🟢 THIS IS NOT A HARDWARE FAILURE A recent Windows 11 cumulative update (KB5074109) is causing PCs and laptops to crash or freeze
when the update installs while the machine is sleeping. Your hardware — hard drive, RAM, and
motherboard — is completely fine. No data has been damaged.
What Is Happening
Microsoft's recent Windows 11 cumulative update attempts to install automatically in the background.
When this happens while your laptop is asleep, the update process can fail to complete — leaving
Windows stuck in a repair loop or on a black screen. This is a known defect that Microsoft is
actively working to resolve.
Affects All Major Brands
This is not limited to any one manufacturer. Confirmed reports across:
M-Tech Dell HP Lenovo Asus MSI Microsoft Surface Clevo-based Systems
Symptoms You May See
- Screen stuck on "Preparing Automatic Repair"
- Screen stuck on "Diagnosing your PC"
- Screen stuck on "Undoing changes made to your computer"
- Black screen after waking — no response to keyboard or mouse
- System loops back to the same repair screen repeatedly
- PC will not fully wake from sleep — fans and lights still on
Step-by-Step Recovery
- Hold the power button down for 10 seconds until the laptop fully shuts off.
- Wait 5 seconds, then press the power button once to turn it back on.
- If you see "Preparing Automatic Repair" — let it run for 2–3 minutes without touching it.
- If it freezes again, hold the power button down a second time to force it off, then power back on.
- If the blue recovery menu appears, choose "Continue to Windows 11."
- Windows should boot normally. Log in as usual — your files are safe.
- Once back in Windows, go to Settings → System → Power → Sleep and set sleep timers to "Never" until Microsoft releases a fix.
Important Notes
- This is a Microsoft update issue — not your hardware.
- Nothing is wrong with your SSD, motherboard, RAM, or cooling.
- You did nothing wrong — this is a timing glitch during sleep mode.
- Your files and data are safe and intact.
- If the update fails twice, we can block that specific update from retrying.
- A Microsoft patch is expected in the next cumulative update cycle.
Last updated: May 14, 2026 | Reference: KB5074109 | Affected builds: 26100.7623 & 26200.7623