Report suggests that an 'ad' for Microsoft Teams may have broken the Windows 11 desktop and taskbar

Concluding night was a doozy for those on the Windows Insider program (Beta or Dev Channels) testing Windows 11. Many people restarted their PCs only to find the Windows 11 desktop, including the Outset menu and taskbar completely missing. Users could access the Task Manager and command prompt to aid navigate around, but that was it.

A few workarounds appeared, including an official 1 from Microsoft, that all interfered with the device's ability to properly communicate with Microsoft's servers, which raises the question: What exactly was it that caused the problem?

Microsoft didn't get into detail, just remarking it was "a server-side deployment that went out to Insiders."

However, a new report suggests it was even dumber: A popular-upward notification for Microsoft Teams notifying you lot of the service and how to sign into information technology.

Daniel Aleksandersen, who writes on Ctrl web log, explains:

I took a closer look at what got downloaded and caused the Windows desktop shell to go unresponsive … The problem wasn't caused by an update delivered through Windows Update. (That would take been more understandable.) Instead, it was caused by a minor file downloaded by a Windows component called IrisService. Iris is a function of Windows Spotlight (the Bing wallpaper of the solar day; and tips, promotions, and suggestions on the Lock screen).

Based on the Microsoft-provided workaround, I narrowed the problem down to a registry central that contained a serialized JSON hulk. The blob independent an advertizing for Microsoft Teams. The messaging and imagery in the promotion were identical to the panel you become when you press the Windows central + C on a Windows account not already set up with Teams. It's unclear if it's this exact promotion, however.

Some of these points line upwardly with my own experience. I had to restart the PC for new Razer drivers being installed on my main desktop, non yesterday'due south Beta Channel update, equally those drivers superseded its installation. All the same, my PC suffered the same fate despite not going through the Bone update. Information technology may as well explain why non all PCs were experiencing it (my three laptops were but fine).

Windows11 Connect With Teams Panel An example of the alleged "promotion" for Microsoft Teams that caused yesterday'due south missing desktop in Windows 11. Source: Microsoft

But Aleksandersen goes on to enhance a good question:

There's an enormous elephant in the room, though: how Microsoft could have let this happen? Yes, this is a beta build for early adopters. Yes, rough edges and productivity losses are expected.

Withal, that doesn't respond why the Windows trounce was so poorly builder in the first identify. How come that it would stop responding simply considering of one failed cloud service? It's not a crucial cloud service either, and the figurer became useless considering of a single JSON hulk with an advertisement.

Assuming the assay is authentic, Aleksandersen remarks that "…unimportant cloud-dependent systems must exist isolated from the core operating system so that they can't bring the Windows shell to its knees."

I must caution that this is simply i assay of last night's trouble. Still, until Microsoft comes out with a detailed explanation — and clarifies how this won't happen again — critics of Microsoft'due south cloud-based approach may continue to make a good point almost the system's apparent weakness.

And whatever the crusade, yesterday's problem was one of the most serious to hit the Windows Insider program just a month before the release of Windows 11.