All About Microsoft's Emergency Update For Windows 11 Shutdown Bug

Microsoft has released an emergency update to address issues caused by its January 2026 security patch, which triggered bugs such as preventing systems from shutting down. As per a report by Windows Latest, there were at least three major issues, including the shutdown problem, which was reportedly quite rare. However, the other two issues - remote access failure and Outlook freezing - are common.

"Microsoft has officially admitted to at least three problems so far. A bug where Remote Desktop Connections fail (fixed today). A bug where Windows 11 23H2 would not shut down (fixed today). A bug that crashes Outlook Classic (not fixed)," Windows Latest confirmed.

It further added that Microsoft has now "released fixes for at least two bugs" - the shutdown failure on those PCs that run Windows 11 23H2 and a serious remote desktop login failure, which has affected 24H2 and 25H2.

Also read | Watch: US-Based Life Coach Warns Of Psychological Impact Of AI-driven Job Losses

"After installing the January 2026 Windows security update, some users experienced sign-in failures during Remote Desktop connections," for remote login failures, Microsoft noted. "This issue affected authentication steps for different Remote Desktop applications on Windows, such as the Windows App."

While explaining the failure to shut down issue, which affects the older 23H2 version of Windows 11, Microsoft says, "After installing the January 13, 2026, Windows security update, some PCs with Secure Launch are unable to shut down or enter hibernation. Instead, the device restarts." But it has been fixed.

Also read | "Needed New Hip": Piers Morgan Shares Health Update From Hospital After Nasty Fall

However, there's still one bug, where Outlook crashes when a user uses POP accounts, which has not fixed yet. Windows Latest stated, further adding that there are "three issues that remain unpatched", and Microsoft hasn't acknowledged them. It mentioned that a "black screen appears for some seconds or minutes before the cursor appears", and an issue where "the desktop background is reset to black".