Microsoft issued emergency out-of-band Windows 11 updates on January 17 to fix critical shutdown failures and Remote Desktop authentication bugs introduced by January's Patch Tuesday security patches.
The emergency updates KB5077744 and KB5077797 address two major issues that slipped through Microsoft's testing. Windows 11 version 23H2 devices with System Guard Secure Launch enabled failed to shut down or hibernate properly, causing PCs to reboot instead of powering off. A separate authentication bug prevented Remote Desktop connections across Windows 11 version 25H2, Windows 10 version 22H2 ESU, and Windows Server 2025.
Microsoft confirmed the shutdown problem affected systems where Secure Launch is enabled by default. Machines would initiate shutdown sequences but either remain powered on or restart automatically, leading to laptops draining overnight and desktops consuming power unnecessarily.
The Remote Desktop authentication failure occurred when users attempted to connect via the Windows app, displaying authentication errors before session creation. While data remained unaffected, the bug disrupted remote work and troubleshooting workflows for enterprise and individual users.
Outlook Classic remains broken despite the emergency fixes. Users report the email client crashes, hangs, or becomes "completely unusable" after installing the January updates. One user described Outlook Classic opening initially but refusing to relaunch without manually killing background processes in Task Manager or restarting the entire system.
The Outlook bug particularly affects POP account profiles, causing random hangs, failure to save emails, and missing sent items in the Sent folder. Microsoft acknowledged the issue last week but has not released a fix, leaving users with temporary workarounds like uninstalling the KB5074109 update.
January's Patch Tuesday update KB5074109 marked Microsoft's first Windows 11 security release of 2026, containing about 100 fixes across Windows and supporting components. At least one vulnerability was already being actively exploited, forcing security teams to deploy patches that subsequently introduced new problems.
This incident continues a troubling pattern from 2025, where Windows 11 updates regularly introduced significant bugs. Last year saw issues with Task Manager failing to close, File Explorer displaying white screens in dark mode, and broken Windows Recovery environments. These ongoing issues highlight the importance of understanding Windows settings that can affect system performance and stability.
NVIDIA had previously addressed similar performance issues in October 2025 with GeForce Hotfix Display Driver 581.94, which restored gaming performance reportedly reduced by 15-20 frames per second on some systems with dedicated NVIDIA GPUs.
Microsoft advises affected users to install the emergency updates through Windows Update. For those experiencing Outlook Classic issues, the only current solution involves uninstalling the problematic KB5074109 update or reverting to previous Windows 11 versions.
The emergency response highlights ongoing quality control challenges in Microsoft's update process, particularly concerning given this marks the first update cycle of 2026. With critical business applications like Outlook remaining broken weeks into the new year, enterprise IT departments face continued disruption from what should be routine security maintenance.
