Forum Discussion
Windows 11 25H2 desktop shell broken after January updates
Hello,
We are seeing a repeatable issue after upgrading users to Windows 11 25H2 and installing the January 2026 cumulative updates, and I’m trying to determine if this is a known or emerging regression.
Affected machines are on OS Build: (10.0.26200.7623)
Issue Summary
After the update, some users experience a broken Desktop shell:
Desktop folder icons do not open when double-clicked
Recycle Bin does not open from the Desktop
Right-click context menus appear, but Open / double-click does nothing
The same folders open normally when accessed via File Explorer using the full path
Issue affects only certain users, but we have now seen it on multiple machines
Recycle Bin being affected suggests this is not a file or OneDrive issue, but a Desktop shell / namespace problem.
Environment
Windows 11 25H2
January 2026 cumulative updates installed
Microsoft 365 environment
OneDrive in use with Desktop Known Folder Move enabled
Issue appeared after the 25H2 + January CU combination
Troubleshooting Already Performed
Restarted Explorer, ShellExperienceHost, StartMenuExperienceHost
Cleared Explorer Bags / BagMRU (HKCU)
Reset icon and thumbnail caches
Forced OneDrive files to be local (“Always keep on this device”)
Renamed affected folders (removed special characters)
Verified desktop path resolution
Confirmed issue persists across reboots
In at least one case, clearing Explorer Bags caused the Desktop to fail to re-render until reboot, further pointing to shell state corruption.
Observed Behavior
Desktop icons visually render
Click handlers do not fire
Recycle Bin (CLSID object) is non-functional from Desktop
File Explorer itself continues to work normally
Expected Behavior
Desktop icons and shell objects (including Recycle Bin) should open normally.
Question
Has anyone else seen reports of:
Desktop shell / namespace issues
Recycle Bin not opening
Desktop icons becoming non-interactive
after Windows 11 25H2 + January cumulative updates, particularly in environments using OneDrive Known Folder Move?
If this is a known issue or being investigated, any confirmation or guidance would be appreciated.
Thanks.
2 Replies
So my next question would be, how do I get this in front of Microsoft, get them to acknowledge that this is a regression or bug introduced, and how do we get them to release a updated fix to this?
Your detailed report outlines a serious and specific issue affecting the Windows 11 25H2 shell, particularly with desktop icons, Recycle Bin, and shell namespace interactions after the January 2026 cumulative updates. This appears to be a regression or bug introduced in this update cycle, especially in environments with OneDrive Known Folder Move enabled.
