Key insights
- Windows 11 KB5043145 has widespread issues including WSL 2 errors and blue screens.
- Microsoft has pulled the problematic update after user complaints.
- Uninstalling KB5043145 may resolve issues but may remove new features.
There are so many features that Microsoft is currently testing with Windows Insiders and plan to roll out in future Windows 11 feature updates. But in addition to fixing all the glitches that Windows Insiders are facing when testing these features, Microsoft now faces another important task, namely fixing a host of issues found in the recently released Windows 11 update KB5043145.
Windows 11 preview update KB5043145 has widespread issues
Microsoft's September cumulative update KB5043076 went smoothly and no major issues were reported at the time of writing. A few weeks later, the software giant also released an optional update in the form of KB5043145 to test fixes and improvements before rolling them out to the October 2024 Patch Tuesday update, which is released on the second Tuesday of the month (October 8). . . However, users were not happy with the experience and reported various issues plaguing the latest optional update a few days after the update was rolled out.
Several users on Reddit have complained about being unable to open the Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2). Other affected users have also claimed that the tool has stopped working with the following error:
WslRegisterDistribution failed with error 0x80370109
Microsoft has not yet added this to the list of known issues. However, according to one of the Microsoft employees who appears to be responsible for fixing the issue, this WSL 2 bug may only affect select CPUs. Again, this is a preliminary observation rather than a conclusion. Additionally, the KB5043145 update also causes PCs to restart multiple times or become unresponsive and display blue or green screens. Microsoft has identified this issue and is currently investigating it.
You cannot install Windows 11 KB5043145 now
The problems were so widespread that Microsoft had to withdraw it. Therefore, there is currently no other way to install it, not even manually by downloading the update offline. If you click on the KB5043145 offline download link at the time of the report, your web browser will return a 404 error. For better or worse, some people also claimed that they failed to install the update when it was available. Some users on Reddit expressed concerns that the update was stuck at 0%.
A solution is available, but not many will like it
If you are someone who likes to install Windows 11 updates before they are available to everyone, the workaround for all these problems will not be appealing. Because the only way to fix these errors is to uninstall update KB5043145. While uninstalling can restore your PCs to their original state, you miss out on the features introduced with the optional update, including the ability to share local files directly from search results in the taskbar search box and the new Sign Out “. Command in Account Manager in Start Menu and more.
How to uninstall Windows 11 update KB5043145
Uninstalling Windows 11 KB5043145 is pretty easy. All you need to do is open the Settings app by pressing Win keys + I on your keyboard and follow the steps below:
- Click Window update.
- Go to Update history.
- Scroll down until you find Uninstall updates.
If you have installed the KB5043145 update on your PC, it will appear on the Uninstall updates Page next to the option to uninstall. Remember that you need to restart your PC to successfully remove the update. As a future precaution, do not install Windows Preview cumulative updates as they become available.