On August 19, 2025, Microsoft issued critical out-of-band (OOB) updates to address a significant issue affecting Windows reset and recovery operations. This problem emerged following the deployment of the August 2025 security updates, leading to failures in the Reset this PC feature and other recovery options across multiple Windows versions.
Background of the Issue
After installing the August 12, 2025, Patch Tuesday security updates, users encountered complete failures when attempting to reset their PCs or perform recovery operations. The reset process would initiate but then abort, rolling back all changes without completing the recovery. The problematic updates included KB5063875 for Windows 11 versions 23H2 and 22H2, KB5063709 for Windows 10 22H2 and LTSC editions, and KB5063877 for Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 variants.
Affected Systems
The reset and recovery failures impacted a broad range of Windows installations, including:
– Windows 11 versions 23H2 and 22H2.
– Windows 10 version 22H2.
– Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 and IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021.
– Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 and IoT Enterprise LTSC 2019.
Notably, Windows 11 version 24H2 remained unaffected by this issue. The problem also extended to IT administrators using the RemoteWipe Configuration Service Provider (RemoteWipe CSP) for remote device management, creating complications for enterprise environments.
Microsoft’s Emergency Response
Recognizing the severity of the issue, Microsoft expedited the release of emergency OOB updates rather than waiting for the next scheduled Patch Tuesday in September. The company released three specific fixes:
– KB5066189 for Windows 11 versions 23H2 and 22H2 (OS Builds 22621.5771 and 22631.5771).
– KB5066188 for Windows 10 22H2 and LTSC 2021 editions (OS Builds 19044.6218 and 19045.6218).
– KB5066187 for Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 and IoT Enterprise LTSC 2019 (OS Build 17763.7683).
These emergency updates are cumulative, meaning users don’t need to install previous updates before applying them, as they supersede all earlier updates for affected versions. Microsoft strongly recommends that organizations that haven’t yet deployed the August security updates should install these OOB patches instead.
Distribution Channels
The emergency updates are available through multiple distribution channels:
– Windows Update as an optional update (won’t install automatically).
– Windows Update for Business according to configured policies.
– Microsoft Update Catalog for manual download and installation.
– Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) for enterprise deployment.
Microsoft emphasizes that these updates contain no additional security fixes beyond those included in the original August 2025 security update, and installation requires a device restart. Users whose devices are not affected by the reset and recovery issue don’t need to install these emergency patches.
Testing and Confirmation
Testing by security analysts confirms that the emergency updates successfully restore reset and recovery functionality. After installing the appropriate OOB update, the Reset this PC feature operates normally, allowing users to reinstall Windows while preserving files or performing complete system resets.
Recommendations
Organizations and individual users experiencing reset or recovery failures should prioritize installing the appropriate emergency update to restore full system recovery capabilities.
