Windows 11 24H2 is plagued with more bugs including weird installation errors and crashes affecting PC gamers
- Windows 11 24H2 November cumulative update introduces more bugs
- There are some very strange cases of repeated installation errors
- Another bug is reportedly causing crashes while gaming
Windows 11 24H2 has run into more bug issues – some of them quite strange – thanks to the latest update released for this most up-to-date version of the operating system.
Windows Latest highlights some of the new issues revealed with the November cumulative update, which was released last week.
One of the stumbling blocks for some Windows 11 24H2 users is that the new update, patch KB5046617, simply cannot be installed – and fails with one of those useless error codes (0x800f0991 and 0x800f0922 are highlighted as a few of the most common errors appear) . Sometimes this happens when the installation process is almost halfway through.
A new twist on this is that some Windows 11 users are reporting that the November patch appears to install fine, but when you check into Windows Update history afterwards, a message pops up saying it actually failed. In another case, a Redditor reports that this update has been installed a few times, despite appearing to be successful each time.
There are quite widespread reports of various installation problems in the usual places online, such as Answers.com from Microsoft help forum and Reddit.
There are a number of other issues highlighted by Windows Latest, including the update that promises to fix that annoying issue where Alt-Tabbing led to a big pause (and black screen) when switching between apps. Apparently this has been fixed for some users, but not for others.
PC gamers also run into problems with glitches that cause strange colors in HDR (in some cases appearing overly bright), and some PCs crash randomly while playing games (and at other times too, but more often while gaming, we are told). Annoying.
Other miscellaneous issues include taskbar icons disappearing, USB devices connected to hubs no longer working after KB5046617 is installed, and Lenovo laptops whose keyboards and touchpads are not working properly – which the tech site says has been fixed by Fast Startup to switch off.
Analysis: Stormy waters
The stormy seas that Windows 11 24H2 is trying to navigate don’t seem to be getting any calmer – we’ve seen plenty of bugs with the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system, and there’s a whole lot more on the way thanks to this latest patch. it doesn’t help.
Of course, installation errors are nothing new; in fact, these come up with depressing regularity. The case where the November Update appears to install fine, but then is reported as failed in Windows Update is a new wrinkle. What we don’t know is if the bug is the message informing the user of the error, or if the bug is an update that apparently installs properly when in reality it doesn’t. It’s all very strange, and the Redditor seeing the update install repeatedly, with no word of a failure, caps the strangeness here.
Going back to the issue of Alt-Tab failing and being very slow, there are suggestions and tricks you can try for those who find the November update doesn’t fix this problem. Try disabling Game Mode first, and if that doesn’t help, update your graphics driver to the latest version for Nvidia GPUs (this won’t hurt AMD or Intel graphics cards either).
Otherwise, we’ll have to wait until the next Windows 11 24H2 update comes out and hopefully eradicate this bug for good – and the new ones that surfaced in KB5046617. As we’ve said before, did you ever get the feeling that Microsoft is playing a game here?
