Windows 10 update fixes ‘PC go slow’ problems

Microsoft has released an update for Windows 10 that appears to have fixed problems that were making the operating system slow.

The update, numbered KB5009596, is optional, so isn’t installed automatically. However, it was due to be part of Microsoft’s ‘Patch Tuesday’ - released on 8 February - which is compulsory.

The problems started with the KB5009543 update, released on 11 January. Frustrated users reported that their computers were taking longer to start - up to 30 minutes in some cases - and that launching software and opening the Start menu had become much slower.

Microsoft released KB5009596 on 25 January primarily to fix errors with highly technical parts of Windows, including virtualisation tool Hyper-V. But users have said that the update seems to have solved the problems caused by KB5009543 too.

To check you’ve installed the KB5009596 update - either separately or as part of February’s Patch Tuesday - open Settings (Windows key+I), then click ‘Update & Security’. Now, in the central pane, click ‘View update history’ (see screenshot).

Meanwhile, Microsoft has confirmed that it intends to add features to Windows 11 more frequently than it did to previous versions. The company has outlined three methods that will let it add tools without having to wait for the annual Feature updates.

One method, already in use for Windows 10, is Feature Experience Packs, which introduces features across the whole of Windows. A similar method is Online Service Experience Packs, though these add tools to specific parts of Windows, such as sections within Settings.

The third method, which appears to be exclusive to Windows 11, is called Web Experience Packs. These will be distributed through the Microsoft Store, rather than Windows Update like the other two packs. Microsoft said it will use Web Experience Packs to update tools such as Widgets, which play a big part in Windows 11.

WHAT WE THINK

One update giveth, the other taketh away - and not for the first time. The problem is it’s usually impossible to know which update does the giving, and which the taking. And when updates are optional, how do you decide whether to click install? We wouldn’t blame you for being cautious and waiting for the mandatory updates once a month. By then, Microsoft should’ve eradicated any nasty side effects of optional updates released in the weeks since the previous Patch Tuesday. ■