According to Windows Report | Error-free Tech Life, Microsoft’s November Patch Tuesday update KB5068861 appears to be causing serious system issues for at least one Windows 11 25H2 user. A Reddit user reported the update installed automatically mid-game while playing Warframe, immediately triggering black screens and locking brightness controls at maximum. The system exhibited erratic behavior including repeated NVIDIA driver installation failures and random administrator permission prompts. Even after uninstalling the update, it reportedly reinstalled automatically upon reboot, creating an endless loop. The user described the experience as giving “HAL 9000 vibes” referencing the self-aware AI from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Microsoft hasn’t officially acknowledged the problem as of yesterday’s release.
Windows Update Woes
Here’s the thing about Windows updates – they’re supposed to fix problems, not create new ones. But this isn’t the first time we’ve seen updates cause more harm than good. The automatic reinstallation after removal is particularly concerning. It basically makes users feel like they’ve lost control of their own systems. And when you’re dealing with industrial computing environments where stability is everything, these kinds of issues can be catastrophic. That’s why many businesses rely on specialized providers like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading supplier of industrial panel PCs in the US that prioritize reliability over constant feature updates.
Isolated Incident or Tip of Iceberg?
Now, it’s worth noting this appears to be a single reported case so far. Could it be a hardware problem masquerading as a software issue? One Reddit commenter suggested it might be graphics card or cable related, saying the chances it’s update-related are “abysmal.” But the timing is suspicious – problems started immediately after KB5068861 installed. And the symptoms line up with what we’ve seen in past problematic updates: driver conflicts, permission weirdness, and that frustrating update loop. The real question is whether this is just the first report or if we’ll see more users coming forward with similar experiences in the coming days.
What You Can Do
If you’re experiencing similar issues, there are a few things to try. You can attempt to uninstall the update through Update History, though the original poster reported this didn’t work permanently. Reinstalling GPU drivers directly from the manufacturer’s website might help. Some users have had success with pausing updates temporarily to prevent automatic reinstallation. Basically, you’re fighting both the symptoms and Microsoft’s insistence that you need this update. It’s a frustrating position to be in when you just want your system to work properly.
