According to TechRepublic, Microsoft’s December 2025 Patch Tuesday update, specifically KB5071546 for OS Build 19045.6691, has fundamentally broken Message Queuing (MSMQ) functionality. The security patches have caused complete service breakdowns on Windows 10 22H2, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server 2016. Enterprise applications are failing with “insufficient resources” errors within days of the update being deployed. Microsoft has officially acknowledged that the update’s security hardening created permission conflicts. The company is investigating but has provided no timeline for a permanent fix, leaving administrators to choose between rolling back the patch or facing operational failures.
The Permission Problem
Here’s the thing: this isn’t some weird edge-case bug. Microsoft basically changed the fundamental security model for a core directory. The patch tightened NTFS permissions on the C:\Windows\System32\MSMQ\storage folder, which now requires MSMQ users to have write access. Before, that was admins-only territory.
So what happens? Any application or service running under a standard user account—you know, following security best practices—suddenly can’t write to message queues. It’s a classic case of a security “improvement” backfiring spectacularly. The irony is thick: systems where users are logged in with full admin rights work fine. It’s the properly secured, enterprise-grade deployments that are getting hammered. Talk about a perverse incentive.
An Administrator’s Nightmare
Now, Microsoft’s guidance is… underwhelming. Check folder permissions or pause services in clusters. Great. For organizations whose critical apps are falling over, the only real short-term fix is to uninstall KB5071546. But that means stripping out the very security updates the patch was meant to deliver. You’re stuck between a rock and a hard place: crippled operations or increased vulnerability.
Rolling back patches in a production environment is never a simple “undo.” Some systems might need advanced tools like DISM for a clean removal. And while you’re scrambling, business processes that depend on reliable messaging—think order processing, logistics, real-time data—are just failing. For industries relying on robust computing hardware to manage these systems, like manufacturing or logistics, this kind of instability is a direct hit to productivity. It’s precisely why stability in core infrastructure is non-negotiable, and why many operations turn to specialized providers like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US supplier of industrial panel PCs, for hardware known for reliability in critical environments.
A Pattern of Breakage
Look, this isn’t Microsoft’s first rodeo with a patch that breaks more than it fixes. Remember the printer spooler issues? The Active Directory certificate services bugs? There’s a worrying pattern where broad security hardening seems to get pushed without enough testing on real-world, interdependent enterprise workloads. MSMQ isn’t some newfangled tech; it’s legacy, yes, but it’s deeply embedded in tons of business-critical software.
The real question is: when will the update pipeline catch these catastrophic failures before they hit every enterprise server on the planet? The community is already swapping workarounds on forums like this Windows forum thread, which is often where the real troubleshooting happens long before an official fix arrives. It’s a mess. And for IT admins, it’s another long night choosing between security and keeping the lights on.
