Windows 11 KB5077181 Boot Loop Fix: Step-by-Step Recovery Guide (February 2026)

TL;DR: The February 2026 cumulative update KB5077181 is causing boot loops, sign-in failures, broken networking, and servicing errors on Windows 11 24H2 systems. The fix is to uninstall it. If you can reach your desktop, go to Settings → Windows Update → Update History → Uninstall Updates. If you cannot reach your desktop, boot into WinRE and uninstall from there. Once the machine is stable, run DISM and SFC to repair system files, reset your networking stack, and pause Windows Updates to prevent reinstallation. Every scenario is covered below.

What Is KB5077181 and Why Is It Causing Problems?

KB5077181 is Microsoft’s February 2026 cumulative update for Windows 11 24H2. It bundles security patches, OS fixes, and servicing stack changes into a single package — standard practice, but one that means a single bad component can take down an entire installation.

Early reports from the Reddit r/pcmasterrace thread and the Linus Tech Tips forum point to several converging failure paths: a servicing stack interaction that prevents clean installation or rollback, Secure Boot certificate changes that conflict with certain OEM firmware (notably Dell and Alienware), and a networking regression that corrupts DHCP client behaviour. These do not all occur on every machine, but the overlap of symptoms is consistent enough that the update itself is the common cause.

Status: Microsoft has not issued an official acknowledgement or out-of-band patch as of this writing. Monitor the Windows Release Health dashboard for updates.

Are You Affected? Symptoms Checklist

Before attempting any fix, confirm which failure mode you are dealing with. KB5077181 produces several distinct symptoms that each point to a slightly different recovery path.

Boot and sign-in failures are the most reported issue. The machine reboots repeatedly during or after installation, or you reach the sign-in screen but Windows throws a “Specified procedure could not be found” error and returns you to the lock screen. The SENS (System Event Notification Service) fails to start, blocking the user session from loading.

Networking corruption shows up as a “Connected, no internet” state on a working physical or wireless connection. DHCP negotiation fails silently, leaving the adapter half-connected. Some users see it resolve after a router restart, but it returns on the next boot.

Servicing and installation errors affect machines where the update is still pending or partially applied. Error codes 0x800f0922 and 0x8007000d indicate component store corruption or a blocked pending operation from a prior update attempt.

Secure Boot and pre-boot failures are less common but more severe. A subset of Dell and Alienware users report machines that will not POST, tied to certificate authority changes bundled with the patch.

Before You Start: Safety Notes

Two things to do before touching anything:

1. Locate your BitLocker recovery key. If BitLocker is active and you use the WinRE method to uninstall, you will be prompted for it. Find it at account.microsoft.com/devices, or in your organisation’s Azure AD portal if this is a work machine.

2. Choose your recovery path. If you can reach the Windows desktop — even with broken networking — start with Fix 1. If the machine loops before you can sign in, go straight to Fix 2.

Enterprise admins: Read the Enterprise IT Guidance section before touching individual machines.

Fix 1: Uninstall KB5077181 From a Working Desktop

This is the fastest path if your desktop is accessible. Use whichever method suits your workflow.

Via Settings (Recommended)

1. Open Settings → Windows Update → Update History
2. Select Uninstall Updates at the top of the page
3. Find KB5077181 in the list and click Uninstall
4. Allow the system to reboot

Via Control Panel

1. Open Control Panel → Programs → Programs and Features
2. Click “View installed updates” in the left panel
3. Search for KB5077181, right-click, and choose Uninstall

Via Command Line (IT scripting)

Open an elevated Command Prompt (Win + X → Terminal (Admin)) and run:

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wusa /uninstall /kb:5077181 /quiet /norestart

Then manually reboot once the command completes. This form is useful for packaging as a remote remediation task.

After rebooting: Confirm the machine signs in correctly and networking is stable, then continue to Fix 3 to clear any residual file corruption.

Fix 2: Uninstall KB5077181 via Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

Use this method if you cannot reach the desktop at all.

Getting Into WinRE

If your machine is stuck in a boot loop, force it to shut down by holding the power button. Repeat this three times, interrupting the boot before Windows fully loads each time. On the third attempt, Windows should automatically enter Automatic Repair mode and display the recovery options screen.

Alternatively, if you have a bootable Windows 11 USB drive:

1. Boot from the USB
2. Choose “Repair your computer” instead of Install

Uninstalling From WinRE

Navigate to:

Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Uninstall Updates → Uninstall Latest Quality Update

Windows will confirm this is KB5077181. Proceed, and the system will reboot into a working state.

If “Uninstall Latest Quality Update” is greyed out or fails, the servicing stack itself may be corrupted. Skip ahead to What If the Uninstall Fails?

