The Windows 11 24H2 update has been plagued by a series of frustrating issues since its rollout, and now a new problem has emerged that is affecting Microsoft Office applications. Users running CrowdStrike Falcon sensor antivirus software on systems that have been updated to Windows 11 24H2 are encountering crashes with key Office apps such as Word and Excel. This issue seems to be the result of a conflict between the latest version of Windows 11 and a particular setting in CrowdStrike’s Prevention Policy.
The setting at the heart of the problem is the “Enhanced Exploitation Visibility Prevention Policy” in CrowdStrike’s antivirus software, which is designed to enhance system protection by preventing exploitation. However, after the update to Windows 11 24H2, this setting seems to conflict with the operating system, causing Office apps to crash and rendering them unusable. Microsoft has taken action by temporarily blocking the update on devices affected by this problem while it works on a permanent fix in collaboration with CrowdStrike.
CrowdStrike, in turn, has acted quickly by disabling the Enhanced Exploitation Visibility Prevention Policy for affected users, which has helped mitigate the problem. However, this is only a temporary measure until a full resolution is rolled out. Currently, the issue seems to only affect devices with CrowdStrike Falcon sensor installed, so users with other antivirus software appear to be unaffected for now.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has encountered issues with the Windows 11 24H2 update. Over the last month, users have experienced a range of bugs including network connectivity failures, blue screen errors, and installation problems with certain rescue patches. These recurring issues have led Microsoft to temporarily block the update for affected devices. As the company works to fix the bugs, more problems are cropping up, leading many users to wonder when the update will be stable enough for general use.
For now, only managed IT environments seem to be affected by this issue with CrowdStrike’s antivirus. However, it’s a good idea for any user with personal devices to avoid the 24H2 update for the time being, especially if they’ve encountered other problems. Those who are currently facing crashes or other issues might want to consider reverting to a previous version of Windows 11 until a more stable release is available. While Microsoft continues to collaborate with CrowdStrike and other partners to fix the remaining problems, it’s clear that the 24H2 update is still far from being completely reliable.