Windows 11 systems Archives

Winsage

September 26, 2026

Microsoft: Recent Windows updates cause desktop loading issues

Microsoft has acknowledged that some users may experience desktop loading issues, specifically black screens, after installing the August 2026 preview updates and subsequent releases. This problem mainly affects Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) hosts using FSLogix. Symptoms include a black screen post-sign-in and crashes related to Windows Explorer, which can be temporarily resolved by manually launching Windows Explorer through Task Manager. For enterprise customers, Microsoft has introduced a mitigation strategy via Known Issue Rollback (KIR), allowing IT administrators to reverse problematic updates by applying specific group policies. Additionally, Microsoft has addressed issues related to the loss of mouse and desktop settings on certain Windows 11 systems caused by the KB5120998 update.

Winsage

September 11, 2026

Microsoft fixes Teams, Outlook launch failures on ARM Windows PCs

Microsoft addressed a significant bug that affected the launch of Teams and Outlook on ARM-based Windows devices after updates from the August 2026 Patch Tuesday. The issue primarily impacted users of devices like the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 running Windows 11 24H2 or later, who had not installed necessary updates from the Microsoft Store. The bug caused Teams and Outlook to fail to launch or close unexpectedly following the installation of security updates released on or after August 11, 2026 (KB5121003). Classic versions of Outlook and other applications were not affected. A temporary workaround was suggested, involving updating the Auto Super Resolution Package. The bug was resolved through cumulative updates released on September 8, 2026 (KB5124012), and users were urged to install the latest updates for improvements and issue resolutions. Additionally, Microsoft acknowledged other issues related to updates from August, including disruptions in printing and PDF exporting due to .NET Framework updates, gaming problems from peripherals with RGB lighting, and alerts regarding Microsoft Defender Antivirus being disabled. They also fixed issues related to the loss of custom mouse settings and desktop configurations following the installation of the KB5120998 August 2026 preview update.

Winsage

September 10, 2026

Microsoft says September updates fix mouse settings reset issues

Microsoft acknowledged an issue with the KB5120998 August 2026 preview update for Windows 11, where mouse settings related to cursor personalization were altered or reset. This problem affected non-English Windows installations, causing personalized settings to fail to load and revert to standard configurations. The issue was resolved in the subsequent KB5124008 September 2026 cumulative update, which users were encouraged to install. KB5120998 was an optional update, potentially limiting the number of affected users. Additionally, Microsoft has been addressing various mouse-related issues in recent months, including problems with the Windows Recovery Environment and disappearing mouse pointers in Outlook.

Winsage

August 29, 2026

Windows 10 users have just weeks left before Nvidia ends Game Ready driver updates

Nvidia will stop rolling out new GeForce Game Ready drivers for Windows 10 after October 2026, providing only quarterly security updates and critical bug fixes until October 2029. The last Game Ready driver for Windows 10 will be released in October 2026, with the first driver excluding support for Windows 10 set for November 2026. Microsoft has extended its consumer Extended Security Updates program for Windows 10 until October 12, 2027. GPUs from the Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta architectures exited the Game Ready program in October 2025, with security updates available until October 2028. As of July 2026, Windows 10 is used by 24.8% of participating Windows PCs, while Windows 11 is used by 75%. Many users remain on Windows 10 due to hardware limitations and concerns over privacy and features in Windows 11.

AppWizard

August 26, 2026

Windows 11 Will Now Let Android Smartphone Users Shutdown Or Restart Their Systems Remotely Using The Native Phone Link App

Microsoft's Phone Link app for Windows 11 is set to introduce a feature allowing Android users to remotely shut down or restart their Windows 11 machines. Code findings indicate the presence of a "RemoteControlManager" component, along with labels confirming functionalities for initiating a "Restart" or "Shut down" from smartphones. Additional features may include the ability to perform updates remotely. A sleep feature is also in development, but it will prevent users from restarting or shutting down their devices until they unlock their computers. There is currently no official timeline for the rollout of these updates.

