"This issue was resolved by Windows updates released October 13, 2026 [..] and updates released after that date. We recommend you install the latest update for your device as it contains important improvements and issue resolutions, including this one," Microsoft said in a release health dashboard update.
How the bug presented on Azure Virtual Desktop hosts using FSLogix
Microsoft acknowledged a known issue that began after Windows 11 updates released since August and that produced a small but disruptive set of symptoms for affected systems. The most common problems were a black screen after sign-in, being unable to access the desktop until the desktop session was manually started, and Windows Explorer crashes recorded in application event logs. Microsoft said the issue primarily affected Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) hosts that use FSLogix, the profile-acceleration software used in many virtual desktop deployments.
What Microsoft released on October 13, 2026
Microsoft resolved the issue in cumulative updates that shipped as part of Patch Tuesday on October 13, 2026. In its dashboard update the company advised: if you install an update released October 13, 2026 or later, you do not need to use a workaround for this issue. The bulletin framed the update as containing "important improvements and issue resolutions, including this one," and recommended that affected customers install the latest update for their devices.
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End the scrambleWorkaround for individuals and Known Issue Rollback for enterprises
For users unable to install the October updates immediately, Microsoft published a temporary workaround: manually launch Windows Explorer. The company’s instructions are precise — open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc, select Run new task, enter explorer.exe, and click OK — which starts the desktop session and restores access without installing the update.
For enterprise-managed devices, Microsoft also mitigated the problem using Known Issue Rollback (KIR). Administrators must install and configure a Group Policy specific to their Windows version and then restart devices to apply the setting. The KIR packages Microsoft identified are:
- Windows 11, version 26H1: KB5124006 Known Issue Rollback
- Windows 11, version 25H2 and Windows 11, version 24H2: KB5124010 Known Issue Rollback
Microsoft noted that the Group Policy will disable the change causing the issue until a resolution is released in a future Windows update, and directed IT teams to its support website for deployment and configuration details.
Related Windows update problems Microsoft addressed this week
Microsoft said it resolved another known issue this week that had broken Always On VPN connections after users installed the September 2026 security updates. Separately, the company confirmed that recent Windows updates may trigger Remote Desktop failures for non-admin users if the "Administrator protection" security feature is enabled. Those notes were published alongside the guidance about the black-screen/Explorer crashes.
What this means for IT admins, AVD operators, and end users
- IT administrators and enterprise managers: Apply the October 13, 2026 cumulative updates as the primary remedy, or deploy the specified KIR Group Policy (KB5124006 or KB5124010) and restart devices if immediate updating is impractical. Microsoft’s guidance points admins to its support documentation for group policy deployment details.
- Azure Virtual Desktop operators using FSLogix: Confirm host behavior after applying the October updates and consider KIR if broad rollouts cannot be performed at once. The issue was described as primarily affecting AVD hosts using FSLogix, so administrators running those configurations should prioritize validation and staged deployment.
- End users who encounter a black screen after sign-in: Use the temporary workaround to regain access without installing updates — open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), choose Run new task, type explorer.exe, click OK. If the device receives an update dated October 13, 2026 or later, the workaround should no longer be necessary.
Microsoft supplied both a short-term manual fix and enterprise tools to roll back the change until cumulative updates could ship a permanent resolution. The company’s note that the Group Policy "will disable the change causing this issue until a resolution is released in a future Windows update" frames the remedy as a stopgap while the October updates propagate. For AVD hosts and administrators who saw the black screens and Explorer crashes in event logs, the immediate next step is clear: install the October 13, 2026 update or apply the documented KIR and restart devices.
