Microsoft Windows 11 - Revision history

Sojourna at 04:36, 17 May 2026

2026-05-17T04:36:59Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:36, 17 May 2026
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	\|Forced updates that are released roughly every month tend to contain massive issues and sometimes don't actually include said update in the update. Multiple of these forced updates have caused businesses to temporarily go offline and have caused data losses for users of Windows 11.		\|Forced updates that are released roughly every month tend to contain massive issues and sometimes don't actually include said update in the update. Multiple of these forced updates have caused businesses to temporarily go offline and have caused data losses for users of Windows 11.
	\|More users skip out on updates leaving devices vulnerable to hackers and some updates have caused irreversible data and profit losses.		\|More users skip out on updates leaving devices vulnerable to hackers and some updates have caused irreversible data and profit losses.
	\|[[Windows 11 instability and forced updates]]		\|[[Microsoft Windows 11 instability and forced updates]]
	\|-		\|-
	\|Unnecessary Hardware Requirements		\|Unnecessary Hardware Requirements

Sojourna: /* Incidents */ Updated article name.

2026-05-17T04:34:20Z

Incidents: Updated article name.

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:34, 17 May 2026
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	\|Forced updates that are released roughly every month tend to contain massive issues and sometimes don't actually include said update in the update. Multiple of these forced updates have caused businesses to temporarily go offline and have caused data losses for users of Windows 11.		\|Forced updates that are released roughly every month tend to contain massive issues and sometimes don't actually include said update in the update. Multiple of these forced updates have caused businesses to temporarily go offline and have caused data losses for users of Windows 11.
	\|More users skip out on updates leaving devices vulnerable to hackers and some updates have caused irreversible data and profit losses.		\|More users skip out on updates leaving devices vulnerable to hackers and some updates have caused irreversible data and profit losses.
	\|[[Windows 11 ~~Unstable &~~ forced updates]]		\|[[Windows 11 instability and forced updates]]
	\|-		\|-
	\|Unnecessary Hardware Requirements		\|Unnecessary Hardware Requirements

Sojourna: /* Incidents */

2026-05-17T04:18:16Z

Incidents

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:18, 17 May 2026
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	\|BitLocker has a built-in backdoor		\|BitLocker has a built-in backdoor
	\|2026		\|2026
	\|On the 12th of May 2026, a security researcher going by the GitHub screen-name of 'Nightmare Eclipse' published a hacking tool known as 'YellowKey' that bypassed Microsoft's BitLocker encryption on Windows 11 and on Windows Server 2022 to 2025. What made this vulnerability different from others is that it was seemingly a built in backdoor in the BitLocker encryption system.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Lakshmanan \|first=Ravie \|date=14 May 2026 \|title=Windows Zero-Days Expose BitLocker Bypasses And CTFMON Privilege Escalation \|url=https://thehackernews.com/2026/05/windows-zero-days-expose-bitlocker.html \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260514181052/https://thehackernews.com/2026/05/windows-zero-days-expose-bitlocker.html \|archive-date=14 May 2026 \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|website=The Hacker News}}</ref>		\|On the 12th of May 2026, a security researcher going by the GitHub screen-name of 'Nightmare Eclipse' published a hacking tool known as 'YellowKey' that bypassed Microsoft's BitLocker encryption on Windows 11 and on Windows Server 2022 to 2025. What made this vulnerability different from others is that it was seemingly a built-in backdoor in the BitLocker encryption system.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Lakshmanan \|first=Ravie \|date=14 May 2026 \|title=Windows Zero-Days Expose BitLocker Bypasses And CTFMON Privilege Escalation \|url=https://thehackernews.com/2026/05/windows-zero-days-expose-bitlocker.html \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260514181052/https://thehackernews.com/2026/05/windows-zero-days-expose-bitlocker.html \|archive-date=14 May 2026 \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|website=The Hacker News}}</ref>

