Windows 11 Update Fixes Boot, Sign-in & Activation Problems
▼ Summary
– Microsoft released the KB5074105 optional preview update for Windows 11, containing 32 changes including fixes for sign-in, boot, and activation problems.
– This non-security update allows administrators to test quality improvements and new features, like Cross-Device Resume and support for peripheral fingerprint sensors, before the next Patch Tuesday.
– Specific fixes address issues like Explorer.exe hanging, system startup failures, iSCSI boot errors, and Windows license migration failures during upgrades.
– The update can be installed via Windows Update or manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog, updating devices to builds 26200.7705 or 26100.7705.
– Microsoft announced that Windows Server 2025 will now have separate update identifiers from Windows 11 and that update titles are being simplified for clarity.
Microsoft has rolled out a new optional preview update for Windows 11, identified as KB5074105, which delivers over thirty improvements. This release is designed to resolve several persistent problems users have encountered, including system boot failures, sign-in difficulties, and activation errors. As a non-security preview, it allows administrators and enthusiasts to test upcoming fixes and features ahead of the next mandatory Patch Tuesday.
This update follows Microsoft’s standard monthly cadence for optional releases, providing a testing ground for quality improvements that are slated for broader distribution. Unlike the comprehensive Patch Tuesday updates, these previews focus solely on bug fixes and enhancements, excluding any security patches. The latest batch of fixes targets some particularly disruptive issues.
A significant fix addresses a scenario where the Explorer.exe process would hang during the initial login if specific applications were set to launch at startup. Another critical resolution tackles a system freeze during startup when Windows Boot Manager debugging is enabled. For networks utilizing iSCSI, the update corrects a bug that could cause boot failures accompanied by an “Inaccessible Boot Device” error message.
Furthermore, Microsoft has resolved a complication affecting Windows license migrations during system upgrades. The issue, which prevented a PC from properly registering with the Windows Activation server to retrieve its digital license, has now been corrected.
Installing this update is straightforward. Users can navigate to Settings > Windows Update > Check for Updates. Since it is optional, it will appear with a “Download and install” prompt. Alternatively, the update can be manually downloaded and installed from the Microsoft Update Catalog website.
Once applied, the KB5074105 update will advance Windows 11 24H2 devices to build 26100.7705 and Windows 11 25H2 devices to build 26200.7705. The update package also includes several other noteworthy enhancements.
Cross‑Device Resume functionality has been expanded, allowing users to seamlessly continue activities from an Android phone on their Windows PC. This can include resuming music playback on Spotify, picking up work in Microsoft Office applications like Word or Excel, or continuing a web browsing session.
Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) now supports peripheral fingerprint sensors. This change extends the more secure sign-in option beyond laptops with built-in sensors to include desktop PCs and other Windows 11 devices, such as Copilot+ PCs.
Additional fixes in this release target various subsystems:
- User Account Control (UAC): Resolved an issue that could cause a PC to stop responding when attempting to launch Windows Terminal with elevated privileges from a non-administrator account.
- Graphics: Addressed a problem where certain GPU configurations might encounter a system crash related to the dxgmms2.sys file, resulting in a KERNELSECURITYCHECK_FAILURE error.
- Windows Sandbox: Fixed a bug that could cause the Windows Sandbox feature to stop responding during startup and display error code 0x800705b4.
In related news, Microsoft announced a change to how updates are identified for Windows Server 2025. To prevent confusion, starting with the January 2026 security updates, Windows Server 2025 will have its own separate KB identifiers and build numbers, distinct from those used for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. Microsoft states this adjustment provides greater clarity for system administrators, though the actual installation and management processes remain unchanged.
The company has also begun using simplified, more user-friendly titles for Windows updates this month, removing extraneous technical details like platform architecture to make update information easier to understand at a glance.
(Source: Bleeping Computer)
