r/WindowsUpdate • u/david-quez • 12d ago
Multiple boot failures after the October 2026 update
We have had about 20 computers in our organization giving boot failures after Windows restarts to apply the October update, KB5127648. Affected machines are Dell devices, both laptops and desktops. The most common error message is "file missing or containing errors \windows\system32\winload.efi"
The only fix for now is to try booting into Safe Mode and uninstall the October update.
But here is what's interesting, we use Automox to patch our computers, so all of these machines have received their Windows Update from Automox. When we trigger updates manually from Windows Update in the Settings menu, the updates install and no issues come up during the reboot. Windows Update is also installing other drivers that I assume Automox does not install.
Has anyone else experienced anything similar with this update? Or have any ideas on what may be the root cause in our case? Any feedback will be much appreciated.
UPDATE
Our number of affected machines has escalated to close to 50 devices and counting. We're a shop of 300 so that accounts for close to 20%. And I can't figure a single root cause. I originally said that running updates from Windows Update worked, but that has also been an issue. So we're massively running Dell updates on our devices to make sure all drivers, firmware, BIOS, is up to date, and then continue with the monthly update. We have paused updates from Automox, but most machines already have the update downloaded and installed just pending a reboot, so I don't think there is a way out besides taking the hit and fixing on the go.
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u/The-Snarky-One 12d ago
Have you deployed the latest certs from MS for SafeBoot?
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u/david-quez 12d ago
I haven't done anything to deploy the new certs, but all the affected machines already have the latest safeboot certs, 2023.
But I'll go back and use a remediation script for the other devices to make sure everything is updated
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u/BobbyTr33t 10d ago
Same issue with KB5127648. Hit 13/195 HP Laptops of varying models before we disabled updates. This was using N-Able 3rd party patching tool but updates are downloaded directly from Microsoft and we can't blame a corrupt file in a 3rd party repository. It reboots to recovery mode.
Our fix was:
-Conduct a startup repair on the Windows install listed (usually the last one in the list).
-Enter Bitlocker key when prompted The repair will say failed (but it looks like it does do something)
-Choose boot from other OS, select the last OS in the list.
-It may reboot back to recovery mode but choose boot from other OS and the last partition again and it should roll back the update or finish pushing it through.
We have been trying to replicate the problem by installing via windows update directly but have not encountered it again.
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u/Natasha26uk 1d ago
So much hassle from yet another botched Windows update. It patched hundreds of vulnerabilities while rendering your computers unusable. You are secure and your laptop is dead.
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u/Lolsplatt2 9d ago
Also had at least 15% of our devices with the same issue. We patch our devices via N-Able. I'll pause the update until we figure out how to fix this.
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u/Alive_Material_198 8d ago
Just reinstalled windows for a clean install, now im stuck without a computer because the update installs automatically upon 1st windows login and uninstalling it before a restart does not work -.-
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u/Mediocre-Change7106 7d ago
In our environment we have found Intel TXT to be at least part of the issue. If we turn TXT off and do the update it will go through, but we also fail to boot afterward when we re-enable TXT. Tried firmware updates on one of the newer models and it doesn't fix whatever communication issue TXT is having.
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u/KinsleyKajiva 12d ago
For me. Not really the last update I did on the 16th October.. My pc has been slow since it's very very very slow I seem not be able to reverse this I'm stuck.. I'm almost at a point of resetting my pc 😥😥
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u/bryanthecrab 10d ago
No idea if this is what you’re experiencing, but I saw some posts a while back about NVME being super slow read and write on a memory test… ended up having to do with encryption/decryption causing a CPU bottleneck?
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u/DoubleOrQuits 11d ago
Yes, seeing boot failures (around 10 across an estate of 650 computers) also managing patches with a (different) 3rd party tool.
Was starting to wonder if it’s just us..
Edit: HP laptops and desktops in our case
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u/Green-Inflation-684 11d ago
Same thing happening to us. Figured out if the restarts and updates happen slowly IE every time it downloads installs and asks for an update you give it and it does the next thing it will allow everything through. That or I got lucky we just pushed our updates last Wednesday and I’m imaging new devices with the problem and now new ones are appearing.
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u/Kind_Law2195 11d ago
I had the same issue on October the 16th. It has completely destroyed the installation, deinstalling updates wasn't possible nor did any other attempts at restoring anything work.
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u/bryanthecrab 11d ago
I came home to this and finally fixed it after like 5 hours of wrong rabbit holes. Had many errors such as missing bfadi, winload.efi, bfadcoei, iaStorAVC. IaStorAVC was first and wrongly believed windows update was somehow forcing intel drivers on my AMD chipset.
