Windows 11 completely freezes
Windows 11 completely freezes after approximately 2 minutes of inactivity following the latest update. Hello, Since installing the latest Windows update, I have been experiencing serious problems with my PC. Whenever I stop moving my mouse for approximately two minutes, the entire system becomes unresponsive. The mouse cursor can still be moved, but clicking, typing, keyboard shortcuts and opening programs no longer work. Even Task Manager cannot be opened. The only way to regain control of my PC is to perform a forced shutdown using the power button. This happens consistently and did not occur before the latest Windows update. I checked Windows Event Viewer and found the following errors. Kernel-Power Event ID 41: BugcheckCode: 0 SleepInProgress: 0 WHEABootErrorCount: 0 I also found an ASUS application crash: Application: Aac3572MbHal_x86.exe Version: 1.6.1.9 Faulting module: combase.dll Exception code: 0xc0000005 Application path: C:\Program Files\ASUS\AacMB\Aac3572MbHal_x86.exe Module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\combase.dll I suspect that there may be a compatibility issue involving the latest Windows update, ASUS software or a system driver. Has anyone experienced the same issue? Could this be related to Windows power management, a driver conflict or a recent Windows update? I would appreciate any help in identifying and fixing the root cause. I urgently need a solution because my PC is currently unusable without regularly performing forced restarts. Thank you for your help.GitHub Universe: Where MVPs and GitHub Stars share ideas and build community together
Where building brings people together What happens when people who love building things find themselves in the same place? At GitHub Universe 2026, held October 28–29, Microsoft MVPs, several of them also GitHub Stars, took the stage, shared ideas, and swapped stories. Their reflections go beyond new tools to show why sharing knowledge matters: a handmade nameplate, hallway conversations, and practical lessons on AI context, security, and policy turned technical exchanges into connections - and offered ideas to bring home to their communities. Nick Taylor (MVP) Where Microsoft MVPs and GitHub Stars come together Several Microsoft MVPs are also GitHub Stars, and GitHub Universe is where the two communities come together. The GitHub Stars program recognizes community leaders who inspire, educate, and shape communities, giving them a platform to showcase their work, reach more people, and help shape the future of GitHub. Perks include early access to GitHub features, invitations to GitHub events, connections to internal GitHub Team members and more. MVPs Kent C. Dodds, Huan Li, and Nick Taylor who spoke at GitHub Universe are GitHub Stars. For Huan, the moment that captured the spirit of GitHub Universe was sitting on the floor beside the GitHub Star with his name on it - and yes, he needed another photo with it. “I see it every year, and somehow it still makes me smile.” - MVP and RD Huan Li To learn more about the GitHub Stars, visit stars.github.com. Esteban Garcia (RD & MVP) andAnisha Pindoria (GitHub) Conversations, creativity, and connection Ask a Microsoft MVP what made GitHub Universe stand out, and the answer is rarely a single session. MVP Sam Basu says the event “always feels like a different type of tech conference,” and because it is GitHub, “it is truly polyglot.” It is a chance to “rub shoulders with developers across variety of tech stacks, from various corners of the world.” “The vibe is truly unparalleled with focus on building, collaborating & having fun learning.” - MVP Sam Basu Sam Basu (MVP) For many MVPs, that focus on building was literal. MVP and Regional Director Huan Li spent almost an hour putting hundreds of tiny pieces together to build his own nameplate, and it was “worth every minute.” His takeaway: “even when I take a break from building software, I still want to build something!” built a custom nameplate at GitHub Universe MVP Dylan McCarthy saw the same enthusiasm in the makerspace, where developers lined up to build custom keyboards and GitHub lamps. “They were so popular that supplies ran out before I even managed to make one myself!” he says. Some of the best moments happened between sessions. MVP and Regional Director Esteban Garcia points to “the conversations in between everything else,” talking with people about “what they were building, what was working, and what they were still trying to figure out.” MVP Josh Garverick agrees. His favorite part of attending is “getting to talk with my friends in the community, Hubbers, and new contacts.” “This continues to foster my appreciation for the community and fuels me to do as much as I can to contribute.” - MVP Josh Garverick Ideas you can put into practice MVPs also brought their expertise to the stage. In “Shut the context window! You’re letting the tokens out,” MVP Dylan McCarthy explored how Copilot uses context and tokens. His advice: “moving away from large, monolithic GitHub Copilot instruction files and instead using