Universities are recommending students rollback the latest Windows 11 update after finding it breaks Wi-Fi connectivity for some student and enterprise users
Another Windows 11 update tale of woe, although this one seems to be affecting students and enterprise networks specifically.
Since the release of Microsoft's latest Windows 11 update KB5033375 for December's Patch Tuesday, there's been a deluge of reports from unhappy users with Wi-Fi connectivity issues, according to Bleeping Computer. A quick search of Reddit reveals a large number of users who've installed the latest update complaining about dropped connections or an inability to access Wi-Fi networks, and the picture is much the same on Twitter and the Microsoft Community Forums.
This issue appears to affect enterprise wireless networks with fast-transition/fast-roaming enabled, such as those used on campuses to help with seamless movement between access points. As such some universities have already recommended their students uninstall the update until an official fix is provided. The problem does not seem to currently affect home wireless networks and regular internet usage as things stand.
Luckily for those affected by the issue, it's pretty easy to uninstall the update while Microsoft works on a fix.
To uninstall KB5033375 and the related KB50532288 optional preview update, (which may not be installed on all affected machines), you simply need to search for "Windows Update" from the Windows search bar, navigate to "Update History" and then "Uninstall Updates". From there, select KB503375 (or KB50532288) and then uninstall.
Windows 11 review: What we think of the latest OS.
How to install Windows 11: Our guide to a secure install.
Windows 11 TPM requirement: Strict OS security.
While this issue seems simple enough to solve, it's worth mentioning that this isn't even the first time this month a Window 11 update appears to have gone awry.
Regular OS updates are a vital part of keeping your system safe and secure, but when widespread issues occur on a regular basis it makes the task of keeping your devices up-to-date with all the latest fixes more of a minefield than it should be.
Here's hoping the problem can be fixed in the next update, so everyone can get back to studying, working, and doing that whole getting on with life thing without any more Wi-Fi setbacks.