Microsoft rolls back KB5014668 update for Windows 11 because it broke the Start menu

Microsoft has performed another Known Issue Rollback (KIR) after Windows 11 users complained of Start menu problems after installing the KB5014668 update.

KIRs used to be relatively rare, but there have been several issues recently that have required them to be implemented. In the case of the recently released KB5014668 update, some users found that it was not possible to open the Start menu either by clicking the Start button or by using the keyboard.

See also:

• Microsoft releases KB5015882 update for Windows 11 with new upgrade options, Explorer crash fixes, and more
• If you have KB5015888 installed, you can take part in Microsoft's 'special' Windows 11 Bug Bash
• Microsoft updates Windows 11 to block RDP and other brute force attacks by default

With the Start menu being so central to using Windows 11, it is hardly surprising that this problematic update has been rolled back.

Microsoft has given little in the way of detail about the problem, nor revealed how widespread the issue is. The company says:

After installing KB5014668 or later updates, we have received reports that a small number of devices might be unable to open the Start menu. On affected devices, clicking or selecting the Start button, or using the Windows key on your keyboard might have no effect.

The notice on the known issues page for Windows 11 goes on to reveal the resolution to the problem:

This issue is resolved using Known Issue Rollback (KIR). Please note that it might take up to 24 hours for the resolution to propagate automatically to consumer devices and non-managed business devices. Restarting your Windows device might help the resolution apply to your device faster. For enterprise-managed devices that have installed an affected update and encountered this issue can resolve it by installing and configuring a special Group Policy. The special Group Policy can be found in Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> KB5014668 220721_04201 Known Issue Rollback -> Windows 11 (original release). 

It is likely that the number of people affected by KB5014668-related issue is not too high as the update is an optional one. It was released as a preview recently, and is due for a wider release next Patch Tuesday, assuming problems are ironed out.

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