Forum Discussion
Windows update KB5051987 for Windows 11 stops File Explorer from working
I have a Geekom NUC12 which is a 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H 2.30 GHz, also known as a Serpent Canyon NUC 12. It is running Windows 11 Pro Version 24H2 and Windows Update was set to "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available".
After installing KB5051987 yesterday, File explorer simply would not start. This is intolerable as this machine is the "master" machine in my home network. I have 5 other machines living in my basement, and I use Remote Connections to manage each of them, if I can't use File Explorer, then I can't get to any of these machines without going up and down the stairs every time!
Do Microsoft not bother to test their updates anymore?
Open Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
Run the Windows Update and System Maintenance troubleshooters to see if they can identify and fix the issue.
Yeah, sometimes it feels like Microsoft pushes out updates without thoroughly testing them, and we end up being the guinea pigs. It’s like they opened the floodgates without checking if the dam is secure. While they do test updates, there’s always a chance that a specific hardware configuration or software environment leads to unexpected issues.
Just curious to know if you tried rebuilding the index and then rebooting yet.
Microsoft still hasn't acknowledged this as a Known Issue, and I've been researching this for some of our customers myself. For now, I'm finding these to be best recommendations, depending upon specific environment:
For one-off PCs: Use the Show/Hide Tool.
For domains: Use Group Policy.
For MSPs using NinjaONE: Deploy PowerShell scripts.
For Intune users: Set up Update Rings.
For WSUS users: Decline the update.
