Windows 11 KB5048685 bugs break Start menu, Wi-Fi, gets stuck installing and restarting

The end of the year is not going all that well for Windows 11 users. Earlier today, Microsoft confirmed an issue wherein newer updates won't download and install on top of KB5044284 and KB5046617 in case you installed them using USB or CD media.

While that was on Windows 11 24H2, it looks like versions 23H2 and 22H2 are also problematic as the latest December 2024 Patch Tuesday (KB5048685) is causing all sorts of issues for users.

A very widespread problem seems to that related to the Start menu such that Citrix had to issue a workaround guidance about it. The support article under CTX number CTX692398 says:

Start menu may stop responding if KB5048685 installed on Windows 11 22H2/23H2 VDA

Symptoms or Error

After installing patch KB5048685 on Windows 11 22H2/23H2 VDA, Start menu within a VDI session may not respond for some users. [TPV-6122]

Workaround

• Edit below registry

  • Key: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\CtxUvi

  • Value Name: UviProcessExcludes

  • Type: REG_SZ

• Append 'StartMenuExper' ending with semi colon (;).

• Reboot the machine

Aside from the Start menu freezing issue, users are also reporting that their installation is getting stuck at somewhere around 60-70% typically. Such users may find some luck using Microsoft's recovery guide for botched updates.

For example, Microsoft forum user Ryan B36 writes:

Update KB5048685 Windows 11 Version 23H2 for x64 won't install on my computer.

I've tried the Windows Update Troubleshooter and "sfc /scannow" recommendations - both appeared to identify problems but didn't fix them. I've tried the oft-cited "/RestoreHealth" command prompt fix, but it just keeps getting stuck at 62.3%, which appears to be another problem in and of itself entirely.

At the time of writing, 49 people have upvoted this thread.

Another user there mondwme says that Windows keeps telling them to restart after the update but it does not seem to proceed beyond that. They say:

I have already restarted 4 times. Twice yesterday and twice this morning but it still says that I need to update it.

I've tried running the Windows troubleshooter but it says everything is fine and there is no error message. I completely shut my laptop down, waited about 5 minutes, then turned it back on as well. When it was done restarting, I went back to my settings just to check and it's saying it needs to restart as if it never happened.

This one has been upvoted by 24 users at the time of writing. Thankfully, this one seems to have a working solution.

Nighter, another user on the Microsoft community, says their installation fails with 0x80070002 error after nearly completing the update and installation process. Here's the list of things they say they tried before giving up:

I have tried all things possible that I found, other than a reload, over the past several weeks. Installs to 100% and fails, prompting to retry.

> Using Update Troubleshooter (useless, since they not fixing that).

> Resetting services (which are done during a reboot anyway).

> Stopping services and deleting/moving C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution and C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 (which oddly is a folder I can not see [am set to see all including protected OS files] nor can I access C:\Windows\System32\catroot2.old if it even gets made. Even in Safe Mode. The only way I am able to remove catroot2 is booting into Advance Options and opening the Command Prompt from there. Deleted it all. No help though after reboot.

> CHKDSK, DISM *HEALTH options, SFC.

> Booted with all non-M$ stuff disabled.

> Safe mode with networking will not let me load update services.

> Downloading the offline installer from https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB5048685 also failed. Same error.

> Pulled all external hardware but keyboard, which is USB.

This query has been upvoted by 27 others at the time of writing.

Finally, the update also appears to be affecting the Wi-Fi as one user by the name SKICA points out:

Since this morning, I can't get my Wifi to work. I thought it was a modem problem but every other device works fine - another laptop (Linux), my mobile, Google Home. I restarted the modem anyway.

The laptop connects to the modem but can't connect to the internet. I tried resetting the network, flushing DNS, disabling the driver and enabling it again, even manually entering IP address and DNS servers. But nothing works.

The troubleshooter gives different suggestions each time - "DNS server not reachable", "Restart modem" etc. But everything has been done.

...

Specifically, it is this update that seems to have caused the issue:

2024-12 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 23H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5048685)

I tried to do a rollback, but no use.

This thread has been upvoted by 14 people at the time of writing indicating that it too is at least somewhat widespread.