Microsoft has issued an urgent software patch to resolve serious problems triggered by its January 2026 security update, following reports that some PCs could not be properly powered down. The unscheduled release targets faults affecting both Windows 11 and older systems, arriving outside the company’s usual update cycle to limit further disruption.

One of the most disruptive bugs caused certain Windows 11 machines to reboot instead of switching off or entering sleep mode when users selected shut down or hibernate. Microsoft confirmed the issue was linked to devices running Secure Launch, a protection feature designed to defend systems against low-level attacks during the boot process. The emergency update corrects that behaviour, restoring normal power controls.

Windows 11 24H2

The same fix also addresses a separate problem that prevented users from signing in to Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers through remote access tools. According to Microsoft’s support documentation, the failure stemmed from errors in the credential prompt, which blocked authentication during remote login attempts.

Despite the patch, some users are still encountering other glitches associated with the January update. Reports suggest issues such as blank displays after startup and crashes in Outlook Classic have yet to be fully resolved. This is not the first time Microsoft has had to intervene quickly, having released a similar out-of-band update in October to deal with faults in the Windows Recovery Environment.

For those reluctant to move to Windows 11 while stability concerns remain, Microsoft continues to offer Extended Security Updates for Windows 10, allowing users to keep receiving critical protection updates beyond the standard support period.