Windows 11 was plagued by a bug in the 22H2 update that affects some users, causing stuttering in games and forcing Microsoft to block the update for those people – but the good news is that the software giant has now rolled out a fix.
The solution to this annoying glitch is included in the patch code KB5020044 (opens in a new tab), a recently deployed cumulative update – but keep in mind that this is still a preview update. In other words, the patch is still in testing, but you can download it as normal by checking in Windows Update.
You may recall that Microsoft recently took action against this bug when the software giant removed games and apps that were problematic and suffered from stuttering, and therefore lifted the 22H2 update lock for many people, leaving only those who ran the problematic game (or games) cannot be updated.
With this full fix, after applying it, anyone can upgrade, regardless of what games they have installed on their Windows 11 PC. (By the way, Microsoft did not share details of which PC games or apps were causing the slowdown issue that it was related to GPU debugging features that were turned on by mistake and debugging is resource consuming).
Analysis: Grab it now – or wait a little longer?
It’s good to see the resolution to this bug coming relatively quickly as it was naturally frustrating for those who were locked out of updating to 22H2 due to the glitch.
That said, be aware that since KB5020044 is a preview update, installing it may have unforeseen consequences as it is still in the testing phase. But that said, if you’re finally looking to upgrade to 22H2 after being locked down by security for a while, chances are you’ll want to give it a whirl.
More cautious picks, however, should wait for the full release of this update. The finished version of this patch will be released in mid-December, which is just a few weeks away, and if there are any imperfections in the preview version, any wrinkles should be removed by then. (Or we certainly hope so, although from past experience we can’t take anything for granted when it comes to patching Windows.)
So the choice is yours, but even if you don’t feel like risking a fix now, you can just wait a little longer knowing that the full version of the cure is literally just around the corner.
This cumulative update is actually quite large and includes some other major bug fixes in addition to addressing these gaming issues. This includes some important fixes for problems with File Explorer – the beating heart of Windows’ interface that allows you to browse folders and the files they contain – including a bug that caused File Explorer to crash completely and burn (pretty catastrophic situation, introducing a full reboot).
By the way, if you need help with any issue, check out our full guide to troubleshooting common Windows 11 issues.
By Computer player (opens in a new tab)