It's still too early to upgrade to Windows 11 - Issues pile up as Microsoft releases updates without fixes

Last month, Microsoft released its first major update for Windows 11 which is still being rolled out to users. Not being updated to the Windows 11 22H2 version is not necessarily a bad thing as it is not the most sturdy release, bringing along some function-breaking bugs.

Users with Nvidia graphics cards are facing various problems, users with printers that use a specific driver are having connectivity issues, and the latest update also causes performance degradation when copying large files. All-in-all, Windows 11 is currently not the most stable operating software, and users should only upgrade to it if they want the latest everything on the market.

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Windows 10 seems like the best option until Microsoft fixes major Windows 11 issues

If you decide to upgrade to Windows 11 and install the latest 22H2 version, you will face a plethora of problems. The good news is that Microsoft has acknowledged these issues and the company is actively looking for solutions.

One of the biggest bugs in the latest version is when users start copying large files. This issue occurs on two occasions, when copying files locally and when copying files over SMB. Microsoft has confirmed that users can experience up to 40% less throughput when copying large files that are several gigabytes or more.

According to Ned Pyle, the Principal Program Manager at Microsoft:

"There is a performance regression in 22H2 when copying larger files from a remote computer down to a Windows 11 computer. A large file might see as much as 40% less throughput over SMB when copying down. Copying that same file to a non-22H2 machine won't see this problem. We're working with another team to understand this and get to a permanent solution."

This particular issue originated in the 22H2 version, and won't be seen on Windows 11 systems that have not been updated to the latest version yet. Therefore, if you are a user who copies large files regularly, waiting for the issue to be fixed before updating the Windows version would be a smart choice.

Another issue that stemmed from the 22H2 version of Windows 11 affects users with specific printer drivers. Microsoft has blocked the update for affected users and will roll it out once a solution has been released.

Printers that use the Microsoft IPP Class driver and the Universal Print Class driver on the 22H2 version will lose certain features such as color-printing, two-sided printing, paper size settings, and more. Users will only be able to print in the default settings. This issue can be resolved by simply reinstalling the printer drivers.

Moreover, the latest version will also cause some printers to disappear completely from the network. The issue is recognized as being caused due to a new printer policy in the new update. The RPC (Remote Procedure Call) settings need to be set to "RPC over named pipes" for the printers to be identified by the operating system.

It should be noted that the aforementioned solutions are unofficial and Windows has yet to release hotfixes through Windows Update. Once a hotfix has been released, affected users will get the option to update to the 22H2 version.

Lastly, there is a chance that if you try to update to version 22H2, your system might run into an error and fail to complete the update. This only happens if the update is being made through Windows Update in settings.

The solution to this is to download the latest Windows 11 Installation Assistant from the official Microsoft website and update it manually.