Broken Hotpatches, BitLocker Glitches and Why Windows 10 Won’t Die

This Week in IT

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An out-of-band WSUS security patch has back‑fired, disabling hotpatching on Windows Server 2025—find out how to avoid the problem if you haven’t already installed the buggy update. Then, Windows updates are throwing some machines straight into BitLocker recovery. And despite the end of support, Windows 10 is still running on more than 40 % of PCs—what’s holding back migration?

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Episode overview

The top stories in this week’s episode:

Windows Server Update Services Patch Issue
- An out-of-band Windows Server update was released to fix a critical vulnerability that could allow remote code execution.
- The patch inadvertently disabled hot patching on some Windows Server 2025 devices, forcing organizations to reboot servers for updates until January 2026.
- Microsoft has reissued the update to fix the vulnerability without breaking hot patching, but those who installed the buggy update must wait for the next baseline update.
Windows Updates Causing BitLocker Recovery Issues
- Recent Windows 10 and 11 updates have caused some devices to boot into BitLocker recovery mode, requiring users to enter their recovery key.
- Microsoft provided a known issue rollback via group policy for organizations; consumers are advised to ensure their BitLocker keys are backed up and linked to a Microsoft account.
- The issue mainly affects Intel-based devices with connected standby.
Windows 10 End of Support and Migration Challenges
- Despite end of support, Windows 10 still runs on over 40% of PCs, with slow migration to Windows 11.
- Factors holding back migration include hardware requirements for Windows 11, economic uncertainty, and mission-critical applications incompatible with the new OS.
- Microsoft offers extended security updates for Windows 10 for up to two more years.
Security and Hardware Considerations
- Windows 11 introduces new security features that require modern hardware for optimal performance.
- Some features, like administrator protection, do not require upgraded hardware but must be enabled manually.
- The transition to newer Windows versions is expected to be gradual, driven by hardware refresh cycles and the need for advanced features like AI.

Russell Smith

Editorial Director at Petri IT Knowledgebase. Russell has more than 20 years' experience working in IT. From small business to large government IT infrastructure projects. Russell started his writing career for Windows IT Pro magazine in the early 2000s. Since then, Russell has contributed to a variety of publications, including Petri, CDW's list of publications, and various industry blogs including Netwrix, BeyondTrust, and others. In addition to more than 1000 articles Russell has authored, he has also written a book on Windows security and co-authored another for Microsoft's MOAC series. Russell has also authored several courses for Pluralsight.