Microsoft is telling Windows 11 users to uninstall a recent software update after it was discovered to cause certain apps to crash.
In a support document (via Windows Latest), the software giant admitted Windows 11 update KB5012643 causes apps using specific .NET 3.5 framework components to become unstable. The .NET Framework is a free, open-source platform used to build and run programs on Windows, and is relied upon by many apps.
“After installing this update, some .NET Framework 3.5 apps might have issues or might fail to open. Affected apps are using certain optional components in .NET Framework 3.5, such as Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and Windows Workflow (WWF) components,” Microsoft wrote.
If there’s a sliver of good news, it’s that this particular update is optional, so while it promised a few dozen fixes, it likely hasn’t been installed on your system. Also, this bug doesn’t affect every app, only those using certain .NET 3.5 elements, like Windows Workflow. If your PC is running KB5012643 for Windows version 21H2, and you’re experiencing issues with certain apps, Microsoft’s advice is simple: uninstall the update.
How to Uninstall Windows 11 update
To do so, open the Start menu, type “Windows Update settings” and choose the highlighted option. Using this search skips you all the way to the page with “Update history.” Press on it, then find the culprit — KB5012643 in this case — and choose “uninstall.”
You’ll need to reset your system for the change to go through. Once it does, your laptop, desktop, or tablet should be exterminated of these latest bugs. If you’re against uninstalling the update or if doing so didn’t resolve the issue, Microsoft also suggests re-enabling .NET Framework 3.5 and the Windows Communication Foundation on the Windows Features Settings page. This requires running the following commands in the terminal:
dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:netfx3 /all
dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:WCF-HTTP-Activation
dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:WCF-NonHTTP-Activation
This particular error isn’t widespread and won’t be of significance to most Windows 11 users. However, it follows a string of recent bugs, including one that reportedly broke safe mode. Windows 11’s release has been mostly smooth sailing, with few major issues surfacing since the OS launched six months ago. But it comes on the heels of a disastrous timeline when it felt as if every Windows 10 update did more harm than good. We can only hope Microsoft cleans up its act before something more serious squeaks through.