Windows 11 has been causing problems with Intel graphics for months, and no one said a word

If you’re using Intel integrated graphics and you’ve been having some issues with DirectX apps, we may know the reason why — outdated drivers paired with a recent Windows update. According to Microsoft, a Windows 11 update may have caused some errors in Intel graphics. The update is not recent at all, so even if you haven’t updated in the last few weeks, you may be affected. Intel integrated graphics may be having some trouble with DirectX and Direct3D apps if they’re running Windows. The issues started with a patch applied in November 2022, so it’s been a while, but Microsoft only broke the news just now. Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 users may be affected. Note that Microsoft specifically calls out integrated graphics and doesn’t mention Intel’s Arc A750 and A770, which don’t appear to be affected. Everything can be traced back to bugs that were introduced in patches KB5019980 and KB5019961 for Windows 11 and KB5019959 for Windows 10. While these Patch Tuesday releases may have addressed their fair share of problems, they also seem to have come with an issue that hasn’t been fixed to this day. Moreover, Microsoft doesn’t have a fix for this problem as of yet. How has a problem that could affect a whole lot of PCs gone unnoticed for so long? It appears that it doesn’t happen all the time, which is why it may have gone under the radar for the past couple of months. “This issue might happen intermittently and affects apps which use DirectX or Direct3D to render part or all of their content,” said Microsoft. If your device is affected, you may receive an error with apphelp.dll on Windows. Microsoft is working on a fix to be bundled with a future update, but for now, your best bet to fix this might be to simply update your Intel graphics drivers. The issue is present if you’re running driver versions 26.20.100.7463 up to 30.0.101.1190, so installing an update that bumps your drivers up to a newer version might be all you need. The last driver that was affected (30.0.101.1190) was released in December 2021, so it’s hard to blame Microsoft for not catching the issue sooner. However, if you’re using one of Intel’s integrated GPUs and you’re not a frequent updater, make sure to download the latest drivers. If it doesn’t, your only option is to wait for Microsoft to provide an official fix on Windows’ end. The Windows 11 24H2 update had already been giving users a real headache with problems such as bugs for visual layouts and flaws for certain wallpaper apps. And now, as Microsoft confirms in a support document, some people without administrative privileges can’t change the time zone in the Date & Time view, among myriad other issues related to the important Windows 11 update. A Feedback Hub post also reports a time issue after exiting Sleep Mode, specifically after about one out of every five overnight sleep cycles. There is also a report that the time is not syncing correctly following daylight saving time. Put differently, the update doesn’t break the time zone, but only affects the toggle or makes it very difficult to modify it. Windows 11 is the current version of Windows, and it’s one of the best Windows versions ever released. It draws on its predecessors, like Windows 10, but today it’s very much its own operating system, with a unique look, advanced features, and the most secure and stable platform for modern Windows application. If you’ve been holding out on upgrading, or aren’t running the latest version, we have everything you need to know about the most recent version of Windows 11. We’re finally starting to make some progress on the handheld experience of Windows 11. Although Windows 11 handhelds like the ROG Ally X are some of the best handheld gaming PCs you can buy, that’s despite their use of Windows, not because of it. Now, the latest Windows 11 Insider preview (build 22631.4387) adds a feature that should make navigating the OS much easier on a handheld — a keyboard built for gamepads. Windows has included an onscreen keyboard for years, and updates over the last couple of years have even made it usable with touch inputs. On a handheld, however, there are two problems with the keyboard. You can’t invoke it naturally — you have to bind Windows + Ctrl + O to a hotkey — and you can’t use your controller to navigate it. With the new update, Microsoft is fixing that last point, at the very least. Upgrade your lifestyleDigital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks.