Reports that Windows 11 is broken beyond repair are nonsense — here's why

Windows 11 and Windows 10 have a bug that can prevent the Start menu, Windows Search, and UWP apps from opening. The issue can affect apps that use Microsoft Office APIs to integrate with the Office suite, your Outlook calendar, or Windows itself. ClickShare is one app that can run into problems because of the bug, though several other applications could be affected.

The bug is outlined in a document from Microsoft. Issues like this appear occasionally, and we often cover them. People should know what could cause problems on their PC after all. But sometimes, outlets add confusion and conjure fear when covering reports of bugs. That appears to be the case with a recent piece by TechRadar titled "Windows 11 is so broken that even Microsoft can't fix it."

The strapline of that article doubles down on the fear-inducing headline, stating that "Microsoft admits there are Windows 11 problems it just can't fix." For the record, Microsoft has not "admitted" this or even said anything close to that. 

An irritating bug, but no more than that

Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen7 (Image credit: Windows Central)

Official Microsoft documentation states, "we are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release," which hardly seems like a statement from a company admitting it can't fix a bug. I'd argue it's the opposite. Microsoft seems reasonably confident it will resolve the issue and ship a future update.

Here's some additional context about the issue, courtesy of the Microsoft doc linked above:

"The Start menu, Windows search, and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps might not work as expected or might have issues opening. Affected Windows devices might have damaged registry keys or data which might affect apps using Microsoft Office APIs to integrate with Windows, Microsoft Office, or Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Calendar. An example of an app affected by this issue is ClickShare. The underlying Issue is not caused by the installation of an update to Windows and might be exposed by an update to an affected app."

Microsoft is working on a permanent fix for the issue that will ship with an update. In the meantime, you can mitigate the issue using a workaround outlined in the same doc: 

"To mitigate this issue, you can uninstall apps which integrate with Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Calendar. Updates to affected apps or guidance from the developer of the app might also be available. If you are using ClickShare by Barco, please see Symptom: Start Menu and other shell components fail when Apps including Barco's ClickShare access Office APIs and Unresponsive Windows taskbar or user shell folder permissions issues with ClickShare App Calendar integration."

This type of bug is no doubt frustrating to those with affected systems, but it is not unique. Microsoft is working on a fix and has outlined a mitigation to help those that may be affected.

Clickbait vs. Clickable

Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen7 (Image credit: Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

The headline "Windows 11 is so broken that even Microsoft can’t fix it" is false. It also shows a lack of understanding of how software development works and what Microsoft has done in the past. The body of the article isn't much better in that regard. For context, software bugs are spotted all the time.

Normally, once a bug is reported Microsoft works to find an immediate workaround. This is to prevent the bug from affecting PCs while developers work on a permanent solution. While Microsoft is a large company, fixes for issues take time to make. Manpower and money don't magically make it so their teams can fix a bug overnight.

Furthermore, Microsoft needs to test bugs to make sure that they are stable, secure, and don't affect other parts of Windows. On top of all this, the headline suggests that this is a problem limited to Windows 11, likely to piggyback on negative sentiments towards the OS. It's not sexy to say that a general problem with Windows has been discovered.

If you want to get the people going you must make it about Windows 11. New is bad, as you all know (/s). While I am admittedly worked up about the article, I'm not the only one upset by it. Some comments from a Reddit thread about the piece show that not everyone buys into the faux outrage.

"This isn’t journalism. Microsoft has just made a pretty remarkable admission, essentially conceding that it doesn’t have a solution for some Windows 11 problems." Scaredycrow87 continues, quoting Microsoft: “UWP apps might not work as expected .. to mitigate this issue, you can uninstall apps which integrate with Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Calendar.”

AngieTheQueen adds: "Took the words right out of my mouth, this is garbage clickbait and the reason I use adblockers." I_Rarely_Replay echoed similar thoughts: "Total BS clickbait. MS NEVER said they can't fix it. None of those links show microsoft saying that. What they DID say is that they're working on it, with immediate work-arounds. They haven't fixed it yet. That's a far cry from the BS title posted here."

Are bugs frustrating? Sure. Do I wish Microsoft would fix some of them faster? Of course. Has Windows 11 run into a horrible issue that Microsoft developers are crying in a corner because they can't fix it? No. And nobody believes that.

Reports that Windows 11 is broken beyond repair are nonsense — here's why