Microsoft has confirmed that the Windows 11 October 2025 Update breaks WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment) input, rendering it useless due to a bug that blocks mouse or keyboard functionality.
This issue, originating from Windows 11 KB5066835, also affects localhost and prevents navigation in WinRE. WinRE is a crucial feature of the OS, used for recovery when Windows fails to boot or encounters a BSOD (Blue/Black screen of Death error).
Other use cases of WinRE include configuring boot options for multiple OS installations across partitions or USB drives.
WinRE stands for Windows Recovery Environment and is one of the most important features of the OS.
Author's summary: Microsoft confirms Windows 11 update breaks WinRE input.