	The believe of this vulnerability being an intentional backdoor comes from the fact that the exploit abuses a flaw in a component found in WinRE, also known as the Windows Recovery Environment. This is weird as the same component can be found in normal, non-recovery Windows installations, but in those versions the component does not have this vulnerability.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=16 May 2026 \|title=Nightmare-Eclipse/YellowKey: YellowKey Bitlocker Bypass Vulnerability \|url=https://github.com/Nightmare-Eclipse/YellowKey \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260514013722/https://github.com/Nightmare-Eclipse/YellowKey \|archive-date=14 May 2026 \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|website=GitHub}}</ref>		The believe of this vulnerability being an intentional backdoor comes from the fact that the exploit abuses a flaw in a component found in WinRE, also known as the Windows Recovery Environment. This is weird as the same component can be found in normal, non-recovery Windows installations, but in those versions the component does not have this vulnerability.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=16 May 2026 \|title=Nightmare-Eclipse/YellowKey: YellowKey Bitlocker Bypass Vulnerability \|url=https://github.com/Nightmare-Eclipse/YellowKey \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260514013722/https://github.com/Nightmare-Eclipse/YellowKey \|archive-date=14 May 2026 \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|website=GitHub}}</ref>

Sojourna: /* Consumer impact summary */ Style.

2026-05-17T04:17:31Z

Consumer impact summary: Style.

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:17, 17 May 2026
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	==Consumer impact summary==		==Consumer impact summary==
	===User ~~Freedom~~===		===User freedom===
	Windows 11 has several and more restrictions than their previous version, Windows 10. These restrictions usually prevent the user to configure the system to their liking. Some notable restrictions are:		Windows 11 has several and more restrictions than their previous version, Windows 10. These restrictions usually prevent the user to configure the system to their liking. Some notable restrictions are:
	*In order to use the operating system, it is required to link a Microsoft account. Since October 2025 local accounts cannot be created and Microsoft has blocked ways to bypass the Microsoft account requirement.		*In order to use the operating system, it is required to link a Microsoft account. Since October 2025 local accounts cannot be created and Microsoft has blocked ways to bypass the Microsoft account requirement.
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	*Like with Windows 10, [[OneDrive]] synchronization is active by default. The File Explorer redirects the local file shortcuts to the OneDrive file addresses.		*Like with Windows 10, [[OneDrive]] synchronization is active by default. The File Explorer redirects the local file shortcuts to the OneDrive file addresses.

	===User ~~Privacy~~===		===User privacy===
	*Telemetry is active by default and cannot be completely disabled without using third-party tools.		*Telemetry is active by default and cannot be completely disabled without using third-party tools.
	*Due to a Microsoft account being officially required to run Windows 11, the privacy policy of Microsoft's account related services also partially apply to Windows 11.		*Due to a Microsoft account being officially required to run Windows 11, the privacy policy of Microsoft's account related services also partially apply to Windows 11.

	===Business ~~Model~~===		===Business model===
	*Windows comes pre-installed on most of the computers and laptops sold to consumers and businesses.		*Windows comes pre-installed on most of the computers and laptops sold to consumers and businesses.
	*The operating system license can also be acquired by an one-time purchase.		*The operating system license can also be acquired by an one-time purchase.
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	**Ads can also appear on the lock screen, notifications, start menu and on the desktop.		**Ads can also appear on the lock screen, notifications, start menu and on the desktop.

