Microsoft fixes Windows KB5043145 reboot loops, USB and Bluetooth issues

Microsoft fixes a known issue in the Windows KB5043145 preview update that causes reboot loops, freezes systems, and breaks USB and Bluetooth devices.

The company confirmed on Friday that affected systems load the Automatic Repair tool (designed to fix Windows installations that can't boot correctly) or enter BitLocker recovery after multiple reboots.

On Monday, Redmond also revealed that the same problematic optional update will cause Bluetooth and USB devices to fail.

"This issue also causes USB and Bluetooth connections to fail in some devices," the company explained in an update to the Windows release health page.

"Hardware connected via USB and Bluetooth, such as keyboards, memory sticks, printers, and wireless mouses, no longer work after installing the update. In these cases, the USB Host Controller under the Device Manager displays a yellow exclamation mark."

​Fixed via Known Issue Rollback

Microsoft has resolved these known issues through Known Issue Rollback (KIR)—a Windows feature that helps reverse flawed non-security updates delivered via Windows Update—and is now working to include the fix in a future Windows update.

To resolve them on impacted Windows enterprise-managed devices, admins must install and set up the Windows 11 22H2 KB5043145 240904_041021 Known Issue Rollback Group Policy. After installation, you can find the Group Policy under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates.

To deploy the Known Issue Rollback, go to the Local Computer Policy or the Domain policy on the domain controller using the Group Policy Editor to choose the Windows version you need to target. Next, restart the impacted system(s) to apply the group policy setting.

Further guidance on deploying and configuring KIR Group Policies is available on Microsoft's support website.

Previously, Microsoft resolved a known issue in August that caused boot problems and freezes on Windows Server 2019 systems and a bug in the July 2024 Windows security updates that caused some Windows devices to boot into BitLocker recovery.

It also addressed another issue introduced by the June 2024 KB5039302 preview update, which triggered restart loops and taskbar problems on Windows 11 systems.