Microsoft just patched over 1,000 flaws in Windows, but you might want to wait to update your PC — here's why
Some computers are more at risk than others
Earlier this month, Microsoft released a massive September patch Tuesday update that fixed nearly 1,000 flaws in Windows 11. Unfortunately, that huge patch also introduced several bugs that are seriously affecting some PCs.
The company has started issuing some "out-of-band" emergency patches to fix things like Remote Desktop, USB audio and Hyper-V issues. Here's what you need to know if you're thinking about upgrading your Windows PC.
What the patches do and don't fix
The 25H2 brings back the return of the movable taskbar and a more configurable Start menu.
The emergency patches address issues with folder shares on Hyper-V-based Linux virtual machines, Remote Desktop Services sessions and some USB audio devices.
However, Explorer could display a black screen after logging in. The computer is usable-ish, but you won't be able to see the UI. Also, File History backup may not detect external drives, which makes that useless.
Why you may not want to upgrade
As reported by Windows Latest, the Patch Tuesday update appears to be breaking some PCs with AMD Radeon GPUs, causing them to crash. This is apparently due to the update causing driver instability.
Uninstalling and reinstalling the driver does not appear to help and apparently affects most current AMD cards. Reading through the emergency patches, Microsoft did not mention any fixes for AMD GPUs.
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If you've already updated, you may want to rollback your PC to before the August Patch Tuesday, if you can. You can do this by going to Settings - Recovery and going to Go Back or Point-in-time restore.
Reportedly, HP and Lenovo PCs should also consider holding off. For HP PCs, the update can apparently trigger BIOS corruption, leading to a failed install, meaning you can't recover the operating system. Per Neowin, HP is introducing a BIOS revision, so it's not clear whether the patch is to blame or it's something on HP's side of the fence.
For Lenovo machines, the computer might shut down randomly or black-screen, which is being blamed on power mismanagement.
Have you experienced issues with your Windows PC after updating? Let us know in the comments, and how you resolved it.
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Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him. He also handles all the Connections coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game since it released.
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