On Thu, 1/22/2026 8:50 AM, Alan K. wrote:

On 1/22/26 5:24 AM, Bad Company wrote:

January has become a nightmare for millions of Windows users, as
Microsoft?s latest January update creates a surprising raft of issues. We
have seen multiple emergency updates. But serious problems remain. And
there?s no firm timeline on fixes.

?This year?s first mandatory Windows 11 update is a mess,? Windows Latest
warns. Users keep reaching out ?to share their nightmare experience,.? For >> those unaware, "this update is a mandatory security patch, so it?s going
to attempt installation whether you like it or not.? And that makes
failures unavoidable.

Three of the issues have been acknowledged by Microsoft. The Classic
Outlook freezing bug, the Remote Desktop Bug, and the failure to shutdown
bug. ?But it doesn?t look like there were only three issues that needed
Microsoft?s attention.?

Microsoft is looking into an issue with desktop.ini that likely means it
will be fixed soon. But there?s also a new sleep state issue that is
garnering increasing user complaints. This preserves battery and power,
but the issue is PCs are not falling asleep as planned.

Windows Latest says ?there?s a regression bug in Windows 11 25H2 on the
desktop S3 sleep path. Even with hybrid sleep and wake timers disabled,
the system-level Maintenance Activator (SystemEventsBroker) does not
properly clear the maintenance wake context after the first wake, causing
the second sleep to wake immediately.?

All users are advised to watch for additional emergency out-of-band
updates to fix outstanding issues. Some may await February?s updates,
which means installing it as soon as available. Not great, but
unfortunately not that unusual.

?We?re monitoring reports of other problems in the January 2026 update,?
Windows Latest says, ?including a bug where the keyboard and mouse do not
work correctly. The list of reported issues keeps growing, which is
concerning, as Windows 11 had more than 20 major problems in 2025 with
just 12 security updates.?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2026/01/21/nightmare-microsoft-
update-breaks-windows-for-millions/

Also: https://www.howtogeek.com/saving-files-is-currently-broken-on-windows-11-and-windows-10

You have to search around a bit to get some more colour commentary.

"On January 13, 2026, Microsoft acknowledged that Classic Outlook profiles with
POP accounts and PST files began hanging after Windows update KB5074109 on
Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2 systems.

Facing PST files on OneDrive, Microsoft warned that apps may become unresponsive,
citing `For example, in some configurations of Outlook that store PST files on OneDrive,
Outlook might become unresponsive and fail to reopen unless its process is terminated
in Task Manager, or the system is restarted. Users reported random hangs,
unsaved email progress when Outlook desktop client freezes, sent messages
missing in Sent Items folder, and Outlook redownloading messages.

Microsoft says it is investigating the issue with no timeline for a fix, while
users can uninstall KB5074109 or KB5073724 via
Settings app > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates,
but this may expose devices to security risks [one exploit currently active in the field].
"

The OneDrive issue then, seems to be a hang in the middle of a Onedrive write, from Outlook. Then additional attempts to start Outlook, the process is
still running in Task Manager.

Paul




--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Paul wrote:
[snip]

The OneDrive issue then, seems to be a hang in the middle of a Onedrive write,
from Outlook. Then additional attempts to start Outlook, the process is
still running in Task Manager.

There is no point in storing a .PST or .OST file in OneDrive when using
IMAP. The master copy of all the emails is on the mail server and is
viewed using Outlook. Its .PST file is a local cache, so if this needs
to be read from OneDrive it is downloaded at the same time as the emails
from the mail server - thus doubling the downstream bandwidth
requirement consequently slowing everything down.

Always configure Outlook to store its .PST and .OST files locally,
outside of OneDrive. So configure Outlook before installing and
enabling OneDrive

--
Graham J

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Thu, 1/22/2026 1:57 PM, Graham J wrote:

Paul wrote:
[snip]

The OneDrive issue then, seems to be a hang in the middle of a Onedrive write,
from Outlook. Then additional attempts to start Outlook, the process is
still running in Task Manager.

