Microsoft released out-of-band patches for Windows 10 and earlier Windows 11 builds to fix a reset and recovery failure introduced by the August 2025 security update. The patch is optional for systems that did not experience the issue. The problem was added to the Windows release health dashboard on August 18 and had no workaround, affecting most supported Windows versions while sparing Windows 11 24H2 and Windows Server. Additional issues included installation problems via Windows Server Update Services and storage problems under heavy load. Critical fixes in the update make installation delays risky for some environments.
Microsoft has moved swiftly to remove the bullet it fired into its own foot with the August 2025 Security Update reset and recovery bug. The company has released out-of-band patches for Windows 10 and Windows 11 to deal with the problem in which attempts to reset and recover a device fail following the installation of the August update. The patch is optional - users who haven't encountered the issue don't need to install it.
Microsoft added the issue to the Windows release health dashboard on August 18. There was no workaround for the problem, which arose on some devices when users attempted to use Windows' recovery tools to reset their PC or fix problems with Windows Update. It affected pretty much every supported version of Windows, including the soon-to-be-terminated Windows 10, although Windows 11 24H2 was unscathed. Windows Server was similarly spared the borkage.
The August 2025 Windows security update isn't one of Microsoft's finest hours. In addition to the out-of-band update for Windows 10 and earlier builds of 11, issues were encountered when attempting to install the update through Windows Server Update Services. Some users have also reported problems with storage under heavy load. We asked Copilot what was going on, and Microsoft's chatbot responded: "The August 2025 Windows security update has stirred up quite a bit of trouble across multiple versions of Windows." You think?
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