● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 neutral
Microsoft fixes Windows 11 black screen and Explorer crash bug in October updates
Key points
- Bug caused black screens and Explorer crashes
- Affected Windows 11, especially Azure Virtual Desktop
- Fixed in cumulative updates released October 13, 2026
- Workaround available for unpatched systems
Windows 11 Display and Explorer Issues Resolved
Microsoft has addressed a known issue in Windows 11 that led to black screens after sign-in, difficulties loading the desktop, and crashes of Windows Explorer. These problems were observed by users who installed Windows 11 updates released since August.
Impact on Azure Virtual Desktop Users
The bug primarily impacted Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) hosts utilizing FSLogix, a software designed to accelerate user profile loading in virtual desktop environments. Affected users would often see a black screen and needed to manually start their desktop session.
Solution Provided in October Updates
The resolution for this issue is included in cumulative updates released as part of October's Patch Tuesday, specifically updates from October 13, 2026, and subsequent releases. Microsoft advises affected users to install the latest updates to resolve the problem.
Temporary Workarounds and Enterprise Mitigation
For users unable to install the latest Windows updates immediately, a temporary workaround involves manually launching Windows Explorer via Task Manager. Enterprise customers also received mitigation through Known Issue Rollback (KIR) group policies, which disable the problematic change until a permanent fix is applied.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
Microsoft released updates in October to resolve a bug causing black screens, desktop loading issues, and Explorer crashes in Windows 11, particularly affecting Azure Virtual Desktop hosts using FSLogix. The fix is included in cumulative updates from October 13, 2026, and later, addressing issues present since August updates.