The first security update for Windows 11 in 2026 has turned out to be problematic. Following the release of the patch on January 13, several users encountered errors that prevented their computers from shutting down or entering sleep mode correctly. Microsoft has already released an emergency fix.

According to Microsoft, issues arose after the installation of the January security update. By January 17, the company was forced to issue an out-of-band emergency patch to resolve critical failures caused by the previous update.

Among the identified issues:

• connection and authentication failures in remote access applications, including Remote Desktop;
• inability to properly shut down the computer or put it into hibernation on systems with Secure Launch enabled.

Remote access issues affected several platforms, including Windows 11 version 25H2, Windows 10 version 22H2 with extended support, and Windows Server 2025. Meanwhile, the shutdown and hibernation failures only pertain to Windows 11 version 23H2 and only devices with Secure Launch.

This is not the first time recently that Microsoft has had to release out-of-band updates to fix serious bugs in Windows. Such patches were previously exceptions, but they have become increasingly frequent in recent years.

Microsoft recommends users experiencing these issues to install the emergency update as soon as possible.