top | item 46116567

After Windows Update, Password icon invisible, click where it used to be

217 points| zdw | 3 months ago |support.microsoft.com

292 comments

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[+] vijucat|3 months ago|reply
It's become a universal truth that you should probably not upgrade to the latest and non-greatest version of ANYTHING these days. Not Android, not Windows, not iOS, not macOS. It's just embarrassing how companies with market caps sometimes above $1T produce workslop.

I use Windows Update Blocker on Windows 10 to keep it "protected" from upgrades (!). I can see that critical security updates are occurring despite this, so it's a good compromise. For now. When Windows 12 is announced, Windows 11 may finally be usable.

[+] PunchyHamster|3 months ago|reply
It's such a stark contrast, my home servers just run unattended-upgrade (on Debian) with no problems, I just do the major version upgrade every year.

Meanwhile everything consumer and most enterprise is as you said, "don't upgrade if it is not broken, else you WILL feel pain".

Companies basically trained bad security habits into their user base

[+] jerriep|3 months ago|reply
> When Windows 12 is announced, Windows 11 may finally be usable.

I think it will still be objectively bad. But maybe compared to Windows 12, it will seem good.

[+] basilikum|3 months ago|reply
If you're forced to use Windows, just use Windows 10 LTSC 2021 IoT. Gets security updates until 2031 but none of the new "features".
[+] oefrha|3 months ago|reply
My Windows 11 Pro installation is helpfully stuck on 23H2 since every time it attempts to install a newer version it simply gets stuck on a black screen and requires a forced power cycle and subsequent auto-restore, wasting forty minutes in the process.
[+] butlike|3 months ago|reply
Counter-point: I upgrade day 1 (or in a reasonable timeframe) because I know there's no way the company will ever "go back" on what they're doing. If the new UI nukes the pleasant atmosphere of the OS by making all the icons look glass-like, then I'd better get used to it now. I don't want to forego upgrading, then have to learn a bunch of new features ON TOP of the UI differences.

For example, iOS 26 introduced the liquid glass, which, coupled with how some UI elements work, was essentially the only change. If I wait until the inevitable iOS 36, I'll have to learn the UI paradigm on top of 10 versions worth of functional upgrades. The delta would be too large for me.

[+] jayd16|3 months ago|reply
For fun, try a version of Windows Server 2025 with the desktop GUI. Its actually kind of awesome to see what they can do when they care to.
[+] I_dream_of_Geni|3 months ago|reply
Interesting take. I've used MacOS for 30+ years, and for the last 20 years have had zero problems with updating immediately... For that matter, iOS has been flawless also.
[+] anal_reactor|3 months ago|reply
Android has reached the state of complete maturity. For years already major version releases were mostly shifting icons around. There's zero reason to update.
[+] Saris|3 months ago|reply
Same goes for some of the desktop focused Linux distros, I had Fedora KDE break the login screen from a bad update that got pushed out. It's best to just wait to update anything important.
[+] askl|3 months ago|reply
> When Windows 12 is announced, Windows 11 may finally be usable.

I'm not using windows anymore, but at least since Windows XP I felt like only every other release of Windows was usable. So my upgrade path was XP, Vista, 10, completely skipping over the bad releases Vista and 8. So just skip over 11, Windows 12 might be an okay release again.

[+] deafpolygon|3 months ago|reply
> When Windows 12 is announced, Windows 11 may finally be usable.

Knowing Microsoft, feels like they’ll just make it a mandatory security update.

[+] zoeysmithe|3 months ago|reply
Its not, instead you should install security updates in a timely fashion. People blocking windows update and being left super vulnerable isn't the solution. This bug was from an august update that affected some people. I think people are overplaying this to justify a dangerous 'dont fix if not broken.' No, your system is broken if its vulnerable.
[+] estimator7292|3 months ago|reply
I'm a major version behind on LineageOS. So far behind that it just gave up on offering me updates.

And honestly I'm going to keep it this way until something breaks. I'm absolutely fucking sick of my phone nagging me to update every couple of weeks. Besides, at this point I have to manually flash the new version and I just can't be bothered.

The only way to back up your phone is with some weirdass encryption. It generates a long password for you that you MUST write on physical paper in the real world with your actual hands. They disabled any and all method to digitally record this password.

It's all so disrespectful. This is my goddamn phone, I paid for it on cold hard cash, and it is mine to do with as I please. Fuck absolutely anyone who tries to force some particular interaction.

I have a few windows 10 VMs around and they all are firewalled from Microsoft. They don't like it, which pleases me.