smaller, targeted instructions with applyTo patterns.” “It’s not simply about reducing token consumption, but about making sure the information we’re providing is relevant, useful, and helps the model deliver better results.” - MVP Dylan McCarthy Zooming out to a bigger question, MVP Kent C. Dodds took the Main Stage to ask, “What’s worth building when AI can build anything?” Joined by Dr. Sue Black of Durham University, he made the case for building deliberately rather than reflexively, exploring responsible software, the daily reality of shipping, choosing between tools, and maintaining what’s already built. The conversation continued at a Session After Party in GitHub Central, an informal Q&A for attendees’ questions. Watch Kent and Sue’s Main Stage conversation to bring a sharper set of questions to your own work. Building deliberately also means deciding what AI agents are allowed to do. In “Open PRs, don’t merge them: Fine-grained authorization for hosted MCP servers,” MVP Nick Taylor showed an identity-aware proxy that adds per-identity authorization in front of a hosted MCP server, with no changes upstream. In a live demo, Copilot opened a pull request and left the merge to a reviewer, enforced per user. Nick also pointed to Martin Woodward’s closing keynote, a reminder that AI is a tool and people still bring the ideas. Watch Nick’s session to see the live demo and the pattern for your own MCP servers. “You can improve your security posture immediately with an identity-aware proxy, whether that be putting a legacy app behind it or building out an MCP gateway with it.” - MVP Nick Taylor Policy matters just as much. What happens when a prototype starts handling real customer payments but its repository still carries its launch-day merge requirements? In “When a prototype becomes critical, does your GitHub policy know?,” MVP Baruch Sadogursky showed how he syncs ownership and business criticality from Port into GitHub as custom properties, so teams can find repositories by owning team and point a GitHub ruleset at critical services. The pattern is repeatable: Port supplies the context, and GitHub turns it into enforced policy. Watch Baruch’s session to see the gap close live. Context ties these sessions together. Sam Basu spoke about bringing context to AI tools through Skills, MCP tools, and custom agents, and his “full room with engaged audience” showed how much this is on people’s minds. Honest conversations about balancing enterprises’ privacy and cost concerns with AI’s benefits were among the best things he took from GitHub Universe. Esteban Garcia offers a simple way to start: “Build something. Try it with your team. Pay attention to where it works and where it falls apart, and then share what you learn.” - MVP & RD Esteban Garcia Keep building. Keep sharing. Curious about GitHub Universe? Explore the recorded sessions or browse the session catalog, pick an idea that interests you, and invite someone to try it with you. Then share what you learn with your own community. Whether you are a developer, engineer, IT professional, or simply curious about technology, there is a conversation you can contribute to. What could you build, or help someone else learn, before the next conference? Want to learn more about the MVP Program? To find an MVP and learn more about the Microsoft MVP Program, visit the MVP Communities website and follow program updates on LinkedIn or through #MVPBuzz.PIN Doesn't Work After a Windows 11 Restart; Account Is Locked
The system is Windows 11 Pro 25H2, using a local account; I am not signed in with a Microsoft account. Yesterday, while unlocking the device, I entered the PIN incorrectly multiple times due to a typing error and the account was locked. This morning, when I first turned on the computer, the device prompted that it was locked again before I even finished entering the PIN. Sometimes I can log in normally with the PIN, and Windows Hello authentication works fine, indicating that the PIN itself is not the issue. Due to limited dexterity in my hands, I tend to make mistakes when entering the PIN. I have tried setting the value under the registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RemoteAccess\Parameters\AccountLockout to 0 but this value was already set to 0. The system has not yet been upgraded to 26H2, but security updates and driver updates have been installed successfully. I'm hoping to find a way to disable account lockout or work around this issue. The device is a custom-built desktop with an MSI motherboard, AMD CPU, and PNY graphics card, so it's not convenient to send it in for repair.Win11 Taskbar icons for running apps disappear after switching virtual desktops
When switching between virtual desktops, the taskbar icons for applications running on the previous desktop sometimes disappear completely from the taskbar. These applications are still running and can be accessed using Alt+Tab or Task View, but their icons are no longer visible on the taskbar. Restarting File Explorer or switching back to the original desktop will temporarily restore these icons.
