Microsoft’s 24H2 update for Windows 11 has been making its way to users in a somewhat erratic fashion, and the experience has been anything but smooth for many. Numerous individuals, including members of the hardware team, have encountered a variety of perplexing issues since the installation. Reports of game stuttering, unexpected crashes, and audio devices vanishing into thin air have become commonplace.
Known Issues and User Experiences
Microsoft has been diligently documenting these known issues on its Windows release health page. The latest entry highlights problems related to Auto HDR, where certain display configurations have led to incorrect game colors and, in some instances, complete game crashes. Additionally, there’s a mention of audio complications affecting a “limited set of devices from one manufacturer,” specifically those utilizing Dirac Audio with cridspapo.dll. However, both my colleague Nick Evanson and I have experienced audio issues despite not using Dirac Audio. My own struggles include audio devices disappearing, refusing to switch over during meetings, and a rather annoying crackling sound.
These challenges arose immediately following the update, which also disrupted many of my drivers, necessitating a manual reinstallation. To add to the chaos, my Windows notifications have taken on a life of their own, appearing and disappearing in clusters.
Polling the hardware team for their experiences post-update reveals even more peculiarities. Jacob Fox has reported animation glitches while minimizing and maximizing windows, an issue that seems to resonate with numerous users online. In an effort to mitigate this, he has disabled animations entirely, resulting in a rather stripped-down Windows experience. Meanwhile, Nick has been grappling with Chrome, which has developed a tendency to freeze page rendering midway, leaving the bottom half of the page unresponsive while the top remains active.
As for my own experience, the update has not only affected audio and notifications but has also introduced stuttering and hangs in games that previously ran smoothly, such as Diablo 4 and No Man’s Sky, both of which typically maintain over 100 fps on my machine. After spending an evening combing through forums for potential fixes—an endeavor I would rather avoid—I stumbled upon suggestions to disable fast startup and hibernation to alleviate these gaming issues. To my surprise, this approach worked for me.
These anecdotes, while subjective, may prove beneficial for others facing similar challenges since the update. Compounding the situation is the ongoing Ubisoft debacle, which has resulted in the 24H2 update being withheld from machines with certain Ubisoft games installed, such as Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, to prevent crashes. Ubisoft has been proactive in issuing hotfixes, yet some titles remain unresolved.
Previous issues associated with the 24H2 update have included the notorious audio jump scare bug and the Western Digital SSD BSOD bug, among a myriad of other pre-launch complications. It appears that the 24H2 update continues to be a source of frustration for many users. While it’s not uncommon for major Windows updates to bring about widespread issues, this particular patch seems to have generated more than its fair share of headaches.
As we look forward to the holiday season, one can only hope that Microsoft addresses these bugs swiftly. After all, there are games to enjoy, and spending time troubleshooting is hardly the ideal way to unwind during the festive period.
