Windows 11 users hit with yet another update so problematic that Microsoft has been forced to withdraw it

Updates for Windows, at least the ones that are released on a monthly basis, are not as eagerly anticipated by users as they used to be. This could be because they are rarely packed with new and exciting features, but a more likely reason for the decreased interest is the astonishing number of problematic updates Microsoft has released.

The KB5043145 update for Windows 11 released this week is a case in point. Reports of blue screens, green screens, reboot loops and more has forced Microsoft to withdraw the update while it works out what is going wrong.

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We used to refer to Known Issue Rollback (KIR) as a rare occurrence; but not anymore. The technique is used by Microsoft to withdraw problematic updates, and it is something that the company has done with a frequency that suggests a lack of quality control.

The saving grace with the KB5043145 update is that it is a preview update so the issues should not affect too many people. The update is due for a full rollout next Patch Tuesday, so there is time for the bugs to be ironed out.

In the release notes for the update Microsoft explains the symptoms that affected users may experience:

After installing this update, some customers have reported that their device restarts multiple times or becomes unresponsive with blue or green screens. According to the reports, some devices automatically open the Automatic Repair tool after repeated restart attempts. In some cases, BitLocker recovery can also be triggered.

In a separate posting about the problems, the company adds:

This issue also causes USB and Bluetooth connections to fail in some devices. Hardware connected via USB and Bluetooth, such as keyboards, memory sticks, printers, and wireless mouses, no longer work after installing the update. In these cases, the USB Host Controller under the Device Manager displays a yellow exclamation mark.

There is no official fix at the moment, but Microsoft says that it is working on this: “We are currently investigating this issue. We will provide an update when more information is available”.

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