ARM Windows users hit by Teams, Outlook launch failures

Microsoft is wrestling with another wave of update-induced chaos, this time knocking out Microsoft Teams and the new Outlook on ARM-based Windows machines. The company confirmed that security updates released since August 2026 Patch Tuesday are causing crashes and launch failures for users on devices like the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7.

The issue, detailed in a Windows release health update, primarily affects devices running Windows 11 24H2 or later that haven't yet installed the latest Microsoft Store updates. For those users, opening Teams or Outlook can result in an immediate crash or an unexpected closure—a frustrating disruption for anyone relying on those apps for daily work.

What's affected and who's at risk

Microsoft's advisory pins the blame squarely on Windows security updates released on or after August 11, 2026, specifically referencing KB5121003. However, not every app falls victim. The company notes that "Classic Outlook, Word, Excel, and other applications are not known to be affected." The problem is most likely to surface on "new or freshly imaged PCs that have not yet installed any Microsoft Store updates."

That points to a specific scenario: organizations imaging new hardware or IT departments rolling out fresh builds, where the OS is up to date but the Store apps lag behind. For those users, the launch failure is immediate and disruptive.

Root cause remains a mystery

Despite identifying the trigger, Microsoft has not disclosed the underlying cause. Instead, the company has offered a temporary workaround that seems at first glance unrelated: updating the Auto Super Resolution Package. Microsoft's guidance suggests that installing version 1.0.19.0 or later of this package—which the company says allows "Copilot+ PCs to use AI to make supported games play more smoothly with enhanced details"—resolves the launch failures.

To apply the workaround, affected users should open the Microsoft Store, navigate to Downloads > Check for updates, and install the Auto Super Resolution Package update. It's an odd fix for a productivity app issue, but it appears to be the only interim solution Microsoft has offered.

A growing list of August update problems

This Teams and Outlook issue is just the latest in a series of problems stemming from the August 2026 Windows updates. Last week, Microsoft confirmed that August .NET Framework updates are breaking printing and PDF export in some applications, a separate headache for users who rely on those functions.

Days later, the company began rolling out a fix for crashes and gaming issues on Windows 11 systems caused by peripherals with built-in RGB lighting, which triggered EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors. On Friday, Microsoft also asked customers to ignore alerts claiming Microsoft Defender Antivirus had been turned off after installing the latest Defender updates.

Microsoft's response and next steps

Microsoft says it is now working on a permanent fix for the Teams and Outlook launch failures, slated to arrive with a future Windows update. Until then, the Auto Super Resolution Package update is the recommended interim solution. The company has not provided a timeline for the permanent fix, leaving affected users to rely on the workaround.

Why it matters

For businesses and individual users on ARM-based Windows devices, this issue underscores the fragility of relying on a patch cycle that, while necessary, can introduce new problems. The fact that a package designed for AI gaming enhancements ends up as the workaround for a productivity app failure suggests the underlying dependencies are more intertwined than users might expect. Until Microsoft ships a permanent fix, those on fresh ARM devices should prioritize the Store update to avoid running into launch failures at the worst possible moment. This pattern of August updates triggering cascading issues—printing, gaming, antivirus alerts, and now core apps—also raises questions about the testing depth before these rollouts, leaving IT teams to scramble for workarounds.