There is no point in storing a .PST or .OST file in OneDrive when using IMAP.ÿ The master copy of all the emails is on the mail server and is viewed using Outlook.ÿ Its .PST file is a local cache, so if this needs to be read from OneDrive it is downloaded at the same time as the emails from the mail server - thus doubling the downstream bandwidth requirement consequently slowing everything down.

Always configure Outlook to store its .PST and .OST files locally, outside of OneDrive.ÿ So configure Outlook before installing and enabling OneDrive

The scenario doesn't make any sense. And it is listed as a "PST with POP3" issue, so the PST is packed with locally acquired content. It's not listed against IMAP (although anything is possible). Also, when they report a hang like this, there is nothing to say whether it resolves after a day or two
of runtime.

I might store my trivial goods on OneDrive, but I would not
be throwing any chonking-big files in there. Especially
as the free limitation is 5GB.

There is always someone you have worked with, who kept emails
from the dawn of time. And had the tool-breakingly-big file
to prove it.

"My X is slow..."

"You idiot, look at the size of that..."

Of course, you soften your tone to not disturb
others in the cube village.

"Sweet Petunia, what a mess..."

The interesting bit of this, will be seeing how long
it takes to patch it. As they can't release an emergency
patch, um, without testing it.

Paul

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Thu, 1/22/2026 3:25 PM, T wrote:

On 1/22/26 12:15 PM, Paul wrote:

The interesting bit of this, will be seeing how long
it takes to patch it. As they can't release an emergency
patch, um, without testing it.

The issues sound a lot like "AI Slop", instead
of actual programmers.ÿÿ Then again Microslop's
human programmers have made some real bloopers
without the assistance of AI in the past.

I had to remove, erase spool tmp files and
reinstall a printer a few minutes ago.ÿ This does
happen a lot of W11, but I am wondering if this
patch had anything to do with it.ÿ W11 and printers
and a match made in ...

They patched something like a hundred security issues.
And you just know some of those are "a rock and a hard place"
patches, where a normal person would throw their hands
in the air and say "rewrite this!".

As a dev, you also look bad if you patch something,
and another variant of the issue shows up immediately
afterwards.

And they have to fix this, because out of the hundred,
one is actively under exploit in the field right now
(the article didn't say whether you had to be standing
in front of the computer to do it).

They don't have time to be "thinking about it".

They could have split the patches into a "mostly harmless"
file for 99 of them, and put the "this will break something"
in its own patch.

Paul

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Paul wrote on 1/22/2026 1:15 PM:

On Thu, 1/22/2026 1:57 PM, Graham J wrote:

There is no point in storing a .PST or .OST file in OneDrive when using IMAP.ÿ The master copy of all the emails is on the mail server and is viewed using Outlook.ÿ Its .PST file is a local cache, so if this needs to be read from OneDrive it is downloaded at the same time as the emails from the mail server - thus doubling the downstream bandwidth requirement consequently slowing everything down.

Always configure Outlook to store its .PST and .OST files locally, outside of OneDrive.ÿ So configure Outlook before installing and enabling OneDrive

The scenario doesn't make any sense. And it is listed as a "PST with POP3" issue, so the PST is packed with locally acquired content. It's not listed against IMAP (although anything is possible). Also, when they report a hang like this, there is nothing to say whether it resolves after a day or two
of runtime.

Correct, it does not apply to IMAP or Exchange(ost files), only POP3 PST.

But....Use of IMAP and Exchange does not preclude use of Outlook's Local default folders(which are created automatically when Outlook is first
setup as part of the required Outlook 'Profile' which can have a *.pst file(Outlook.pst is default name) for mail, contacts, and calendar). That
same Local default folders can be used as storage(copy from/to, move from/to[or use of rules on all types of email accountsExchange, IMAP,
POP3] *and* stored in the Outlook.pst.
i.e. While the issue with storing a pst on OneDrive is POP3 focused
issue, that pst could easily include more than POP3 email content!

Linux group removed...its not a Linux related issue

--
...w­¤?ñ?¤

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)