Common Issues in 25H2 and How to Fix Them

The Windows 11 25H2 update wasn’t nearly as traumatic for most users as its far bigger predecessor 24H2, but there are still a few issues that have popped up, many of which have been resolved. In this article, we’ll be looking at common issues in 25H2 and how to fix them.

Fixes to Common Issues in 25H2

Let’s dive right in and look at some 25H2 common bugs that you can easily squash.

IIS Websites Failing to Load

IIS websites rely on HTTP.sys, and 25H2 might cause a server-side issue that renders these sites unable to connect, often popping up with browser messages like “ERR_CONNECTION_RESET” or the like. This issue has no workaround besides updating your machine, as the update KB5067036 patches this issue. To check for updates for this and any other of these issues:

Step 1. Open Settings (Win + I) and click “Windows Update” in the sidebar.

Step 2. Click “Check for Updates” to see if there are any new ones to download and install.

Step 3. If new ones appear, download and install them, restarting your PC afterwards.

The Recurring Task Manager

This is a known issue where the Task Manager doesn’t really close when you tell it to, replicating and draining resources. This bug arose with update KB5067036. While Microsoft has patched this out in subsequent updates, if this is still haunting you, you can do the following:

Step 1. Open Task Manager directly by pressing (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).

Step 2. In the “Processes” tab, scroll down until you find “Task Manager” and give it a click.

Step 3. Click the “End Task” button, and Task Manager should close correctly.

The Mouse and Keyboard in Recovery Mode

Update KB5066835 introduced an error whereby USB devices like keyboards and mice wouldn’t work when entering recovery mode. Again, this has been patched, but if you’re still stuck, here’s what to do:

• If you have an older PS2 mouse and keyboard and a slot to place them in, use these to recover your PC, then revert to normal.
• If you have a touchscreen PC, you can use finger input instead as a temporary workaround.
• If you have a recovery drive, you can input this and skip the recovery mode step entirely.

Windows Update Fails on Shared Network

If you’re on a shared network, updating your machine through a shared Windows Update Standalone Installer (WUSA) using a “.msu” file can fail, particularly when there are multiple versions. The workaround to this is quite simple: ensure the “.msu” file you’re updating from is installed locally on your machine, and not accessed on the network. Once restarting, wait 15 minutes and check Settings to see if it was successful.

The Smart Card Error

Certain smart cards are also affected by 25H2 and run into authentication and certificate issues. If this happens to one of yours, you can override things through the Registry:

Step 1. Open the Run dialogue box (Win + R) and type “regedit” and hit (Ctrl + Shift + Enter) to run as Admin.

Step 2. In the Registry, navigate to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Cryptography\Calais.”

Step 3. Double-click “DisableCapOverrideForRSA” and change the key value to “0,” then hit “OK” to finalize.

Step 4. Reboot your machine.