Microsoft acknowledges Windows updates failed to resolve widespread Always On VPN glitch

Microsoft has admitted that its October 2026 cumulative updates failed to correct a persistent Always On VPN failure introduced in September 2026. The company had erroneously marked the issue as resolved on October 13, but later reverted the status to mitigated in an alert to system administrators. Affecting Windows 11 systems running version 24H2 and newer, a permanent fix is now scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks. [1][2]

The bug surfaces when the VPN service is configured to use automatic protocol selection or protocol fallback, such as alternating between IKEv2 and SSTP. If an initial connection fails, devices become stuck in an indefinite connecting loop or throw a error stating that the specified port is already in use. To keep systems functional until a patch arrives, Microsoft advises network administrators to manually configure profiles to use a single protocol rather than automatic switching. [1][2]

The lingering connection glitch adds to a series of complications tied to the September updates. Microsoft previously had to release emergency out-of-band patches to address failures involving Hyper-V, Remote Desktop Services, and USB audio, while also wrestling with separate bugs affecting File History backups and user domain logins. [1]