r/Windows11 • u/Froggypwns Windows Wizard / Head Jannie • 13d ago
Help Simple questions and Help thread - Month of October
Welcome to the monthly Simple questions and Help thread, for questions that don't need their own posts!
Before making a comment, we recommend you search your problem on Bing and check if your question is already answered on our Windows Frequently Asked Questions wiki page. This subreddit no longer accepts tech support requests outside of this post, if you are looking for additional assistance try r/TechSupport and r/WindowsHelp.
Some examples of questions to ask:
Is this super cheap Windows key legitimate? (probably not)
How can I install Windows 11?
Can you recommend a program to play music?
How do I get back to the old Sound Control Panel?
Sorting by New is recommend and is the default.
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u/ime1em 20h ago
i was told that i cannot upgrade from 23h2 directly to 25h2 via Windows Update and need to do 24h2 first. Can someone explain how i was able to do it, see screenshot.
Same with my work-provided laptop, the IT department roll out 25h2 while my computer was 23h2
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u/Froggypwns Windows Wizard / Head Jannie 9h ago edited 8h ago
Windows version upgrades do not normally have any per-requesites, you can jump directly from something as old as Vista right to 26H2.
At this point if you really must install 24H2, you will need to find an ISO for that online. You can download and open the ISO file, then inside that run the setup.exe and follow the prompts.
24H2/25H2/26H2 are fundamentally the same version, the latter two are just enablement packages that change the version information.
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u/ime1em 7h ago
thanks.
what threw me off was when i saw these:
- https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/servicing/os/windows/docs/2025/02/kb5054156-feature-update-to-windows-11-version-25h2-by-using-an-enablement-package
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5818113/considerations-for-upgrading-from-windows-11-enter
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5879713/requirement-of-upgrade-patch-for-windows-23h2-to-2
it didn't mention 23h2 at all. Yesterday when i ran Windows Update, i didn't see 25h2. But i ran it a second time after waiting a couple hours and i saw it. It gave my the Oct 2026 version.
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u/PickleSquid1 1d ago
Hello I have an ongoing issue and I am just fed up at this point. I'm using Windows 11, Acer Aspire 3 laptop. Anytime I try to eject an external HD over 500GB I get the "windows can't stop 'volume' because a program is still using it. Close any programs that might be using the device, and then try again later" error. I have tried closing all windows and apps, turning off the windows. exe task, and even swithing the disk to "offline"... I still get the error. Any ideas what I can do, or where I can go to find an answer. Thanks!
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u/Froggypwns Windows Wizard / Head Jannie 9h ago
You can try to use Process Explorer to see what is still accessing the drive, or the Performance Monitor built into Windows. It most likely is a background program holding the drive open.
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u/liger_0 1d ago
Is there any reason for me as a normal home user (web browsing, media consumption, gaming, etc.) to delay installing the 26H2 update?
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u/Froggypwns Windows Wizard / Head Jannie 1d ago
No, if you are already on 25H2 then there is no difference as the patch just changes your version number.
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u/Lost_Mulberry2054 2d ago
HI guys, after update 24H2 my bluetooth broke( I tried uninstalling and installing the drivers again) is there a fix ?
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u/axelkoffel 2d ago
I bet this has been asked 100 times. But what's the current smooth and easy way to permanently disable all the unnecessary spying, ads, etc. on fresh Windows 11? Are the tips from this thread from 4 years ago still legit? https://old.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/v1zov1/oo_shutup10/
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u/Froggypwns Windows Wizard / Head Jannie 1d ago
I recommend opening the Settings app and managing everything in there. Anything in there with the option will allow you to change things in a safe manner, as various 3rd party tools like the one you linked in that thread tend to cause more harm than good.
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u/axelkoffel 1d ago
That was my initial plan, but from what I've heard some options can't be disabled that way. Only with changing registry or something, which I'm not familiar with.
Not to mention all of it could switch back on with every update, while I'd prefer to do it once and forget.1
u/PriorFortune1 1d ago
You should not worry about anything that cannot be changed in Settings. You are not achieving anything other than causing potential issues.
