Windows 11 update knocks out USB mice, keyboards in recovery mode

October security patch leaves users unable to fix their PCs

Updated Microsoft has confirmed a bug that disables USB mice and keyboards in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) after installing security update KB5066835, released October 14.

The bug affects Windows 11 version 25H2 (2025 Update) users only when accessing WinRE – the diagnostic toolset used to troubleshoot boot failures. USB devices work normally in Windows proper.

WinRE can be accessed when Windows fails to start multiple times, or manually by interrupting the boot process twice (holding the power button before Windows loads). The system automatically enters WinRE on the third startup.

Microsoft said engineers are developing a fix to be released "in the coming days."

This offers little comfort to users already stuck trying to troubleshoot PC problems with nonfunctional input devices.

This particular snafu echoes Windows 95's early USB support, when BIOS firmware lagged behind the OS, leaving users with USB keyboards unable to access BIOS settings without digging up legacy PS/2 keyboards.

Other problems identified with this latest update include smartcard authentication issues in Windows Cryptographic Services; Windows Update Standalone Installer failures when installing from shared folders; and server-side applications that rely on Internet Information Services (IIS) might fail to load, as detailed by The Register last week. ®

Updated at 14.15 UTC on October 21, 2025, to add:

Microsoft has rushed out an out-of-band update, KB5070773 to deal with the issue.

The company reckons the problem that stopped USB devices, such as keyboards and mice, working in the Windows Recovery Environment has been resolved.

It added: "Note that the USB devices continue to work normally within the Windows operating system."