Microsoft has confirmed a critical bug in Windows 11 version 24H2 that causes key system components, including File Explorer, the Start Menu, and others, to crash after installing cumulative updates released since July 2025. This flaw primarily affects users who log in immediately following the application of one of these cumulative updates. Furthermore, it significantly impacts non-persistent operating system installations, such as those used in virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environments, where applications must re-register or reinstall during each new session. The resulting system instability prevents users from properly interacting with critical parts of the Windows shell.
The core of the problem, as detailed by Microsoft in a recent support document, is a timing issue during the post-update registration process. Applications and shell components that rely on essential XAML dependency packages—specifically, MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS, Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS , and MicrosoftWindows.Client.Core —are failing to register in time after the update installation completes. This cascade failure prevents critical interface components from correctly initializing, leading to widespread system issues.
This failure of proper initialization causes shell components like Explorer.exe, StartMenuExperienceHost, and ShellHost.exe to crash, sometimes with visible error messages and other times silently, leaving the user with a partially functional or broken desktop environment. Affected users have reported a broad spectrum of difficulties, including the Start menu crashing (often showing critical error messages), the taskbar disappearing even if the Explorer process is technically running, the core Shell Infrastructure Host ($ShellHost$) process failing, and the Settings app silently refusing to launch when clicked. Microsoft acknowledged the issue, stating that after provisioning a PC with a Windows 11, version 24H2 monthly cumulative update from July 2025 onward, various apps like StartMenuExperiencehost, Search, SystemSettings, Taskbar, or Explorer “might experience difficulties.
Microsoft has stated that a permanent resolution is being developed but has not yet offered a definitive timeline for its release. In the interim, a temporary workaround has been made available, involving running specific PowerShell commands to manually register the necessary missing packages, followed by a system restart to restore full functionality. This process requires affected users to execute three separate Add-AppxPackage commands, targeting each of the three affected XAML packages.
The bug poses a particular challenge for organizations that manage virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environments because the non-persistent nature of these setups means employees must repeat the application provisioning process at every log-in. For these large-scale non-persistent OS installations, Microsoft has provided a slightly different recommendation: running a specific logon script that executes before Explorer launches. This batch file wrapper is designed to ensure that the required packages are fully provisioned prior to the desktop environment loading, effectively circumventing the timing race condition that triggers the crashes.
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