If you are a regular Neowin reader, you probably know that Windows has its fair share of major bugs and issues. For example, recently, we reported on a seemingly persistent issue that is still popping up on the latest versions of Windows 11 (25H2 and 24H2), wherein the necessary files for wired internet connection get deleted, which meant affected users could not connect to the internet.
Another such bug wherein a key feature of the OS got borked was when the WinRE became unusable for keyboard and mouse users on Windows 11, prompting the company to release an emergency patch.
The WinRE or Windows Recovery Environment provides various key OS recovery functions like troubleshooting, Reset, Startup Repair, Command Prompt, and more, that can be essential to help troubleshoot and repair unbootable systems, and hence an issue here is a big problem.
While we had reported on that bug in the case of Windows 11, a similar problem had also struck Windows 10, and this happened to be the final recovery update for the latter as it reached end of servicing status then (outside of Extended Security Updates program).
The update was released as KB5068164, and several months later, in February this year, Microsoft finally confirmed that the WinRE on Windows 10 was broken. There was a similar situation where Microsoft acknowledged issues with core Windows 11 UI elements several months after the problems first began.
The issue has now been fixed with the latest Windows 10 recovery update that was released yesterday. The changelog for the new update is given below:
KB5075039: Windows Recovery Environment update for Windows 10, version 21H2 and 22H2: March 3, 2026
This update automatically applies Safe OS Dynamic Update (KB5073933) to the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) on a running PC. The update installs improvements to Windows recovery features.
The following is a summary of a known issue that this update addresses when you install this update.
- [Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)] Fixed: WinRE would not start after installing the October 14, 2025 update KB5068164.
As is the case with such WinRE updates on Windows 10, Microsoft notes that the update requires 250 MB of free space for it to be successfully installed; otherwise, the update is not offered to save users from further trouble.