problems Archives

Winsage

June 2, 2025

Microsoft ships emergency patch to fix Windows 11 installation issues

Microsoft has addressed a significant issue affecting certain Windows 11 systems after the installation of the KB5058405 security update from May 2025. Users reported encountering 0xc0000098 recovery errors linked to ACPI.sys, indicating that the operating system could not be loaded. This problem primarily affects Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2 in enterprise settings, particularly among Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Virtual Desktop, and on-premises virtual machines hosted on platforms like Citrix or Hyper-V. Microsoft has released the KB5062170 non-security out-of-band update to resolve the installation and boot problems, which can be manually installed from the Microsoft Update Catalog. For Azure customers facing difficulties after implementing the May 2025 update, Microsoft recommends using Azure Virtual Machine repair commands as a temporary workaround. Users of Windows Home or Pro editions in home environments are unlikely to encounter these issues.

AppWizard

June 2, 2025

People Can Fly lays off staff as it cans two projects

Polish developer People Can Fly has decided to scale down its teams after canceling two projects, Gemini and Bifrost. CEO Sebastian Wojciechowski announced the halt in development due to issues with their publishing partner for Gemini and funding problems for Bifrost. The studio has faced challenges in recent years, including the termination of a publishing deal with Take-Two Interactive in 2022 and two rounds of layoffs in 2024. Despite these setbacks, the studio announced a collaboration with The Coalition on Gears of War: E-Day, set for early 2025.

Winsage

June 1, 2025

A week of hell with my Windows 11 PC really makes me appreciate the simplicity of Google’s Chromebook laptops

The author's PC experienced significant issues while trying to run DOOM: The Dark Ages, primarily due to problems with NVIDIA RTX graphics drivers on a system equipped with an Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA RTX 5080. The Windows 11 Start Menu became unresponsive, leading to a complete system failure despite attempts to roll back and update drivers. The author used a USB drive with a Linux installer as a temporary solution but continued to face crashes. Attempts to reinstall Windows were complicated by an incorrectly formatted USB stick, which needed to be exFAT. Ultimately, the author resolved the issues by wiping both SSDs and creating fresh partitions. The author also noted the complexity and bloat of Windows 11 compared to the simplicity of ChromeOS, which has become a reliable alternative for tasks and gaming.

Winsage

May 30, 2025

Still on Windows 11 23H2 because you’re worried 24H2 is a disaster for PC gaming? Microsoft’s latest update could persuade you to finally upgrade

The latest optional patch for Windows 11, identified as KB5058499, addresses critical issues affecting PC games, particularly those using Nvidia GPUs. It resolves problems such as games freezing upon launch and specific titles becoming unresponsive after upgrading to version 24H2. The patch also targets a memory leak within the ‘Input Service,’ which may contribute to input lag and blue screen crashes linked to ‘memory management’ errors. The root cause of the game lock-up problem was found to be within the Windows 11 kernel, not Nvidia's graphics drivers. Users can install the patch to potentially restore functionality to their games or wait for the full cumulative update scheduled for June 10.

AppWizard

May 29, 2025

Elden Ring Nightreign’s first patch warns of possible PC performance problems on some setups

Elden Ring Nightreign is launching at 3 PM PT and 6 PM ET, accompanied by patch version 1.01, which includes updates such as improved handling of playable characters, soundtrack adjustments, text adjustments, balance adjustments, added character scenarios, and bug fixes. There is a caution regarding potential frame rate drops on certain PC configurations, particularly with the latest graphics cards. Players unable to launch the game can verify game files via Steam. To mitigate performance issues, players are advised to lower graphics settings and ensure their graphics card drivers are up to date. The developers are investigating the frame rate drop issue.

