KB5101684 (KB5121003) causes Explorer to freeze.

Author: levinarjpCreated Aug 20, 2026Updated Aug 22, 2026

Before reporting your issue

  • I have confirmed that this issue does not happen when ExplorerPatcher is not installed
  • I do not have "register as shell extension" enabled
  • I have tried my best to check existing issues

Repro ExplorerPatcher versions

ExplorerPatcher: 26100.8457.70.3

Repro Windows Versions

Windows11 25H2 26200.8894 (before installing KB) Windows11 25H2 26200.8973 (after installing KB)

Third-party tweak software installed

Nothing in particular.

Describe the bug

After installing the KB mentioned in the title, Explorer started freezing frequently. Even after restarting via Task Manager, it would freeze again after a while. Uninstalling the KB seemed to fix it. I hadn't stopped Windows updates, so it was reinstalled several times, causing freezes each time. I've now stopped updates.

This occurs not only in the local environment but also on the desktop accessed via RDP.

Expected outcome

Explorer (and RDP) doesn't freeze.

Actual outcome

Explorer (and RDP) freezes unexpectedly.

Additional info

Oh, github suggests "3 potential duplicates", so I will try pre-release 26100.8457.70.4 after this post.

Crash Dumps

No response

Media

No response