Link: https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/24/windows_boss_promises/

Has Microsoft finally reckoned with Windows 11's many failings - or has its OS chief, Pavan Davuluri, simply offered more soothing platitudes to users fed up with bugs and unwanted AI?

Davuluri wrote a lengthy post on the Windows blog that was long on promises that things will get better, but short on words like "sorry," "apologize," or even the Americanism "our bad."

According to Davuluri, the movable taskbar dropped from Windows 11 is returning. Windows Update will stop forcing restarts quite so relentlessly. File Explorer will work as it should. And Windows itself will be less of a resource hog, faster, and more reliable.

Microsoft has also promised to rethink its obsession with AI. Davuluri said: "We are reducing unnecessary Copilot entry points, starting with apps like Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets, and Notepad."

Not that Copilot is going away. "You will see us be more intentional about how and where Copilot integrates across Windows, focusing on experiences that are genuinely useful and well‑crafted," Davuluri said.

This implies that, up to now, the changes have not been intentional. So spraying Windows with the assistant, regardless of how users felt about it, was somehow an accident?

Windows 11 has become a bit of a car crash in the last few years - borked update after borked update. Rather than fixing problems, Microsoft instead focused on adding AI to Notepad and Paint. Users cried out for the return of seemingly minor functionality, such as the ability to move the taskbar, but Microsoft instead offered widgets and more Copilot.

As long as it continues to play my games without issue, I couldn't care less what they do with it. I use a second machine with a KVM switch; Windows runs games only and the second machine running linux does absolutely everything else. Installing fresh, blocking telemetry and blackholing windows update domains has worked fantastically for years.

all of the computers in my house run linux, and other than a few laptop hardware issues my non-techie wife uses it for all of her work happily. Sure I can't play Fortnite, but other than that sort of edge case I never see myself going back. My dual-boot windows install has been left to rot on my desktop and I don't think it's even worth the time investment of updating by firing it up again.

I'm not shocked MS hasn't apologized, but actions speak louder than words. Seeing a more efficient OS with less CoPilot sounds good, and other companies should take note.

We're living in some backwards world where Microsoft is removing AI from their OS, while Mozilla is jamming it into every product they can.

Consider trying to play the same games that you regularly play on linux and see if you could be free of Redmond's touch

Please, I beg them to keep fucking up Windows.

I do play with it every once in a while but if it's not problematic setting up or there are some settings that don't work correctly, invariably, there will eventually come a game update that breaks it on linux.

For all it's flaws, the games I play have never needed more than an install in Windows. I know that may not be the case for all games, I can only speak to the games I enjoy playing.

I have used it since the 90s as my main machine and have nothing but love for it but Linux is not there yet for my gaming needs.

It was already perfect 25 years ago, guys

I stayed on Win2K for years after XP came out. It was rock-solid and didn't attempt to tell me how to organize my files. This threw me into the unique position when programs started dropping support for the aging OS of opting for Vista. I couldn't countenance the cartoonish XP interface, but I also needed a functioning OS.

All my servers are Linux, my gaming pc is still windows but it can dual boot.

Sadly I'll never convince my wife to migrate 🤣

Is she an African or European swallow?

He promised many things. Liars gonna lie.

So spraying Windows with the assistant, regardless of how users felt about it, was somehow an accident?

Probably more that internal politics at the company lead a bunch of project leads to try implementing it. If leadership keeps emphasizing how important AI is, and people who have “done stuff with AI” keep getting promoted, then of course people are going to shove it anywhere they can, and of course the higher ups will approve it. It’s classic group/cult think in a hierarchical system.