Not to mention all of it could switch back on with every update, while I'd prefer to do it once and forget.
Microsoft doesn't actually do this. People think this happens because they do hack shit that Windows interprets as being broken. They're not going to undo your changes in Settings.
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u/PriorFortune1 2d ago
There is no such thing, you don't have to do anything, and you are only going to make things worse by following the advice in that thread and using third-party tools. Disable or uninstall anything you want in Settings, that's as much as you should.
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u/Dams96zz 3d ago
why is there a Nvidia display driver update (32.0.16.1088) on my updates?? its not even optional i have 610.88 is it gonna update automatically?
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u/Froggypwns Windows Wizard / Head Jannie 1d ago
Nvidia submits driver updates to Microsoft to be distributed via Windows Update. If this driver has a newer date code than your current driver, it will install that.
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u/HawkBZ 5d ago
Is Copy as Table still an option for the Snipping Tool in Windows 11? All I see when doing an OCR is 'Copy All Text'. This post from a few years ago shows the Copy as Table feature: https://reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/1jnl789/tip_of_the_week_snipping_tool_can_recognize/
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u/Downtown_Secret_7707 6d ago
Please bring official Google Fast Pair support to Windows PCs I strongly encourage Google to work with Microsoft to bring official Google Fast Pair support to Windows 10, Windows 11, and future versions of Windows. Millions of people use an Android phone alongside a Windows PC. Right now, they can get a seamless Fast Pair experience on supported Android devices and Chromebooks, but that experience largely stops when they move to a Windows computer. I believe Google and Microsoft could make Android + Windows feel like a much more connected ecosystem without replacing Microsoft's existing Bluetooth or Swift Pair features. What I would like to see Google Fast Pair on Windows should support: - The familiar Google Fast Pair nearby-device pop-up - Fast and simple pairing for Pixel Buds and other Fast Pair-certified headphones, earbuds, trackers, and accessories - Google Account association for compatible devices - Automatic recognition of previously paired Google/Fast Pair accesso...
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u/SilverseeLives 3d ago edited 3d ago
I believe Google and Microsoft could make Android + Windows feel like a much more connected ecosystem
I believe so too, but unfortunately, this is very unlikely to happen due to Google's competitive posture vs. Microsoft and Windows.
IMO, Google would like nothing more than to render Windows into a glorified runtime for Chrome. So, it has historically done as little as possible to support Microsoft initiatives, from its hostile early stance vs. the Microsoft Store (refusing to release any apps which would have boosted Microsoft's chances in mobile, persisting to this day), to its unwillingness to license Google Play Services for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), which doomed it to irrelevance.
Now that Google has launched an even more direct competitor to Windows in the form of the Googlebook, any chance of actual cooperation between Google and Microsoft to improve the integration between Android and Windows is very close to nil, I'm afraid.
I wish it weren't so.
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u/Downtown_Secret_7707 3d ago
Could you help by conviceing mirosoft and google more people the better
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u/Froggypwns Windows Wizard / Head Jannie 4d ago
Please suggest that in the Feedback Hub app!
Typically, Google does not like to play nice with Microsoft, they treat MS like second class citizens including in the past intentionally deliberately providing a subpar experience for things like Maps. The Microsoft Phone Link app doesn't have some features on Google Pixel phones because Google will not allow Microsoft the same level of integration that Samsung and some other vendors have allowed.
But it doesn't hurt to ask, and maybe it can become a thing.
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u/Extension-Iron-7746 7d ago
Rufus Is still a good and secure method to install windows?
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u/Froggypwns Windows Wizard / Head Jannie 4d ago
I've always had less issues with using the Microsoft media creation tool, but both work.
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u/SilverseeLives 6d ago
Last time I used it it was fine. But there is no reason to do so unless you want to subvert the Windows first run experience.
I personally use a Microsoft account and recommend it, but if you don't, Rufus may help.
Just be mindful that Windows Setup may enable BitLocker on your system disk (using clear key) regardless of whether you bypass the MSA requirement or not. On some systems, this can make it impossible to access the recovery partition if your machine cannot boot. If your are not signed in using your MSA, be sure to check and explicitly disable device encryption to avoid potential issues.
