Remote Desktop Services Failures Hit Windows Systems, Microsoft Rushes to Release Emergency Updates
A critical issue has been plaguing Windows systems since the release of this month’s security updates. Remote Desktop Services (RDS) have become unstable on affected systems, causing RDP connection and sign-in failures, as well as unresponsive servers. This problem has left many administrators scrambling to find a solution, but Microsoft has now released emergency out-of-band updates to fix the issue.
The September 2026 security updates, intended to patch various vulnerabilities in Windows, had an unforeseen consequence: they caused RDS to malfunction on affected systems. Administrators reported widespread problems with Remote Desktop Services after installing the updates, leading to frustration and downtime for many organizations. In addition to RDS failures, some systems also experienced issues with related components and tools, including Microsoft Management Console (MMC), RDS Licensing Diagnoser, File Explorer, and the Windows Update page.
Microsoft acknowledged the problem earlier this month and provided Group Policy mitigations as a temporary fix while it worked on a permanent solution. However, uninstalling the September security updates restored Remote Desktop functionality, but unfortunately, this also removed the security fixes included with those updates. To address this issue once and for all, Microsoft has released multiple out-of-band updates to fix the RDS failures.
The emergency updates are available for various Windows versions, including Windows 10 21H2 and 22H2, Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, and Windows Server 2025. The company has also released updates to resolve a Hyper-V issue affecting applications that use Host Compute Service (HCS)-managed virtual machines.
In addition to addressing the RDS failures, the out-of-band updates fix an audio issue affecting some USB Audio Class 1.0 devices when used with multichannel audio configurations. However, it’s worth noting that these updates do not resolve all of the USB audio problems introduced by the September updates. Microsoft is working on a fix for the remaining audio issues.
The recent RDS failures serve as a reminder to organizations and administrators to stay vigilant and closely monitor system updates. While emergency patches can be lifesavers in situations like this, they often require immediate attention and action from IT teams. To avoid similar disruptions in the future, it’s essential to prioritize regular security updates, perform thorough testing before deploying them, and have contingency plans in place for unexpected issues.
If you’re affected by these RDS failures or are experiencing any of the related problems mentioned above, we recommend installing the latest out-of-band updates as soon as possible. Additionally, keep a close eye on Microsoft’s support pages for further guidance and updates on this issue.
Source: Bleeping Computer — 2026-09-14