Fix 3: Repair System Files After Uninstalling

Even after KB5077181 is removed, the component store may contain corruption left over from the failed installation. Running the two tools below clears this and prevents future update failures.

Open an elevated Command Prompt (Win + X → Terminal (Admin)) and run in order:

Step 1 — Restore the component store:

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DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

This contacts Windows Update to pull down clean versions of any corrupted system files. Allow 10–20 minutes to complete before proceeding.

Step 2 — Verify system file integrity:

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sfc /scannow

This scans the full system file cache and replaces anything DISM repaired. Let it complete, then reboot.

If DISM Fails With 0x800f081f

DISM cannot reach Windows Update to pull source files. Mount a Windows 11 24H2 ISO and run:

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DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:WIM:D:\Sources\Install.wim:1 /LimitAccess

Replace D: with the drive letter of your mounted ISO.

Fix 4: Resolve Networking Issues (DHCP / No Internet)

If you have regained desktop access but networking is still broken, the network stack needs a full reset. Run these commands from an elevated Command Prompt:

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netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /renew

Reboot after running all five. This resets the TCP/IP stack and Winsock catalog to defaults, forcing a fresh DHCP negotiation on startup. On most affected machines this fully resolves the “Connected, no internet” state.

If the problem persists after rebooting, open Device Manager, expand Network Adapters, right-click your adapter, and choose Disable Device. Wait five seconds, then right-click and Enable Device. This forces the driver to reinitialise without a full reboot.

Fix 5: Secure Boot and BitLocker Edge Cases (Dell / Alienware)

A separate but related issue affects Dell Inspiron, XPS, and Alienware systems where KB5077181 bundled a Secure Boot certificate authority update. On certain BIOS versions, this causes pre-boot failures before Windows even begins loading.

If your machine will not POST or shows a Secure Boot violation screen:

1. Boot into BIOS setup (press F2 on most Dell systems during startup)
2. Temporarily disable Secure Boot
3. Allow the machine to boot into Windows
4. Uninstall KB5077181 using Fix 1 or Fix 2
5. Once the update is removed, re-enable Secure Boot in BIOS

⚠️ BitLocker warning: If BitLocker is active and you disable Secure Boot, you will be prompted for your recovery key on the next boot. Have it ready before making any BIOS changes.

What If the Uninstall Fails?

On some machines the servicing stack is damaged badly enough that neither the Settings uninstall nor the WinRE method works. If DISM also returns errors it cannot self-repair, you have two remaining options.

Option 1: In-Place Repair (Keeps Files and Apps)

1. Download the Windows 11 24H2 ISO directly from Microsoft
2. Mount the ISO and run Setup.exe from within Windows
3. Choose “Keep personal files and apps”

This reinstalls the OS layer over the existing installation without wiping your data. It also resets the component store cleanly. It is the preferred recovery path here.

Option 2: Reset This PC

If the machine cannot load the desktop at all:

WinRE → Troubleshoot → Reset this PC → Keep my files

This is more disruptive — apps are removed — but is reliable when the servicing stack is beyond repair. Personal files (Documents, Downloads, Desktop) are preserved.

Clean install should be a last resort only, reserved for machines where both options above fail.

How to Pause Windows Updates After Recovery

Once your machine is stable, pause updates immediately to stop KB5077181 from reinstalling.

Via Settings

Go to Settings → Windows Update → Pause Updates and choose the maximum available duration (5 weeks). Repeat when it expires until Microsoft releases a corrected patch.

Via Registry (Windows 11 Home)

If your edition does not offer the full pause menu, open regedit and navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings

Create or set the following value:

Then use the Settings UI to apply the pause.

Enterprise IT Guidance

For organisations managing device fleets, individual machine recovery does not scale. Address this at the infrastructure level first.

Block the Update via WSUS

In your WSUS console, Decline KB5077181 immediately. This stops it from being offered to any unaffected machines on your network.

Block via Intune / Windows Update for Business

In the Microsoft Intune admin center, go to Devices → Windows → Update Rings and create a quality update policy that defers or excludes this update. Alternatively, configure a Windows Update for Business policy to hold the ring at the previous quality update level.

Remediation Script for Affected Machines

Package the silent uninstall as an Intune Remediation script:

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# Detection script
$kb = Get-HotFix -Id "KB5077181" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if ($kb) { exit 1 } else { exit 0 }

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# Remediation script
Start-Process -FilePath "wusa.exe" `
  -ArgumentList "/uninstall /kb:5077181 /quiet /norestart" `
  -Wait

Event Log Markers to Check

CBS.log is located at C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log.

Technical Root Cause Analysis

Several independent failure paths converged in this release.

