Windows 11 25H2 causes Explorer/Shell issues after login


VMGT091

VMGT091

Member
Local time
10:36 PM
Posts
3
OS
Windows 11 Pro 24H2 (Build 26100.6584)
My question

After installing Windows 11 25H2, I started experiencing severe Explorer/Shell issues multiple times.

After signing in, I often only see my wallpaper. The taskbar is missing, the Start menu does not work, desktop icons are absent, and Explorer may take 1 to 3 minutes to appear. Chrome and most other applications usually launch without problems.

The Snipping Tool frequently fails to work, and manually starting explorer.exe through Task Manager only provides limited relief.

I am wondering if others have experienced similar issues and whether a permanent solution is known.


System specifications
  • Windows 11 Pro
  • Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
  • 64 GB RAM
  • NVIDIA RTX 4070 SUPER
  • Samsung 990 Pro SSDs
  • Samsung Magician installed
  • Fan Control installed
  • 3-monitor setup: 2560×1440, 1920×1200, 1200×1920 (portrait)

What I have tried
  • Manually launching explorer.exe from Task Manager.
  • Restarting the system multiple times.
  • Waiting until Explorer eventually loads on its own.
  • Uninstalling Windows 11 25H2 Enablement Package (KB5054156).
  • Uninstalling Security Update KB5089549.

This strongly suggests that the issue is related to the installed updates rather than the hardware itself.


Additional observation

After removing the updates, the system immediately returns to normal operation. Explorer, the taskbar, Start menu, desktop icons, Snipping Tool, and other applications work normally again without delays.

I am currently back on Windows 11 24H2 (Build 26100.6584), and so far the issues appear to be gone.

Has anyone seen similar behavior with Windows 11 25H2, KB5054156, or KB5089549?

Is this a known bug, and is there a solution other than repeatedly uninstalling the updates?
 
Windows Build/Version
Windows 11 Pro 24H2 (Build 26100.6584)

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro 24H2 (Build 26100.6584)Intel Core Ultra 9 285K64 GB DDR5 4800 MT/sNVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12 GB
OS
Windows 11 Pro 24H2 (Build 26100.6584)
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom Built PC
CPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
Motherboard
ASUS ROG STRIX Z890-E GAMING WIFI
Memory
64 GB DDR5 4800 MT/s
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12 GB
Sound Card
Terratec Aureon XFire 8.0 USB
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell Monitor, iiyama Monitor
Screen Resolution
1200 × 1920 (Portrait) 2560 × 1440 (Main) 1920 × 1200
Hard Drives
Samsung 990 PRO NVMe SSDs (10.92 TB total)
PSU
Corsair RM1000x
Cooling
Air Cooling / Custom Fan Curves via Fan Control
My two systems listed below have been running problem free for two days on OS build 26200.8655.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel Series 3 Core Ultra X9 388H64GB LPDDR5x 9600 MT/sIntel Arc graphics B390 Panther Lake
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 16 DA16260
    CPU
    Intel Series 3 Core Ultra X9 388H
    Memory
    64GB LPDDR5x 9600 MT/s
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Arc graphics B390 Panther Lake
    Monitor(s) Displays
    16" 3.2K Tandem OLED Infinity Edge
    Screen Resolution
    3200 x 2000 16:10 236 PPI
    Hard Drives
    1 Terabyte M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
    Case
    Black Anodized Aluminum
    Cooling
    Vapor Chamber Cooling
    Mouse
    None
    Internet Speed
    942 Mbps Netgear Mesh + 2 Satellites
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge (Chromium)
    Antivirus
    Windows Security (Defender)
    Other Info
    NPU delivering 67 TOPS
    Microsoft 365 subscription
    Microsoft Office 365
    Microsoft OneDrive 1TB Cloud
    Microsoft Visual Studio
    Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Microsoft Sysinternals Suite
    Microsoft BitLocker
    Microsoft Copilot
    Dell Support Assist
    Dell Command | Update
    Macrium Reflect X subscription
    1Password Password Manager
    Amazon Kindle for PC
    Lightroom/Photoshop subscription
    Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProSnapdragon® X Elite (12 Core) with Hexagon NP...32GB LPDDR5x 8448 MT/sIntegrated Adreno GPU
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft Surface Laptop 7
    CPU
    Snapdragon® X Elite (12 Core) with Hexagon NPU delivering 45 TOPS
    Memory
    32GB LPDDR5x 8448 MT/s
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Adreno GPU
    Sound Card
    Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Atmos spatial sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.8″ PixelSense Flow touchscreen 120 Hz 600 NIT
    Screen Resolution
    2304 × 1536 (201 PPI), 3:2 aspect ratio
    Hard Drives
    1 TB PCIe NVMe Gen 4 SSD
    Case
    Black Anodized Aluminum
    Cooling
    Vapor Chamber Cooling
    Mouse
    None
    Internet Speed
    942 Mbps Netgear Mesh + 2 Satellites
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge (Chromium)
    Antivirus
    Windows Security (Defender)
    Other Info
    Microsoft 365 subscription (Office)
    Microsoft Office 365
    Microsoft OneDrive 1TB Cloud
    Microsoft Visual Studio 2026
    Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation
    Lightroom/Photoshop subscription
    1Password Password Manager
    Microsoft Sysinternals
    Amazon Kindle for PC
    Microsoft BitLocker
    Microsoft Copilot