BetaBeacon

August 26, 2026

LDPlayer 14 vs LDPlayer 9 vs BlueStacks: 21% FPS Gap [2026]

LDPlayer 14 has moved to an Android 14 kernel, allowing newer titles that reject Android 9 installs to run natively. BlueStacks allows users to spin up separate instances running different Android versions, giving flexibility to users. LDPlayer 14 has introduced Eco Mode and an updated LDMultiplayer manager for running multiple accounts in parallel. LDPlayer 9 remains the stable version listed on LDPlayer's homepage and has a mature ecosystem of community macro and script tools. BlueStacks offers multiple Android versions from a single install, catering to users with a game library spanning old and new titles.

Winsage

August 25, 2026

Windows veteran’s vibe-coded Task Manager now also runs on Mac and Linux — downloadable app is the result of a 107-page spec fed to Claude Code

Dave W. Plummer has developed a new Task Manager called TMOG (Task Manager OG) from a 107-page specification. He is the original architect of the 80KB Task Manager for Windows NT 4.0, released in 1996. TMOG is compatible with Windows 11, macOS, and Linux. Plummer began working on TMOG while waiting at the hospital during his son's emergency appendectomy and completed a functional app by the time his son was discharged. He further enhanced TMOG during a subsequent hospital stay due to his son's internal bleeding. The app features 60 Hz animations and various customization options. Initial versions were created in four and a half hours and functioned well on the first attempt. User feedback on beta versions has been positive, although some minor issues remain.

Winsage

August 20, 2026

Microsoft says August Windows updates may cause gaming issues

Microsoft is investigating issues related to the August 2026 updates that may affect the launch of certain games or cause crashes on select Windows 11 systems. Users have reported problems such as games freezing, closing unexpectedly, encountering "EXCEPTIONACCESSVIOLATION" errors, and unexpected system restarts. The updates in question include KB5121003, which was part of the August 2026 Patch Tuesday and included enhancements like Secure Boot updates and improvements to File Explorer and Windows Search. Microsoft has encouraged affected gamers to report issues via the Feedback Hub app. In the past, Microsoft had to block Windows 24H2 upgrades due to known issues and lifted compatibility holds for several popular games.

Winsage

August 19, 2026

Is VLC taking an agonizingly long time to start up on Windows 11? Microsoft Defender is to blame

Users of VLC on Windows 11 have experienced delays of up to 33 seconds for MP3 playback due to a bug in Microsoft Defender that interferes with VLC's plugin cache. VideoLAN has clarified that this issue is not a reflection of VLC's reliability. Affected users can resolve the problem by adding the VLC folder as an exception in Windows Defender or by regenerating the plugin cache. Jonathan Blow, a game developer, highlighted the issue in a tweet, prompting discussions about the state of open-source software. Other users have reported similar delays, even on Windows 10. VideoLAN emphasized that the problem lies with Microsoft Defender, not with VLC itself.

Winsage

August 12, 2026

ShieldBreak: New Windows Zero-Day Bypasses Microsoft’s RoguePlanet Patch

Chaotic Eclipse, a security researcher, has revealed a proof-of-concept (PoC) for a new vulnerability called ShieldBreak, which is a zero-day flaw in Microsoft Defender that bypasses the patch for the previously identified CVE-2026-50656 (RoguePlanet). This vulnerability could allow attackers to execute code at the SYSTEM level on affected Windows systems. Chaotic Eclipse tested the PoC on the latest versions of Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025, achieving a 100% success rate. Windows 10 and its server editions are not supported by the PoC but remain vulnerable. Microsoft had issued security updates for RoguePlanet, which has a CVSS score of 7.8, affecting the Malware Protection Engine and representing a local privilege escalation issue. Chaotic Eclipse has previously disclosed two other zero-day vulnerabilities, YellowKey and GreenPlasma, which affect BitLocker and the Windows Collaborative Translation Framework, respectively. Microsoft criticized the public disclosure of these vulnerabilities as irresponsible and emphasized the importance of Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure.