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Windows 11’s May 2026 update brings meaningful upgrades across the OS
The May 2026 Windows 11 update is rolling out on May 12th, and it is a surprisingly good mix of new features and quality‑of‑life fixes. Xbox mode is the standout, giving PCs a console‑like experience when you want it. File Explorer feels faster, folder views are finally consistent, and expanded archive support removes the need for extra tools. There are also smarter Taskbar AI features, tighter driver rules, and better security defaults. It is not a flashy update, but it feels like Microsoft focused on things people actually notice. Let us know which feature you're looking most forward to and why!
Update 26220.8491: Win11 Update Freezes at 38% - Hypervisor Launch Failed (No VMX)
Title: Win11 Update Freezes at 38% - Hypervisor Launch Failed (No VMX) Issue Description: During the offline installation phase of the latest update, the process completely freezes at exactly 38 percent, requiring a hard reset to roll back. The system processor does not support hardware virtualization (no VMX support). Diagnostic Signatures: After the rollback completes, the System Event Log consistently shows Event ID 41 and 1001 from the hypervisor source, stating that the launch failed because virtualization features are not present or enabled in the system setup. The Problem: The offline installation engine seems to ignore host operating system configurations when it stages the update environment. Attempts to turn off the hypervisor launch type globally, disable virtualization security components, or change the driver startup parameters have no effect because the temporary update environment regenerates its own settings and tries to validate the hypervisor stack anyway. When it hits the missing hardware capability, it locks up. Is there an official command-line deployment switch or an undocumented parameter for the update engine that forces it to completely skip the installation and migration of virtualization-dependent packages?
Video keeps fast forwarding automatically
Hi all, I am facing issues with video playing on my computer. Windows Specifications are following: Edition Windows 11 Home Single Language Version 21H2 Installed on 27-08-2021 OS build 22000.168 Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22000.168.0 1. When I try to play a video in "Movies & TV", it keeps fast forwarding itself. 2. When I try to play a video in VLC, it just keeps restarting the video and never plays it. 3. When I try to play a video in KMPlayer, it plays last video of the folder with a message "the last file of the folder is already loaded". No matter which video I choose to play, it plays the last video of the folder. What I have tried so far: 1. Restarting the computer. 2. Resetting the computer with clean installation of above update. Please share a resolution. Thank you.
How to Remove These Annoying Category Folders in the Windows 11 Start Menu?
Need help! Many category folders (such as "Productivity tools," "Creativity," "Games," etc.) have automatically appeared in my Start Menu, grouping the application icons that were previously displayed directly. I simply want the apps to be shown directly in the Start Menu as they used to be, rather than being categorized into these folders. How can I turn off or remove these automatically categorized folders?
Critical Shell/Explorer.exe Boot Loop and Flickering on Recent Windows 11 Insider Build
Hello Windows Insider Team, I am writing to report a critical UI/system stability issue encountered immediately after updating to and restarting the recent Windows 11 Insider build on my machine. Issue Description: Upon finalizing the update and rebooting, the desktop shell entered an infinite crash loop. The Windows background and active windows were flickering/blinking rapidly, and the Start Menu and Taskbar were completely missing/unresponsive. Key Diagnostics: Task Manager Stability: Interestingly, the Task Manager remained completely stable and unaffected by the flickering, confirming the core OS and graphic drivers were functional. Attempted Fixes: Restarting explorer.exe via Task Manager did not resolve the issue. Attempting to delete the IrisService registry key HKCU > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > IrisService only stabilized the Start Menu for a brief moment before the flickering loop resumed. Resolution: The system was only stabilized after bypassing the UI via Task Manager, booting into the Advanced Startup menu, and performing an "Uninstall latest feature update" rollback to the previous working Insider build. I wanted to bring this to your attention as the crash loop completely breaks usability for users hitting this specific flight. Please let me know if you need any specific diagnostic logs from my previous build state to help isolate the bug. Best regards, Suryanarana NPosting Guidelines – Windows Insider Board (Read Before Posting)
Hi all, We’ve seen an increase in off-topic posts in this board, so I want to clarify the policy here. This space is for discussion related specifically to the Windows Insider Program — including participation, features, builds, and Insider-specific issues. Posts that are simply asking for general computer support, and are not related to the Insider programme, will be removed as spam. The same applies to posts about other operating systems. Please make sure your post is relevant to the Insider programme before submitting. If you are unsure, please review our Microsoft Terms of Use. Repeated violations may result in moderation actions, including bans. For Product questions about the released versions of windows please post here: Windows 10 Windows 11