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (in a VM)12th Gen Core i7-1260P64 GB Micron PC4-25600Intel Iris Xe Graphics
OS
Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (in a VM)
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Intel NUC12WSHi7
CPU
12th Gen Core i7-1260P
Motherboard
NUC12WSBi7
Memory
64 GB Micron PC4-25600
Graphics Card(s)
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Sound Card
on-board Realtek HD Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell U3219Q
Screen Resolution
3840 x 2160
Hard Drives
Samsung SSD 990 PRO 1TB
Crucial MX500 2 TB
Keyboard
CODE 104-Key mechanical with Cherry MX Clears
Antivirus
Microsoft Defender
Open Command Prompt as an administrator.

Run this command:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

Once that completes, run this command:
sfc /scannow

Restart the computer.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom Built
I'm on Win 11 Pro 26H1 and not seeing the issues. The only weird problem that I have is Task Manager is open every single time I bootup my PC. I can close it and it won't open again unless I open it. But on every single boot up or reboot Task Manager will be open. Online searches show others have the issue but nothing I read fixes it.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProAMD Ryzen 7 3800XCorsair Vengence DDR 4 32GBGigabyte Radeon RX 5700
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Home Built
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Motherboard
Gigabyte Aorus x570 Elite Wifi
Memory
Corsair Vengence DDR 4 32GB
Graphics Card(s)
Gigabyte Radeon RX 5700
Sound Card
On Board
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 32"
Screen Resolution
2560X1440
Hard Drives
Sabrent Rocket 2TB (Main Drive)
Sabrent Rocket 2TB (Steam Games)
Western Digital HDD 2TB
PSU
Corsair RM1000i
Case
Zalman
Cooling
Gigabyte Aorus Waterforce X240
Keyboard
Roccat Gaming
Mouse
Venus RGB wireless Gaming
Internet Speed
AT&T Fiber 300
Browser
Edge,Firefox,Chrome
Antivirus
Eset Antivirus
run command prompt as admin:

Code: 
net user Administrator /active:yes

after reboot, log into that account and see if it has the same issues. can narrow down OS corruption vs User Profile issue as a first step.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Thank you for all your replies.

I have just run the tests that were suggested.

DISM:
"The restore operation completed successfully."

SFC:
"Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations."

Yes, I had paused Windows Update until yesterday. I forgot about it when the pause period ran out, Windows installed the updates again, and the same Explorer/Shell issue appeared again as before.

I should also mention that this happened earlier in February 2026 after another Windows update. Back then, uninstalling the problematic update also restored normal operation.

So I presume this seems to be a recurring issue triggered by Windows updates, rather than general Windows corruption.

Has anyone seen similar Explorer/Shell behavior across multiple Windows updates?

I am also concerned about missing important updates. How important are these updates in practice, and how long would it generally be considered reasonable or safe to delay them while waiting for a proper fix?

