Windows 11 update is breaking Advanced Startup, leaving keyboard and mouse unresponsive [U: Fixed]

Update 21/10/25 – 03:05 pm (IST): Microsoft rolled out the KB5070773 update yesterday, which fixes the bug that caused USB devices like mice and keyboards from not functioning in WinRE. Here’s the official changelog:

This out-of-band (OOB) update includes quality improvements. This update is cumulative and includes security fixes and improvements from the October 14, 2025, security update (KB5066835), in addition to the following:

• [USB] Fixed: After installing the Windows security update released on October 14, 2025 (KB5066835), USB devices, such as keyboards and mice, do not function in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). This issue prevents navigation of any of the recovery options within WinRE. Note that the USB devices continue to work normally within the Windows operating system.

Original article published on October 17, 2025, follows:

If you’ve tried accessing your BIOS or Safe Mode recently and found yourself staring at a screen you can’t interact with, you’re not alone. Judging by the number of reports popping up online, it seems like the problem is affecting a whole host of users.

Complaints suggest that the latest October update has completely broken the Advanced Startup environment, rendering keyboards and mice useless at the exact moment you need them most.

The issue traces back to update KB5066835, which rolled out as part of Microsoft’s October 2025 Patch. This is the same update that recently broke IIS and localhost functionality for developers, adding yet another problem to an already troubled patch. Reports have been popping up across multiple platforms and support forums, with frustrated users discovering the problem after trying to enter Safe Mode or access recovery tools.

One Reddit user made a post saying: “Whenever I do an advanced startup to access my BIOS my mouse and keyboard stop working.”

Another user on the Eleven Forum who attempted multiple fresh installs found that even “Fresh MCT install + 6899 update = same” problem persisted.

It seems like the Advanced Startup screen loads, the troubleshooting menu displays, but there’s zero response from any input device. Users have tried everything: swapping USB ports, testing different keyboards and mice, disabling fast startup in BIOS, even recreating the Windows Recovery Environment partition. Nothing works. As one user noted, “It’s like the screen is frozen or my keyboard & mouse stopped working.”

The culprit seems to be the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) image file that shipped with KB5066835. One user on r/pchelp confirmed that replacing the problematic file with an older version (build 26200.6725) restored USB functionality.

Another user even shared a LimeWire link to download the older version, but keep in mind that his link expires within a week.

Meanwhile, in a seprate thread, u/Organic-Schedule1989 shared a way to get back to Safe Mode. Check out the steps below:

1. Create a Windows 11 installation USB.
   • You can use the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft’s website.
2. Boot from the USB.
   • When the setup loads, click Next, then select Repair your computer.
3. Open Command Prompt.
   • Go to Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Command Prompt.
4. Enter this command: bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal This will force Windows to boot into Safe Mode.
5. Restart your PC and it should load into Safe Mode successfully.
6. To return to normal Windows:
   • Press Win + S and type msconfig, then open System Configuration.
   • Go to the Boot tab and uncheck “Safe Boot.”
   • Tick “Make all boot settings permanent” and click Apply → OK → Restart.

Just remember to uncheck the Safe Boot option when you’re done, or you’ll keep booting into Safe Mode.

The problem appears to hit systems with USB 3.0-only ports particularly hard, though users with mixed port configurations are also affected. Interestingly, some laptop users report that built-in keyboards still work, suggesting the issue specifically targets USB drivers within the recovery environment. This explains why your peripherals function perfectly in normal Windows but suddenly become paperweights the moment you need to troubleshoot.

Microsoft hasn’t officially acknowledged the issue yet, though given the volume of reports, a fix should hopefully arrive soon. This latest problem joins a series of issues plaguing Windows 11 recently, including File Explorer preview pane bugs in 25H2 and broken taskbar search functionality.