Microsoft has slammed the brakes on its latest security update after a devastating bug was found to cause havoc for Dell laptops. A glitch in the latest version of Windows 11 causes laptops to run hot or suddenly shut down.
If you own one of the Dell laptops that isn't playing nice with this update, you'll miss out on the bumper security update, which included fixes for a record-breaking 570 security flaws. Microsoft hopes to release this security update, which started to roll out on July 14, for affected laptops "in the coming days".
The glitch was spotted when Microsoft released a preview patch of its upcoming security update in June 23, which is designed to give IT teams a sneak peek at what would land in the main July security update. The problem? This preview introduced a fresh Windows USB-C Connection Manager interface that doesn't play well with a specific Intel driver found in certain Dell machines. And it's caused havoc for certain laptop models.
It's responsible for managing Intel processor power and keeping temperatures in check. When it stops working properly, your PC will start showing signs pretty quickly.
If you're wondering whether your Dell laptop is affected, there's a simple way to check. You'll want to navigate to the Device Manager and look for a yellow exclamation mark sitting next to the Intel Innovation Platform Framework Processor Participant driver – that's your warning sign.
In a statement, Microsoft confirmed: "This issue was reported by Dell during testing and identified as an incompatibility between the Intel driver and the new Windows USB-C Connection Manager interface introduced in the June 23, 2026, Windows preview update (KB5095093).
"We are working together with Dell to prevent the affected models from experiencing the issue.
"Next steps: To mitigate this issue, the July 14, 2026, Windows security update for Windows 11, version 25H2 and Windows 11, version 24H2 (KB5101650) will not be offered to affected devices while Microsoft works with partners to resolve this issue.
"Microsoft plans to release a resolution for affected devices in the coming days."
Microsoft has confirmed this bug only hits Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2. So if you're running Windows Server or still hanging onto Windows 10, you're in the clear.
The company hasn't published a full list of which Dell models are having problems, which is a bit unusual. Normally, Microsoft provides specific device lists when these issues crop up. There is speculation that the absence of such a list might suggest quite a few models are affected.
What we do know is that popular ranges, including Latitude, Inspiron, and XPS machines, have been verified as experiencing these troubles after applying the recent security patches.
Microsoft and Dell are now working together to sort out the problem, and the good news is that a fix should arrive within the next few days. In the meantime, Microsoft has blocked the July security update KB5101650 from being offered to affected Dell machines.
This means if your laptop is one of the troublesome ones, you won't see the update available.
Microsoft suggests keeping an eye on the official Windows Release Health dashboard for updates.
You can also report any issues through the Windows Feedback Hub or Dell's support channels. Once the fix drops, it's worth installing it promptly and making sure your Dell drivers are up to date through SupportAssist.