Is it normal to pause updates for an extended period in a situation like this, or would you recommend a different approach?
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro 24H2 (Build 26100.6584)Intel Core Ultra 9 285K64 GB DDR5 4800 MT/sNVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12 GB
OS
Windows 11 Pro 24H2 (Build 26100.6584)
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom Built PC
CPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
Motherboard
ASUS ROG STRIX Z890-E GAMING WIFI
Memory
64 GB DDR5 4800 MT/s
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12 GB
Sound Card
Terratec Aureon XFire 8.0 USB
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell Monitor, iiyama Monitor
Screen Resolution
1200 × 1920 (Portrait) 2560 × 1440 (Main) 1920 × 1200
Hard Drives
Samsung 990 PRO NVMe SSDs (10.92 TB total)
PSU
Corsair RM1000x
Cooling
Air Cooling / Custom Fan Curves via Fan Control
VMGT091 said:
My question

After installing Windows 11 25H2, I started experiencing severe Explorer/Shell issues multiple times.

After signing in, I often only see my wallpaper. The taskbar is missing, the Start menu does not work, desktop icons are absent, and Explorer may take 1 to 3 minutes to appear. Chrome and most other applications usually launch without problems.

The Snipping Tool frequently fails to work, and manually starting explorer.exe through Task Manager only provides limited relief.

I am wondering if others have experienced similar issues and whether a permanent solution is known.


System specifications
  • Windows 11 Pro
  • Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
  • 64 GB RAM
  • NVIDIA RTX 4070 SUPER
  • Samsung 990 Pro SSDs
  • Samsung Magician installed
  • Fan Control installed
  • 3-monitor setup: 2560×1440, 1920×1200, 1200×1920 (portrait)

What I have tried
  • Manually launching explorer.exe from Task Manager.
  • Restarting the system multiple times.
  • Waiting until Explorer eventually loads on its own.
  • Uninstalling Windows 11 25H2 Enablement Package (KB5054156).
  • Uninstalling Security Update KB5089549.

This strongly suggests that the issue is related to the installed updates rather than the hardware itself.


Additional observation

After removing the updates, the system immediately returns to normal operation. Explorer, the taskbar, Start menu, desktop icons, Snipping Tool, and other applications work normally again without delays.

I am currently back on Windows 11 24H2 (Build 26100.6584), and so far the issues appear to be gone.

Has anyone seen similar behavior with Windows 11 25H2, KB5054156, or KB5089549?

Is this a known bug, and is there a solution other than repeatedly uninstalling the updates?
Click to expand...
currently happening to me too, some tasksbar widgets are blank and i cannot even close them, settings doesnt work, explorer keeps trying to restart and it doesnt manage to, some recent update even made it worse when i could just force open task manager with the shortcut and i only had my mouse, no explorer nothing just void, idk what to do i tried every possible solution
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
HP
HawkEm said:
currently happening to me too, some tasksbar widgets are blank and i cannot even close them, settings doesnt work, explorer keeps trying to restart and it doesnt manage to, some recent update even made it worse when i could just force open task manager with the shortcut and i only had my mouse, no explorer nothing just void, idk what to do i tried every possible solution
Click to expand...

If Explorer is not loading, first try opening it manually:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Click "Run new task".
3. Type:

