Microsoft has quietly rolled out a new optional update for Windows 11, and while the company didn't make much noise about it, the patch addresses a couple of issues that many users have been complaining about for months. From random taskbar disappearances to micro-stutters when launching games, this update tries to smooth out some long-standing frustrations — though it isn't perfect, and a few new bugs have popped up as well.
Taskbar and Explorer Crashes: What Was Going On?
If your taskbar has been mysteriously vanishing and reappearing, you weren't imagining things. The culprit was explorer.exe, Windows' graphical shell, which could crash whenever certain system notifications came in.
Microsoft hasn't explained the specific technical cause — typical Microsoft fashion — but users noticed the crashes happened even without new alerts popping up. It's possible that having several unread notifications queued up was enough to trigger unstable behavior.
With the latest optional update KB5070311 (Build 26200.7309 / 26100.7309), Microsoft finally addresses this erratic crash, even though the fix is buried deep in the changelog where most people wouldn't spot it.
Why Games and Apps Were Stuttering at Launch
Another under-the-radar admission from Microsoft is that some Windows 11 users might experience brief stuttering when launching games or apps, especially on high-end displays.
Here's what was happening in the background:
When a game starts, it often queries Windows for details like your monitor's resolution, refresh rate, and available display modes. This helps the game optimize its initial performance settings.
The querying system itself wasn't broken — but on very high-resolution or high-refresh monitors, this back-and-forth with Windows could momentarily choke the system, resulting in a small stutter that didn't affect gameplay, just the launch sequence.
After this update, that stutter should be far less noticeable. Launching games, changing resolutions, or opening display-related utilities should feel smoother on premium monitors.
Other Notable Fixes in This Update
Alongside the stability improvements, Windows 11 users also get a couple of helpful display-related fixes:
Some PCs were failing to adjust screen brightness correctly, or were reverting back to old brightness values without warning. This has now been corrected.
In certain games or apps, Windows displayed an error claiming the GPU was unsupported — even when it was fully supported. This misleading warning has been patched.
But Be Aware: The Update Introduces New Glitches Too
As with many optional updates, fixing one thing sometimes pokes a hole somewhere else.
Users running this build have reported:
These aren't deal-breaking bugs, but they're definitely irritating.
Should You Update Now, or Wait?
While the improvements are genuinely helpful — especially if you've been battling taskbar crashes — the new visual quirks might be reason enough to hold off.
If stability is a priority, it's better to wait until December 9, when Microsoft rolls out its December 2025 Patch Tuesday update. Patch Tuesday builds typically undergo more extensive testing and should fix the new issues introduced in this optional release.
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