Microsoft Fixes Windows 11 22H2 Gaming Issues, Resumes Updates

After the release of version 22H2 in late September, gamers complained about spotty performance in some titles. Part of the issue stemmed from Nvidia GPU drivers, which the company solved with a quick update. However, Microsoft noted there were deeper problems in the update. “Affected games and apps are inadvertently enabling GPU performance debugging features not meant to be used by consumers,” it said at the time.

Microsoft never provided a list of titles suffering from such performance degradation, but gamers online have cited issues with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Halo Infinite, and God of War, to name a few. When it became apparent the performance issue was widespread, Microsoft blocked 22H2 update notifications and automatic installations on systems with affected games. It dropped that limit last week, and now there’s a fix.

Anyone running the latest build can take a quick trip into the settings to check for updates to find the patch: KB5020044. This update addresses the GPU debug issue, which should eliminate the slowdowns and stutters that many were experiencing. That’s not all it does, though. There’s a full changelog to peruse, but the highlights include some improvements to OneDrive integration, and fixes for File Explorer crashes. It also combines Windows Spotlight with Themes on the Personalization page. Despite being probably the most important change in KB5020044, the GPU fix is listed way at the bottom of the changelog. Way to bury the lede, Microsoft.

The KB5020044 patch only takes a few minutes to install, but you will need to restart your PC to complete the process. Microsoft decided recently to end its practice of releasing one or two major updates for Windows each year. Going forward, it will release new features for Windows 11 when they’re ready. Hopefully, the focus on smaller incremental updates will decrease the number of major bugs that slip through the cracks.

Continue reading

One Developer Is Fixing SNES Game Lag After 30 Years

One dedicated developer is releasing 'FastROM' patches to emulate Nintendo's SA1 chip in games that never had it, eliminating the annoying slowdowns that have plagued gamers for almost 30 years.

AMD Has Fixed Its USB Connectivity Issues, Updates Arrive in Early April

AMD has found the problem leading to intermittent UEFI dropouts on Ryzen systems. Look for a fix in early April.

NASA’s Mars Helicopter Remains Grounded Awaiting Software Fix

NASA previously said the Ingenuity helicopter would take to the Martian skies over the weekend, but the agency announced late Friday that liftoff was delayed until at least April 14 because of a software issue.

Microsoft Deploys Silent Patch to Fix Gaming Performance After April Updates

Microsoft is releasing a Known Issue Rollback (KIR) to address problems with a pair of system updates from earlier this month. The company now confirms that a "small subset" of Windows 10 systems suffered poor game performance after the updates.