Windows 11 December 2024 Update: Start Menu Failures and Performance Issues

The Windows 11 December 2024 Update has landed, and for many users, especially those on Windows 11 24H2 and 23H2, it’s been a ride they’d rather not have taken. From Start menu malfunctions to performance pitfalls and even isolated BSODs (Blue Screens of Death), the update has stirred up notable issues. Let’s break this down, explore what’s happening, why it’s happening, and what you can do about it.

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What’s Going Wrong?​

The December 2024 Patch includes KB5048667 for Windows 11 (24H2) and KB5048685 for Windows 11 (23H2). As with most updates, these patches aimed to improve system performance, address known security flaws, and refine the overall user experience. However, once installed, users began encountering several frustrating problems:

• Start Menu Breakdown:
• The Start menu has two primary issues:
• On systems using dark mode, some users find the Start menu search interface displayed almost entirely in white—a visual glitch that conflicts with their theme settings.
• Worse yet, the Start menu becomes completely unresponsive in certain scenarios. For enterprise users working in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) environments, Microsoft and Citrix confirmed this as a known compatibility issue.
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Issues:
• When the cumulative update is installed, the Start menu fails in VDI sessions. Citrix has provided a registry workaround:
  Navigate to:
  

  HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\CtxUvi

  Add:
  

  StartMenuExper;

  to the UviProcessExcludes value, then reboot.
• For less technical users: Don’t forget to back up the Windows Registry before making any changes. A misstep in this sensitive area can create more problems than it resolves.
• DLL Component Breakdown:
  A seemingly unrelated detail has emerged. Many of the Start menu issues are being tied to an outdated version of MSVCP_140_APP.dll, a part of Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00. This library is essential for a variety of system and application functions. If this .dll is in its older iteration, the Start menu stops functioning due to crashes in the StartMenuExperienceHost.exe process.
• Peripheral Oddities:
• In one validated report, the "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" icon showcased constant availability for a Realtek USB GbE Family Controller—not expected behavior and a new bug introduced by this update.
• Graphical Anomalies:
• Windows 11 23H2 saw instances of screens dimming inexplicably post-update. Bright whites looked yellowish, and adjusting brightness didn’t restore the "before-update" appearance. Early theories suggest this could be tied to troubles with High Dynamic Range (HDR) rendering.

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Muddying Multiplayer Experiences: Performance Hiccups in Gaming​

Some users also reported performance degradation, particularly in gaming. As temporary workarounds, some users found success by turning off background processes or reverting display driver updates that came through with the Windows patch. Still, there’s no overarching fix yet from Microsoft for these gaming hiccups.

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Broader Implications​

• Enterprise Chaos via VDI Issues:
  Enterprises heavily reliant on Citrix VDIs are especially vulnerable during this phase, as larger organizations often delay updates for critical testing. The Start menu issue becoming widely observable means many IT administrators must manually patch their frameworks or roll back cumulative updates on countless machines. This increases Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and employee frustration.
• Microsoft's Dependency Hell:
  The MSVCP_140_APP.dll issue highlights a longstanding Windows flaw: dependency management. Many software components in Windows depend on independent packages (e.g., the Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00 package). When these are not automatically updated as intended, complications like these emerge. In theory, updates to necessary libraries via the Microsoft Store should prevent such incompatibilities. But here we are.
• Communication Failures:
  Documentation for updating or mitigating these update problems is scarce or fragmented. Users are left scrambling between Feedback Hub posts, Citrix documentation, and (hopefully) forums like ours to devise solutions. Microsoft’s delayed acknowledgment of widespread issues has again drawn complaints about transparency and response time.

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What Can You Do?​

If you’re affected by these issues, here are some practical steps:

1. Fix the Start Menu (Unresponsive Issue)​

• For Citrix-VDI Users: As noted, edit your registry as instructed above. Ensure you reboot your machine after making changes.
• Non-Citrix Users: Identify if the problematic .dll file is outdated:
• Use Windows PowerShell and run:
  

  Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00 -AllUsers

• To force-remove outdated versions:
  

  Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00 -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage

• Download the latest Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00 package via Microsoft Store or a utility like "Microsoft Store Generation Project" online.

2. Graphical Glitches (HDR-Related Screen Issues)​

• Temporarily disable HDR under Settings > System > Display > HDR Preferences.
• If this doesn’t work, consider rolling back the update via:
  

  Settings > Windows Update > Update History > Uninstall Updates

3. Roll Back Entire Update​

If everything else fails:

• Navigate to Settings > Recovery > Go Back to revert to a prior Windows build within the 10-day grace period afforded after a major update install.

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Windows 11, One Year Later: Pattern or Anomaly?​

With reports of critical bugs, yearly feature releases such as Windows 11’s 24H2 and its cumulative patches draw recurring ire from the community. 2024’s December cycle exemplifies both struggles and resilience within Microsoft’s ecosystem. It’s worth pondering:

• Should update lifecycles slow down? In its effort to iterate quickly, is Microsoft sacrificing quality assurance for speed? Rapid-fire releases might keep things fresh but leave users as unofficial beta testers.
• Is modularity Microsoft's Achilles' Heel? The decoupling of core Windows components—while intended for agility—seems to create repetitive compatibility issues. Dependency management may be Windows’ next big dragon to slay.

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Final Thoughts: Should You Update Now?​

The December 2024 update is currently causing a variety of headaches, and unless you're in dire need of any new features included in KB5048667 or KB5048685, it might be better to sit this one out. With Microsoft’s official acknowledgment of many of these issues, we can expect another patch soon to address these woes. As with all updates, cautious optimism should be the guiding principle.
Are you grappling with any of these issues? Let’s discuss how it has impacted you—because if one thing’s for certain, you’re not alone in the saga of the dysfunctional Start menu.
Stay safe, stay updated (but maybe not too updated), and always back up your registry!

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Source: Windows Latest Windows 11 December 2024 update issues break Start menu and more