Windows Update Fixes Inability to Shut Down By Ensuring You'll Have to Reboot Again Tomorrow

Microsoft has issued an emergency fix for a critical issue that arose from its January 2026 Windows security update, which left some Windows 11 devices unable to shut down. The out-of-band update addresses a problem where affected devices would only restart when users attempted to shut down or hibernate. The issue was specific to Windows 11 devices using Secure Launch, a security feature that protects against firmware-level attacks during startup. Additionally, the update resolves a remote connection issue that prevented Windows 10 and Windows 11 users from logging into their devices via remote connection apps due to credential prompt failures. The fix comes after some users reported lingering issues with the January update, including blank screens and Outlook Classic crashes. This is not the first time Microsoft has had to issue an emergency fix for Windows 11, with a similar incident occurring in October related to the Windows Recovery Environment.