Microsoft releases emergency update for Windows 11 after breaking the Windows Recovery Environment
Microsoft has released an out-of-band update for Windows 11 to address a problem caused b y the October security updates published for the operating system earlier this month.
Users who installed the KB5066835 update found that they were not able to use their USB mouse or keyboard within the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). This made it impossible for some to navigate the recovery options, forcing Microsoft to investigate what was going on.
A few days ago, Microsoft acknowledged the problem in an update to the release notes for the KB5066835 update. In a note added to the Know Issues section of the release notes, Microsoft says:
After installing October 2025 security update (KB5066835), USB devices, such as keyboards and mice, do not function in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). This issue prevents navigation of any of the recovery options within WinRE. Note that the USB keyboard and mouse continue to work normally within the Windows operating system.
Now the company has created the KB5070773 cumulative update which includes all of the fixes and changes from the KB5066835 update, but addresses the WinRE problem.
The release notes for this particular emergency update read:
This out-of-band (OOB) update includes quality improvements. This update is cumulative and includes security fixes and improvements from the October 14, 2025, security update (KB5066835), in addition to the following:
- [USB] Fixed: After installing the Windows security update released on October 14, 2025 (KB5066835), USB devices, such as keyboards and mice, do not function in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). This issue prevents navigation of any of the recovery options within WinRE. Note that the USB devices continue to work normally within the Windows operating system.
But this release in itself is not enough. Those who were affected by the problems introduced by the KB5066835 update were trying to use the WinRE and may not be able to access Windows 11 to install the fix. For anyone who finds themselves in this position, Microsoft has some advice.
In a message posted to Windows release health, the company says:
If your device is impacted by this issue and is unable to boot to Windows to install the latest Windows update, you can work around this issue using one of the following methods:
- If your PC has a touchscreen, you can use the touchscreen's touch keyboard to navigate within WinRE.
- If your PC has a PS/2 port, you can use a PS/2 keyboard or mouse to navigate within WinRE.
- If you had previously created a USB recovery drive, you can boot your computer from the recovery drive. This will take you directly to WinRE with restored USB functionality.
- OEMs and enterprises can use the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) in Configuration Manager, or can deploy push-button reset features using the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) and Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) add-on to recover affected devices.
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