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Why DASH Is Delaying Rollout of Windows Update KB5065426

At first glance, it might seem counterintuitive that a new Microsoft security update like KB5065426 isn’t immediately pushed through to all clients. But there are solid technical, operational, and risk-management reasons for holding off. Below are key factors we’re weighing, and what we’re doing in the meantime.


What is KB5065426?

This is a cumulative security update for Windows 11 version 24H2 (OS Build 26100.6584), released 9 September 2025. It includes fixes from earlier August updates, enhancements to SMB auditing and hardening, input & IIS improvements, AI component updates for Copilot+ PCs, plus servicing stack updates to ensure the update pipeline is reliable.


Known Issues & Compatibility Concerns

Since its release, several issues have been reported (by users, forums, Microsoft Q&A etc.) that might have serious implications in certain environments. Some of these include:

  1. File & Print Sharing Failures

    • After installing KB5065426, many users find file/print sharing stops working. Settings that were previously enabled may have been disabled. Some networks are being reclassified (Private ↔ Public) unexpectedly.

    • Especially on systems with cloned images: duplicate machine SIDs (Security Identifiers) appear to break authentication/sharing when both source and target machines have the same SID

  2. SMB / SMBv1 / Legacy Device Compatibility Risks

    • The update includes SMB hardening (audit modes, enforcing signing/EPA etc.), which is good for security, but legacy devices or older NAS/printer systems that depend on insecure guest logons, SMBv1, or weaker signing may fail.

    • SMBv1 over NetBIOS (NetBT) in particular is impacted: shared folders/devices using SMBv1+NetBT may no longer connect properly after the update.

  3. Remote Desktop / RDP Issues

    • Some users report that RDP (Remote Desktop) breaks (crashes or failures) on particular hardware platforms (e.g. ARM / Qualcomm machines). Uninstalling the update has restored functionality in those cases.

  4. Known “Edge-Case” Scenarios

    • Hotpatched virtual machines (host and guest) that are not both updated may see failures with PSDirect connections.

    • Changes in network profile defaults or in sharing settings may catch some environments by surprise


Risk vs Benefit: What We’re Considering

As your technology partner, DASH balances two competing imperatives:

  • Security and updates (we want you protected from vulnerabilities and operating with supported software)

  • Reliability and continuity (we want your systems, sharing, workflows, printers, remote access etc. to continue working without interruption)

Given the reports above, moving too quickly could cause serious disruptions (e.g. people can’t access shared file servers or printers; remote work tools break; network drives disappear; internal apps fail). For some clients, these services are mission-critical.


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What DASH Is Doing & Our Strategy

To manage this safely, here’s our approach:

  1. Pilot Rings / Controlled Testing We are deploying KB5065426 first in test environments and on less critical machines. We monitor carefully for sharing, authentication, RDP and related functionality.

  2. Inventory & Assessment

    • Identify all devices that rely on SMBv1 or signature‐weak SMB connections.

    • Locate any systems with cloned images / identical machine SIDs.

    • Find legacy printers/NAS or network printers that may be affected.

  3. Implement Workarounds or Mitigations

    • For necessary legacy devices: allow insecure guest access temporarily, or re-enable SMBv1 (though this comes with security trade-offs).

    • Reset network profiles to Private / reenable file & printer sharing where the update has disabled them.

    • Ensure that both sides (host & guest) are up to date in VM scenarios.

  4. Monitoring for Microsoft Patches / Fixes: We are keeping an eye on follow-on updates (e.g. for known issue rollbacks) from Microsoft that may address these problems in a more robust way.

  5. Communications & Rollout Scheduling: Once we’re satisfied that key functions remain stable, and that critical dependencies are either remediated or suitably mitigated, we will schedule full deployment in a maintenance window with backup / rollback plans.

Why Delay Is the Better Option for Now

  • Preventing business disruption. The risk of file sharing or remote access breaking across many users could mean high support costs, lost productivity, even downtime.

  • Legacy dependencies. Many environments still have older hardware/software which assume looser SMB settings or older authentication modes. Updating those is not always trivial, and forcing the update now might render some devices unusable.

  • Time for remediation. We need to give ourselves margin to correct SID issues, check for imaging practices, ensure fallback or exception paths where needed.

  • Security is still delivered. The update is for security; delaying rollout means the risk from existing vulnerabilities remains—but we must balance that against risk of breaking something critical. Our pilot deployments are helping us determine potential exposure and mitigate

 
 
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