BitLocker encrypted fixed drives after BIOS update with no warning
OS: Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8037 M/B: Asus TUF Gaming B850M-Plus Wifi I had been running a BIOS version which is about 1 year old on a fairly recent motherboard model. I have always had an issue show up where PCR7 binding was not possible. I only run under a local account and did not want BitLocker on anyway so no big deal. The few days ago, I updated the BIOS to a later version (not the latest). Yesterday I happened to notice that my drives were all encrypted XTS-AES 128, although BitLocker was not set up. Checking the event viewer, I saw BitLocker-API messages to confirm that starting right after the BIOS update Windows decided, with no warning or indication, to encrypt all my drives. I went to the Settings Drive encryption page (which was not even available before the BIOS update) and say Drive encryption was on. So I turned it off. The BIOS update must have fixed the PCR7 issue. Microsoft does know about this machine since I use a subscription to Microsoft-365, but Windows is only running under a Local account. So is this expected behavior that Windows would just willy-nilly encrypt my drives without telling me? What I read tells me it should not have. What's the best way to prevent this?c:\windows\installer bloat issue seems to be only getting worse
Hi folks, I have had several users with full hard drives lately ... and the issue in each case has been the c:\windows\installer folder taking up anywhere from 60 - 120GB! I found a free tool called wise disk cleaner that seems to clear this up safely (I have been cautioned against deleting stuff in that folder, because it can break uninstall options) I asked copilot about it and apparently Microsoft doesn't consider this a bug and aren't working towards fixing it in a future windows update. Is anyone else in the tech community suffering with this ongoing issue? We run Windows 11 Enterprise and I support over 200 workstation endpoints. Here's what CoPilot had to say: I asked: is the bloat of c:\windows\installer folder in Windows 11 a known issue and is Microsoft working on fixing it? Copilot said: Copilot Short answer: yes, the size growth of C:\Windows\Installer is a long‑standing and well‑documented behavior—but no, Microsoft does not currently treat it as a bug they plan to “fix” in Windows 11. It’s considered by design, even though it’s increasingly painful on modern systems. Below is a clear breakdown of what’s going on, what Microsoft has said, and what that means in practice. 1. Is the C:\Windows\Installer bloat a known issue? Yes, very much so. Microsoft has acknowledged for many years (pre‑Windows 11) that the Windows Installer cache can grow very large—sometimes tens or even hundreds of gigabytes—especially on systems with: Long OS lifetimes Frequent MSI/MSP‑based updates Apps with problematic patch behavior (Adobe products are a common example) Enterprise management or auto‑update loops Microsoft support threads from 2025–2026 show numerous Windows 11 users reporting sudden or gradual growth to 50–200+ GB, often without any built‑in cleanup option being effective.microsoft+1 Microsoft explicitly documents that: The folder contains cached MSI installers and MSP patches These files are required for repair, update, rollback, and uninstall Disk Cleanup, Storage Sense, and Cleanup recommendations are intentionally blocked from touching this directory.microsoft+1 This behavior has not changed materially in Windows 11. 2. Does Microsoft consider this a bug? No. Microsoft consistently classifies this as “by design.” Across Microsoft Learn / Q&A responses and official documentation, their stance is: The Installer cache is critical system infrastructure Deleting files risks irreparably breaking installed software There is no native or supported cleanup mechanism that automatically shrinks the folder.microsoft+1 Even when users report extreme cases (100–200 GB+), Microsoft support responses do not frame it as a defect, but as: Expected accumulation Sometimes worsened by third‑party installers stuck in failed update loops.microsoft 3. Is Microsoft actively working on fixing or redesigning it? As of early 2026: no public evidence suggests Microsoft is working on a fix or redesign. Key points: There are no Windows 11 changelogs, KB articles, or Insider Preview notes indicating plans to: Auto‑expire unused MSI/MSP files Compress or relocate the installer cache Provide a supported cleanup UI Recent documentation still emphasizes restoring missing cache files, not reducing them—implying Microsoft prioritizes correctness over disk usage.github In other words: Microsoft is investing effort in preventing the cache from being missing, not in keeping it small. 