Windows currently faces challenges. Despite its long history, Windows 11 has strained user patience due to ongoing bugs, performance problems, intrusive prompts, advertisements, and bloatware. These issues have degraded the fundamental Windows experience. Initial system requirements also undermined user trust, a problem exacerbated by Microsoft’s strong focus on AI features that often fall short of expectations.
The operating system is at a critical juncture, and Microsoft is aware of the situation. Reports indicate that Windows engineers are now concentrating on resolving Windows 11’s fundamental problems through a process called “swarming.” This involves reassigning engineers to promptly address performance and reliability concerns, with the goal of preventing further degradation of the operating system.
Microsoft plans to dedicate the remainder of the year to tackling all known issues within Windows 11. Pavan Davuluri, president of Windows and devices, stated that feedback from customers and Windows Insiders has been explicit: improvements are needed that genuinely benefit users. The focus for the year will be on enhancing system performance, reliability, and the overall Windows experience, addressing consistent customer complaints.
Expected improvements include fundamental adjustments, such as rectifying dark mode in Windows 11 and updating neglected components. Although Microsoft has successfully enhanced driver stability and decreased Blue Screen of Death occurrences in Windows 11, it still needs to resolve core performance problems in File Explorer and the surprising reality that Linux sometimes outperforms Windows in running Windows games.
Windows 11’s performance and reliability problems have been evident throughout the past year, intensified by the challenge of supporting numerous PC configurations. Microsoft required months to resolve Remote Desktop disconnection problems, then released an update that removed Copilot, and other updates that created duplicate Task Manager entries and a critical system recovery flaw. Furthermore, an update intended to enhance Windows 11’s dark mode inadvertently caused a white screen flash when File Explorer was opened.
Early in the new year, Windows 11 bugs have continued to worsen. Microsoft’s initial Windows 11 update for 2026 introduced numerous issues. Shutdown problems on certain devices necessitated an emergency out-of-band update, followed by another fix a week later for OneDrive and Dropbox crashes. Microsoft has also acknowledged that some business PCs are failing to boot after the January update, due to an “improper state” resulting from a failed December update installation.
Beyond bugs and reliability, Windows 11 is also frustrating to use due to Microsoft’s aggressive promotion of Edge and Bing. Previously, Microsoft employed intrusive pop-ups, resembling malware, to push these services. Users are frequently redirected to Edge and Bing after Windows Updates. Searching the Start menu often leads to Bing results in Edge, even when other browsers are set as default. Certain sections of the Settings interface also contain links that force users into Edge and Bing.
Microsoft has also persistently promoted its OneDrive cloud storage through constant notifications in Windows 11. Previously, users could not close OneDrive without being prompted for a reason. The operating system often seems to resist user preferences and default settings. Furthermore, Microsoft is compelling users to utilize a Microsoft account with Windows 11, making it progressively harder for those who prefer a local account.
The constant struggle with the OS, coupled with advertisements and pop-ups, has further eroded trust in Windows 11. User skepticism began when Microsoft established system requirements that excluded millions of devices. Subsequent actions have continued to diminish confidence. The introduction of Recall, a Windows 11 feature that captures screen snapshots, sparked significant controversy and privacy worries, adding to existing concerns about Microsoft’s telemetry data collection.
This decline in trust has caused Windows 11 users to hesitate regarding AI features, sometimes leading to the “Microslop” moniker. While Microsoft achieved significant engineering feats with Windows on Arm for Copilot Plus PCs, these efforts were overshadowed by Recall and the aggressive integration of Copilot AI throughout the OS. Edge now includes a Copilot mode, dedicated Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot apps are preinstalled, and Copilot is also being added to the taskbar. Even basic applications like Paint and Notepad now feature Copilot buttons, and Paint is receiving AI coloring book capabilities. The lack of genuinely useful AI features means there is insufficient incentive for users to embrace AI PCs.
Microsoft now faces a significant challenge in regaining user trust and rekindling enthusiasm for Windows. Over the past few years, the operating system’s dedicated fanbase appears to have diminished. This contrasts sharply with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s pledge over a decade ago to re-engage Windows enthusiasts, stating a desire for users to move from needing Windows to choosing and loving it, a sentiment expressed before the release of Windows 10.
Microsoft has largely been silent regarding Windows 11’s issues, and key members of the Windows Insider team have recently transitioned to other internal roles. The Windows Insider program, established to gather user feedback and test Windows 10 after the problematic Windows 8, is now more crucial than ever. However, it currently appears to be a detached operation, rather than a community-driven initiative built on trust.
It is hoped that Microsoft’s dedication to improvements will also tackle the everyday frustrations of Windows 11, particularly as an increasing number of users are considering migrating to Linux. While significant progress is still needed, Microsoft’s recent acknowledgment of these complaints is a positive sign.
Davuluri stated that “Trust is earned over time and a commitment exists to rebuild it with the Windows community.”
The Pad
- Windows 11 has achieved one billion users more quickly than Windows 10. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently announced this significant milestone for Windows 11. The operating system reached one billion users faster than Windows 10 did almost six years prior. This growth is partly attributed to the end of support for Windows 10, which also boosted Microsoft’s Windows OEM revenues.
