Microsoft promises major improvements to Windows 11 performance, reliability, and updates — lower RAM usage, fewer Copilot interactions, and enhanced File Explorer incoming

It only took four years to get the taskbar working properly.

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Although we haven't asked for an official survey, it's a safe enough statement that trust in Windows — and, by extension, Microsoft — is at its lowest point since the crash-prone, insecure Windows 98/Me.

Despite a strong initial release, Windows 11's subsequent enshittification turned users away, many of whom see the OS as a direct downgrade from the now-unsupported Windows 10.

The company published a surprisingly detailed blog post , promising that the situation will change over the course of this year.

In contrast to the usual buzzword-laden corporate promises, the article goes over quite a fair number of upcoming technical and interface improvements for Windows 11 .

These range from performance, overhead, and reliability improvements to efforts to make the main user interface less annoying.

Microsoft is also taking steps to improve Windows Update.

The new target is to curb forced reboots to once a month, let the user pause updates for an indeterminate time, and allow shutdown or reboot without running pending updates.

The company says the updates themselves ought to be faster and more reliable, though it didn't go into more detail.

One of Windows 11's most-repeated criticisms is its RAM usage and performance unevenness.

There are far too many and too active background processes that cause CPU usage spikes and lag in desktop usage and games, and are particularly bad for latency-sensitive work like audio production.

Microsoft claims that baseline RAM usage will be reduced and that performance should be more consistent, even under load.

This could presumably arrive in the form of much-needed improvements to CPU scheduling and I/O, like the recently-revealed new NVMe driver .

Additionally, the company hopes to reduce crashes and improve driver quality/app stability.

Both are particularly difficult tasks since they depend on third-party developers.

The operating system's sloppiness is also under review.

Microsoft specifically calls out the intrusiveness of Copilot and promises to "be more intentional about how and where Copilot integrates across Windows," starting by curbing it in Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets, and Notepad.

Last but by no means least, there are improvements to Bluetooth and USB discovery and connection reliability, more consistent device wake, and developer-oriented improvements to WSL's cross-filesystem performance and network throughput.

To say that these are bold promises is an understatement, given Microsoft's recalcitrant behavior of ignoring user feedback in favor of apparently pleasing whichever marketing executive had a hissy fit that particular day.

The fact that the company is making more money than ever also means it has little incentive to change its course.

Perhaps the staggering success of the MacBook Neo and the rise of Linux gaming have forced the execs to reconsider.

Here's to hoping these improvements actually materialize.

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Bruno Ferreira is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware.

He has decades of experience with PC hardware and assorted sundries, alongside a career as a developer.

He's obsessed with detail and has a tendency to ramble on the topics he loves.

When not doing that, he's usually playing games, or at live music shows and festivals.

Notton said: "We promise" okay, then what's with the March update breaking sign-in?

https://www.techpowerup.com/347587/windows-11-march-update-blocks-microsoft-account-sign-in-in-office-and-copilot-apps
PEnns said: Well, don't forget, Windows 11 is still in its early stages