explorer.exe

In my case, uninstalling the latest Windows updates and rolling back to the previous working version fixed the issue.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro 24H2 (Build 26100.6584)Intel Core Ultra 9 285K64 GB DDR5 4800 MT/sNVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12 GB
OS
Windows 11 Pro 24H2 (Build 26100.6584)
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom Built PC
CPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
Motherboard
ASUS ROG STRIX Z890-E GAMING WIFI
Memory
64 GB DDR5 4800 MT/s
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12 GB
Sound Card
Terratec Aureon XFire 8.0 USB
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell Monitor, iiyama Monitor
Screen Resolution
1200 × 1920 (Portrait) 2560 × 1440 (Main) 1920 × 1200
Hard Drives
Samsung 990 PRO NVMe SSDs (10.92 TB total)
PSU
Corsair RM1000x
Cooling
Air Cooling / Custom Fan Curves via Fan Control
I just updated to win11 and having the same problem - and my setting function are missing as well.
Gosh when will they fix it
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
Laptop
Both my computers are on 26200.8737 and run problem free.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel Series 3 Core Ultra X9 388H64GB LPDDR5x 9600 MT/sIntel Arc graphics B390 Panther Lake
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 16 DA16260
    CPU
    Intel Series 3 Core Ultra X9 388H
    Memory
    64GB LPDDR5x 9600 MT/s
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Arc graphics B390 Panther Lake
    Monitor(s) Displays
    16" 3.2K Tandem OLED Infinity Edge
    Screen Resolution
    3200 x 2000 16:10 236 PPI
    Hard Drives
    1 Terabyte M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
    Case
    Black Anodized Aluminum
    Cooling
    Vapor Chamber Cooling
    Mouse
    None
    Internet Speed
    942 Mbps Netgear Mesh + 2 Satellites
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge (Chromium)
    Antivirus
    Windows Security (Defender)
    Other Info
    NPU delivering 67 TOPS
    Microsoft 365 subscription
    Microsoft Office 365
    Microsoft OneDrive 1TB Cloud
    Microsoft Visual Studio
    Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Microsoft Sysinternals Suite
    Microsoft BitLocker
    Microsoft Copilot
    Dell Support Assist
    Dell Command | Update
    Macrium Reflect X subscription
    1Password Password Manager
    Amazon Kindle for PC
    Lightroom/Photoshop subscription
    Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProSnapdragon® X Elite (12 Core) with Hexagon NP...32GB LPDDR5x 8448 MT/sIntegrated Adreno GPU
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft Surface Laptop 7
    CPU
    Snapdragon® X Elite (12 Core) with Hexagon NPU delivering 45 TOPS
    Memory
    32GB LPDDR5x 8448 MT/s
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Adreno GPU
    Sound Card
    Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Atmos spatial sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.8″ PixelSense Flow touchscreen 120 Hz 600 NIT
    Screen Resolution
    2304 × 1536 (201 PPI), 3:2 aspect ratio
    Hard Drives
    1 TB PCIe NVMe Gen 4 SSD
    Case
    Black Anodized Aluminum
    Cooling
    Vapor Chamber Cooling
    Mouse
    None
    Internet Speed
    942 Mbps Netgear Mesh + 2 Satellites
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge (Chromium)
    Antivirus
    Windows Security (Defender)
    Other Info
    Microsoft 365 subscription (Office)
    Microsoft Office 365
    Microsoft OneDrive 1TB Cloud
    Microsoft Visual Studio 2026
    Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation
    Lightroom/Photoshop subscription
    1Password Password Manager
    Microsoft Sysinternals
    Amazon Kindle for PC
    Microsoft BitLocker
    Microsoft Copilot
Hi, it could help if you say if you experience any issues after updating to 25H2 using an iso file (which is unlikely to include the latest update), and choose not to receive updates during that upgrade.

Note this for the June update:
www.windowslatest.com

Microsoft confirms issues in Windows 11 KB5094126 June 2026 update

Microsoft has confirmed it's aware of multiple known issues in KB5094126 (June 2026 Patch Tuesday update).
www.windowslatest.com www.windowslatest.com

- news on that is common.

If then you have Pro, use Group Policy to set updates to Notify so no further updates are downloaded until you approve them.

For Home you could pause or hide it.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Proi7-8650U16GBIntel UHD 620
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo t480s
CPU
i7-8650U
Memory
16GB
Graphics Card(s)
Intel UHD 620
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
C SN810 SDCPNRY-512G-1006
Browser
Edge, Firefox
Antivirus
Defender
No issue with the latest Explorer Patcher 70.4 build.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Education For 25H2Intel® Core i7 5500u8 GBIntel HD Family Graphics 5500 AMD Firepro 4150M
    OS
    Windows 11 Education For 25H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP ZBook G2
    CPU
    Intel® Core i7 5500u
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Family Graphics 5500 AMD Firepro 4150M
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Audio
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Mouse
    HP USB Mouse
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro For Workstations 25H2Xeon 1535m v632 GBAMD Quadro Pro 4100
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro For Workstations 25H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Zbook G4
    CPU
    Xeon 1535m v6
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Quadro Pro 4100
    Sound Card
    Bang and Olufson Audio
    Hard Drives
    1TB SSD
    Mouse
    HP USB Mouse
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
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