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Windows10PLAEN

With Windows-as-a-service, you never need to worry nearly installing a patch because every Microsoft patch is guaranteed, 100%, to always work, never crusade problems, and certainly never break previous functionality. That, at least, is the official corporate line. Microsoft'south power to deliver on that promise is highly questionable to nonexistent, as evidenced by a new problem baked into the January 10, 2022 build (KB3213986 (Bone Build 14393.693)).

The KB article includes a number of new features and improvements (better Groove Music streaming and improved Remote Desktop reliability), better handling of multiple input devices, and a host of other depression-level issues. Unfortunately, it also added a few new issues to the mix. Specifically: "Users may experience delayed or clipped screens while running 3D rendering apps (such as games) on systems with more than one monitor." Microsoft's suggested workarounds are to run your games in windowed mode or to starting time a game with simply 1 monitor connected — which is just what anybody who games on multiple monitors is going to want to practice.

In the past, nosotros'd merely recommend not installing this update. At present, Microsoft makes you take the update whether you desire it or non. Sure, yous tin can uninstall some updates and flag them as incompatible with your system, simply this assumes that the end user is aware that an update has been installed and knows how to uninstall it and flag information technology equally problematic in the future. What's more likely is that at least some people air current upwards with nonfunctional multi-monitor gaming setups, at to the lowest degree until they stumble on this issue.

SeriousSam

Non many people play on multiple monitors, but the experience is intense. This screenshot from our 2022 coverage of triple-screen gaming has blackness bars inserted to show where the single-monitor cutoff is.

We've been talking about the problem of forced non-security updates since Windows 10 launched, and so I won't belabor the point over again here. Instead, I'd like to signal out that the issue here isn't fifty-fifty just a question of forcing an update — it's about forcing updates that break existing system configurations. If you've used Microsoft Windows for any length of time, you're enlightened that the OS has its own built-in mechanisms for determining which software and hardware are already installed in your auto. Try to install a Windows Update that'south already been installed, and the computer informs you lot of that fact. Try to install an application, and you get a similar message. If you endeavor to install old graphics drivers on elevation of newer drivers and you'll get an error message. Windows is required to know how many displays you accept connected to it, or information technology wouldn't be able to offer color profile direction or an appropriately scaled desktop. Similarly, the Bone has to remember which windows belong on which screens to brandish information accordingly and information technology has information on what kind of GPU is installed.

There is, in other words, no reason why Microsoft should be pushing this update as mandatory for people who game on multiple displays. In fact, given the company'southward xviii-month fetish for telemetry collection, there'south no reason why Redmond couldn't notify gamers that they may not be able to play certain titles without using workarounds to exercise and then. This hits one of the most annoying points of these so-called "service" models — despite calling it a "service," the service doesn't actually serve the end client. If Microsoft wanted to get end-users onboard with its telemetry collection, it could offset by using that data in ways that actually amend their customer experience.

Simply since Microsoft doesn't practice that, if you're a widescreen gamer, your choices are to disable Windows Update altogether or to hope this update doesn't impact any titles you similar playing in that configuration. In that location aren't many people playing games on more ane monitor, to be sure, but this kind of regression is why people don't like mandatory updates in the commencement identify. We've seen some signs of belatedly that MS is bending a fleck on this issue by giving people the ability to defer updates past 35 days one time the Creators Update (Redstone 2) drops later this year. Hopefully that's just the first step dorsum towards a more sane update policy.