and only affected Enterprise and IoT editions, particularly devices using Secure Launch. The same changelog also cites connection and authentication failures in remote connection apps, including Remote Desktop login problems, affecting multiple platforms such as Windows 11 version 25H2, Windows 10 version 22H2 ESU, and Windows Server 2025.
The quick turnaround matters for IT teams that depend on predictable patching windows. It also adds to a pattern: out-of-band fixes used to be rare, but Microsoft has been issuing them more often as update-related problems surface after release.
Show Notes
Microsoft’s first Windows 11 security update of 2026 caused major headaches for a subset of customers, and the company has now shipped an emergency out-of-band update to fix the problems. The Verge reports the most visible bug stopped some devices from shutting down or hibernating properly, but it was limited to systems still running Windows 11 version 23H2 and only the Enterprise and IoT editions, particularly devices using Secure Launch. Microsoft’s changelog also cites remote connection and authentication failures that could block access in remote connection applications, including Remote Desktop issues, across multiple platforms. For IT teams, the fast turnaround is welcome, but it also reinforces a trend: out-of-band fixes used to be rare, and now they are becoming more common.
Topics Covered
- 🔬 What broke in the January Windows 11 security update
- 💼 Which Enterprise and IoT devices were affected and why it matters for IT
- 🛠️ Microsoft’s out-of-band emergency fix and what it addresses
- 🖥️ Remote Desktop and remote connection authentication failures across platforms
- 📊 Why out-of-band Windows fixes appear to be happening more often
Neural Newscast is AI-assisted, human reviewed. View our AI Transparency Policy at NeuralNewscast.com.
- (00:00) - Introduction
- (00:04) - Windows 11 update triggers shutdown and hibernation bug
- (00:15) - Remote connection failures and the out-of-band fix
- (00:55) - Conclusion
Transcript
Full Transcript Available
[00:00] Hannah Whitmore: From Neural Newscast, I'm Hannah Whitmore.
[00:03] Hannah Whitmore: And I'm Jonah Klein.
[00:04] Hannah Whitmore: Today, Microsoft has issued an Emergency Windows 11 fix
[00:09] Hannah Whitmore: after a security update caused some PCs to refuse shutdown and hibernation.
[00:15] Jonah Klein: This is the kind of bug that can turn a routine patch into an all-hands IT morning,
[00:20] Jonah Klein: especially across managed fleets.
[00:22] Hannah Whitmore: Here is the latest. Microsoft released its first security update of the year for Windows 11 on January 13th.
[00:30] Hannah Whitmore: Then, four days later, it pushed an out-of-band update to fix issues it identified after that patch install.
[00:37] Jonah Klein: The big immediate problem is straightforward.
[00:40] Jonah Klein: Some systems could not shut down or hibernate properly after the security update.
[00:44] Hannah Whitmore: The Verge reports the shutdown issue is limited to machines running Windows 11, version 23H2,
[00:52] Hannah Whitmore: and only the Enterprise and IoT editions.
[00:55] Jonah Klein: Microsoft also says devices with secure launch might fail to shut down or hibernate,
[01:00] Jonah Klein: and that issue only affects Windows 11, version 23H2.
[01:05] Jonah Klein: In other news, the same change log also flags remote connection and authentication failures
[01:10] Jonah Klein: in remote connection apps, including remote desktop logins.
[01:14] Jonah Klein: Microsoft says that remote connection issue affects multiple platforms, including Windows
[01:19] Jonah Klein: 11 version 25H2, Windows 10 version 22H2 ESU, and Windows Server 2025.
[01:28] Hannah Whitmore: The key point for listeners is that the fix is already available.
[01:32] Hannah Whitmore: Microsoft is framing it as an out-of-the-box.
[01:34] Hannah Whitmore: out-of-band update released to address the issues.
[01:37] Jonah Klein: The Verge notes this is the latest buggy update
[01:40] Jonah Klein: to prompt an out-of-band release,
[01:42] Jonah Klein: something that used to be rare and now seems more common.
[01:46] Jonah Klein: Next, if you manage Windows systems, this is a reminder to watch change logs closely and
[01:51] Jonah Klein: plan for patch surprises even in security updates.
[01:55] Hannah Whitmore: I'm Hannah Whitmore.
[01:56] Jonah Klein: And I'm Jonah Klein.
[01:57] Hannah Whitmore: Neural Newscast is AI-assisted, human-reviewed.
[02:01] Hannah Whitmore: View our AI Transparency Policy at neuralnewscast.com.
✓ Full transcript loaded from separate file: transcript.txt
Loading featured stories...