The first security update for Windows 11 in 2026 has proven problematic. After the patch release on January 13, some users experienced errors preventing their computers from shutting down or entering sleep mode correctly. Microsoft has already released an urgent fix.

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

Some of the identified problems include:

• connection and authentication failures in remote access applications, including Remote Desktop;
• inability to properly shut down or hibernate computers on systems with Secure Launch enabled.

The 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 failure concerns only Windows 11 version 23H2 and devices with Secure Launch.

This is not the first time recently that Microsoft has had to release out-of-band updates to fix serious errors in Windows. Previously, such patches were relatively rare, but they have been appearing more frequently in recent years.

Microsoft advises users encountering these issues to install the emergency update as soon as possible.