Windows 11 October 2023 update causing games and File Explorer to crash

Microsoft's Windows 11 October 2023 update is reportedly preventing gamers from playing popular games like Starfield and causing File Explorer to crash or slowdown for some.

Windows 11 game crashing | Windows 11 File Explorer crash | Windows 11 October 2023 update

The Windows 11 October 2023 update brings several new features. (Image Source: Microsoft)

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Microsoft’s recently released Windows 11 October 2023 update seems to be troubling users, with several popular titles like Starfield and File Explorer crashing for many.

According to a report by WindowsLatest, the latest update from Microsoft is part of the company’s ‘mandatory’ security update for Windows 11 22H2. However, many users on Reddit, X and Microsoft’s Windows 11 Feedback Hub say they are getting a 0x89245106 error code when trying to run games like Starfield and Lies of Pi.

Going by Microsoft’s Game Development Kit documentation, ‘0x89245106 error’ occurs when the operating system is unable to determine the default user. While the tech giant is yet to acknowledge the issue on its official support document for the Windows 11 October 2023 update, a post on the Feedback Hub app confirms that the issue is affecting users with a Microsoft representative claiming that the company already rolled out a fix.

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The new update also seems to be making the File Explorer unusable. User reports suggest the app crashes when they right-click on the Start Menu and launch ‘File Explorer’ or ‘Settings’. The overall File Explorer performance has reportedly taken a hit, with folders and file previews slowed down to a crawl for some.

If you are experiencing issues with File Explorer after the Windows 11 October 2023 update, uninstalling the update and reverting to the previous version might help. However, we recommend staying on the latest version as it brings numerous security enhancements.