	===Market ~~Control~~===		===Market control===
	Windows 11 is installed on more than 30% of all computers world wide. <ref>{{Cite web \|last=StatCounter \|date=2025-07-01 \|title=Desktop Windows Market Share Worldwide \|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/windows-version-market-share/desktop/worldwide \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250720124002/https://gs.statcounter.com/windows-version-market-share/desktop/worldwide \|archive-date=2025-07-20 \|access-date=2025-08-17}}</ref> Windows 11 collects user data including but not limited to hardware specs, apps and drivers installed on the device, app activity, device settings and configuration, web browser history, etc. <ref>{{Cite web \|last=Microsoft Corporation \|date=2025-04-01 \|title=Data Collection Summary for WIndows \|url=https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/privacy/data-collection-windows \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250729153757/https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/privacy/data-collection-Windows \|archive-date=2025-07-29 \|access-date=2025-08-17 \|website=Microsoft}}</ref>		Windows 11 is installed on more than 30% of all computers world wide. <ref>{{Cite web \|last=StatCounter \|date=2025-07-01 \|title=Desktop Windows Market Share Worldwide \|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/windows-version-market-share/desktop/worldwide \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250720124002/https://gs.statcounter.com/windows-version-market-share/desktop/worldwide \|archive-date=2025-07-20 \|access-date=2025-08-17}}</ref> Windows 11 collects user data including but not limited to hardware specs, apps and drivers installed on the device, app activity, device settings and configuration, web browser history, etc. <ref>{{Cite web \|last=Microsoft Corporation \|date=2025-04-01 \|title=Data Collection Summary for WIndows \|url=https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/privacy/data-collection-windows \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250729153757/https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/privacy/data-collection-Windows \|archive-date=2025-07-29 \|access-date=2025-08-17 \|website=Microsoft}}</ref>

	==Incidents==		==Incidents==

ChaoticDev at 17:41, 16 May 2026

2026-05-16T17:41:55Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:41, 16 May 2026
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	This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}\|{{PAGENAME}} category]].		This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}\|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable sortable"
	\|+		\|+
	!Incident		!Incident

ChaoticDev: /* Incidents */

2026-05-16T17:39:49Z

Incidents

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:39, 16 May 2026
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	!Aftermath		!Aftermath
	!Related Article		!Related Article
	~~!Related Video(s)~~
	\|-		\|-
	\|Unstable & forced updates		\|Unstable & forced updates

ChaoticDev: Changed the incidents section to use a table, as there are too many incidents listed for the page to stay properly readable and manually searchable with the old header formatting.

2026-05-16T17:39:16Z

Changed the incidents section to use a table, as there are too many incidents listed for the page to stay properly readable and manually searchable with the old header formatting.

Show changes

ChaoticDev: Added 'BitLocker has a built-in backdoor'.

2026-05-16T12:44:43Z

Added 'BitLocker has a built-in backdoor'.

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:44, 16 May 2026
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	{{Main\|Microsoft Edge}}		{{Main\|Microsoft Edge}}
	Windows 11 has been criticized for pushing Edge installations through Windows updates, even when users had previously removed or replaced the browser. The browser gets reinstalled after an update due to the browser update programs being listed as system services, which get reactivated after updating.<ref>https://learn.microsoft.com/en-my/answers/questions/5727874/how-do-i-prevent-edge-from-reinstalling-itself ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260503110346/https://learn.microsoft.com/en-my/answers/questions/5727874/how-do-i-prevent-edge-from-reinstalling-itself archive])</ref>		Windows 11 has been criticized for pushing Edge installations through Windows updates, even when users had previously removed or replaced the browser. The browser gets reinstalled after an update due to the browser update programs being listed as system services, which get reactivated after updating.<ref>https://learn.microsoft.com/en-my/answers/questions/5727874/how-do-i-prevent-edge-from-reinstalling-itself ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260503110346/https://learn.microsoft.com/en-my/answers/questions/5727874/how-do-i-prevent-edge-from-reinstalling-itself archive])</ref>

			===BitLocker has a built-in backdoor===
			On the 12th of May 2026, a security researcher going by the GitHub screen-name of 'Nightmare Eclipse' published a hacking tool known as 'YellowKey' that bypassed Microsoft's BitLocker encryption on Windows 11 and on Windows Server 2022 to 2025. What made this vulnerability different from others is that it was seemingly a built in backdoor in the BitLocker encryption system.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Lakshmanan \|first=Ravie \|date=14 May 2026 \|title=Windows Zero-Days Expose BitLocker Bypasses And CTFMON Privilege Escalation \|url=https://thehackernews.com/2026/05/windows-zero-days-expose-bitlocker.html \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260514181052/https://thehackernews.com/2026/05/windows-zero-days-expose-bitlocker.html \|archive-date=14 May 2026 \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|website=The Hacker News}}</ref>

