Microsoft blocks Windows 11 24H2 update for some PCs following bug onslaught

Microsoft's Windows 11 24H2 update isn't exactly going too well. Since officially rolling out on October 1, the update has been plagued by one bug after another. Some have been minor, others more serious. But in light of the multitude of glitches, the company has been forced to pause the update for a variety of PCs.

Just some of the problems that have hit the 2024 update include a System File Checker bug, a cache file deletion glitch, a conflict with the Easy Anti-Cheat online gaming app, the Blue Screen of Death in various situations, disappearing mouse pointers, internet connection issues, a fingerprint sensor glitch, and a broken clipboard history. As Microsoft struggles to keep up with the mounting surge of bugs, blocking the update for affected PCs seems to be its only recourse. 

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A new glitch discovered last Friday impacts certain Asus computers, specifically the X415KA and X515KA models. People who own one of these PCs and try to run the 24H2 update may bump into the Blue Screen of Death, preventing them from completing the installation. As a result, Microsoft has put a hold on the update for the affected computers as it works with Asus to try to fix the problem.

Several other issues have prompted Microsoft to halt the update in certain situations.

People who run an audio program called Voicemeeter could encounter blue screens after installing the 2024 update. Citing an incompatibility between VoiceMeeter's driver and the latest memory manager in Windows 11 24H2, the company has put a hold on the update for PCs with this application.

In another scenario requiring Microsoft to pause the update, you may run into problems using your PC's integrated camera if object or face detection features are enabled. This can cause unresponsiveness in certain programs and features, including the Camera app, facial recognition via Windows Hello, and other applications that work with the built-in camera.

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Microsoft has also paused the update for PCs with version 3.7 or lower of an application called Safe Exam Browser. In this case, the program may fail to load if the update has been installed. Though discovered in September, Microsoft and the Safe Exam Browser developers are still trying to find a fix for this bug.

The conflict with the Easy Anti-Cheat online gaming app has prompted a pause on the 24H2 update, this time for PCs with Intel's Alder Lake+ processors and vPro platform. The issue causes affected PCs to stop responding and display a blue screen with a memory management error. This is another problem that's been on Microsoft's to-do list to resolve since September.

Other bugs that have forced Microsoft to temporarily cancel the 24H2 update include the fingerprint sensor glitch, conflicts with wallpaper customization utilities, compatibility issues with Intel Smart Sound Technology drivers, and a problem with the Asphalt 8 driving game. Each issue was discovered in September, and Microsoft is still striving to fix them all.

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I also encountered several bugs when I installed the 2024 update on a test Windows 11 computer. A calendar and contact syncing program I use called Sync2Cloud fails to run in Windows 11 24H2. Two driver updates from Intel refuse to install. Connecting to the PC using Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection doesn't always work the first time around. Though this is a test PC, I had to roll back to the prior version of Windows 11 to continue using it.

I've been struck by the sheer volume of bugs appearing in the 2024 update. I can't say that the number has necessarily been greater than in previous years. But I do know that, in the past, I typically installed each annual update sooner rather than later, a sign that the update was relatively stable. However, this time around, the new version seems especially buggy, which means I'm avoiding it on all my Windows 11 PCs for now.

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For people unaffected by the pause in the update, Windows 11 24H2 may show up automatically as a Windows update, asking if you want to install it. Others can manually grab the update from Microsoft's Download Windows 11 page. Either way, you'll want to steer clear of this update until most or all of these annoying bugs can be squashed.

If you've already installed the update and want to roll back, head to Settings, select System, and then select Recovery. Click the Go Back button and follow the steps to revert your PC to the previous version of Windows 11.