The USB Bug of the Windows 11 Update KB5066835 Breaks the Recovery Environment
A serious bug has crept into the latest Windows 11 October update, KB5066835, rendering the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) impotent for login it'd be users. The glitch makes USB-connected keyboards and mice go dead and have no interaction with the recovery interface while trying to use their troubleshooting tools.
Understanding the Trouble Recovery with KB5066835
The very specific problem here is particular to the Windows RE environment. Your USB peripherals will work as they've been doing in the main Windows 11 operating system; as soon as you go into recovery mode, they stop working. That's a significant problem, as Windows automatically boots into it when it cannot start, leaving people unable to figure out or fix problems with their boots.
Interestingly, the users don't seem to run into this bug if they have old keyboards and mice that use the PS/2 attachment.
Affected Systems and Affected Users
This is not an issue limited to a single version of Windows 11. The bug is reported as existing in these versions:
- Windows 11 25H2
- Windows 11 24H2
- Windows Server
General users will be affected; they will not even be able to recover their PC after a startup failure. Big trouble is in store for IT staff and developers using the WinRE toolkit for the purpose of system repairs and troubleshooting. This follows yet another one within the same update, requiring immediate fix for localhost connection issues.
Microsoft Acknowledgment and Fix on the Way
The trouble has been officially recognized by Microsoft, which confirmed that a fix is currently in the works. In a statement, said company said it is "working to release a solution to resolve this issue in the coming days" and that more information would be forth-coming when available.
There may be fixes that will come soon, but no specific date for their release has been given. Users, especially the IT professionals, might have to hold on any system repairs relying on the Windows Recovery Environment until the said patch will be available.