			The believe of this vulnerability being an intentional backdoor comes from the fact that the exploit abuses a flaw in a component found in WinRE, also known as the Windows Recovery Environment. This is weird as the same component can be found in normal, non-recovery Windows installations, but in those versions the component does not have this vulnerability.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=16 May 2026 \|title=Nightmare-Eclipse/YellowKey: YellowKey Bitlocker Bypass Vulnerability \|url=https://github.com/Nightmare-Eclipse/YellowKey \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260514013722/https://github.com/Nightmare-Eclipse/YellowKey \|archive-date=14 May 2026 \|access-date=16 May 2026 \|website=GitHub}}</ref>

	==See also==		==See also==

Sojourna: /* References */

2026-05-13T03:06:18Z

References

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:06, 13 May 2026
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	{{Reflist}}		{{Reflist}}

	[[Category:~~Windows 11~~]]		[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
	[[Category:Operating systems]]		[[Category:Operating systems]]
	[[Category:Microsoft]]		[[Category:Microsoft]]

ChaoticDev at 13:52, 9 May 2026

2026-05-09T13:52:32Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:52, 9 May 2026
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	===Unnecessary Hardware Requirements===		===Unnecessary Hardware Requirements===
	When users tried switching from Windows 10 to 11, they sometimes couldn't due to the strict hardware requirements. One peculiar instance of this is the TPM 2.0 requirement. Older hardware that could run Windows 11 fine without this requirement was suddenly locked out, even the more recent hardware released before 2018 was suddenly incapable of running Windows 11, either entirely or just without a BIOS update. Due to most users not knowing about this specific requirement and due to most users not knowing how to meet this requirement, a lot of perfectly fine hardware got tossed out.		When users tried switching from Windows 10 to 11, they sometimes couldn't due to the strict hardware requirements. One peculiar instance of this is the TPM 2.0 requirement. Older hardware that could run Windows 11 fine without this requirement was suddenly locked out, even the more recent hardware released before 2018 was suddenly incapable of running Windows 11, either entirely or just without a BIOS update. Due to most users not knowing about this specific requirement and due to most users not knowing how to meet this requirement, a lot of perfectly fine hardware got tossed out.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Enable TPM 2.0 on your PC - Microsoft Support \|url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/enable-tpm-2-0-on-your-pc-1fd5a332-360d-4f46-a1e7-ae6b0c90645c \|url-status=live \|website=Microsoft Support}}</ref>

	TPM 2.0 only protects users from advanced physical attacks that an every day user would never encounter in real life, due to the hardware needing to be stolen for such hacks to be feasible. For an every day user, this requirement made good hardware unusable on modern Windows without having a good reason for doing so. As TPM 1.2 was supported by most older hardware and had encryption that met most peoples security needs.		TPM 2.0 only protects users from advanced physical attacks that an every day user would never encounter in real life, due to the hardware needing to be stolen for such hacks to be feasible. For an every day user, this requirement made good hardware unusable on modern Windows without having a good reason for doing so. As TPM 1.2 was supported by most older hardware and had encryption that met most peoples security needs.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Brant \|first=Tom \|date=21 Jan 2025 \|title=What Is a TPM, and Why Do I Need One for Windows 11? {{!}} PCMag \|url=https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/what-is-a-tpm-and-why-do-i-need-one-for-windows-11 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://archive.is/85hhk \|archive-date=25 Feb 2024 \|access-date=9 May 2026 \|website=PCMag}}</ref>

	This requirement was especially weird due to it only being needed for optional security features like BitLocker.		This requirement was especially weird due to it only being needed for optional security features like BitLocker.