Microsoft fixes Windows 11 issue causing black screens and Explorer crashes
Summary
Microsoft fixed a Windows 11 update issue causing black screens, desktop loading problems, and Explorer crashes, mainly on Azure Virtual Desktop hosts using FSLogix. Updates released October 13, 2026, or later include the fix.
Key points
- The issue followed Windows 11 updates released since August and mainly affected Azure Virtual Desktop hosts using FSLogix.
- Symptoms included a black screen after sign-in, failure to load the desktop without manually starting the session, and Windows Explorer crashes.
- Microsoft says updates released October 13, 2026, or later resolve the issue; affected users should install the latest update.
- Users unable to install the updates can temporarily open Task Manager and run explorer.exe to start Windows Explorer.
- Enterprise administrators can apply a Known Issue Rollback group policy for the affected Windows 11 versions; a restart is required.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Microsoft resolved a Windows 11 update issue affecting desktop sign-in and loading
- Impact
- Affected users could encounter a black screen after sign-in, fail to reach the desktop until manually starting the desktop session, or experience Windows Explorer crashes. The issue mainly affected Azure Virtual Desktop hosts using FSLogix. Microsoft included a fix in updates released October 13, 2026, and later; enterprise customers could also apply a Known Issue Rollback policy, while affected users unable to install the updates could use a temporary workaround to launch Windows Explorer.
Vendors
Products
Azure Virtual DesktopHowever, this known issue mainly affects Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) hosts using FSLogix, a software solution that speeds up user profile loading in virtual desktop environments.FSLogixHowever, this known issue mainly affects Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) hosts using FSLogix, a software solution that speeds up user profile loading in virtual desktop environments.Known Issue RollbackMicrosoft also mitigated the issue for enterprise customers via Known Issue Rollback (KIR) that has to be applied on enterprise-managed devices by installing one of the following group policies:Windows 11Microsoft has resolved a known issue that was causing black screens, desktop loading issues, and Explorer crashes after installing Windows 11 updates released since August.Windows Explorersign-in, being unable to access their desktop until they manually started the desktop session, and Windows Explorer crashes in application event logs.