Windows 10: Windows 11 23H2: January Updates Break Sleep Mode and Shutdown

Microsoft has confirmed problems affecting systems running Windows 11 version 23H2 after installing the January 2026 security updates. According to the company, affected PCs may no longer shut down properly or enter sleep mode.

The issue has now been documented in the Windows Release Health notes. Microsoft states that after installing the January 13, 2026 security updates, systems with Secure Boot enabled can fail to power down or switch to sleep. Instead of shutting down or suspending, the devices may restart automatically. Secure Boot relies on virtualization-based security to protect the system against firmware-level attacks during startup.

Microsoft says the problematic update, identified as KB5073455, is only being offered for the Enterprise and IoT editions of Windows 11 23H2. While the knowledge base entry references changes related to Secure Boot, these changes are intended to update Secure Boot certificates rather than alter power management behavior.

Temporary workaround available


Until a permanent fix is released, Microsoft recommends a manual workaround for shutting down affected systems. Users should open a command prompt, for example by typing cmd into the Start menu search, and then run the command:

shutdown /s /t 0​

This forces the system to shut down immediately. Microsoft has explicitly stated that there is currently no workaround for sleep mode. Users are advised to save their work and shut down their devices manually after use to avoid unintended restarts or battery drain.

This is the second issue Microsoft has acknowledged in connection with the January Patch Day updates. Earlier reports confirmed that the same updates can disrupt connections to Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365, affecting enterprise environments that rely on cloud-based Windows services.

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What is wrong with January Windows Cumulative Updates for Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2 are not working?

What is wrong with January Windows Cumulative Updates for Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2 are not working? What must Microsoft recommend to fix this issue on most of our company's Windows 11 machines? Why did Microsoft release updates that caused headaches in the enterprise environment?

 

Sleep mode

Hi Adam,

For us to better assist with your issue on sleep mode, we'd like to ask a few questions.

• Have you made any updates to your computer before experiencing this issue?
• What troubleshooting steps have you done so far?

In the meantime, we suggest that you refer to this thread and follow the answer of Andre
Da Costa to troubleshoot the issue with sleep mode missing.

You can also refer to this article that was
created by Andre Da Costa to enable sleep mode.

Looking forward to you response.

 

Windows 11 Sleep turns into abruptly shutdown (most of the times)

Windows 11 PRO, 23H2

In the last couple of weeks, my PC is acting up (only 1 year old). The sleep function (from window idle after a few minutes, or power->sleep menu) turns into an expected shutdown (blank screen, shutdown, no sign of anything like normal sleep entry). This happens 9 out of 10 times. Not every single time.

Only thing in event log was "the previous system shutdown at xxx was unexpected".

Update BIOS, windows to latest already, restored power scheme to default etc. No differences. Nothing else is out of ordinary. Windows runs fine otherwise.

Anyway to debug this? I can't find any dump file.