The return of boot dread
Long-time Windows users are familiar with the suspense of system startups: Will the computer boot without hiccups today? Even if you were convinced that you hadn’t changed anything, the screen could stay black or be filled with error messages. This often led to desperation, frustration, time-consuming repair attempts, or even a complete reinstallation. Over the years, I had almost forgotten about all that, but now the suspense is back with a vengeance, bearing names like KB5035853 or KB5035849!
IT news outlets have had plenty of material for daily news lately. Headlines like “KB5034441 turns into a disaster” or “KB5032190 with faulty taskbar” sound cryptic but simply describe botched Windows updates and their consequences. Sometimes they won’t install, sometimes hardware doesn’t work as usual, or blue screens drive users to the brink. This has happened before, but the frequency (especially with Windows 11) is astonishing. For some time now, I’ve been double-checking that my backup is up to date before starting an update. And while I used to wait for my system to restart without concern, a slight sense of unease has crept in recently.
And there are consequences: Along with the mounting number of ads in the start menu and mandatory accounts, Windows feels increasingly devalued. On bad days, this venerable operating system feels like a cheap Chinese phone overloaded with bloatware and ads for other services, no longer reliable and no longer enjoyable. It's well-known that Microsoft makes much more money from its Azure and Office 365 services than from Windows itself, but it shouldn’t disregard the roots of its success. When a stock Android 14 installation on my tablet feels more professional than my primary operating system for 37 years, something has gone wrong. But where do these quality issues come from?
On paper, everything looks good. Besides its own testing labs, Microsoft has a widely-adopted early-access program called "Insider Program". Volunteers test updates that go through three so-called rings. “Dev Channel” is the first ring and receives early versions with the explicit warning that things might be less stable, and bugs are to be expected. When errors occur, testers report them, and Microsoft receives crucial error logs. With these insights and new bug fixes, an update then moves to “Beta Channel”, the second ring. It’s not perfect here, but Microsoft has made progress and continues to gather information to improve quality. The third ring is “Release Preview Channel,” where updates scheduled for release can be found. Here, everything important should be in place, with only minor details needing adjustment before the update goes public for all PCs. It sounds like a solid approach!
Spiking heart rate during updates
That there are frequent and severe problems despite the program gives rise to ample speculation. It's often suspected that Microsoft relies too heavily on its Insider Program, potentially cutting costs for extensive internal testing. On the other hand, Windows is becoming more diverse and complex, addressing new interfaces and technologies, with the list of supported hardware growing from version to version–in tandem with potential sources for error. Microsoft also pursues an aggressive update strategy, providing new features and security improvements through rapid release cycles. While this is a valuable service to the customer, it also carries significant risks. There's a probability for human error with every release, and even patches meant to fix errors can sometimes cause additional problems.
When seven updates in three months cause newsworthy issues, you have a major problem. Considering that Microsoft simultaneously wants to move millions of users from the (somewhat more stable) Windows 10 to Windows 11, the situation is doubly perplexing. Even though the days when Windows itself fascinated the masses are over (I used to curiously click myself through the system for hours), its reliability and professionalism must be preserved. Microsoft will officially end support for Windows 10, which still accounts for 67% of all Windows installations, on October 14, 2025. Do they want to welcome these switchers with monthly update dramas? Even though Windows is more of a means to an end today, doesn't it deserve some love and care? Let’s hope Microsoft rediscovers these virtues for its latest operating system!
What I’d like to know: Have you had any issues with Windows updates lately? How do you view the development of Windows?