4. Why this feels worse on Windows 11 While not a regression, several Windows 11 realities make the issue more visible: Smaller default SSDs in laptops (256–512 GB) More frequent app auto‑updates Heavier reliance on MSI/MSP for enterprise and legacy apps No meaningful UI feedback explaining what is filling the folder This leads many users to reasonably—but dangerously—assume it’s “junk data.” 5. What Microsoft’s practical guidance amounts to Microsoft’s official guidance can be summarized as: ❌ Do not delete files manually ❌ No built‑in cleanup tool exists ✅ Identify and fix misbehaving installers instead (failed update loops) ✅ Uninstall the offending application cleanly, if possible ✅ In enterprise environments, fix the deployment policy causing repeated patch drops.microsoft Everything beyond that (e.g., PatchCleaner) is explicitly unsupported, even if widely used. 6. Bottom line ✅ Known, widely reported, and acknowledged behavior ❌ Not regarded by Microsoft as a Windows 11 bug ❌ No indication of an upcoming fix or redesign ⚠ Manual cleanup remains risky, unsupported, and user‑managed AI Response Preview C:\Windows\Installer is the Windows Installer cache. It stores MSI and MSP files that are required for repairing, updating, or uninstalling applications that were installed via Windows Installer. These files are unique per machine and per product and must not be deleted arbitrarily. Microsoft’s documented position is: The Windows Installer cache is by design and is required for correct operation of installed applications. If files are missing from this cache, the supported guidance is to work with the application vendor to restore them; in many cases, the only reliable fix is to rebuild the OS and reinstall the affected applications. Windows support engineers do not provide a method to “clean” or shrink this cache, and missing cache files cannot be copied from other machines because they are unique. There is no supported Microsoft tool (Disk Cleanup, Storage Sense, etc.) that targets C:\Windows\Installer specifically, and the official documentation focuses on restoring missing cache files, not on reducing the size of the cache. Third‑party tools that delete from this folder operate outside supported guidance and can break repair/uninstall/update scenarios for MSI‑based applications. For endpoints where this folder has grown very large, supported options are: Uninstall applications that are no longer needed (which may remove their related installer cache entries as part of the uninstall process). If corruption or missing cache files occur, follow the vendor’s recovery steps or, if necessary, rebuild Windows and reinstall applications. There is no indication in the provided documentation that Microsoft treats the growth of C:\Windows\Installer as a bug or that a built‑in cleanup mechanism is planned.
Automatic spacing occurs when typing in Windows 11 (Outlook and 3ry part Messenger + Edge)
* Issue -Issue with spacing when entering text (same for English and Korean) -This spacing issue occurs not only in Outlook but also in third-party messengers and the Edge browser when entering text. Action details - Full/Half (F) -> Half size (H) change -For keyboard layout, if Hancom IME is selected, change it to "Microsoft IME". * Issue Details The issue recurs even after performing the above settings It returns to normal after restarting Outlook *Additional measures -It appears that the ctfmon.exe process restart is not proceeding normally. -Disable Microsoft Input Method Deletion -There are cases where the problem is not resolved and recurs even after changing IME settings, removing Hancom Input Method, or switching between full-width and half-width input. -DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth sfc /scannowWhy Windows 11 24H2 displaying mixed languages
Today I tried to change the language of the system from Portuguese to English, and everything became a mixture of the two languages (even after leaving only the English language installed). I searched for similar cases and ended up finding the report in the link below where several users report the same problem after having updated to the 24h2 build.The file is too large for the destination file system for usb transfer
I got this error when trying to copy a few movies from Windows 11 laptop to USB drive. The file is too large for the destination file system for usb transfer These are blu-ray HD videos and some of them are more than 5GB. Is this problem? I tried multiple suggestions but none of them worked. By the way, it is a fast USB 3.0 flash drive with 64GB storage.
