Microsoft Windows 11 KB5077181 Update Triggers Infinite Restart Loop on Some Devices

Microsoft’s February 10, 2026, Patch Tuesday update KB5077181 for Windows 11 versions 24H2 (OS build 26200.7840) and 25H2 (OS build 26100.7840) is causing severe boot failures on affected devices.

Users report systems entering infinite restart loops after installation, preventing access to the desktop.

Community forums, including Reddit threads, describe over 15 reboot cycles, effectively bricking machines and locking users out of sessions.

The issue surfaces shortly after the update completes. Affected systems fail to boot fully, with some users briefly regaining access only to encounter System Event Notification Service (SENS) errors like “a specified procedure could not be found.”

DHCP failures also disrupt internet connectivity despite apparent network links. Installation errors such as 0x800f0983 and 0x800f0991 point to hardware, driver, or servicing stack incompatibilities.

This stability regression overshadows the update’s security fixes, which patch 58 vulnerabilities, including six zero-days listed in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

KB5077181 carries forward improvements from prior releases like KB5074109, adds Secure Boot certificates to counter 2011 certificate expirations due in June 2026, and addresses gaming eligibility and WPA3 Wi-Fi issues.

Despite these enhancements, the boot loop disrupts enterprises and consumers alike.

CVE ID	CVSS Score	Description
CVE-2026-21510	7.5	Desktop Window Manager elevation of privilege to Sthe YSTEM level.
CVE-2026-21519	7.8	Desktop Window Manager elevation of privilege to SYSTEM level.
CVE-2026-21533	8.8	Windows Remote Desktop Services elevation of privilege; actively exploited zero-day.
CVE-2026-20841	7.1	Notepad remote code execution via crafted Markdown files.

• KB Number: KB5077181
• Error Codes: 0x800f0983, 0x800f0991
• Affected Builds: 26200.7840, 26100.7840

Microsoft’s release notes and health dashboard lack a “known issues” entry as of February 15, 2026, despite growing reports.

For accessible systems, uninstall via Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates, then pause Windows Update.

In unbootable cases, enter Windows Recovery Environment, interrupt boot three times, or use installation media to open Command Prompt, and execute: wusa /uninstall /kb:5077181 /quiet /norestart. Follow with sfc /scannow to repair files.

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