Microsoft admits Windows 11 issues, pivots team to rebuild user trust

Microsoft is shifting more Windows engineering effort toward fixing core performance and reliability issues in Windows 11, using an internal “swarming” approach that pulls teams together to tackle high-impact problems faster. The move follows a rough start to 2026 for Windows updates and comes alongside renewed messaging from Microsoft that it needs to rebuild user trust.

Microsoft’s “swarming” effort targets Windows 11’s basics

Microsoft is now redirecting engineers to focus on Windows 11 “pain points” over the coming months in a process it calls “swarming.” Windows and Devices president Pavan Davuluri told third-party reporters that Microsoft plans to prioritize improvements that are “meaningful for people,” naming system performance, reliability, and the overall Windows experience.

Why the timing matters

The “swarming” push lands after a string of update-related issues that have frustrated both consumers and IT admins, including January’s Patch Tuesday cycle for Windows 11. Microsoft’s own release health documentation shows KB5074109 (Windows 11 24H2/25H2) was tied to app issues when opening/saving to cloud-backed storage such as OneDrive or Dropbox, with an out-of-band update later listed as the resolution.

Separate reporting citing Microsoft communications also points to boot-failure reports linked to systems that previously failed to install the December 2025 security update and were left in an “improper state,” highlighting how servicing problems can compound across monthly updates.

What Microsoft says could change

Media notes examples of “basic” fixes Microsoft may prioritize, such as addressing long-standing UI inconsistencies (including dark mode behavior) and improving day-to-day performance in areas like File Explorer. The emphasis, as described, is less about headline features and more about stability and usability—areas where Windows 11 has taken reputational hits from bugs, uneven performance, and frequent prompts tied to Microsoft services and AI features.

What to watch next

Microsoft hasn’t published a detailed public roadmap for “swarming,” so the most concrete signal will be whether upcoming cumulative updates reduce regressions and improve perceived responsiveness in commonly used components (File Explorer is a frequent complaint). If Microsoft starts calling out these reliability wins in official release notes or release health updates, that will be the easiest place to track whether this becomes a sustained quality push or a short-term reaction to a bad patch cycle.