Articles about Windows 11 problems

Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27919 to Windows Insiders signed up for the Canary channel. While not a release that is jam-packed with new treats, it does include important changes to Windows Search.

Describing the changes, Microsoft uses very curious language saying that it has taken steps to “rationalize and organize Windows Search settings”. What this means in practice is that things are being made more logical, with the company apparently taking time to focus on user experience a little more.

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The number of issues standing in the way of people hoping to update their computers to Windows 11 24H2 just seems to keep on growing. The latest problems confirmed by Microsoft are an issue with Auto HDR, and another relating to Dirac Audio.

In both cases, Microsoft has implemented a compatibility safeguard hold that prevents automatic upgrades to Windows 11 24H2; the company also strongly recommends against forcing a manual upgrade because of the severity of the issues. So, what are the details?

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There are many barriers to running Windows 11, and even if you are using the operating system, you may find that you’re not able to run the very latest version. A variety of problems means that Microsoft has put update blocks in place for systems that meet certain criteria, but is gradually easing up on some of them.

Gamers are among those who have found themselves unable to update to Windows 11 24H2, especially fans of Ubisoft titles. With some of the issues having been resolved, Microsoft has now partially lifted the block on updating.

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Microsoft has released the KB5044380 update for Windows 11, a preview version of the update that will roll out to everyone next Patch Tuesday. There is quite a lot to be found in this particular release including the previously announced ability to remap the Copilot key on a keyboard if you don’t like its default function.

As this is a preview update there are no security fixes, but problems with multi-function printers, Microsoft Teams, and high battery usage have all been addressed. There are numerous tweaks, fixes and additions that are available immediately to anyone installing the KB5044380 update, but there are also some that are subject to a more gradual rollout.

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Windows 11 24H2 (or Windows 11 2024 Update) underwent an incredibly long period of testing with users before it was finally unleashed on the general public earlier this month. Despite the prolonged beta test, the update remains incredibly problematic -- to extent that Microsoft has blocked it from being installed on some systems.

While not all of the problems can be blamed on Microsoft, the company must bear some responsibility for failing to catch significant bugs that have gone on to affect larger numbers of people. Among those experiencing issues are owners of ASUS systems, people running the Voicemeeter app, users of Microsoft Office, and people with certain Western Digital SSDs.

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It is just a few days since Microsoft unleashed Windows 11 24H2 (or the Windows 11 2024 Update). But the release of the eagerly awaited update has been more than a little problematic.

We’ve already seen various issues with the controversial Recall feature, but Microsoft has also confirmed a number of known issues with the update. So significant are some of the issues that some users are being denied the opportunity to perform the upgrade. Gamers are among those hit by the problems.

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Updates for Windows, at least the ones that are released on a monthly basis, are not as eagerly anticipated by users as they used to be. This could be because they are rarely packed with new and exciting features, but a more likely reason for the decreased interest is the astonishing number of problematic updates Microsoft has released.

The KB5043145 update for Windows 11 released this week is a case in point. Reports of blue screens, green screens, reboot loops and more has forced Microsoft to withdraw the update while it works out what is going wrong.

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If you have been experiencing higher than normal CPU usage in Windows 11 recently, you are certainly not alone. There is good and bad news.

The good news is twofold. Firstly, the cause of the issue has been identified by Microsoft, and secondly, it only affects Insider builds of Windows 11. The bad news, however, is that there is no fix available, and no indication of when this may change.

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It is a rare month in which Microsoft releases an update for Windows that doesn't cause problems, and March sees the company maintaining this habit. The KB5035853 update released last week was supposed to fix a number of issues, including a persistent 0x800F0922 error, but it seems to have introduced problems of its own.

The KB5035853 update is a security update so it is being automatically installed for the majority of Windows 11 users, and this means that the issues associated with it are hitting a lot of people. Among the problems users are experiencing are BSoDs, slow boot times and reduced system performance.

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If you were waiting for another problematic Windows update to brighten up your week, Microsoft has come up with the goods again.

The KB5034765 update was released for Windows 11 earlier this week and it seems to be causing more than its fair share of issues for a lot of people who have installed it. Microsoft is yet to acknowledge any problems, but users on Reddit have a litany of complaints.

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Installing updates for Windows 11 has turned into something of a gamble in recent times, but this is never more the case than with the preview version of patches released by Microsoft each month. The latest example of a problematic update is KB5034204.

Released a week ago, the KB5034204 update preview was designed to fix a range of issues plaguing Windows 11 users, including troublesome searches, Bluetooth bugs and problems with zip files. But it has also been found to cause a number of new issues, including rendering Explorer unresponsive, 0x8007000d errors during installation, and more besides.

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Microsoft has released the KB5034204 update preview for Windows 11 which addresses a series of problems in the operating system. Among the issues that are treated is one that causes some 7-Zip archives to appear empty.

There is also the promise that the update makes video calls more reliable and that some Bluetooth issues have been fixed. Anyone who has been plagued with an unclosable tool tip in the File Explorer Gallery will be pleased to learn that this has been addressed.

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Microsoft has released its first batch of cumulative security updates of 2024, including the KB5034123 update for Windows 11. While the security fixes are a good reason for installing this particular update, there are plenty of other enticements too.

The KB5034123 update addresses various non-security issues including Wi-Fi connectivity problems and a bug that caused Windows to shut down. The update also ushers in new lock screen options thanks to the addition of a "richer weather experience" complete with dynamic, interactive weather updates.

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There have been a number of notable updates for Windows 11 in recent weeks, not least of which is the KB5031455 update from last month. The update brought with it a higher number of new features, including the AI-powered Copilot; it also brought problems.

Microsoft acknowledges an issue that results in desktop icons moving around, and the finger of blame is being pointed at Copilot's interaction with multi-display setups.

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Microsoft has released the latest batch of preview versions of its software updates, including the KB5029351 update for Windows 11 22H2. This is a non-security update, like all previews, but it includes a large number of bug fixes and an impressive number of a changes, additions and improvements.

The first highlight Microsoft draws attention to is a new hover behavior and options for Search, but there's much more to the KB5029351 update. There are numerous Group Policy changes, including the introduction of policy that can be used by administrators to enable optional updates.

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