Second Win11 emergency out of band update to address disastrous Patch Tuesday

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Windows 11 Performance and Resource Use

  • Multiple reports of Windows 11 feeling much slower than Windows 10 on the same hardware, especially on HDDs: heavy, constant disk I/O, more network chatter, and larger monthly updates.
  • Some users did controlled dual‑boot comparisons (Win10 vs Win11 on identical hardware), finding Win11 significantly more sluggish, particularly once online.
  • Others report the opposite: very cheap Win11 laptops feeling surprisingly fast, suggesting a strong dependence on specific hardware, OEM bloat, and configuration.

Search, Start Menu, and Shell Technology Choices

  • Start menu search is described as broken or blank for months on multiple machines; several users have abandoned it for PowerToys’ Command Palette.
  • There is disagreement over tech stack: some think parts are React/React Native; others cite Microsoft documentation saying core pieces use XAML Islands.
  • Criticism that essential shell components using web/JS stacks feel laggy and are optimized for ads/“experiences” rather than responsiveness.

Quality Regressions, AI Coding, and QA Removal

  • Many see a sharp decline in Windows quality: broken Outlook/RDP scenarios, BSOD after forced updates, and shell crashes.
  • Thread links statements that a large share of Microsoft code is now AI-written and that internal memos push AI tooling as “mandatory.”
  • Several argue AI‑driven speed encourages weaker review, loss of “theory” of the codebase, and accumulating subtle bugs.
  • Others point to Microsoft’s earlier elimination of dedicated test roles and overreliance on telemetry and unpaid “Insiders” as bug filters.

Windows 10, LTSC, and Security/EOL Concerns

  • Strong sentiment that Win10 LTSC is “the last good Windows”: minimal bloat, fewer surprises, still getting updates.
  • Some openly advocate pirating LTSC/Enterprise as morally justified when paid Win11 feels degraded; others push back on licensing.
  • Debate over running unsupported Windows: one side calls it unsafe (“open season” without 0‑day patches), others say a firewalled machine with an updated browser is “perfectly fine,” with caveats about future browser support.

Migration to Linux/macOS and Mixed Experiences

  • Many respondents say Win11 pushed them to dual‑boot or switch to Linux (Fedora, Arch, Debian, Mint, Pop!_OS, CachyOS) or to macOS.
  • Positive Linux reports: better performance, respect for hardware, good gaming via Steam/Proton, KDE Connect as a strong integration story.
  • Negative Linux reports: display scaling quirks, freezes, flaky hibernate, driver gaps, snap issues, and the need to choose the right distro/DE.

Corporate Incentives and “Enshittification”

  • Widespread belief Microsoft is in long‑term decline on the desktop: ads baked into the OS, telemetry, CoPilot/“agentic OS” pushed by default, and performance as a low priority.
  • Several argue the business pivot to cloud/SaaS and Wall‑Street‑driven growth means Windows is now mainly a funnel for Azure/Office, so quality regressions won’t quickly affect stock price.
  • Some see this as part of a broader industry pattern: subscription models, layoffs of senior engineers, “move fast and break things,” and cost‑cutting eroding quality across large tech firms.