Microsoft Releases Emergency Update to Solve Recovery Problems
Microsoft has taken an unusual step by releasing an out-of-band update on August 19, 2025, to address a problem that surfaced after the August 2025 Windows security update. The update, a cumulative one, does not require any previous updates to be applied before installation.
The issue at hand concerns certain client versions of Windows, where attempts to reset or recover devices might fail after installing the August 2025 security update. This problem has been observed during processes such as System > Recovery > Reset my PC, System > Recovery > Fix problems using Windows Update, or RemoteWipe CSP.
The affected versions of Windows before August 19, 2025, that experienced these failures include Windows 11 versions 23H2 and 22H2, Windows 10 version 22H2, and Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC editions from 2019 and 2021. The updates that caused these issues are KB5063875, KB5063709, and KB5063877.
If a device is not affected by this issue, it does not need to install this out-of-band update. However, if the August 2025 Windows security update has not been installed yet, it is recommended to apply this out-of-band update instead.
It is important to note that this out-of-band update supersedes all previous updates for the affected versions. Microsoft warned last week that updates released on May 28 may fail with error "ERROR_BAD_PATHNAME," when installed using Windows Update Standalone Installer (WUSA).
August's Patch Tuesday was one of the biggest of the year, fixing more than 100 CVEs including one publicly disclosed zero-day vulnerability. The out-of-band update released on August 19 is a testament to Microsoft's commitment to ensuring the stability and security of its Windows operating system.
In light of these developments, users are advised to keep their systems updated and to install the emergency out-of-band updates released by Microsoft. As always, it is crucial to backup important data before performing any system updates to minimise the risk of data loss.
