Windows 11 mandatory update breaks taskbar and sends PC into endless reboot

After installing the November security patch for Windows 11, users of Microsoft’s proprietary OS are complaining about strange bugs with icons disappearing from the taskbar and lack of smoothness when switching between virtual desktops. Some even fail to install the required update due to an error, the occurrence of which is accompanied by a rollback of the OS to its original state and endless reboots of the PC.

An update you can’t refuse

Installing the latest update for Windows 11, which has a mandatory status, can cause a lot of inconvenience for users and administrators.

In particular, according to the specialized publication Windows Latest, the use of the patch dated November 14, 2023 may result in incorrect operation of the taskbar, slow switching of virtual desktops, accompanied by visual bugs. In addition, during the installation of the update, errors may occur, leading to an endless series of computer reboots at any time during the procedure.

To make matters worse, KB5032190 is a mandatory cumulative update that fixes a lot of security bugs, so artificially blocking its installation may not be the best solution.

Disappearing icons on the taskbar

According to posts on Reddit and the Feedback Hub, installing the KB5032190 update may interfere with the normal operation of the Windows 11 taskbar.

The problem is either the complete disappearance of application icons located on this most important control element of the Microsoft OS, or incorrect handling of clicks on icons when trying to launch applications. The system launches a different program to the icon of which the user hovered the mouse cursor before clicking the left mouse button. Instead, the application is launched, the icon of which immediately follows the one the user needs. In other words, if the OneNote and Word icons are located in a row on the taskbar, then trying to launch the note-taking application always leads to the launch of the word processor.

Some of the users who have encountered a strange problem note that restarting File Explorer through the Task Manager can resolve it for some time. However, after about half an hour, difficulties with launching applications and the disappearance of program icons arise again, and Explorer has to be forced to close again.

As Windows Latest notes, Microsoft is aware of a bug with the display of icons on the taskbar. Moreover, the developers even released several preliminary builds of patches that eliminate this unpleasant feature – the problem was resolved in insider builds on the Canary channel. However, the timing of the release of the fix in the stable version of Windows 11 is still unknown.

Users began to complain about the problem described above with the release of an optional major functionality update for Moment 4, which was released in September 2023, and the bug somehow “migrated” to the mandatory update KB5032190.

Moment 4, by the way, gave owners of PCs running Windows 11 access to a new smart assistant, which was called Windows Copilot and immediately began to cause discomfort to users. Owners of configurations with multiple monitors, when trying to launch the assistant, could encounter chaotic movement of application and document icons from screen to screen.

Problem with virtual desktops

After installing the KB5032190 update for Windows 11, some users note the appearance of unpleasant features when working with virtual desktops.

Thus, the animation of switching between workspaces suffers from a lack of smoothness, and the desktops themselves in some cases can be visually distorted. Users who have encountered this problem are experiencing image tearing and incorrect display of their desktop wallpaper.

It is noteworthy that problems with the responsiveness of the virtual desktop mechanism, as well as the disappearance of icons from the taskbar, were recorded back with the release of Moment 4. Now they affect users of all versions of Windows 11, including those who did not install Moment 4 – due to the fact that KB5032190 is a mandatory update.

Endless reboots

Perhaps the most serious problem that the KB50321190 patch can cause is an endless reboot loop that the OS gets into during the installation of the update.

There are many complaints posted in the Feedback Center that Windows automatically and repeatedly restarts at random times during the update installation procedure, after which the system rolls back to its original state.

The problem affects various versions of Windows 11, including Enterprise and Pro editions. In some cases, information about a failed attempt to install a patch is not even recorded in the Windows Update Update History and, thus, deprives the user of valuable information (for example, error codes) that could otherwise help determine the cause of the problem .