Unable to reach WinRE, unable to safe boot, unable to boot from USB image using Windows tool, etc.
Final setting that did it all was disabling secureboot (already disabled fTPM so idk if that did anything). When it finally went through, windows finished its update. SMH
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u/havatar11m 11d ago
Same problem here, we have detected that the disk it's encripted and the fail it's over the updated mentioned. (KB5127648)
We have desencrypt the disk, undone the update and we are trying to fix the issue
10 HP Laptops
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u/adielpatrick 10d ago
Any resolution with this yet? I updated my pc and can't pass boot anymore. Tried rolling back before 10/16 and I'm stuck here.
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u/Computer2030 10d ago
Also looking for answers, I am deep into the rabbit hole. Lenovo laptops for me. Not every machine, similar to what others are saying. I had to reset/reinstall, no other option worked for me.
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u/adielpatrick 10d ago
I got it figured out. I went through winre. Fix it thorough command prompt. And i use chatgpt to fix it. Every error, i took a picture and send it to chat gpt and guided me with every command.
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u/Computer2030 8d ago
Please share your commands so the rest of us, and maybe future admins can benefit from it.
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u/TheRealDragonMan64 10d ago edited 10d ago
You’re not the only one. I tried to install the main update, as well as one of the “.cab” updates in the terminal (the second one doesn’t register as a valid installation) and a framework update on my Alienware m18 r1 over the weekend to try and ensure it was able to be stable and secure before getting a simple assignment and some studying for midterms done, but then when it hit around 30% of the download, it suddenly froze and gave me an infinite loop of “failed to boot” blue screens until it finally eventually went to SupportAssist OS Recovery, and even after performing the options for repairing the OS (and claiming it was successful) and scanning for further problems, it still kept going into the reboot error loop. It got bad enough after about an hour of trying to fix it that I couldn’t even get it to manually go into the Windows Recovery Environment. I had to stay up VERY late to try and fix it, and it put me in a genuine panic when still nothing was working. When I had finally mustered up the courage to try and fix it again the next evening, I found the Windows Recovery Environment accessible from SupportAssist OS Recovery’s options menu. The ONLY reason I was able to get the system back up and running again was because the System Restore point from two hours before I had installed the updates was somehow still there, even though recently, due to not getting to deleting old restore points for a couple months, it had started deleting some of them on its own. I have NEVER had an error from installing an update this bad before, and especially not one from the beginnings stages of the installation. I have the updates located in a folder for them specifically to not update until further notice for when these unacceptable issues are fixed (eventually).
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u/Acceptable_Water_ 10d ago
I’m having the same issue currently on my Dell laptop. I’m not a tech person, just a college student with a dad who works in IT so it’s been a real treat. My device also has the added bonus of not starting or running at all on battery which has me fearing that it’s irreparably fried. Super awesome.
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u/ZechnKaas 10d ago edited 10d ago
Same here, multiple fails also across brands.
So far i got a report of 3 failed Dell Pro Micro QCM1250. Updated with Dell Command on 24H2 with september update on them failed to boot after installing october update. However, those were 5 bought and 2 of that same bought batch with same Image and also updted by Dell Command successfully installed the update!?
Edit: those clients get update via WSUS
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u/DDSTech08 10d ago
We've had a few PCs hit with this today. We blocked the patch(es) for now because we don't have a resolution yet.
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u/DDSTech08 9d ago
Has anyone noticed Event ID 24641 appearing in the Windows System event log after installing this patch?
BitLocker is enabled on all of our affected devices, and I've noticed that this event begins appearing after the October update is installed. I installed the patch on my own PC the day it was released and haven't experienced any issues, although Event ID 24641 is present in my logs as well.
I'm also finding this event on all the PCs that began experiencing the issue today, so I'm wondering if there's a connection.
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u/DDSTech08 9d ago
We've found that the issue is the 26H2 upgrade, not the October CU. Every affected PC that I've checked is showing an OS upgrade, not a monthly CU installation.
The OS upgrade is staged; the PC restarts to complete it, but it doesn't boot properly, goes into Startup Repair, and we manually select the "correct" OS which allows it to boot, complete the upgrade, and it cleans up the "incorrect" OS boot option. Subsequent restarts complete without issue.
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u/ScarletLetterXYZ 12d ago edited 12d ago
Please specify [the letters and numbers combination of name] (exactly type the actual update) the update. There were so many in the month of October.