You shut down your PC, expecting the normal whirr, black screen, and silence. Instead, the system just stays on. There’s no warning or error message to explain what’s happening. The laptop simply refuses to shut down.
That’s what some Windows 11 users ran into last week after installing a recent security update. Microsoft later confirmed the issue and rolled out an emergency fix over the weekend.
"After installing the January 13, 2026, Windows security update (KB5073455) for Windows 11, version 23H2, some PCs with Secure Launch are unable to shut down or enter hibernation," Microsoft said in the notice. Secure Launch is a Windows security feature that protects the system from firmware-level threats when the computer is starting up.
By Saturday, Microsoft pushed out an emergency fix to address the bug. According to the company: “This issue is resolved in the out-of-band (OOB) update KB5077797, released on January 17, 2026, and available via the Microsoft Update Catalog, as well as in updates released after this date. We recommend installing the latest update for your device, as it contains important improvements and issue resolutions, including this one."
Ejiro Onose
This wasn't the only issue tied to the January 13 Windows security update. Microsoft also stated: “After installing the January 2026 Windows security update (KB5073455), credential prompt failures might occur in some remote connection applications. This includes Remote Desktop connections using the Windows App on Windows client devices, on Azure Virtual Desktop, and Windows 365. The Windows App is affected by this issue on specific Windows builds and can experience sign-in failures.”
Microsoft again recommended installing the new OOB update for this bug. For those unable to install it immediately, the company recommends: "If the OOB is not installed, one of the following connection options can be used as a temporary workaround:"
- Use the Remote Desktop client for Windows to connect to Azure Virtual Desktop here (/previous-versions/remote-desktop-client/whats-new-windows?tabs=windows-msrdc-msi)
- Connect using the Windows App Web Client at windows.cloud.microsoft"
This isn’t the first time a Windows update has broken something basic. In October 2025, Microsoft released updates that caused issues with Windows recovery tools, including failures in "Reset this PC" and "Fix problems using Windows Update," sometimes leading to bricked systems, especially after failed updates. Eventually, Microsoft released a fix in a later update.
Microsoft pushing out an emergency fix solves the immediate issue, but it is a reminder that security updates aren't something meant to be installed and forgotten. When they interrupt basic functions like shutting down a computer, it is difficult for individuals who don't have the technical know-how or patience to troubleshoot and fix their devices.
For Windows 11 users, this fix will be welcome. For Microsoft, it’s another sign that getting security right goes beyond stopping cyber attacks, but it's about making sure protection doesn’t come at the cost of everyday reliability.
