Microsoft acknowledges Windows 11 update can block shutdown and hibernation

Microsoft has confirmed that the January 13 cumulative security update for Windows 11, version 23H2 (KB5073455), can prevent some devices from shutting down or entering hibernation when System Guard Secure Launch is enabled. The company added the problem to its Release Health dashboard after receiving reports of machines beginning the power transition but restarting instead of powering off, and of hibernation failing to engage.

The regression principally affects Enterprise and IoT editions of Windows 11, version 23H2, on systems configured with Secure Launch, Microsoft said. KB5073455 was part of the January servicing wave; that batch also included updates for other Windows branches. Microsoft noted that 23H2 is no longer offered to consumers, so the immediate practical impact is concentrated in managed enterprise and embedded environments that continue to receive the 23H2 package.

On affected systems, selecting Shut down or Hibernate triggers the normal power sequence but the device completes a reboot rather than powering down or entering hibernation. Microsoft advised users to save work and to shut down when finished to avoid unexpectedly running out of battery power on hibernation-dependent machines. The company’s published temporary mitigation is to run the Command Prompt shutdown command shutdown /s /t 0 to force an immediate power off until a patched update is available. For hibernation specifically, Microsoft and community guidance currently list no workaround.

The issue underlines complex interactions between the servicing stack, virtualization-based security features such as Secure Launch, firmware protections introduced with updated Secure Boot certificates in the January wave, and Windows power-management subsystems. Community telemetry and administrator reports surfaced examples quickly after rollout, prompting the Release Health update documenting the regression and scope.

Microsoft has also linked other January servicing regressions to the same wave. The company confirmed a client-side authentication failure that disrupted Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 connection flows and Remote Desktop authentication, and it acknowledged a separate problem that caused some security applications to flag a core Windows component on client and server platforms. Microsoft has issued a fix for the security application flagging issue and is continuing to update its remediation guidance for affected customers.

System administrators are being advised to inventory devices to identify those with Secure Launch enabled, to adopt conservative rollout and testing policies for January updates, and to prepare mitigation and rollback procedures. For individual users or single machines that experience the shutdown regression, the shutdown /s /t 0 command provides a way to power off cleanly. Organizations reliant on hibernation should avoid relying on speculative timelines for fixes and instead monitor Microsoft’s Release Health entries for authoritative updates.

The incident is a reminder that high-assurance firmware and virtualization protections can alter expected interactions with basic OS functions. Microsoft’s release notes and Release Health hub remain the central sources for tracking patches, known issues, and any subsequent out-of-band updates addressing the shutdown and related regressions.