Windows 11’s 2026 Update Causes Shutdown Issues for Some PCs

Microsoft kicked off 2026 with its first security update for Windows 11 on January 13. However, just four days later, an emergency out-of-band update was necessary to address some significant bugs introduced by that initial patch.

The security update caused issues with certain systems, preventing them from shutting down or entering hibernation correctly, and also blocking some users from logging in through remote desktop. The shutdown problem was limited to devices running Windows 11 23H2, specifically those using the Enterprise or IoT editions. This incident marks yet another instance of a problematic update leading to an out-of-band release, a trend that seems to be on the rise.

According to the changelog:
> Microsoft has identified issues upon installing the January 2026 Windows security update. To address these issues, an out-of-band (OOB) update was released today, January 17, 2026.
> – Connection and authentication failures in remote connection applications: This issue affects multiple platforms including Windows 11, version 25H2; Windows 10, version 22H2 ESU; and Windows Server 2025. See the bottom of this message for the complete list of affected products.
> – Devices with Secure Launch might fail to shut down or hibernate: This issue only affects Windows 11, version 23H2.

Update January 18th: Added context specifying that only Windows 11 23H2 was affected.