Windows 11 problems

It's now a week since Microsoft started the rollout of Windows 11, and the latest version of the operating system has just received its first cumulative patch.

With the release of the KB5006674 update, Microsoft is addressing one of the compatibility issues that was preventing some people from upgrading to Windows 11. Taking the Windows 11 version number up to 22000.258, the update fixes issues found between the operating system and some Intel networking software.

Microsoft has shared details of a new known issue with Windows 11. The company has confirmed that a problem exists with apps that use certain characters in registry keys.

As a result of the discovery, Microsoft has put a compatibility hold in place that means people with problematic apps installed will not be offered Windows 11 via Windows Update. The issue is under investigation.

Reports are coming in about a strange bug in Windows 11 that results in the Windows 10 taskbar being displayed instead of the updated versions. The same issue was reported by Windows Insiders in the build up to the launch of Windows 11, and it seems that Microsoft has not been able to get things fixed.

In addition to problems with the old taskbar showing up, users are also reporting that the Start menu is not working. Microsoft is yet to acknowledge the problems, but workarounds have been uncovered.

With Windows 11 now publicly available the time has come for problems to start surfacing. We have already had reports of reduced performance in games as well as File Explorer using large amounts of memory; now AMD has issued a warning that Windows 11 users with certain processors can expect reduced performance.

The chipmaker has provided information about "known performance impacts reported on Windows 11 when running compatible AMD processors on certain applications". Affected processors include Ryzen 3, 5, 7, 9 and Threadripper (plus Pro variants), and the impact means that performance is reduced by as much as 15 percent.

With Windows 11 now available for more people to download and install, more and more problems are starting to emerge. We've already seen a short list of known issues, and users have already complained of high memory usage by File Explorer.

Another issue that is causing some annoyance is an apparent reduction in gaming performance under Windows 11.  The slowdown is measurable in benchmarks and has been blamed on the Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) and Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI) security features.

The roll out of Windows 11 started yesterday, and while many people are eager to upgrade as soon as possible, there are plenty of others who want to hold off for a little while. The list of known issues acknowledged by Microsoft may be short, but users who have upgraded to Windows 11 are experiencing other problems.

One such issue sees File Explorer using huge amount of RAM. The problem is being blamed on a memory leak and was initially reported a couple of months ago -- but now more people have access to Windows 11, further reports are coming in confirming the issue.

After months of waiting, Windows 11 is finally here. Microsoft has started the roll-out of the latest version of its operating system to people whose computers make the grade, but if you were hoping for perfection you are going to be disappointed.

Despite all of the testing with beta and developer builds, Windows 11 is still shipping with a number of known issues. Microsoft has shared details of these so you can weigh up whether they will affect you and whether you would like to upgrade to Windows 11 now or wait until things improve.

Seriously, y'all, I can't believe how great Windows 11 already is -- and the operating system is still only in beta! The developers over at Microsoft are clearly firing on all cylinders, preparing to deliver the most cohesive user experience in years. Not only is Windows 11 beautiful and fast, but it improves my mood while I use it. No, I am not exaggerating -- I feel happier when using Windows 11.

Today, Microsoft announces it is acquiring Clipchamp, and it is clearly an attempt to bolster the upcoming Windows 11 operating system. If you aren't familiar, Clipchamp is a free web-based video editing app. Apparently, the Windows-maker seems keen on integrating its newly-acquired video editor into its Microsoft 365 subscription service. In other words, Clipchamp's days of being a free video editor may be numbered.

Microsoft is hardly a stranger to making controversial decisions with Windows, and it has previously been accused of taking liberties by using the operating system to advertise its other products and services. Windows 11 may not even been officially released yet, but the company seems to have learned nothing and has started injecting ads into the latest version of its operating system.

The ads themselves -- for Microsoft Teams -- are something that will divide opinion, but that's not really the issue here. Advertisements in Windows will always prove to be divisive and controversial, but the problem this time is that the ads (cum promotional message, cum user advisory, cum tip... call it what you will) caused the taskbar and Start menu to become unresponsive. The issue hit both the Beta and Dev builds that was pushed out just a couple of days ago and raises serious questions about Microsoft ability to deliver a stable build of Windows 11 on time.

In many regards, the move from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is not a massive one. While there are undeniably a lot of changes and additions -- both visible and under the hood -- the operating system still looks, feels and functions much as it has done for years.

But while it may seem that there's not much to learn, there are still elements of friction that gripe in Windows 11. The redesigned context menu is a good case in point, dividing users into those who love it and those who hate it. And then there is the Start menu. Of course, there is a new look here, but that's not the problem.

It has been a while since Microsoft held a Bug Bash to discover problems with Windows and gather feedback about features. In fact, the last one was back in May.

But with the impending launch of Windows 11, it is perhaps not surprising that it is Bug Bash time again. Over the next week, Insiders using Windows 11 preview builds are invited to take part in quests and earn themselves an exclusive badge in return for helping out.