UPDATE: When Microsoft rolled out another Windows 11 24H2 update for this month’s Patch Tuesday, instead of fixing existing issues, the update created more havoc, causing conflicts with audio, Bluetooth, webcams, and more.
In October, after months of beta testing, Microsoft officially released its major 2024 update for Windows 11. Known as Windows 11 24H2, the latest version enhances the Copilot AI, improves File Explorer, promises faster performance and greater stability, and introduces other improvements.
The update, which is rolling out to eligible Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2 users, may appear on your PC’s Windows Update screen. If so, you can certainly install it from there. Otherwise, the new version is accessible on Microsoft’s Download Windows 11 page, where you can grab it through the Installation Assistant, installation media, or as an ISO file.
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But before you dive into the 2024 update, you may want to reconsider. The new version has been plagued by bugs that could prevent you from using Windows reliably and effectively. Microsoft has documented some of the glitches, and Windows users have reported others. In response, Microsoft has put the update on hold for problematic PCs that could encounter blue screens and other issues.
To address the barrage of bugs, the company has rolled out several sets of patches so far — one in late October, another in mid-November, and a third on December 10 as part of the monthly Patch Tuesday. A January patch also addressed a conflict with several Ubisoft games, while another update on January’s Patch Tuesday attempted to address other issues.
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The October update fixed a few bugs but also created a couple of new ones. The November update resolved several, but certainly not all, of the outstanding glitches. The December update fixed one specific glitch with certain USB-connected scanners and other devices. The early January patch finally fixed conflicts with the Ubisoft games Star Wars Outlaws, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Assassin’s Creed Origins, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
Then the January 14 update introduced new conflicts with audio, Bluetooth, webcams, and more. At this point, the update has turned into an albatross around Microsoft’s neck. Here are just some of the issues you may encounter if you jump to the new version.
1. Conflict with PCs with Citrix components
In one glitch introduced with the January Patch Tuesday update, PCs with certain Citrix components may not be able to complete the installation of the January patches. Microsoft said it found this issue on devices with Citrix Session Recording Agent (SRA) version 2411, which was released in December. The company is working with Citrix to resolve the problem.
2. Problem with Bluetooth headphones
The January Patch Tuesday update may disable the audio for certain Bluetooth headphones. Though the headphones will still connect, no audio is produced. Unpairing and then re-pairing the headphones doesn’t fix the problem. The only resolution is to remove the update itself.
3. Trouble with with built-in webcams
After applying the January update, certain webcams may no longer be detected. Users on Microsoft’s Feedback Hub have also reported “Device cannot start” errors on Dell 4K monitors with built-in webcams.
4. Conflict with games
After applying the January update, pressing Alt+Tab could freeze and crash your PC when switching away from certain games. Ctrl+Alt+Del and Task Manager may not work, affecting titles such as Fortnite and Assassin’s Creed.
5. Inability to install future updates
If you installed the Windows 11 24H2 update through a CD or USB flash drive anytime between Oct. 8, 2024, and Nov. 12, 2024, you may be unable to run any future security updates. That means you’re stuck if new vulnerabilities are discovered and you need to patch the OS. The problem doesn’t occur if you installed or updated Windows 11 24H2 through Windows Update or the Microsoft Update Catalog website.
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“When using media to install Windows 11, version 24H2, the device might remain in a state where it cannot accept further Windows security updates,” Microsoft has explained on its Windows 11, version 24H2 known issues and notifications page.
What’s the fix? If you haven’t yet run the updates from the past few months for Windows 11 24H2 and want to install them via CD or USB drive, be sure to grab the latest version from Microsoft’s Download Windows 11 page. If you’ve already updated Windows 11 24H2 through physical media and can’t install the latest patches, be patient. Microsoft is working on a fix for the problem.
6. Auto HDR feature conflict with games
Windows 11 24H2 users with Auto HDR enabled could find that many games fail to display the right colors, while some may not respond at all. Auto HDR tries to enhance the graphics for games by converting standard dynamic range (SDR) content to high dynamic range (HDR). Microsoft has paused the update for affected PCs. If you’ve already installed the 2024 update, you can sneak past the problem by simply turning off Auto HDR through the display settings in Windows.
7. Conflict with Easy Anti-Cheat online gaming app
A program known as Easy Anti-Cheat is automatically installed with some online games to prevent cheating. Windows 11 2024 doesn’t play well with this software — users can experience the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), at least in rare cases, according to Microsoft.
Only devices with Intel’s Alder Lake+ processors and vPro platform are affected. Microsoft is working with the developer of Easy Anti-Cheat to resolve the glitch. Until then, those who run this app on PCs with the affected Intel chip should be aware of the conflict.
8. Blue screens in other instances
Beyond the clash with Easy Anti-Cheat, other situations can lead to the BSOD in the Windows 11 2024 update. Intel and Microsoft have discovered incompatibility issues with certain drivers for Intel Smart Sound Technology (Intel SST) on Intel 11th Gen Core processors. People running the affected driver and Windows 11 24H2 could run into blue screens.