[+] Madmallard|3 months ago|reply
which windows update blocker do you use?
[+] Zardoz84|3 months ago|reply
Except Linux
[+] MisterTea|3 months ago|reply
> It's become a universal truth that you should probably not upgrade to the latest and non-greatest version of ANYTHING these days. Not Android,

If you even have control... I have a Google Pixel 8 which was nagging me to update to the latest and greatest Android when my phone was already working just fine. I kept putting it off and rescheduling it until two weeks ago. I was driving home from work, phone in the cup holder, listening to music when the music suddenly stopped. I picked up my phone to see if it was a call or the shitty Honda Bluetooth crapped out again but to my surprise, my phone was powered off. Huh? Never had a phone just turn off like that. I let it sit for a bit to see if it was rebooting but no, it was off. So I powered it back on and suddenly I'm looking at new animations and realize that somehow the OS update forcefully installed itself. WTF. I am not sure if I accidentally scheduled the install, highly doubt it, but there it is, I had the update forced on to me.

IThe best p[art is this latest and greatest Android that I did not need or want has a regression where swiping down the notification menu has a 5+ seconds delay to populate the menu with the notifications. So yeah, totally worth it... /s

[+] noja|3 months ago|reply
Not true! The AI revolution has led to an explosion in software quality. The amount of fixed bugs and testing that AI-leaders such as MS have achieved is unprecedented. We will look back on this era as the golden age of software quality.
[+] cwillu|3 months ago|reply
“[Print] To meet security goals and support new print capabilities, this update transitions Windows printing components from MSVCRT to a modern Universal C Runtime Library.

As a result of this change, print clients running versions of Windows prior to Windows 10, version 2004 and Windows Server, version 2004 (Build number 19041) will intentionally fail to print to remote print servers running Windows 11, versions 24H2 or 25H2, and Windows Server 2025, that have installed this update, or later updates. Attempting to print from an unsupported print client to an updated print server will fail with one of the following errors: ”

Wow.

[+] wrs|3 months ago|reply
You stopped quoting too soon; the best part is the error message that straight-up lies! “The printer driver is not installed on this computer.” Absolutely classic Windows right there.
[+] antiloper|3 months ago|reply
Apart from the obvious compatibility disaster, what kind of skeletons does Microsoft have in their printing system that the choice of C library creates those compatibility issues in the first place?
[+] ddalex|3 months ago|reply
What happened to "always maintain compatibility" ?
[+] schmuckonwheels|3 months ago|reply
If this was Apple everybody would be praising their ability to cut ties with old cruft.
[+] kachapopopow|3 months ago|reply
For anyone that does not want to switch to linux LTSC is a good alternative to avoid issues like these:

https://github.com/massgravel/massgrave.dev/blob/main/docs/w...

I recommend IoT Enterprise LTSC and you can use https://get.activated.win to activate it.

If you are using it in a business setting it's $30/month per license (there are unfortunately no non subscription licenses for windows 11 IoT).

Alternatively you can install AtlasOS and disable automatic updates and rely on maintaining a strong firewall or/and switching every application to run sandboxed using sandboxie for security. Take note that for an average person you can run without updates as long as your computing device never leaves your home and your local network / networks you trust, use external tool for driver updates.

[+] mapontosevenths|3 months ago|reply
I feel like if you're going to use LTSC there is no point in using 11.

Windows 10 LTSC will still get updates for years, and uses less than half the resources that 11 does.

[+] hackernudes|3 months ago|reply
There are two issues to consider: security updates and software compatibility.

The LTSC version is good for security updates, but I worry that software could stop supporting Windows 10 despite the LTSC version existing.

Coincidentally I am about to install Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC! I was experimenting (and struggling) with PXE boot with iSCSI. An update broke iscsi boot in Windows 11 25H2 (26200.6901 works, 26200.7019 fails) as well as LTSC (26100.6905 works, 26100.7178 fails). There were other issues with iscsi boot on the LTSC version - the network hardware needs to be enumerated before the first boot, but can't boot because it needs network (a chicken-and-egg style problem).

[+] mrweasel|3 months ago|reply
The password icon being invisible is just funny. Some of the other issues are actually problematic, as they may interfere with some workflows.

However if you go to the December 1. (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/december-1-2025-kb...) the icon is still missing. How hard is that to fix? Aren't they using CoPilot? Just ask it to fix the invisible icon.

Probably not a priority.

[+] jraph|3 months ago|reply

    int Counter = 5;
    while (--Counter >= 0 && Prompt("Take a screenshot. Do you see a lock icon on this picture? Answer "Yes" or "No". Be concise. No fluff. Refrain from saying 'You’re absolutely right'. Try to ignore stuff that looks like lock icons in the background.") != "Yes") {
        // Try resetting the icon
        LockScreenLockIconSet("fa fa-lock"); 

        LockScreenForceRedraw();
        Sleep(2000);
        // We've seen better results when refreshing a second time after a delay. Don't know why. AI suggested it.
        LockScreenForceRedraw();
    }
[+] medwards666|3 months ago|reply
> How hard is that to fix? Aren't they using CoPilot? Just ask it to fix the invisible icon.

