Microsoft pushed the September 2025 Patch Tuesday rollup to Windows 11 today, a cumulative release that—according to community reporting—carries the usual mix of security fixes, quality improvements and targeted Copilot reliability updates, but also surfaces a handful of user-facing regressions administrators and enthusiasts should know before they patch widely.
Microsoft’s monthly Patch Tuesday remains the primary delivery vehicle for Windows security and quality updates. September 2025’s release (reported under KB identifiers circulating as KB5065426 and KB5065431) is being distributed as combined packages (servicing‑stack + cumulative update) for affected branches, and community outlets are already digging into the telemetry and known‑issue list that accompanies the rollout. Independent reporting highlights that this cadence continues the company’s approach of bundling Servicing Stack Updates (SSU) with Latest Cumulative Updates (LCU) to reduce sequencing errors during mass deployment, but that packaging also limits simple rollback options and complicates recovery workflows in some edge cases. (windowscentral.com)
The most visible items in today’s discussion fall into two categories:
Born’s Tech and subsequent roundups reported that the issue was marked resolved for Windows 11 branches once the server‑side fix was applied for devices with updates released in early January 2024 or later — though similar symptoms continued to appear in related scenarios (wallpaper tools, NDI streaming regressions after other patch cycles), underscoring that Copilot touches parts of the desktop stack that third‑party apps also rely on. (borncity.com, windowscentral.com)
Important nuance: this bug only affects first‑time setup through OOBE on devices that were imaged using those specific older images. If a user applies updates through the standard Windows Update channel after installation, the symptom does not appear. In short: consumer devices that receive updates normally are unlikely to see the mislabelled OOBE button; the class affected is first‑time OEM provisioning from an older image.
Source: Neowin Windows 11 (KB5065426, KB5065431) September 2025 Patch Tuesday out
Microsoft’s monthly Patch Tuesday remains the primary delivery vehicle for Windows security and quality updates. September 2025’s release (reported under KB identifiers circulating as KB5065426 and KB5065431) is being distributed as combined packages (servicing‑stack + cumulative update) for affected branches, and community outlets are already digging into the telemetry and known‑issue list that accompanies the rollout. Independent reporting highlights that this cadence continues the company’s approach of bundling Servicing Stack Updates (SSU) with Latest Cumulative Updates (LCU) to reduce sequencing errors during mass deployment, but that packaging also limits simple rollback options and complicates recovery workflows in some edge cases. (windowscentral.com)The most visible items in today’s discussion fall into two categories:
- Copilot-related UI and compatibility quirks on multi‑monitor systems and with third‑party wallpaper apps.
- An Out‑of‑Box Experience (OOBE) language button translation quirk that affects freshly imaged devices created from certain older OEM images.
What the September 2025 rollup reportedly changes
High‑level contents
- Security fixes for a broad roster of CVEs across Windows components, continuing the regular hardening cadence.
- Quality updates that target graphics, File Explorer and other frequent user pain points.
- Conditional AI/Copilot component refreshes that may install only on eligible Copilot+ hardware or devices meeting licensing and firmware criteria.
Packaging and rollback considerations
Because Microsoft continues to ship combined SSU + LCU packages, rollback is non‑trivial. The SSU component is effectively non‑removable once installed; removing an LCU in a combined package requires DISM removal of the LCU package name (not wusa /uninstall). That makes testing and staged rollouts more important than ever for organizations with strict change control policies.The Copilot multi‑monitor and wallpaper problems — summary and verification
The symptom set
Community and vendor reporting summarize two classes of user-facing behaviour after installing recent Copilot‑related updates:- On systems using more than one monitor, desktop icons may move unexpectedly between displays, or suffer alignment issues when Copilot is invoked. Microsoft previously described this as a known issue and — to reduce user exposure — placed a compatibility hold for Copilot on devices that had been or were currently used in a multi‑monitor configuration. (windowscentral.com, bleepingcomputer.com)
- Third‑party wallpaper apps (for example, Wallpaper Engine or Lively Wallpaper) can stop rendering the custom wallpaper while Copilot is open, causing Windows to show the default or a Windows‑set wallpaper instead. Users reported having to restart or re‑initialize the wallpaper tool to recover. Similar behaviour has been discussed in community threads over multiple months as Copilot’s desktop integration evolved. (reddit.com)
What Microsoft and reporters have said
Microsoft publicly documented the desktop‑icon issue in a known‑issues entry when Copilot preview features rolled out previously; their guidance was to hold Copilot availability on affected multi‑monitor devices rather than risk a broken desktop for users. Independent outlets (Windows Central, BleepingComputer, Neowin) covered those advisories and tracked the subsequent fixes and compatibility lifts as Microsoft resolved the root cause on the service side for specific branches. (windowscentral.com, bleepingcomputer.com, neowin.net)Born’s Tech and subsequent roundups reported that the issue was marked resolved for Windows 11 branches once the server‑side fix was applied for devices with updates released in early January 2024 or later — though similar symptoms continued to appear in related scenarios (wallpaper tools, NDI streaming regressions after other patch cycles), underscoring that Copilot touches parts of the desktop stack that third‑party apps also rely on. (borncity.com, windowscentral.com)
