A critical issue is unfolding for users of Windows Server 2025, with Microsoft warning that recent changes to memory management are causing application crashes. The problem affects apps that rely on Address Windowing Extensions (AWE), which allows them to access more than 4GB of physical memory within a 32-bit virtual address space.
The issue has been confirmed by Microsoft in a service alert issued last week, with the company acknowledging that certain applications may experience “access violations, memory corruption, or unexpected termination” when running on Windows Server 2025. The affected apps include SQL Server, which is commonly used for database management, particularly when running with the Lock Pages in Memory (LPIM) policy enabled to optimize performance.
When impacted systems encounter the issue, users may see a range of error messages and behaviors, including memory corruption errors, access violation exceptions, failures during database maintenance operations, and even full system crashes. In some cases, affected users are also seeing “Using locked pages in the memory manager” alerts in the error log during system startup.
Microsoft has not yet released a permanent fix for the issue but has offered a temporary workaround that involves disabling the LPIM policy for the SQL Server service account. However, this fix may have unintended consequences, as it can affect SQL Server performance and memory-management behavior. For users experiencing similar issues with other applications, Microsoft advises checking to see if AWE can be disabled.
This is not an isolated incident; in recent months, Microsoft has issued emergency updates to address multiple critical issues affecting Windows Server 2025 systems. In April, the company released updates to fix a known issue causing the KB5082063 security update to fail installation on some Windows Server 2025 systems. Just two months later, in June, Microsoft fixed a bug that was causing some Windows Server 2025 devices to boot into BitLocker recovery mode after installing the April 2026 security update.
The impact of this latest issue is significant, particularly for organizations relying on SQL Server and other affected applications. As such, it’s essential for administrators to prioritize patching their systems and exploring alternative workarounds to minimize downtime and prevent further data loss.
For readers, this serves as a timely reminder to stay vigilant and proactive in managing your Windows Server 2025 deployments. Regularly review system logs, check for critical updates, and consider implementing additional monitoring tools to detect potential issues before they become major problems. By staying informed and prepared, you can mitigate the risks associated with this issue and ensure business continuity.
Source: Bleeping Computer — 2026-09-08