Windows 11 update causing blue screens of death and reboot loops — what you need to know

Windows 11 on a laptop
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Late last week Microsoft released the September 2024 KB5043145 preview update and already the Redmond-tech giant is warning that some Windows 11 PCs are being plagued with reboot loops or might freeze into blue screens. 

The optional update was released with a number of fixes for other issues including Edge and task manager freezes.

Almost immediately, Microsoft released a known issue support document to the KB5043145 update that confirmed Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2 users might see problems, as spotted by Bleeping Computer

"After installing this update, some customers have reported that their device restarts multiple times or becomes unresponsive with blue or green screens," Microsoft wrote in the document. "According to the reports, some devices automatically open the Automatic Repair tool after repeated restart attempts. In some cases, BitLocker recovery can also be triggered."

In separate document, Microsoft urged Windows 11 users affected by the issue to report the problems to the Feedback Hub and provide details.

As of this writing, Microsoft has acknowledged the issue but there hasn't been an update on when a fix is coming or what is causing the errors that people have seen.

"We are currently investigating this issue. We will provide an update when more information is available," the company wrote.

Wait to update your PC 

If you do see the Automatic Repair tool activated, it is a part of the Windows Recovery Environment that opens automatically on PCs experiencing issues that lead to errors and crashes to diagnose and potentially repair the operating system so it can boot properly.

As Bleeping Computer reported, the last few updates have introduced new problems to PCs. The August 2024 Windows security update introduced Linux booting issues on dual-boot systems with Secure Boot enabled.

August also saw repairs to boot problems on Windows Server 2019 systems, and a bug from the July 2024 security update that caused some PCs to launch into BitLocker recovery.

July saw repairs to a an issue from the June KB5039302 which also triggered reboot loops and taskbar issues.

We should reiterate that if you have not installed this update, it is optional, so until a new fix is released by Microsoft, you can safely avoid this update for now.

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Scott Younker
West Coast Reporter

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.