You shouldn't install the latest Windows 11 beta update

Young woman sitting on the floor with a laptop biting nails, nervous and very anxious
(Image credit: Asier Romero / Shutterstock)

Microsoft has made the KB5010414 update available to the Insider Program: it's a fairly significant patch for the Windows 11 operating system, though some users have already noted that issues are appearing on their systems after installing it.

These include overheating due to excessive CPU loads, and new printing issues that are unrelated to those that previously plagued both Windows 11 and Windows 10 users, neither of which were reported prior to this update being downloaded. 

Luckily, this update is only available to members of the Windows Insider Program (a beta-testing platform for early adopters), so there's no need to worry about it being automatically downloaded and installed onto your own laptop or PC. Still, if you're an Insider who has yet to download it, we would suggest you avoid doing so for the time being.

A notable expectation is if you're affected by a bug that currently displays inaccurate tooltips when you hover over taskbar items. By most reports, the KB5010414 update resolves this issue, but weighing up the risk is a decision that you can only make yourself.

MSPoweruser reports that Microsoft is already aware of the new problems, but noted that there was no mention it was working on a patch to fix the bugs just yet. It's likely it's being addressed though, given the purpose of the Insider Program is to locate and fix any issues before updates are available to the public, so we anticipate this will be remedied before the full update release.


Analysis: business as usual

Just because we've suggested that you avoid the buggy KB5010414 update for now, doesn't mean you should avoid doing so after the issues are resolved. When the issues are ironed out, this update is going to provide some pretty amazing upgrades to the current Windows 11 build.

Notably, Android apps will be made available, albeit only via the Amazon Appstore for now – this restriction shouldn't be in place long, as other providers like the Epic Games Store are also anticipated to roll out similar services at some point. Window sharing and mute/unmute options for Microsoft Teams calls are also expected to land on the taskbar, as well as a much-needed design update for the Notepad and Media Player apps.

It's very common for early updates to cause a few strange bugs in early access, but that's what the Insider Program is for. It allows keen enthusiasts who are aware of the risks to test upcoming updates for anything that can cause issues, to ensure that fewer problems are created when the full version of that update is released to the general public. If anything, the fact that concerning issues have been found and noted by Microsoft is good news, and proof the system works.

Jess Weatherbed

Jess is a former TechRadar Computing writer, where she covered all aspects of Mac and PC hardware, including PC gaming and peripherals. She has been interviewed as an industry expert for the BBC, and while her educational background was in prosthetics and model-making, her true love is in tech and she has built numerous desktop computers over the last 10 years for gaming and content creation. Jess is now a journalist at The Verge.