Windows 11 is about to get the full fix for a bug that is causing serious problems for some users when they try to copy large files.
This problem has been around for a while, but Microsoft finally has it under control, because as Windows Latest (opens in a new tab) points out, the remedy is associated with the recently revealed "Moment 2" update for Windows 11 at 10pm.
This update is already available as an optional offer – in other words, still in preview, but available to all Windows 11 users (not just testers), and will be fully rolled out with the final release of Moment 2 coming The next Tuesday. (March 14).
So if you've been affected by this bug, luckily the resolution is imminent. The issue dramatically slows down copying of larger files, with some reports we've seen in the past that heavy copy operations can actually take twice as long as they should. Nasty indeed.
Windows Latest made this discovery thanks to readers who reported to the site that file copying had returned to normal speed following the installation of patch KB5022913 (Moment 2 preview).
A technology consultant told the website: “We encountered this issue in December when we upgraded our 100 devices to Windows 11 22H2. Files were taking much longer to copy than they should. We noticed that some file transfers were almost twice as slow. Our users have confirmed that this is no longer the case after the KB5022913 update.
Analysis: A long preparatory work
As mentioned, this problem has been around for some time; in fact, a patch was applied during testing in early December 2022. This means that the test patch will have taken three and a half months to reach the final version of Windows 11 (Assuming it's included with Moment 2 and not be removed at the last, uh, moment if there was a problem with the optional preview update).
When we first reported this, we crossed our fingers for a quick fix, but that didn't happen, so it was probably a sticky issue that took a while to figure out. Of course, the bug mainly affects corporate networks, but home or small business network users have also been affected.
The Moment 2 update fixes many other bugs, as you'd expect, including File Explorer issues and a bug with Bluetooth keyboards, and adds plenty of features to Windows 11. This includes Phone Link for iOS (finally), improvements for touchscreen devices and more (here we have a deep dive on all the additions). Oh, and it'll also bring Bing's AI to the taskbar (sort of, from time to time; more on that later here).