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Sources told Windows Latest that Microsoft is reportedly aware of a glitch in the 24H2 update that causes blue screening for PCs with certain Western Digital SSDs. This one has affected Lenovo, Asus VivoBook, and other model computers.
In another issue spotted by Windows Latest, PCs with Z890 motherboards sold by MSI, Asus, and other vendors can run into blue screens. This occurs most notably on systems with the Core Ultra 200S series and its integrated Xe-LPG graphics.
9. Disappearing mouse pointer
A bug in Windows 11 24H2 and other recent Windows updates causes the mouse pointer or cursor to vanish in Chromium-based apps such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, according to Windows Latest. The glitch only occurs when you interact with a text input field, though there is a workaround for it, which Windows Latest describes in its article.
10. Internet connection issues
Some people who’ve installed the Windows 11 2024 update report that their internet connections are now glitchy. As discovered by Windows Report, these users seem to be able to connect via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, but they don’t receive a valid IP address and therefore can’t get an internet or network connection.
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Neither updating drivers and firmware nor resetting the network connectivity resolves the problem. In certain cases, using a static IP address instead of a dynamic address resolves the issue.
11. Time zone glitch
Unless you have administrative privileges in Windows, you may be unable to change the time zone at the Date & Time screen in Windows Settings. In this case, the time zone option fails to even appear. Microsoft has tagged this bug as mitigated, which means it hasn’t been fixed, but there is a workaround. Just head to the old Date and Time setting in Control Panel and change it from there.
12. Broken clipboard history
The Windows clipboard history is a great tool for storing and syncing a history of copied clipboard items across multiple devices. I’ve liked this feature ever since Microsoft introduced it in 2018. Alas, the latest Windows 11 update breaks the clipboard history, at least for some people.
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As spotted by Windows Latest, dozens of users chiming in on different online forums report that the tool keeps insisting that the clipboard history is empty, even though they’ve already copied one or more items to it. Though this bug seems to affect only a small number of users, it was flagged by Windows Insider testers a few months ago. But apparently, Microsoft didn’t bother to fix it or didn’t fix it properly.
13. Network sharing doesn’t work
In another network-related issue triggered by the 24H2 update on some PCs, either the computer or other devices fail to appear in the network list, according to Windows Latest. As a result, you’re unable to share files and printers between different PCs.
The problem could be related to Function Discovery Resource Publication (FDResPub), which lets Windows 11 remain visible on the network. As a workaround, some people have resolved the glitch by setting FDResPub to start manually instead of automatically.
14. Printer issues with ARM-based Copilot+ PCs
Yet another issue that has been popping up affects people who own Copilot+ PCs. Based on several user reports spotted by Neowin, some users who upgrade to Windows 11 24H2 are unable to set up or use a printer. The glitch seems to be hitting those with printers made by HP, Canon, Brother, and other manufacturers.
Microsoft has posted a support article highlighting the problem and offering some workarounds. But at this point, this bug remains unresolved.
15. Audio output glitch on some PCs
PCs that contain Dirac Audio with a file named cridspapo.dll could bump into audio issues. Dirac Audio is a digital sound technology that improves audio clarity and precision. Some users with this configuration who ran the update say that the integrated speakers, Bluetooth speakers, and Bluetooth headsets have stopped working and that first-party and third-party applications no longer recognize these speakers or headsets.
As with most of the bugs, Microsoft has paused the update for affected PCs. Once the manufacturer releases a fix, Microsoft promises to offer a new driver through the standard Windows Update process.
16. Outlook may not launch with Google Workspace Sync
In some cases, Microsoft Outlook may fail to load if Google Workspace Sync is installed. This particular Google Workspace Sync tool lets you manage your Google Workspace emails, calendar events, contacts, notes, and tasks directly in Outlook.
The specific error that pops up says: “Cannot Start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot Open the Outlook Window. The set of folders cannot be opened. An unexpected error has occurred. MAPI was unable to load the information service…”
Microsoft has put a hold on the update for affected users. You may be able to resolve the issue on your own by updating to the latest version of Google Workspace Sync (4.3.68.0). But if the glitch persists, you’ll have to contact Google Workspace Support for help.
These are just some of the glitches plaguing Microsoft and its users with the Windows 11 2024 update. Microsoft has listed others on its Known Issues and Notifications page.
I installed the update on a test Windows 11 PC and have encountered a few of the bugs described here, along with others. A calendar and contact syncing program I use called Sync2Cloud won’t run in Windows 11 24H2. Two driver updates from Intel keep failing when I try to install them. Connecting to the PC using Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Connection doesn’t always work the first time around.
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Some conflicts are expected when Microsoft rolls out a major new Windows update. Even with widescale beta testing, not every potential problem will be found. However, issues like these are still frustrating for those of us who need to use Windows for work and other tasks.
The number of bugs in Windows 11 24H2 also seems greater than in past annual Windows updates. The ongoing spread of one bug after another and Microsoft’s need to stall the update for many people both point to a problem with this latest update. Until more of these bugs can be squashed, Windows 11 users may want to hold off on the 2024 update and stick with their current version.
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