5 big problems with Windows 11 that I really hope Microsoft fixes in 2026
Microsoft had a pretty rough 2025 with Windows 11, as you’ve probably noticed. The operating system has had more than its fair share of bugs, and unfortunately, some of those issues have involved fundamental elements of Windows 11 that ended up being broken in one way or another – and there have been some downright confusing episodes (I’ll talk more about that shortly).
On top of this, there has been a hotbed of controversy surrounding Microsoft’s renewed push to integrate more AI into Windows 11, with a real rebellion underway against this goal, at least in some quarters.
1. Fix Windows 11 Overall Slowness
It’s no secret that Windows 11 is slow in some ways. This is something you’ll unfortunately encounter in everyday use of the operating system, when working with basic parts of the Windows 11 interface, like File Explorer (the folders on your desktop that contain your files).
Microsoft itself admitted that Windows 11 suffered from slow performance levels and launched an initiative to collect more data and feedback on these issues in July 2025. Since then, we have fortunately seen a few improvements introduced, such as a fix for some of the poor performance associated with File Explorer (although this was not implemented in the most satisfactory way, but it works).
There’s still a lot of work to be done, however, and File Explorer remains slow in some respects, particularly the (sensitive) context menu which can be unresponsive and slow to appear once the clicking action is performed. What’s particularly infuriating is that Windows 10’s File Explorer runs much smoother. The last generation version of a desktop operating system being faster than the current generation incarnation is simply not acceptable.
You need your cutting-edge platform to be enjoyable on every level, and Windows 11 simply doesn’t need that. Microsoft must fully fix these performance issues, especially with File Explorer – which, after all, represents the fundamental “windows” you use with your files all the time – and the slow search feature.
2. Repair games on Windows 11
Windows 11 held a lot of promise for gamers when it initially launched, and the operating system has delivered some cool features to be honest, like Auto HDR, which is a real steal. However, DirectStorage has yet to deliver on its full potential on Windows 11, remaining limited to a niche set of PC games (and causing problems with some, like Wild Monster Hunters) – and other benefits remain thin on the ground.
However, more problematic than the lack of steps forward are the steps back for players in the form of various unpleasant glitches. Particularly since Windows 11’s 24H2 update, there seems to have been a series of gaming bugs that are making life miserable for those trying to enjoy the latest fast-paced shooter or strategy epic on their PC. If games don’t completely crash, they are suffering from performance issues of one sort or another.
Microsoft needs to do better than this in the future, and to be fair to the company, it realizes this, recently announcing its plans to patch games in Windows 11. That means fixing bugs and performance issues, applying tweaks and optimizations under the hood, and bringing new benefits too.
It’s good to hear such positive noises, true, but what we need in 2026 is to see these words turn into action – and frankly, there’s some doubt about the timeline in terms of how long it will take to introduce new features, given what we’ve seen with DirectStorage, as mentioned. We also wonder if it’s even too late for Microsoft to save the day against a major threat that is now looming on the horizon, namely SteamOS and Valve’s new Steam Machine.
If Valve manages to create a compelling living room PC, Microsoft could be in trouble and start losing serious market share to Linux (SteamOS is a Linux distribution). Especially if Windows 11 continues to be unstable from time to time – too often frankly – on the gaming front. And maybe this could be the start of a bigger migration to Linux, or that’s the danger.
All of which brings me neatly to the next item on my wish list…
3. A new quality assurance strategy is vital
It’s not just gaming bugs and interface issues that are too often introduced by monthly Windows 11 updates – we’re also seeing all kinds of oddities lately.
Examples? Let’s see, in the catalog of oddities of 2025, how about the bug that caused Windows 11 to display half of the interface in one language and the rest in another.
Not strange enough for you? How about the invisible password login button (which Microsoft advised you to try to locate by waving the mouse cursor to find the outline of the button)? Or dark mode being bugged by white flashes when opening folders, a jarring experience when working in the low-light conditions you’ll be using this mode in.
How do these bugs occur? How can something as simple as opening a folder in dark mode go so wrong? Indeed, another interesting example here is the issue where Task Manager remained open when the application was closed, and if you opened it multiple times, each instance remained, draining PC resources.
Also: why do the same bugs come up again and again?
The answer is clear. Microsoft’s quality assurance for Windows 11 is not enough. There’s been a lot of talk about how the company changed the QA department years ago, and it hasn’t been the same since, but all that speculation aside, it’s clear that Microsoft needs to do better.
The software giant needs to rethink and improve its entire QA and testing process in 2026, because the persistent bad press around the stream of bugs – and confusing missteps – is really hurting Windows 11’s reputation.
4. Stop talking about AI, start listening to Windows 11 users
I wrote a lot about this towards the end of this year, but Microsoft needs to slow down its push for AI features. I’m not saying it can’t try to innovate or integrate more AI into Windows 11, but in doing so, Microsoft needs to be very careful – which, frankly, it isn’t.
Windows 11 users are telling Microsoft to “stop shoving AI down their throats” – a common sentiment I’ve seen expressed repeatedly on Reddit and other social platforms – and Microsoft continues to relentlessly bang its PR drum for AI. Then he wonders why people get upset.
This all goes back to the previous three points in many ways, because what people say they really want is for Microsoft to fix the fundamentals of Windows 11 before moving forward with more AI features in numbers. Fix poor interface performance, fix bugs, fix gaming issues – everything I just talked about is more important than AI. For consumers anyway.
The more Microsoft talks about AI, the more people will rebel. So get your house in order around the three points above that I just highlighted, Microsoft, and tell people you’re doing it – make promises, detail how it will be done. And reduce AI noise.
Wishful thinking? Well, yes, probably, because shareholders and investors are impressed by the brilliance of AI, and perhaps business organizations too. But can we still have a better balance here, Microsoft? Don’t forget about consumers entirely, they still make up a large portion of Windows 11 users.
5. Get rid of annoying ads
Windows 11 has too many ads, recommendations, suggestions, prompts, nudges, reminders, prompts, etc. barely veiled. Far too much. More so than Windows 10, and the latest generation operating system is no slouch when it comes to irritating promotional activities itself.
Please remember that this is a paid operating system and not a freebie.
Now, I don’t expect Microsoft to remove them all, or give us a system-wide kill switch to turn off all ads (that’s a happy dream, of course, but not at all realistic). That’s not going to happen, and there are clearly metrics, telemetry, and other user data that illustrate that it works. (I guess – why else would Microsoft continue with them? Especially when talking about its own services).
I’d just like to see less of this promotional clutter. Granted, we’ve seen some looseness lately, namely the new Start menu, where you can disable the recommendations panel – but I’d like to see more. Cut back on promotions a bit and get rid of the purest ads (like Game Pass ads or notifications asking people to buy). Declared), bringing everything back to a more tolerable level.
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