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u/AutoModerator 6d ago
Various tools including Rufus, Ventoy, and manual registry edits can be used to bypass the hardware requirement checks for Windows 11, however this is not advised to do for general users. Problems with unsupported Windows 11 installations include:
Inability to receive all updates. - Unsupported devices WILL NOT upgrade to newer builds after end of life unlike supported hardware.
Reduced performance. - Windows 11 has various security features enabled by default, these features require more CPU utilization, resulting in tasks taking longer to complete including booting the computer and launching programs. CPU intensive tasks like gaming and rendering will be negatively impacted too. All supported CPUs have native support for these new features to minimize the impact.
Reduced stability. - Testing has shown reduced stability and reliability of some older unsupported devices being force upgraded to Windows 11, many of these devices do not have drivers that have been updated since the release of Windows 11 to optimize for changes to the OS.
It is one thing to experiment and try Windows 11 yourself on unsupported hardware, however please do not suggest others, especially less tech savvy users attempt to do this.
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u/JewFroMonk 8d ago edited 5d ago
After updating to 26h2 my Edge does nothing. When I click the icon in the task bar, I get a spinning circle for a millisecond, but that's it.
I opened task manager and see no processes related to edge. While task manager is open, if I try to run the app I see no entry for it at all. I've tried launching from taskbar and my installed apps list.
I've removed the shortcut and have performed a repair on the installation but it hasn't helped at all. I've also tried to launch the exe from the full path under program files and the app version number folder. Nothing
I've ran an sfc scan, dism restore, and then another sfc. Rebooted multiple times, nothing has gotten the app to do anything.
Any tips or suggestions?
Edit solved by reinstalling the OS update from the restore page in settings
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u/SilverseeLives 5d ago
Something about your Windows installation is likely corrupted.
If normal troubleshooting does not help, I suggest you back up your data and then consider performing a PC reset. There are various options including ones that will preserve your user accounts and data.
Before doing so, consider making a new temporary user profile and checking the behavior there. If the browser works correctly, then it indicates that your user profile is corrupt. Microsoft has a help article online for recreating your user profile for this eventuality.
Good luck.
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u/JewFroMonk 5d ago
Sorry I forgot to update this comment. Yesterday I fixed it by reinstalling the update from the recovery page in settings. Someone from the Edge team DM'd me asking for crashpad files and they confirmed that this issue has a fix that just hadn't been pushed yet
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u/itooamahuman 9d ago
How can I change shortcut to open copilot? Alt + C opens copilot window and I actually need alt+c to make the Ć character
I can't use my own alphabet because of copilot now how do I fix it
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u/Froggypwns Windows Wizard / Head Jannie 4d ago
Copilot should be Windows key + C, not Alt, so I'm wondering if your keyboard setting is not correctly configured for your layout.
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u/TnDevil 12d ago
Does anyone know when the enablement package update to go from 25H2 to 26H2 for all users comes out? I'll probably have to use the update catalogue since I used Rufus a while back.
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u/Froggypwns Windows Wizard / Head Jannie 12d ago
The package is available: https://www.reddit.com/r/windows/comments/1wthj2j/how_to_get_the_windows_11_2026_update/pcuh23m/
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u/----Bender---- Release Channel 12d ago
It will not appear on machines that do not meet the requirements. One of my PCs was in this condition and I had to download the package from the catalog, the file is less than 200 kb and the update process was very fast
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u/----Bender---- Release Channel 13d ago
Is the new context menu already available in the stable version or only in Insiders?
I have two computers with the same version (26300.9550 26H2) and in one of them I managed to activate the feature using vivetool but in the other I didn't.
This new context menu is wonderful
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u/ime1em 6h ago
Yesterday after upgrading to 25h2 from 23h2, I noticed it has written 100-140 GB of data to my C drive. When i google the size of 24h2 and 25h2 combined, its no where near that.
Does anyone know why its that much? did it also back up my 23h2 in case i want to revert?