- Microsoft reports strong cloud earnings in Q2 as gaming declines. Microsoft’s fiscal Q2 earnings highlight that its More Personal Computing division, which includes Windows, Xbox, and Surface, is increasingly becoming a smaller part of Microsoft. Intelligent Cloud, which includes Azure and server products, contributed $32.9 billion in revenue this quarter, more than double the $14.3 billion from More Personal Computing. In fact, the More Personal Computing division declined by 3 percent in revenue year-over-year, the only business unit to do so this quarter. Microsoft is blaming that particular decline on gaming, after overall gaming revenue was down 9 percent, Xbox content and services was down 5 percent, and Xbox hardware was down 32 percent. The Xbox content and services revenue decline is being attributed to stronger first-party content performance in the previous year, which suggests that softer sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 have had a big impact on Microsoft’s More Personal Computing business.
- Microsoft gets approval to build 15 data centers in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. Microsoft’s new data centers will be built on land that used to be owned by Foxconn, after the device manufacturer pulled back from its promises to build a 20 million-square-foot LCD complex. Local officials have signed off on Microsoft’s plans to build the data centers, and jobs at the project could last 10 years, according to Mount Pleasant’s village board president.
- Xbox Cloud Gaming’s new design teases the future of Xbox console UI. Microsoft has started testing a refreshed web experience for Xbox Cloud Gaming that looks much more like the Xbox console dashboard. It includes updated navigation features, plenty of new animations, and a refreshed design. The update appears to unify Xbox UI across PC, console, and the cloud.
- Microsoft’s latest AI chip goes head-to-head with Amazon and Google. Microsoft announced its latest in-house AI chip this week, which will help host GPT-5.2 and other models for Microsoft Foundry and Microsoft 365 Copilot. The Maia 200 chip is designed for large-scale AI workloads and will compete with similar AI inference chips from Amazon and Google. The news of Maia 200 also sent SK Hynix shares to a record high, after the memory maker revealed it was the sole supplier for Microsoft’s new AI chip.
- Microsoft handed the government encryption keys for customer data. Microsoft complied with an FBI warrant last year to unlock encrypted data stored on three laptops. It complied because the laptops had stored BitLocker recovery keys in Microsoft’s cloud service, a default setting that makes it easier to recover devices. The incident has highlighted that users should reconsider accepting Microsoft’s default of storing BitLocker keys in the cloud when signing into Windows with a Microsoft account.
- Microsoft Paint can now make AI coloring books. Paint is getting a new AI-powered coloring book feature on Copilot Plus PCs that lets users make blank coloring templates using a text prompt. Notepad is also getting the ability to stream AI-generated results for Write, Rewrite, and Summarize features, as well as support for additional Markdown syntax features, including strikethrough formatting and nested lists.
- Winapp is Microsoft’s new command line utility for developers. Microsoft has released a public preview of its new Windows App Development CLI (winapp) utility. The open-source utility is aimed at Windows app developers, to make it easier to work across multiple frameworks and toolchains. Microsoft states it’s perfect for any developer “wanting native Windows features or targeting Windows.”
- The Surface Pro 12 now has better Surface Pen support. Microsoft has released new firmware updates for the Surface Pro 12 this week that improve stylus support on the device. Microsoft states, “We’ve fixed issues where the Surface Slim Pen 2 unexpectedly loses pairing after inking, pen erasing isn’t stable, and the cursor position isn’t aligned to the pen during hovering.” The firmware updates also protect against security vulnerabilities that could lead to “unexpected shutdowns and privilege escalation.”
- Windows 11’s ability to resume Android apps on your PC is getting closer. Microsoft is getting ready to improve Windows 11’s ability to resume Android apps on a PC. The software giant first introduced its cross-device handoff feature last year, letting Windows 11 users resume OneDrive sessions from their Android device on a PC. Now, it’s expanding this to Spotify playback, browsing sessions, and Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The feature is very similar to Apple’s Handoff, which lets you resume tasks across Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. Microsoft has started testing these additions with the Release Preview ring of Windows 11, which means they’ll be released to all Windows 11 users imminently.
- Microsoft illegally installed cookies on school devices, says Austrian data protection authority. Austria-based campaign group None of Your Business (noyb) has won a ruling against Microsoft over the use of Microsoft 365 Education in schools with the Austrian data protection authority (DSB). The authority found that Microsoft acted unlawfully by placing tracking cookies on devices of a minor using Microsoft 365 Education. Microsoft told The Register that “Microsoft 365 for Education meets all required data protection standards and institutions in the education sector” and that it’s reviewing the Austrian data protection authority’s decision.
- Microsoft has patched a zero-day vulnerability in Office. Microsoft has issued updates for a variety of Office apps this week, to address a security feature bypass that was discovered by Google’s threat intelligence group. Affected Office versions include Office 2016, Office 2019, Office LTSC 2021 and 2024, and Microsoft 365 apps.
