KB5043168 Cumulative update crashed explorer.

Brass Contributor

Help! My PC just ran a Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Insider Preview (10.0.26120.1912) (KB5043168), and now the Explorer function is broken. I cant access explorer, open folders, rename them, etc.


I can't find a way to revert the update using the regular "uninstall update". Using Safe mode won’t allow access to W11 update apparently.

 

What do I do now?!

 

2 Replies

I've run into the same problem - after updating to 26120.1912 (KB5043168), trying to run File Explorer results in the app crashing (screen going black and then explorer restarting). Right clicking the Recycle Bin or anywhere on the Desktop also causes explorer to crash. As a workaround, you can use an explorer alternative like Explorer++ or the Windows 10 File Explorer (which can be accessed by opening Control Panel and clicking the up arrow twice). The workaround is fine except that I right click the recycle bin to empty it out of habit, which crashes explorer.exe. Otherwise, the workaround works reasonably well. 

@userimac2011 
You completly revoke the update by using the USB Stick where the Windows Install is on it.
You could create it via Windows Media Creation Toolkit provided by MS.
Then you boot from it and choose to repair Windows and revoke the last functional update. After a while (the PC seems to by freezed) the PC reboots and you have the Windows back. 
Then you should directly block Windows Updates unless there is a work-around for it.
Please, take care that you are not botting from the usb stick again and again.