Cross‑verification and current state
At the time of writing, reputable outlets corroborate that Copilot can affect desktop icon layout and that third‑party wallpaper apps may render incorrectly while Copilot’s UI is open. Those outlets also report that Microsoft continues to iterate fixes and compatibility holds where appropriate. However, the specific KB numbers circulating for September 2025 (KB5065426 and KB5065431) are reported by press outlets and community posts; direct Microsoft KB pages for those specific identifiers were not reliably accessible during verification, so readers should consult Microsoft’s official Update History / Support pages for final authoritative text as it becomes available. Treat the KB IDs as reporting references until Microsoft publishes the full KB articles. (windowscentral.com)The OOBE language button translation quirk — what’s really happening
Symptom described
If you are setting up a device for the first time (OOBE flow), some users may see the language selection page behave oddly: after selecting a language (for example, Español), the button that should read something like “Continue in Español” instead shows “Continue in English” translated into the selected language — e.g., “Continuar en inglés.” Despite the label, the remaining setup steps proceed in the language the user chose; it’s a cosmetic mislabelling rather than a functional language fallback.Root cause and who’s affected
This issue appears to be restricted to devices that were installed using an OEM image created from specific older update images. Microsoft’s support history shows that certain image‑based OEM deployments used images tied to the August 2024 non‑security preview update (KB5041587) or the September 2024 security update (KB5043076); those packages contained servicing changes and compatibility adjustments that interact with the OOBE translation strings in corner cases. Microsoft’s update pages for KB5041587 and KB5043076 document the August/September 2024 patch content and known issues, and community reports link the cosmetic OOBE translation symptom to devices imaged with those older builds. (support.microsoft.com)Important nuance: this bug only affects first‑time setup through OOBE on devices that were imaged using those specific older images. If a user applies updates through the standard Windows Update channel after installation, the symptom does not appear. In short: consumer devices that receive updates normally are unlikely to see the mislabelled OOBE button; the class affected is first‑time OEM provisioning from an older image.
Practical guidance for imaging and OEM teams
- If you create or deploy OEM images, rebuild media with current cumulative updates or re-provision images after installing the latest non‑preview cumulative updates rather than relying on older preview images. That eliminates the configuration mismatch that triggers the UI label translation issue. (support.microsoft.com, prod.support.services.microsoft.com)
- For devices currently in your supply chain: document the update baseline used to create the image, and test the full OOBE flow before shipping. The symptom is cosmetic — setup proceeds in the chosen language — but it is a UX embarrassment that can confuse non‑technical end users and field technicians.
Impact analysis: who should worry and why
Consumers and prosumers
- Home users with single monitors who install updates through Windows Update will likely see minimal risk from Copilot-related behaviour; the primary impact is aesthetic (icons jump, wallpaper reset) and recoverable by restarting the wallpaper tool or toggling desktop icons. However, users who rely on multi‑monitor productivity setups should be cautious about immediately flipping Copilot on after installing this cycle until their system shows updated compatibility status. (windowscentral.com, reddit.com)
- First‑time device setup users who receive machines imaged from older OEM images may see the OOBE label inconsistency — it is cosmetic and non‑blocking, but it’s worth documenting in your deployment documentation.
IT administrators and enterprises
- Enterprises should treat this release like any major cumulative update: pilot first, stage widely only after verification. Because combined SSU+LCU packages reduce rollback options, a failed deployment becomes harder to revert without reimaging affected devices.
- Organizations using third‑party wallpaper or desktop‑management tools (digital signage, kiosk setups, live wallpapers) must validate these tools against Copilot‑updated builds. Some wallpaper engines and custom shell replacements interact deeply with the explorer/desktops stack, and Copilot’s UI surface can reset desktop composition unexpectedly.
- OEM and deployment teams must re‑examine imaging baselines and consider rebuilding golden images with the latest released cumulative updates before mass provisioning to avoid OOBE and other edge‑case glitches. (support.microsoft.com)
Safe mitigations and troubleshooting steps
Immediate mitigations (for users)
- If you see desktop icons jump after invoking Copilot:
- Close Copilot and check whether desktop icons return to normal.
- Toggle desktop icons visibility: Right‑click Desktop → View → Show desktop icons (off → on) — this sometimes forces Explorer to redraw the layout.
- Update GPU drivers and check for system updates and firmware updates from the OEM; driver mismatches can exacerbate layout redraws. (reddit.com, windowscentral.com)
- If your wallpaper tool stops rendering while Copilot is open:
- Restart the wallpaper app (some apps require elevated permissions or to be restarted after shell changes).
- If the app offers an “auto‑restart on crash” option, enable it temporarily.
