Microsoft rolls back Windows 11 “fix” that caused Safe Mode flickering

Kevin Okemwa

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Last week, we noted that Windows 11’s KB5012643 preview update came with a bug. That is, the screen would flicker whenever a user wanted to boot their device in Safe Mode. At the time, Microsoft had not updated the changelogs to acknowledge the presence of this issue.

However, Microsoft has come out to address the issue and pointed out that indeed it is related to Safe Mode with Networking. Microsoft further indicated that File Explorer, Start Menu, and Taskbar were also affected by the same issue.

As such, Microsoft recommended a workaround that would help users bypass this issue, the Known Issue Rollback (KIR). KIR is an important Windows capability that allows users to revert problematic non-security fixes delivered through the Windows Update.

However, if you are yet to receive this fix, you can speed up the process by either restarting your Windows device or booting it into Safe Mode with Networking. On the other hand, enterprise-managed devices that are yet to resolve this issue can install and configure the special Group Policy provided by Microsoft.