If your PC is running Windows 11, update now to fix a nasty slowdown bug

Microsoft’s Windows 11 can be a great operating system if everything is set up correctly and compatible with your PC. Launched about two months ago, a recent survey suggested that as many as 5% of computers use the new operating system. Tap or click here for the five best tricks, tips, and features to try.

But as with all new releases, things didn’t go as smoothly as Microsoft would have hoped. Several flaws and glitches started to crop up in the weeks following general availability. Most have been relatively mild, but they can be annoying.

From filling up a PC with random files to having only 10 days to roll back, Windows 11 has had a tough time. Read on for details on a bug that is now causing headaches and a simple way to fix the glitch.

Here’s the backstory

Shortly after the launch of Windows 11, some reported their computers seemed to be much slower than before. It was easy to blame the new operating system. And while it was at fault, it is a natural process when a new OS is installed.

Their computers have now had time to cache the data it needs and re-index files, so the slowdown should have stopped. The problem is it hasn’t stopped for everyone. It turns out there is another bug impacting computer speeds.

This time around, the bug is causing Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) solid-state drives (SSD) to operate 50% slower than they should. After the initial investigation by Microsoft, it seems that more drives, and not just NVMe SSSDs, are affected.

If the hard drives in your computer are running at a slower speed, your computer will lag when executing apps.

What you can do about it

If you have experienced a slowdown in your PC speed, help is on the way. Microsoft developed a fix, and it’s being made available to Windows Insider members. If it doesn’t cause other adverse effects, it might be available to the public this week. Tap or click here to find out how to join the Windows Insider Program.

The KB5007262 update “addresses an issue that affects the performance of all disks (NVMe, SSD, hard disk) on Windows 11 by performing unnecessary actions each time a write operation occurs. This issue occurs only when the NTFS USN journal is enabled. Note, the USN journal is always enabled on the C: disk,” Microsoft explained in the Insider patch notes.

Here’s how to update Windows:

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Slow computer? 9 ways to make it run faster

Anyone who uses a computer has probably experienced a PC slowdown. Your programs open sluggishly, web browsing seems pokey, apps are lagging and your computer startup time is worse than you remember.

Even Windows 10 is not immune to these occasional lags, and it could be a bit frustrating trying to figure out what’s going on — especially with a relatively new operating system. Not running Windows 10 yet? Tap or click here to upgrade from Windows 7 to 10.

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