Microsoft has finally fixed a bug that has frustrated some users since August last year. An update to Windows 11 broke dual boot on some computers making it harder to use the feature that allows you to use both Linux and Microsoft’s own operating system on the same device.

The issue was acknowledged by Microsoft soon after the August 2024 Windows security update that caused the problem. It then took the company nine months to sort a fix, which arrived in the latest update on May 13 called KB5058379.

Microsoft originally broke the feature when it rolled out Secure Boot Advanced Targeting (SBAT) protections. The idea behind the feature was to add a safety net looking out for unsafe bootloaders on your system.

The update was also designed by Microsoft to avoid breakages of up to date Linux software. Microsoft said at the time, “This SBAT update will not apply to systems that dual-boot Windows and Linux. After the SBAT update is applied, older Linux ISO images might not boot.”

Something clearly didn’t work properly though as soon after the update rolled out users began to report issues. 9 months is a long time to wait for a fix from Microsoft, and the company hasn’t clarified what the exact issue was.

Microsoft’s latest update says, “On systems that dual-boot Linux and Windows, there are no additional steps necessary after installing the September 2024 or later updates.”

That same update is reportedly causing issues for some who are still running Windows 10 software. As found by XDA, some users on KB5058379 are being asked for a BitLocker recovery key. When the key is entered, the user finds that it rolls back its own update. Microsoft has yet to acknowledge this specific issue.

Get Our Best Stories!

Your Daily Dose of Our Top Tech News

Sign up for our What’s New Now newsletter to receive the latest news, best new products, and expert advice from the editors of PCMag.

By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Thanks for signing up!

Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!

About James Peckham

Reporter

I’ve written tech news for over a decade, and as a Reporter at PCMag, I cover the latest developments across the gadgets and services you use every day. Previously, I worked for Android Police, TechRadar, and more.

Read James’s full bio

Read the latest from James Peckham