The latest Windows 11 update introduced a particularly annoying bug that could prevent computers from connecting to certain Wi-Fi networks. Microsoft was able to identify the problem and is rolling out a fix.
For many years, Microsoft has had the habit of gradually publishing minor updates for its operating systems, such as the famous Patch Tuesday published on the second Tuesday of each month, in order to correct bugs or fill security gaps over time. They regularly bring stability and performance improvements to Windows, but sometimes introduce new bugs or even regressions.
This is what happened with the last two updates for Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2, numbered KB5032288 and KB5033375. Published between December 5 and 13, they caused an issue that could prevent computers from connecting to public Wi-Fi networks, such as those in train stations, libraries or cafes, but also in businesses and universities. A bug that is particularly penalizing for nomadic users, but which fortunately did not seem to concern home Wi-Fi networks.
“ Microsoft has received reports of an issue in which some Wi-Fi adapters may not connect to certain networks after installing KB5032288. We have confirmed that this issue is caused by KB5032288 And KB5033375. As noted, you are more likely to be affected by this issue if you are trying to connect to a business, school, or public Wi-Fi network using 802.1x authentication. This issue is unlikely to occur on home networks. »
An automatic bug fix within a few days
In addition to confirming the existence of the problem, Microsoft indicates that it has identified its source and initiated its resolution via its system Known Issue Rollback (KIR), a mechanism allowing it to automatically distribute bug fixes to users, without action on their part. The Redmond company specifies that the patch could take up to 24 hours for individuals and unmanaged devices to be fully distributed, and adds that restarting the computer may speed up the resolution of the problem.
For corporate computers affected by the issue, Microsoft states that it can be resolved by installing and configuring Group Policy, and links to specific documentation on this subject.
“ This problem is resolved using of Known Issue Rollback (KIR). Please note that the resolution may take up to 24 hours for the fix to automatically propagate to consumer devices and unmanaged enterprise devices. Restarting your Windows device might help the resolution apply faster. For enterprise devices that have installed the affected update and experienced this issue, it can be resolved by installing and configuring a special Group Policy. Special Group Policy can be found in Configuration -> Administrative Templates ->
If you are affected by the problem connecting to public Wi-Fi networks on your personal computer, and want to resolve it without waiting for Microsoft’s fix, you can manually uninstall one of the two offending updates. Open the menu To start upthen go to Settings > Windows Update > Update History > Uninstall updates and click on the button Uninstall to the right of the line Security Update for Microsoft Windows (KB5033375) as in the screenshot below.
The other update mentioned by Microsoft, bearing the number KB5032288, unfortunately does not seem to be able to be uninstalled manually, but simply removing patch KB5033375 should be enough to resolve the problem.
Source : Microsoft