Windows 11: Cannot Delete, Rename or Move PDF Files in Downloads – Issue Persists
Hello Microsoft Tech Community, I'm reaching out to the community because I've been experiencing a frustrating Windows 11 issue for almost two days. Despite spending several hours troubleshooting with three different Microsoft Support technicians, the issue remains unresolved. I would appreciate help from experienced Windows users, Microsoft engineers, and senior community contributors who may have encountered a similar issue. 1. How the issue started The problem began the day before yesterday after I downloaded a PDF document from Substack and saved it in my Downloads folder. When I subsequently tried to delete that PDF, I noticed something unusual: The file was not getting deleted. It was not moving to the Recycle Bin. I could not rename the file. I could not move it to another folder. Repeated attempts through File Explorer were unsuccessful. I initially thought it was an isolated PDF issue, but the problem continued during further troubleshooting. 2. Troubleshooting performed with Microsoft Support I contacted Microsoft Support and worked with three different technicians. We attempted several troubleshooting procedures, including: Deleting the files through File Explorer. Renaming and moving the affected files. Force-deleting files using Command Prompt. Running CMD commands to inspect and clean the Downloads directory. Checking file listings using DIR commands. Investigating possible long filename and path-related issues. Attempting deletion using different PowerShell commands. Deleting and recreating the Downloads folder. Performing registry-related troubleshooting and folder repairs. Unfortunately, none of these attempts resolved the issue. 3. Windows repair and OneDrive backup One of the technicians suggested a Windows repair process and advised me to back up my important data to OneDrive before proceeding. I followed the instructions and backed up my important files to OneDrive to ensure my data remained safe. Another technician also asked me to download a Windows 11 x64 installation/ISO file. However, even after these support sessions and troubleshooting attempts, the original problem remains unresolved. 4. Testing with another Windows user profile We also tried creating another Windows user profile to investigate whether the issue was related to my original profile. However, based on my subsequent testing, I am still experiencing the same problem in another profile. This makes me wonder whether the issue could be related to Windows itself, NTFS file-system entries, file permissions, directory corruption, or another underlying Windows component. I would like to identify the actual root cause rather than continue repeating the same troubleshooting procedures. 5. What I need help with I would be grateful if experienced community members could help me understand: Why are PDF files becoming impossible to delete, rename or move? Could this be caused by NTFS file-system corruption or damaged directory entries? Could a background process, file lock, antivirus application or Windows Defender be preventing file operations? Why does the problem continue despite creating another Windows user profile? Are there any advanced diagnostic tools or safe commands to identify the actual cause? Is there a way to repair this issue without reinstalling Windows or risking my personal files and settings? 6. Current situation I have already spent nearly two days working with Microsoft Support, involving three technicians and multiple troubleshooting sessions. I have also backed up my important data to OneDrive as advised. At this point, I genuinely want to understand what is causing this unusual behaviour and find a permanent solution. If anyone from the Microsoft community, especially experienced Windows specialists or senior contributors, has encountered a similar issue, I would sincerely appreciate your guidance. Additional File Explorer Behaviour – Intermittent Loading Issue Apart from the inability to delete, rename or move the affected PDF https://1drv.ms/b/c/6968d1747a666248/IQB2YmZJEIDqTagJ0Au-rxciAcVNZC1C4ri-siL-W4_LPbU?e=f71KLo files, I have also noticed another unusual behaviour in Windows File Explorer. Sometimes, when I open File Explorer, the loading cursor/spinning indicator appears, and File Explorer takes longer than expected to respond. This behaviour does not happen consistently, but it occurs occasionally and makes me concerned that there may be an additional underlying issue affecting File Explorer or Windows file operations. I would also like to understand whether this intermittent loading behaviour could be connected to the file deletion problem or whether it indicates a separate Windows Explorer or file-system issue. I am happy to provide screenshots, diagnostic results, or additional information if required. Thank you for taking the time to read my issue and help me find a solution. Regards, Saiteja
Broken display driver after update
I have just updated my Microsoft laptop (7th gen), and now my display is constantly blinking (brightness keeps increasing and decreasing while night light turns on and off). The issue gets worse when I move my mouse around the screen. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the new display driver (Qualcomm(R) Adreno(TM) X1-85 GPU), but the problem persists. I have also tried to roll back the driver, but the roll back button is greyed out, so that has not fixed the issue either. I have also looked into manually reinstalling an older driver by clicking "let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer", but I am very confused about which driver to choose, as it comes up with a warning stating that choosing a different browser (other than the latest one and the basic one, which only allows full brightness and no night light) can cause my laptop to stop working or become unstable. What can I do to resolve this issue? Do I need to just wait for a new update to come out repairing this issue, or is there a faster way I can get this fixed?
How to Setup and Install Microsoft365.com/setup on Windows
888 891 2037 Visit microsoft365.com/setup: Open your web browser and type in "microsoft365.com/setup" in the address bar. Press Enter to navigate to the official Microsoft 365 setup page. Sign In or Create Account: If you already have a Microsoft account, sign in using your credentials. If not, you'll need to create a Microsoft account by clicking on the "Create a new account" option and following the prompts. Enter Product Key: You will be prompted to enter the product key associated with your Microsoft 365 subscription. This key is typically found on the card or email you received when you purchased your subscription. Enter the key carefully and click "Next." Choose Install Option: Depending on your subscription and the type of device you're using, you'll be presented with different installation options. Choose between installing Microsoft 365 on your current device or other devices. Download and Install: Click on the "Install" or "Download" button, depending on the option you selected. The installation package will begin downloading. Run the Installer: Once the download is complete, locate the installation package (usually in your Downloads folder) and run the installer by double-clicking on it. Follow Installation Prompts: The installer will guide you through the installation process. You might need to review and accept the license agreement, choose the installation location, and customize installation settings. Sign In to Microsoft Account: After installation is complete, open any Microsoft 365 application (such as Word or Excel). You will be prompted to sign in with your Microsoft account. Use the same account you used to set up Microsoft 365. Activation: The application will automatically activate itself using the product key you entered earlier during the setup process. Start Using Microsoft 365: Once activated, you're all set! You can now start using the Microsoft 365 suite of applications and services.