Servicing stack / pending.xml loop: The servicing stack update bundled with KB5077181 modifies how pending operations are processed on next boot. If a previous update left an unresolved entry in pending.xml — common after a failed prior patch — the new servicing stack reads it incorrectly and triggers a rollback loop the OS cannot exit cleanly.

SENS sign-in failure: A DLL registration for a system service was modified in a way that breaks the service’s initialisation sequence. The error “Specified procedure could not be found” maps to a missing or mismatched export in a system DLL, suggesting a versioning mismatch introduced mid-patch.

DHCP regression: A driver-level networking change resets adapter configuration flags on first boot after installation. Machines using DHCP are hit hardest; statically assigned IPs are largely unaffected.

Secure Boot CA rotation: Microsoft rotated a certificate authority in the Secure Boot DB. Some OEM BIOS implementations validate the CA chain differently and reject the new certificate, causing a pre-boot halt.

None of these individually would have been catastrophic. Landing in the same cumulative package with no Known Issue Rollback (KIR) trigger set by Microsoft means the only available fix is manual removal.

When Will Microsoft Release a Fix?

Microsoft has several resolution options available:

• Known Issue Rollback (KIR) — a server-side toggle that blocks the update from installing on new machines without any user action. The fastest option for Microsoft to deploy.
• Out-of-band patch — a corrected version of KB5077181 released outside of Patch Tuesday.
• March 2026 Patch Tuesday — a fix bundled into the next monthly cumulative update.

Monitor the official Windows Release Health dashboard — the relevant entry will appear under the Windows 11 24H2 section. Until a fix is confirmed, keep KB5077181 paused.

Recovery Checklist (Quick Reference)

Use this as a print-friendly summary before starting.

• 1. Locate your BitLocker recovery key before doing anything else
• 2. Determine your scenario: desktop accessible, or full boot loop
• 3a. (Desktop accessible) Settings → Windows Update → Update History → Uninstall Updates → KB5077181
• 3b. (Boot loop) Force three interrupted boots → WinRE → Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Uninstall Latest Quality Update
• 4. Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth then sfc /scannow in an elevated terminal
• 5. If networking is broken, run the five netsh / ipconfig commands from Fix 4 and reboot
• 6. (Dell / Alienware) Disable Secure Boot in BIOS, uninstall, then re-enable Secure Boot
• 7. If uninstall fails, try in-place repair from Windows 11 ISO, or Reset This PC → Keep my files
• 8. Pause Windows Updates for 5 weeks to prevent reinstallation
• 9. Monitor aka.ms/WindowsReleaseHealth for an official fix

Tested On

This guide covers Windows 11 24H2 (Build 26100.x). The symptoms and recovery steps were compiled from verified user reports on Reddit (r/pcmasterrace), Linus Tech Tips forums, the Microsoft Learn Q&A board, and Dell Community forums as of February 2026. Steps have not been independently verified on Windows 11 23H2 or earlier builds, though the DISM/SFC and networking steps apply broadly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will uninstalling KB5077181 leave me unpatched and vulnerable?

Yes — removing it means you will be missing the security patches it contained. That is a real tradeoff. For most home users, the risk of a non-booting machine outweighs the short-term vulnerability window, especially since the networking regression also limits your attack surface. Re-apply the update only after Microsoft confirms a corrected version via the Windows Release Health dashboard.

Is this affecting all Windows 11 versions or just 24H2?

Reports are concentrated on 24H2. Users on 23H2 receive a different update package (KB5076838) and have not reported the same boot loop pattern at scale. If you are on 23H2, you are not directly affected by this specific issue.

My machine will not enter WinRE even after three interrupted boots. What now?

Some machines — particularly those with fast NVMe storage — do not always register interrupted boots correctly. Try holding Shift while clicking Restart from the Windows sign-in screen if you can reach it. Otherwise, boot from a Windows 11 USB installation media, choose “Repair your computer,” and proceed with Fix 2 from the WinRE environment the USB provides.

Can I reinstall Windows without losing my data?

Yes, via the in-place repair method in What If the Uninstall Fails?. Running Setup.exe from a Windows 11 ISO and choosing “Keep personal files and apps” reinstalls the OS layer while leaving your user data and installed applications intact. Personal files (Documents, Downloads, Desktop, etc.) are kept.

I am on a domain-joined work machine. Should I attempt this myself?

Contact your IT department first. Uninstalling a security update on a managed machine may conflict with compliance policies or trigger automated remediation that reinstalls the patch before you can pause updates. IT teams have the tools to handle this at the policy level.

Microsoft pushed the update again after I uninstalled it. Why?

Until Microsoft sets a KIR block or you manually pause updates, Windows Update will keep offering KB5077181 as an outstanding security update. Pause updates for the maximum available duration (5 weeks) immediately after uninstalling, and do not click “Check for updates” again until a fixed version is confirmed.