Overview

• The October 14 security update KB5066835 disables USB keyboards and mice inside the Windows Recovery Environment, according to Microsoft’s support notes.
• USB input continues to work in the regular operating system, with the issue confined to WinRE.
• Microsoft says it is preparing an out-of-band update to resolve the problem in the coming days.
• Reports indicate the bug affects Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 builds as well as some Windows Server installations.
• Temporary options include uninstalling KB5066835 or restoring an older winre.wim image, but both carry drawbacks and potential risk.