Microsoft has responded to a serious problem with Windows 11, where installing update KB5066835 can break USB keyboards and mice , preventing them from working in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) and leaving you unable to do anything.

As of yesterday, Microsoft has released two emergency out-of-band updates to address the issue: KB5070762 and KB5070773 , which are both for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. Keep reading for more details on the underlying issue and these hotfixes.

USB input devices fail after update

The issue affects systems running Windows 11 version 24H2 or 25H2 as well as Windows Server 2025. After installing the October update (KB5066835), USB keyboards and mice and other input devices no longer work properly in the recovery environment. This meant users were no

See Full Page