From monitoring performance to ending unresponsive programs, many Windows users will find themselves in Task Manager at some point – but an update to Windows 11 may now pose a problem.
Users with the KB5020044 preview for Windows 11 22H2 may be affected with an issue that renders the Task Manager interface unreadable, though Microsoft is quick to stress that this is purely cosmetic and the tool remains functional.
The company posted on its website (opens in new tab) that, “After installing KB5020044, Task Manager might display certain elements in the user interface (UI) in unexpected colors. On affected devices, Task Manager should function as expected but some parts of the UI might not be readable.”
Windows 11 Task Manager problems
Microsoft explains that affected users are likely to have set up a custom mode under the Personalization > Colors menu, and that users with the mode set to Dark or Light should not be affected.
So Microsoft advises that, for now at least, users pick a Dark or Light theme in order for the Task Manager to display properly. While no timeframe has been given for a fix, the company is aware of the issue and hopes to have it resolved by the next release.
Many users, including most businesses who prefer to remain on a stable build of the operating system, will be unaffected by the issue. It only pertains to those who have manually downloaded the optional update within Windows Insider builds.
What’s more, only 16% of Windows users are running any version of Windows 11 as of November 2022, though this is on the rise from under 8% in February 2022. Windows 10 remains the most popular version of the operating system by far, accounting for just under 70% of installs.
