After Windows Update, Password icon invisible, click where it used to be

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Password icon bug & Copilot/AI jokes

  • The missing password icon is seen as comical but also emblematic of declining polish.
  • Commenters note it has been broken across multiple cumulative updates, questioning why a trivial UI regression persists for months.
  • Several jokes speculate that Microsoft developers can’t log in anymore, or are forced to “fix” it only via Copilot prompts.
  • A linked .NET pull request, authored and reviewed via AI, is cited as an example of AI-generated noise that wastes human time and ends with “needs a complete rewrite” and abandonment.

Windows quality, QA, and Insider testing

  • Many see Windows updates as increasingly unreliable, with recurring UI glitches (invisible icons, taskbar issues, sound and display bugs, failed upgrades).
  • Some claim Microsoft eliminated dedicated test roles (SDETs) and now relies on developer self-hosting and unpaid Windows Insiders as de facto QA; insiders’ feedback is viewed as ignored or misused.
  • Others argue Windows has always required waiting for “service pack 2” equivalents, with today’s rolling-release model making that impossible.

Windows 11 vs 10, and “every other version is bad”

  • A large contingent dislikes Windows 11: ads, Microsoft account pressure, telemetry, duplicated settings, right-click menu regressions, hardware support drops, and UI changes (taskbar, start menu, context menus).
  • A minority reports Windows 11 as faster and generally solid, especially when debloated and used with a Microsoft account.
  • The meme that “every second Windows version is bad” is debated; some map it across 95→11, others say it’s selective memory and marketing.

Updates, security, and user hostility

  • Many now actively block feature updates (via tools like Windows Update Blocker, WuMgr, LTSC, or firewalling update DLLs) while trying to keep security patches.
  • Others warn that refusing updates leaves systems dangerously vulnerable; they blame vendors for bundling ads, telemetry, and breaking changes with security fixes rather than separating them.
  • Forced updates and reboots (Windows, Android, LineageOS) are widely described as disrespectful and coercive.

Alternatives: Linux, macOS, and LTSC

  • Numerous commenters describe migrating to Linux (often Arch, Debian, Fedora, NixOS) as regaining control and stability, though some note Linux still has driver/UX pitfalls for non-technical users.
  • macOS is characterized as generally safe to update, but problematic for niche/creative workflows.
  • Windows 10/11 LTSC is promoted as a way to get long-term security updates without “enshittification,” though licensing is tricky and some drivers/software may drop support.

Printing and backward compatibility concerns

  • A noted change moves printing components to a newer C runtime, intentionally breaking remote printing from older Windows clients.
  • Commenters highlight the misleading error message (“driver not installed”) and see this as a departure from Microsoft’s historic backward-compatibility ethos, though some say severe security issues in the print stack justify it.