Windows 11 on Unsupported Hardware - Day by Day, Part 2

Continuing my previous post “Windows 11 on Unsupported Hardware - Day by Day it’s time for further considerations.

Overall, Windows 11 is not bad. Everything is going in the right direction, but it’s not yet time for a mass switch, and here’s why.

Another day with Windows 11 at work (Friday, 10/22/2021)

After the changes I made in the previous post regarding the context menu and the appearance of the file browser (File Explorer), I was still annoyed by the slow operation of the system when working with files in the OneDrive cloud.

Removing OneDrive and reinstalling it made the file browser work again as it should. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long, because as soon as a large part of the files started to synchronize, everything started to slow down. You can’t work like that.

I am currently using OneDrive version 21.196.0921.0007. I have also tried the Inside version, but I do not see any difference, because the main error is in the system itself, not directly in OneDrive.

There is nothing else to do but wait for the update.

And about the updates. Despite the unsupported hardware, they appear as they should. I suspect that Microsoft’s fearmongering about the lack of updates will apply, as I thought, to the big ones, released once or twice a year.

And so, on this particular day, I was captivated by the KB5006746 update, which fixed a lot of bugs. Although it’s not clear whether my problem was fixed, I eagerly updated.

This update mentions some issues with the File Explorer, but they are not exactly related to the issues reported by users on the Internet.

This update also introduced one important fix for AMD Ryzen series processor users who experienced a significant drop in system performance after upgrading from Windows 10 to 11.

After installing the update and restarting my computer, I felt a slight improvement, but, as before, only for a moment. The drawback of working with files in the cloud returned.

For those interested, my system version changed from 21H2 (22000.258) to 21H2 (22000.282). OneDrive 2021 (21.205.1003.0003).

The next days passed and overall I have no objections to the system itself.

The problem with browsing files in the cloud is annoying as hell, but fortunately not only me. On the official Microsoft forum there is a heated discussion. Some propose more or less drastic solutions. However, all of them are short-term.

There is nothing left to do but wait for next Thursday/Friday with the hope that Microsoft will release another update (Cumulative Update) that will fix this problem and allow us to focus on other things.

Another Friday - No Update (29-10-2021)

You would think that this considerable problem would be at the top of the list in Microsoft’s technical department. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

The update on Friday 29/10 did not arrive. What’s worse, Microsoft announced the day before that it would be making the Windows 11 update available for more compatible devices (seriously?!).

This is problematic because until the bugs are patched, the update should be optional. As you can see, people at Microsoft will have their hands full, and IT service companies will be raking in the cash.

The only half-hearted solution for the file browser is to switch it to full-screen mode (F11) or to pause OneDrive sync. This is really a half-hearted solution, so we’ll see what the next week brings.

Microsoft can’t do it, users will find a (temporary) solution (02-11-2021)

One of the users of Microsoft Tech Community correctly observed that to get rid of the problem with the slow file browser, just close the OneDrive program right after starting the computer (by clicking on the icon in the taskbar, then select the Close OneDrive option from the settings), wait a short while and start it again.

This seemingly trivial solution, however, allows you to get rid of the main problem of the file browser (File Explorer) while maintaining the functionality of OneDrive.

I spent the whole day working with files and I can say that it is finally possible to work normally! Of course, until you restart your computer, at which point the above procedure has to be repeated.

Since I don’t want to remember to do the above step every time I start my computer (especially when the day greets us with a ton of work), I decided to add a simple automation.

Namely, I created a .bat file (in Notepad) containing the following command:

@echo off
"%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDrive.exe" /shutdown
start "" "%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDrive.exe"

I saved the file as onedrive-temp-fix.bat and put it in the Startup folder:

"%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup"

Thanks to this, when you first log into the system, your OneDrive will be closed and then restarted after a while.

And so the problem disappears, and your concentration returns to working with everyday problems, rather than struggling with your computer (system).

There is light at the end of the tunnel.

We are waiting for Microsoft to take a step in this direction.