Latest Windows 11 update gives some PCs a real speed boost for gaming – if you don’t run into some reportedly nasty bugs

Microsoft’s latest update for Windows 11 arrived last week, and the patch for September 2024 delivers some nice boosts for PC gaming on some machines with AMD Ryzen processors – but it has emerged there are some catches reportedly present in the form of bugs.

The September patch (KB5043076) comes packing the full release of the branch prediction code improvements that benefit Ryzen 7000 or newer CPUs that we saw in last month’s optional update. We’re talking about frame rate boosts to the tune of 10% or more in some cases, which will doubtless delight gamers. (These improvements were actually witnessed in Windows 11 24H2 first, but were backported to the current 23H2 version).

Because of this major stride for gaming on modern Ryzen processors, more folks have rushed to download the latest cumulative update for Windows 11 – and they’ve encountered some nasty problems.

If you install update KB5043076 and face issues, you’re not alone

Unfortunately, Windows Latest reports that some users have found update KB5043076 fails to install, or they’ve hit other problems like File Explorer crashing when trying to open it from the taskbar. 

A similar problem with File Explorer was observed in August’s optional update, so it seems that this bug has carried over into the September update. 

Another problem you might bump into after installing this update is that your device’s Phishing Protection in Windows Security (which is important for keeping you safe from online scams) might be switched off after restarting or shutting down your PC.

Furthermore, one user has taken to Microsoft’s Feedback Hub to report issues with specific Windows system files that affect certain key features like User Account Control. 

Other issues that have been observed are Windows 11’s search feature taking longer than usual to load, certain apps failing to run, issues with internet connectivity, and the PC’s restart and shutdown functions not working.

How you can deal with these problems (for now)

KB5043076, the update for September 2024, is a mandatory patch, meaning it will automatically be delivered to your Windows 23H2 (or 22H2) PC. If these reported problems make you nervous, you could pause your updates – although only for up to a month on Windows 11 Home installations. Remember, though, that without the September update, you will be lacking some vital security fixes that are inevitably part of these patches.

Those experiencing problems already having installed the September patch could remove it. To do so, simply go to Windows Update (in Settings) and then Update History, where you’ll find the option to Uninstall Updates – here, you can find the patch which is KB5043076 as we’ve mentioned, and elect to uninstall it. After that, you can pause updates (for a month, as noted).

Microsoft has yet to comment on these reported issues with the September 2024 update, but we’ll let you know if we hear from the company, or anything about fixes being implemented.

We are waiting for the full rollout of Windows 11 version 24H2, which should be coming pretty soon, and patches like this one don’t give me the greatest confidence in Microsoft, it has to be said.

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