Windows 11 Issues: Common Bugs & Appropriate Fixes

Microsoft’s latest operating system version Windows 11 has been available since October 2021. But users still complain about various errors. We summarize some common bugs and tell you how to solve the problems.

By Sebastian Weber

Problems detecting your printer

Windows 11 sometimes has problems recognizing printers that are connected to the PC via USB. Brother devices are particularly affected. This error comes in different forms on Windows 11:

• The PC does not recognize the printer at all.
• The PC recognizes the device, but not as a printer or as the correct model.
• The PC recognizes the printer correctly, but settings suddenly change or you have to enter your admin password for every print job.

You can work around this error by not connecting the printer via USB but, for example, via WLAN if your printer supports it. Microsoft has also released an update for Windows 11 (KB5006746), which should remedy the situation.

Declining or poor performance

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Various patches ensure that performance problems in Windows 11 are fixed.

Image: © Microsoft 2021

No matter how strong the hardware of your PC is, under Windows 11 your computer can quickly reach its limits. Microsoft has already addressed three problems:

• High memory usage: Windows Explorer can take a huge toll on your computer’s memory for no apparent reason. If you see this error, install the Windows update KB5006746.
• Poor performance with AMD Ryzen processors: Some Ryzen processors exhibit latency issues on Windows 11. This reduces performance by up to 15 percent. This is particularly noticeable in games. In this case, the above mentioned patch KB5006746 also help.
• Slow SSD storage: SSDs, especially NVMe SSDs, actually score with their high read and write speeds. However, Windows 11 burdens some models with an unnecessarily large number of write accesses, which depresses performance. The update KB5007262 fixes this problem.

Incorrect color display on HDR monitors

HDR monitors should display exposure and colors intensively and realistically. Windows 11 sometimes causes problems, so that white tones are output incorrectly. This affects all light colors.

This problem is particularly evident in image editing programs. Microsoft has come up with the update KB5008353 already addressed this bug.

Kaspersky software has stopped working

If you use Kaspersky’s popular antivirus program and it won’t start (anymore), reinstalling the tool can help.

However, it could also be a known Windows 11 bug that is blocking the program. The result: it does not update correctly. With the Windows update KB5007262 should fix this bug.

Problems with Intel audio driver

Every Windows user knows and fears the so-called blue screen. It signals a complete crash of the PC, where only a restart helps and all unsaved data is lost.

This is exactly what can happen to you regularly on Windows 11 computers that use Intel’s Smart Sound technology. Driver problems are to blame. Microsoft doesn’t have a solution for this yet, but Intel has one provided new driverwho can help.

You can check whether you need this driver in the Device Manager:

1. Press the Windows and Pause keys at the same time. This will take you to the System Info window where Device Manager is linked – open it.
2. Scroll down to “System devices” and click on the small arrow next to it to display all system devices.
3. Look for the “Intel Smart Sound Technology (Intel SST) audio controller” in this list and double-click it.
4. In the “Driver” tab you will find the “Driver Version”. If it is 10.29.0.5152, 10.30.0.5152 or even older, download the linked update.

Regular Windows updates recommended

Since Microsoft regularly releases updates for Windows 11, you should continuously check for new patches for the operating system.

They fix most issues in a timely manner, and they often fix security vulnerabilities that developers have noticed or reported. Such vulnerabilities could otherwise be used by criminals to install malware on your computer, for example.

summary

• Windows 11 had and has various teething problems, which Microsoft often fixes in a timely manner with updates.
• It’s a good idea to check regularly for new patches for Windows 11. This is how Microsoft fixes problems and closes security gaps.
• Some errors can be solved with workarounds – for example, not connecting the printer to the PC via USB, but via WLAN.