Winsage

May 29, 2025

Microsoft Confirms New Update Failure For Windows Users

Microsoft is investigating issues with Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2 related to the May 13, 2025 security update (KB5058405), which has caused installation failures. Users are encountering a recovery error stating, “Your PC/Device needs to be repaired,” linked to the ACPI.sys driver, with the error code 0xc0000098. This issue affects not only personal computers but also virtual environments, including Azure Virtual Machines and Citrix or Hyper-V hosted machines. Earlier, Microsoft addressed similar problems for Windows 10 users experiencing BitLocker Recovery screens during the installation of the same security update. Microsoft has released the KB5061977 out-of-band update for Windows 11 in response to these ongoing challenges.

Winsage

May 29, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27868 (Canary Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27868 has been released to the Canary Channel. There are no plans to release SDKs for the 27xxx series builds. The voice access feature has been enhanced with a new in-product experience to highlight new features. A fix has been implemented for pen input issues on certain PCs, and problems with launching applications like Spotify from the Microsoft Store have been addressed. A rendering issue in the Group Policy Editor for some display languages has been corrected, and a SYSTEMTHREADEXCEPTIONNOTHANDLED bugcheck issue has been fixed. Known issues include potential loss of Windows Hello PIN and biometrics for Copilot+ PCs transitioning to the Canary Channel, an Administrative Templates error in the Group Policy Editor, taskbar display issues after upgrading, and audio problems with high sampling rate devices. Applications reliant on virtualization will require the "Windows Hypervisor Platform" component when Virtualization Based Security is enabled. Search and filtering options in Task Manager are currently non-operational. Insiders in the Canary Channel should note that builds reflect early development changes and may not align with any specific Windows release. Features may not reach the general public, and a clean installation is required to exit the Canary Channel. The desktop watermark is standard for pre-release builds.

Winsage

May 29, 2025

Microsoft: Windows 11 might fail to start after installing KB5058405

Microsoft has acknowledged that some Windows 11 systems may experience startup failures after installing the KB5058405 cumulative update, resulting in a 0xc0000098 recovery error related to ACPI.sys. This issue affects Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2, particularly in enterprise settings like Azure Virtual Machines and on-premises virtual machines. Home users are less likely to encounter these problems. Microsoft is investigating the issue and will provide updates.

AppWizard

May 29, 2025

F1 25 – Ray Tracing & Path Tracing Benchmarks

EA has made F1 25 available to players who purchased its Iconic Version, utilizing the EGO Engine with Ray Tracing and Path Tracing support. The game was benchmarked on a system with an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. In benchmarks on the Singapore track, F1 25 achieved a minimum of 173FPS and an average of 189FPS at Native 4K without Ray Tracing. With Ray Tracing enabled, it maintained over 70FPS at Native 4K. Activating DLSS 4 Quality Mode increased frame rates to 90-100FPS, and Multi-Frame Generation X4 reached up to 300FPS. Path Tracing resulted in a minimum of 29FPS and an average of 35FPS at Native 4K, with DLSS 4 Performance Mode recommended for better performance. Visual comparisons show significant differences between Ray Tracing and Path Tracing, with some visual issues reported, including problems with rain effects and flickering during motion. The recommended optimal experience is using Ray Tracing effects without Ray Reconstruction.

Winsage

May 28, 2025

The Windows File Explorer is still so bad when it comes to networked drives

File Explorer in Windows 11 has usability issues, particularly with sluggish search functionality and problems accessing networked drives. Users often experience drives disappearing after reboot, inaccessibility to files, and freezing of File Explorer, with error codes like c0000375 indicating deeper issues. The networked drive feature relies on outdated technology, as Microsoft has deprecated older protocols like SMBv1, complicating file sharing. Users can mitigate freezing by restarting File Explorer and ensuring network settings are correctly configured, such as setting Wi-Fi to private and enabling file sharing options. Excessive pinned items in Quick Access can cause crashes, and clearing the cache may resolve these issues. Alternatives to File Explorer, like XYplorer and File Pilot, can provide better access to networked drives. Overall, the challenges stem from outdated technology and the corruption of the Quick Access cache, with third-party solutions available for relief.