Time and again, Microsoft has to issue fixes for Windows 11 because its monthly updates cause unexpected damage. But just how prone to errors is Windows 11 really, given the number of updates that constantly cause new problems? And how robust is Windows 10 in comparison?
According to Windows Latest, which analyzed all the Windows updates released since January 2026, the results are unsurprising: Windows 10 is significantly more stable and reliable than Windows 11.
Most recently, the Windows 11 September update broke USB audio and broke the File History feature, but it’s been a monthly pattern. August broke printers and PDFs, July broke certain Dell PCs, June broke startup and BitLocker recovery, all the way back to January.
Of the nine months that have passed this year, Windows Latest found that eight of them involved at least one major issue or regression.
Windows 10 hasn’t been flawless this year. For example, a June update caused a BitLocker user lockout problem, echoing a similar issue that flared up back in November 2025. But on the whole, it’s been noticeably more stable, with fewer system crashes and catastrophes.
One big reason for Windows 10’s greater stability is that it no longer receives new features. Ever since support ended in October 2025, Microsoft has only been pushing out security updates for Windows 10, and only for users who enrolled in the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. With fewer sweeping changes, it’s less likely to break.
So anyone who’s satisfied with Windows 10’s feature set, has no interest in Copilot AI, and prioritizes stability over fancy new features and experiments is clearly better off with Windows 10.
Meanwhile, if you’re on Windows 11 and you’re experiencing system instability or other unexpected issues after installing an update, it’s usually best to roll back the update and wait for future fixes. Windows 11 also has a feature called Known Issue Rollback (KIR) that can revert buggy non-security features without uninstalling the whole update.
