The first Windows 11 preview build was released yesterday, and with it came a variety of bugs that are sure to frustrate testers. Below we have listed the most noticeable issues and how you can fix them.
New issues pop up in every new release of Windows, so it's not surprising that we will find numerous bugs in the early preview builds of Windows 11.
Thankfully, most of the bugs have been pretty easy to fix so far and should get you back up and running playing with Windows 11.
Windows Insiders can't install Windows 11
When Microsoft announced the upcoming preview builds of Windows 11, they promised that existing Windows Insiders in the 'Dev' channel could install the Windows 11 preview build even if they do not meet the minimum system requirements.
Yesterday, when the Windows 11 preview build was released, Windows Insiders reported they could not install the operating system due to missing hardware requirements.
Even more concerning, users who had modern hardware that met all of the requirements were also unable to install the preview build.
Yesterday afternoon, Microsoft released an update to the Settings app that fixes this issue.
To apply the update, simply reboot your computer, and Windows 10 Insider builds will now be able to upgrade to Windows 11.
"For users who are receiving the following message in your Windows Insider Settings:
Your PC does not meet the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11. Your device may continue to receive Insider Preview builds until Windows 11 is generally available, at which time it is recommended to clean install to Windows 10.
We've made an update to Settings to resolve some issues. Please reboot your device to ensure you have the latest update." - Microsoft.
File Explorer shows the old Windows 10 layout
The Windows 11 File Explorer got a redesign with new colorful icons and a streamlined action bar at the top.
Unfortunately, some users, like myself, find that the File Explorer reverts to what I call the 'Classic' skin from Windows 10.
To fix this issue, click on the 'View' menu option, select 'Options,' and when the options dialog opens, click on 'View.'
You will now be shown a list of options you can select. Look for the 'Launch folder windows in a separate process' option and uncheck it, as shown below.
Now press 'Apply,' and File Explorer will restart.
Once it has restarted, you should see the new Windows 11 File Explorer layout.
Start Menu search does not work
For those who quickly open the Start Menu and start typing to perform a search, you may have noticed a bug that causes the Start Menu not to recognize your typing, effectively breaking search in the Start Menu.
Microsoft is aware of this bug and shared that open the Run: dialog and then close it to fix the bug preventing searches from the Start Menu.
When we experience the bug, the easiest fix is to just quickly use the Win+R keyboard combination to open the run dialog and then hitting the escape key to close it.
Your Start Menu search will now work again.
Other known issues
Unfortunately, there are some other noticeable issues that Microsoft is aware of but have not provided a fix as of yet.
Unfortunately, Microsoft is aware of some other noticeable issues but has not provided a fix for them as of yet.
Other noticeable issues include:
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Taskbar will not be shown across multiple monitors but will return in an upcoming build.
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The preview window may not display the entire window when hovering over Task View on the taskbar.
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A small set of Settings legacy pages as well as fit and finish bugs will be addressed in future releases.
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When using Quick Settings to modify Accessibility settings, the settings UI may not save the selected state.
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We’re working on fixing an issue that’s preventing unpinning apps from Start, making the command bar in File Explorer disappear, or hiding snap. To work around these, restart your PC.
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App icons in the Search panel may do not load, and instead, appear as gray squares.
A complete list of known issues can be found in the Windows 11 Build 22000.51 release post.
Comments
plat1098 - 2 years ago
I can unpin apps from Start just fine, thanks. I can't enable Core Isolation/Memory Integrity in Windows Security Center. After all this brouhaha with getting my machine compliant, now it says "Standard hardware security not supported." Again.
I reported it to Microsoft--would rather get a fix for that versus some of the other stuff mentioned here.
Pairman - 2 years ago
"I can unpin apps from Start just fine, thanks. I can't enable Core Isolation/Memory Integrity in Windows Security Center. After all this brouhaha with getting my machine compliant, now it says "Standard hardware security not supported." Again.
I reported it to Microsoft--would rather get a fix for that versus some of the other stuff mentioned here. "
Same!
Truckingeek - 2 years ago
My main issue right now is Windows returning me to the desktop while I am playing a game. Has happened while playing No Man's Sky and also Balder's Gate 3. Very annoying but it just takes a click on the icon in task bar to return to the game. Still, it shouldn't be happening at all.
Romboutv - 2 years ago
That fix for getting file explorer to have the new look doesnt work for me. I was actually looking for a fix for search. For me search an usb formatted in ExFat doesnt reutrn any result. Local search works fine. I also cant get widgets to work, keeps stating about logging in. I am logged in using an hotmail address.
My file explorer did look like the new Windows 11 look and feel. Yet i had some crash yesterday and just now noticed the look got changed. haha i didnt even notice it up until reading this article.
leb722 - 2 years ago
WORSE phony update ever. Prove me wrong. Why do they even bother? Of course! $$$$$ !! Leave the dammed program alone if you're going to screw it up anyway. Then you gotta love their ridiculous blogs filled with their own praise about how good a job they've done. A joke and a slap in our faces.