Windows Update Broke My Computer
The computer was working normally, a Windows update installed (often after a restart), and now something is noticeably wrong — it won't start properly, a device stopped working, or the computer behaves differently than before.
Quick answer: If problems started right after a Windows update, uninstalling that specific update or rolling back is usually the quickest fix, and Windows keeps the previous version available for a short window afterwards specifically for this. The timing is the biggest clue here — if it lines up with an update, start there before looking elsewhere.
Likely causes
- The update itself has a bug affecting your specific hardware or software combination
- A driver became incompatible with the updated version of Windows
- The update didn't fully complete or was interrupted
What you can safely check yourself
- If you can get into Windows, check Settings > Windows Update > Update History for an option to uninstall the most recent update
- If you can't get into Windows normally, Safe Mode or Advanced Startup options may let you access update removal or System Restore
- Check whether the specific problem (a printer, a display issue, general instability) is a known issue with that update, which can point to whether a driver update will fix it faster than removing Windows' update entirely
When it needs a proper look
If you can't get far enough into Windows to remove the update yourself, or removing it doesn't resolve the problem, that's worth having looked at properly rather than trying further changes blind.