The latest cumulative update, KB5066835, was supposed to strengthen security and deliver a few minor improvements. Instead, it broke one of Windows’ most vital recovery tools: the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
Fortunately, Microsoft reacted quickly. Just days later, the company released an out-of-band patch, KB5070773, to restore WinRE’s full functionality on Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2.
What exactly does KB5070773 fix?
The KB5070773 update addresses a critical bug introduced by October’s KB5066835 Patch Tuesday release.
That earlier patch accidentally corrupted internal files used by the Windows Recovery Environment — the system you rely on to reset your PC or launch system restore when things go wrong.
After installing KB5066835, many users discovered that WinRE could no longer load USB drivers, effectively disabling input devices. Without a working keyboard or mouse, navigating the recovery menu became impossible.
The new KB5070773 patch restores proper USB driver loading in WinRE, meaning you can once again use your keyboard and mouse to troubleshoot or recover your system.
Automatic rollout — or manual install if needed
Because of its urgency, KB5070773 was released out of band, meaning it arrived outside the normal Patch Tuesday schedule.
The fix is being automatically deployed via Windows Update to all eligible devices running Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2.
If you haven’t received it yet, you can install it manually by downloading the standalone package from the Microsoft Update Catalog.
The takeaway
If your Windows 11 recovery environment stopped recognizing your keyboard or mouse after the October update, KB5070773 is the fix you need.
It’s another reminder that even small system patches can have unexpected side effects — but this time, Microsoft acted quickly to patch things up.
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