Microsoft confirms Task Manager handles issues in Windows 11 build 25336

Microsoft has confirmed that the latest Windows 11 preview build from the Canary Channel has a bug related to the Task Manager and system handles. As @XenoPanther (Twitter) discovered, Task Manager in Windows 11 build 25336 fails to terminate handles, resulting in handle accumulation far beyond any reasonable amount and subsequent severe system slowdowns and crashes.

A Microsoft engineer replied to Xeno's post on the Feedback Hub, saying that the company has detected the problem's cause and it is working on resolving the situation in upcoming updates:

Appreciate your patience—we have figured out the cause and are working on a fix.

If your PC with build 25336 suffers from handles leaks, look out for a new update this week. Hopefully, Microsoft will include the necessary fix in the upcoming releases. This story is yet another reminder that you better run Windows 11 preview builds on a spare computer or virtual machine and avoid installing Dev or Canary releases on mission-critical devices.

You can learn about what's new in Windows 11 build 25336 in our dedicated coverage.

Microsoft confirms Task Manager handles issues in Windows 11 build 25336