Windows 11 24H2 update breaks Office apps, but are you impacted?

The Windows 11 24H2 update arrived on the first day of October, and people were reporting snappy performance after installing it on their PCs, including ones that aren’t officially supported. However, the latest Windows 11 feature update is far from being perfect. In fact, for some people, updating their PCs to 24H2 might create significant obstacles in their workflow. It’s coming directly from the horse’s mouth, as Windows 11, version 24H2 is confirmed to cause certain apps to fail.

Microsoft warns certain apps might stop responding after updating to Windows 11 24H2

Microsoft recently blocked the Windows 11 24H2 update on PCs running the Voicemeeter app because of a driver compatibility issue. Unfortunately for Windows users, Voicemeeter isn’t the only app that performs worse on PCs running the update. According to Microsoft, certain apps, including Word and Excel, might stop responding after installing Windows 24H2. This happens when “antimalware security solutions enable certain features.”

Are you affected, and can you fix it?

Microsoft made it amply clear that the app crashing issue impacts only organizations and managed IT environments. However, simply being part of this setup doesn’t mean Windows 24H2 will cause apps to fail. As pointed out by Microsoft on its support website, affected devices in managed IT environments are running CrowdStrike’s Falcon sensor software with the “Enhanced Exploitation Visibility Prevention Policy setting enabled in the Prevention Policy applied to the host.” Long story short, if you’re a consumer using Home or Pro editions of Windows not managed by IT, none of this impacts you.

Related

Before you install Windows 11 24H2, beware of these known issues

Like any new Windows 11 release, version 24H2 comes with some known issues

If you’re in a managed IT environment running the Windows 24H2 update, not everything is bad news. CrowdStrike has mitigated the issue by disabling the Enhanced Exploitation Visibility Prevention Policy setting on hosts. However, this is a preventative measure rather than addressing the root cause of the problem. It’s also worth noting that disabling the Enhanced Exploitation Visibility Prevention Policy setting has its consequences, including weakening your organization’s defense against cyber threats.

A fix is on the way, though

It’s currently not known whether it’s entirely CrowdStrike’s fault that has caused this disruption. But when it comes to fixing the issue, both Microsoft and CrowdStrike are working on fixing the issue without disabling anything. However, Microsoft hasn’t specified when the workaround will be available.