Latest Windows update causes reboot loop — what to do if you’re stuck

Microsoft has stopped delivery of June 25th’s KB5039302 update. While the update had some interesting stuff in it, it turns out that it can cause Windows 11 PCs to restart in a continuous loop.

Specifically, Windows 11 version 23H2 and Windows 11 version 22H2 are affected by this bug. Windows servers are not affected.

Fortunately, KB5039302 isn’t installed on all Windows 11 computers because it’s an optional update. (It’s a preview of the standard update for all Windows 11 machines that will be released on Patchday in July 2024.)

In other words, KB5039302 will only be on your Windows 11 computer if you explicitly installed it.

Microsoft wrote the following:

After installing updates released on 26 June 2024 (KB5039302), some devices may not restart. Affected systems may restart repeatedly and require recovery operations to restore normal use.

The Redmond software company continues:

This issue is more likely to affect devices that use virtual machine tools and nested virtualization features, such as CloudPC, DevBox, Azure Virtual Desktop. We are investigating to determine the exact conditions under which this issue may be triggered. Windows Home Edition users are less likely to experience this issue as virtualization is less prevalent in private environments.

And further:

While our investigation is ongoing, this update is not being offered through Windows Update and Windows Update for Business. For this reason, this update may not be offered for your device at this time.

Microsoft is working on a solution to the problem and plans to release it with one of the upcoming updates.

What to do if you’re stuck restarting

If you’ve installed the update on your computer and it enters the never-ending reboot loop, you’ll have to wait until Windows 11 begins the Windows 11 recovery environment by itself.

When it does, select Troubleshoot, then Advanced Options, then Uninstall Updates, and finally click on Uninstall latest quality update. Then confirm removal of the update.

It will take some time for KB5039302 to be removed. Once it’s done, restart your computer and it should work properly again.

Windows