Windows 11’s May security update is crashing PCs with code 0xc0000098

It’s been over two weeks since Microsoft released update KB5058405 for Windows 11 23H2, which was supposed to fix several security problems in the operating system. That urgency is why the update was installed and applied automatically on relevant PCs. But it turns out that KB5058405 is causing serious problems for some users.

After installing update KB5058405, affected PCs no longer boot and instead exit the startup process with error code 0xc0000098. According to Microsoft’s note, Windows 11 23H2 and Windows 11 22H2 are both affected by the issue. Windows Server versions remain unaffected.

Microsoft writes the following regarding the issue:

“We are aware of an issue installing the May Windows security update (KB5058405) on some Windows 11, version 22H2 and 23H2 devices. Affected devices might encounter the following recovery error:

Your PC/Device needs to be repaired
The operating system couldn't be loaded because a required file is missing or contains errors.
File: ACPI.sys
Error code: 0xc0000098

This issue has been observed on a small number of physical devices, but primarily on devices running in virtual environments, including:

• Azure Virtual Machines
• ​Azure Virtual Desktop
• ​On-premises virtual machines hosted on Citrix or Hyper-V

Home users of Windows using Home or Pro editions are unlikely to face this issue, as virtual machines are mostly used in IT environments.

The ACPI.sys file (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) is a critical Windows system driver that enables Windows to manage hardware resources and power states. Note: There are also reports of this same error occurring with a different file name.”

Microsoft doesn’t currently offer a solution to this problem. The company is still looking for a solution and has also stated that the error can also occur in connection with other file names.