Critical Windows Update KB5066835 Breaks Keyboards in Recovery Mode

Critical Windows Update KB5066835 for Windows 11 version 25H2 has been shown to disable input in Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), leaving users unable to use USB keyboards or mice to navigate recovery options. According to Microsoft’s Health Dashboard logs, after installing the update released on 14 October 2025, USB input devices do not function in WinRE, although they work normally within the Windows operating system.

The issue means that anyone entering WinRE is effectively trapped on the recovery screen and must perform a hard shutdown, with no apparent immediate fix available. While PS/2 keyboards and mice remain functional, modern PCs seldom include PS/2 ports, and most laptops do not offer them. The initial release of the update was also noted to disrupt localhost authentication, but the current concern centres on the WinRE input failure and the lack of a temporary workaround at present.