- Check for app updates from the vendor; authors often treat Copilot snapshots as a new compatibility vector. (reddit.com)
Policy and admin controls
- If Copilot availability is causing widespread disruption in the environment, organizations can:
- Temporarily block Copilot via enterprise configuration (Group Policy / MDM) or use update rings to delay installing the Copilot‑bearing payloads to user devices.
- Stage updates in a pilot ring and monitor the Release Health / Known Issues feed for Microsoft’s guidance and any service‑side compatibility lifts.
- For OOBE/Imaging teams:
- Rebuild golden images after installing the latest non‑preview cumulative updates instead of using older preview image baselines (avoid images based on KB5041587 or KB5043076 if you observed the mislabel behaviour).
- Test the OOBE flow on representative hardware profiles (single and multi‑monitor, international language packs) to catch translation or localized UI regressions before shipping. (support.microsoft.com)
Technical analysis — why these small UX bugs keep appearing
Copilot is not an isolated app window — it hooks into the desktop composition and the OS UI pipeline to present results, overlays, and quick actions. That means:- Small changes to Explorer or the composition layer — even if intended to be localized to Copilot UI surface — can ripple into the layout and z‑ordering of desktop icons, explorer windows and wallpaper rendering.
- Desktop integration is historically fragile across OEM customizations and third‑party shell‑extensions. Digital‑signage tools, wallpaper engines and other apps sometimes rely on behavior that is not fully documented or contractually guaranteed by the platform; changes in the OS can reveal these implicit dependencies.
- The combination of SSU and LCU packaging makes the surface area for regressions broader because fixes in servicing code or the update pipeline itself may alter low‑level behavior that other components rely on.
Strengths and weaknesses of Microsoft’s current approach
Notable strengths
- Rapid response and communication: Microsoft publishes Release Health entries and known‑issue advisories that allow admins to triage risk and choose staged rollouts. Those advisories often include recommended workarounds and compatibility holds where needed.
- Conditional delivery of AI binaries: Packaging Copilot/Copilot+ binaries so they only install on eligible hardware reduces inadvertent breakage on unsupported systems.
- Combined SSU+LCU packaging helps reduce installation sequencing problems and is aimed at increasing overall update reliability.
Potential risks and tradeoffs
- Harder rollbacks: Combined SSU packages complicate uninstall strategies in the event of a serious regression; organizations must rely on backups, system images or in‑place reimaging. (support.microsoft.com)
- Hidden coupling with third‑party tools and OEM images: As Copilot becomes more tightly integrated, small platform adjustments can have disproportionate effects on software that is not directly updated by Microsoft (wallpaper engines, shell extensions, OEM provisioning scripts).
- Operational burden on OEMs and large fleets: Devices shipped with older image baselines can surface surprising issues in OOBE or driver interactions — increasing testing and imaging workload for hardware vendors and enterprise deployment teams. (support.microsoft.com)
Recommended rollout checklist for IT teams
- Inventory: Identify fleets using multi‑monitor configurations, wallpaper/desktop management tools, or custom shell integrations.
- Pilot: Apply the September 2025 update to a pilot ring that includes representative hardware (single and multi‑display units).
- Monitor: Watch Windows Release Health, official Microsoft KB pages, and vendor advisories for fixes and service‑side compatibility lifts.
- Hold/rollback plan: Prepare a rollback plan that does not rely solely on wusa.exe; keep tested system images or use provisioning tools to restore devices if needed. (support.microsoft.com)
- Communication: Inform help desks and knowledgebase teams about the OOBE language label cosmetic issue and Copilot’s multi‑monitor behaviour so support scripts reflect observed symptoms and non‑destructive mitigations.
What remains unverified and where to watch for updates
- The precise contents and full release notes for KB5065426 and KB5065431 should be verified on Microsoft’s official Update History or Support pages when those KB articles appear; at the time of publication, press reporting and community threads reported those KB identifiers, but the authoritative KB pages were not yet accessible in every location we checked. Until Microsoft publishes the official entries, treat the KB numbers as provisional and dependent on Microsoft’s support pages for final technical details.
- Microsoft’s Release Health pages and the Windows update history are the authoritative sources for whether a compatibility hold is in place or lifted for Copilot on specific device classes. Administrators should consult those pages and follow the guidance in the KB articles once they are posted.
Conclusion
The September 2025 Patch Tuesday cycle continues the pattern of balancing broad security hardening with incremental AI/Copilot feature and reliability updates. The headlines to take away are simple and actionable:- The Copilot desktop integration can still interact badly with multi‑monitor setups and with third‑party wallpaper tools; test before wide deployment and use compatibility holds if necessary. (windowscentral.com, bleepingcomputer.com)
- The OOBE language button mislabel is a cosmetic issue that affects first‑time provisioning from certain older OEM images (images based on older August/September 2024 updates) — reimaging with a current baseline is the robust fix. (support.microsoft.com)
- Because the updates are delivered as combined SSU+LCU packages, pilot‑first staged rollouts and tested rollback/recovery plans are essential to minimize operational risk.
Source: Neowin Windows 11 (KB5065426, KB5065431) September 2025 Patch Tuesday out