The Smart App Control switch that October's update froze can be turned back on

Three weeks ago we wrote about a Windows security switch stuck in the off position. October's Patch Tuesday update, KB5127648, had left Smart App Control greyed out on Windows 11 24H2 and later for anyone who'd switched it off at some point. Microsoft had no fix and no date. Now it has both.

In a service alert to IT administrators, reported by BleepingComputer on 2 November, Microsoft says: "This issue was resolved by Windows updates released October 28, 2026 [..] and later." The first of those is KB5127936, the optional preview update that also brought the customisable right-click menu. It fixes two other annoyances while it's there: Remote Desktop failing when Administrator protection is on, and Always On VPN problems left over from September.

So you've got two routes. If you want the switch back today, open Settings, then Windows Update, and install the optional preview under Advanced options. If you'd rather not run preview updates, and plenty of people sensibly don't, the fix is folded into the regular security update, and the next one is due on Tuesday 10 November. The registry edits Microsoft offered as a stopgap aren't needed once either update is in. One catch: Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro got their last update in October, so if you're still on 24H2, the real fix is moving to 26H2.

When it's done, open Windows Security, then App and browser control, and check the switch actually moves. Tendvane's check-for-updates will tell you whether the November update has reached your PC, and its health score shows which of Windows' protections are switched on.