Microsoft fixes bug causing Windows black screens, Explorer crashes
Microsoft patched a Windows 11 bug that black-screens desktops and crashes Explorer, mainly on Azure Virtual Desktop with FSLogix.
Microsoft fixed a known Windows 11 issue that caused black screens after sign-in, delayed desktop loading, and Explorer crashes following updates released since August 2026. The problem mainly affects Azure Virtual Desktop hosts using FSLogix. Fixes shipped in the October 13, 2026 cumulative updates; users who cannot patch can start explorer.exe from Task Manager or apply Known Issue Rollback group policies KB5124006 or KB5124010. Microsoft separately resolved Always On VPN failures tied to September updates and warned of Remote Desktop failures for non-admin users when Administrator protection is enabled.
- Bug mainly affects Azure Virtual Desktop hosts using FSLogix.
- October 13, 2026 cumulative updates resolve the black-screen issue.
- Workaround is launching explorer.exe, or deploying Known Issue Rollback policies.
- Microsoft also addressed September Always On VPN connection failures.
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Microsoft has resolved a known issue that was causing black screens, desktop loading issues, and Explorer crashes after installing Windows 11 updates released since August.
As Microsoft explained when it acknowledged the issue last month, affected users experienced multiple symptoms, most commonly a black screen after sign-in, being unable to access their desktop until they manually started the desktop session, and Windows Explorer crashes in application event logs.
However, this known issue mainly affects Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) hosts using FSLogix, a software solution that speeds up user profile loading in virtual desktop environments.
Microsoft has now addressed the bug in cumulative updates released as part of this month's Patch Tuesday and asked affected users to update their systems.
"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," it said in a release health dashboard update. "If you install an update released October 13, 2026 [..] or later, you do not need to use a workaround for this issue."
Microsoft also shared a temporary workaround for those who can't install this month's Windows updates, which requires them to manually launch Windows Explorer. This can be done by opening Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), selecting Run new task, entering explorer.exe, and clicking OK.
Microsoft also mitigated the issue for enterprise customers via Known Issue Rollback (KIR) that has to be applied on enterprise-managed devices by installing one of the following group policies:
- Windows 11, version 26H1: KB5124006 Known Issue Rollback
- Windows 11, version 25H2 and Windows 11, version 24H2: KB5124010 Known Issue Rollback
"You will need to install and configure the Group Policy for your version of Windows to resolve this issue. You will also need to restart your device(s) to apply the group policy setting," Microsoft noted. "Note that this Group Policy will disable the change causing this issue until a resolution is released in a future Windows update.
IT admins can find further details on deploying and configuring KIR group policies on Microsoft's support website.
This week, Microsoft also resolved a known issue that triggered Always On VPN connection problems after installing the September 2026 security updates and confirmed that recent Windows updates may trigger Remote Desktop failures for non-admin users if the "Administrator protection" security feature is enabled.
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