They would, but no-one in the development team are able to log into their PCs due to no longer being able to locate the password icon ...

[+] magackame|3 months ago|reply
> How hard is that to fix? Aren't they using CoPilot? Just ask it to fix the invisible icon.

Maybe that's the problem? Imagine a Microsoft employee allowed to program only by using a CoPilot prompt, screaming and begging to just apply a patch he already written without touching anything else :D

[+] hulitu|3 months ago|reply
> How hard is that to fix?

My experience with Microsoft fixing bugs in Win 10: at least 6 months. At first they deny it, then, after a fix is issued, they acknoledge it.

[+] smartmic|3 months ago|reply
Expanding the "Gradual rollout" section is … interesting. I could hardly read it, let alone understand it straight away. For me a clear indicator that I am trying to ingest AI generated content. It's so embarrasing - is quality in documentation now a foreign concept in the age of AI, or does nobody simply care?
[+] emsign|3 months ago|reply
Can't wait for my new SSD to arrive, then it's finally Goodbye Windows, Hello again, Linux.
[+] butz|3 months ago|reply
A computer without Windows is like a fish without a bicycle.
[+] steve1977|3 months ago|reply
Microsoft: if you're eating your own dog food and use Copilot etc. to develop Windows, please stop.

If you're not using it (why not?), please start.

[+] NoMoreNicksLeft|3 months ago|reply
Do they have any employees left capable of writing code without it?
[+] Grisu_FTP|3 months ago|reply
Does this happen every time after the update or only sometimes? if it happens every time, how does that slip through? It would literally be noticed on the first test boot, no?

also: "To remove the LCU after installing the combined SSU and LCU package, use the DISM/Remove-Package command line option with the LCU package name as the argument. You can find the package name by using this command: DISM /online /get-packages.

Running Windows Update Standalone Installer (wusa.exe) with the /uninstall switch on the combined package will not work because the combined package contains the SSU. You cannot remove the SSU from the system after installation."

Always these linux users wanting to fix everything in the terminal, luckily i dont need it to use (or install without internet/MS account) Windows at all :)

[+] nickjj|3 months ago|reply
Windows 10 has some really weird UI quirks.

I have my taskbar set up to be the small view on the bottom but I have the double stacked time + date so I can always see what time it is and today's date. It does this without making the taskbar taller.

50% of the time when I reboot, the date disappears and re-appears on its own after some time (sometimes hours, sometimes days, even without another reboot).

I'm taking 2 weeks off around Christmas and I'm absolutely dedicating some of those days to finally switch to native Linux to be control of my machine. I was trying for almost 10 years but was always road blocked on something not working. I think things are good enough now. I'll be making serious compromises on my video editing workflow but everything else is much better minus games with kernel level anti-cheat and I'm willing to take that hit.

[+] kgwxd|3 months ago|reply
Roblox was the last thing keeping my Windows 11 partition alive. Today, I found Sober that runs the Android Version on Linux. Took no effort to install and feels just like the desktop windows version using KBM. Goodbye forever MS!
[+] 1970-01-01|3 months ago|reply
Somebody should be fired for that. There's no excuses. A nearly trillion dollar company can afford to pay to QA before release.
[+] lionkor|3 months ago|reply
Copilot is on the job to fix it already!
[+] Traubenfuchs|3 months ago|reply
Did Microsoft just completely give up on QA in the name of accelerated slop delivery? They are in the news once a month for a serious windows bug. My disdain for windows id getting immense, at this point I'd rather have a linux computer, if I can't have a macbook. (But don't get me started on OSX & iOS, which are also total messes)
[+] kissgyorgy|3 months ago|reply
But hey! At least these four AI components made it in, so the important stuff is okay...
[+] avazhi|3 months ago|reply
Man. I’d pay actual money to be able to just install security updates and nothing else indefinitely for this pile of shit. Really does suck that 90% of my workflow on my Windows PC remains Windows-only.
[+] throwaway48476|3 months ago|reply
In other news, 500 million PCs declined to 'upgrade' to 11.
[+] AshleysBrain|3 months ago|reply
Perhaps someone with good with reverse engineering skills could figure out what went wrong here - it might be amusing...
[+] officerk|3 months ago|reply
Does it matter? It's designed to be used only by by AI agents anyway.
[+] vel0city|3 months ago|reply
I mean this is a Preview release right? Essentially a beta? Are we surprised there are bugs in a beta release?