Windows 11 gamers in the firing line of nasty Auto HDR bug can now safely install 24H2 update

Microsoft has fixed the Auto HDR bug that messed up the color palette of games, and also caused them to crash, in Windows 11's optional update for January.

Windows 11 gamers in the firing line of nasty Auto HDR bug can now safely install 24H2 update
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Tech Reporter
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TL;DR: Windows 11 users whose PCs would have been affected by the Auto HDR bug can now install the 24H2 update, as Microsoft has released a fix in the January 2025 preview update (KB5050094). This update resolves issues with messed up colors and games crashing. However, users may prefer to wait for the full (stable, non-preview) February cumulative update, if they can hang on a bit longer.

Windows 11 users who couldn't install the 24H2 update due to the bug with Auto HDR can get ready to finally pull the trigger on the upgrade.

That's because Microsoft has implemented a fix in the preview (optional) update for January 2025 (KB5050094).

PC gamers can now safely install Windows 11 24H2 without worries that their games will end up looking like a mess (Image Credit: Pixabay)

PC gamers can now safely install Windows 11 24H2 without worries that their games will end up looking like a mess (Image Credit: Pixabay)

Time for a quick recap on this one, for those who've forgotten: the Auto HDR bug emerged in December 2024, and for people using the feature (with an HDR monitor, of course), it was something of a nightmare. First off, it completely messed up the color palette in games, and secondly, it could also cause those games to freeze or even outright crash.

As a result, Microsoft put a block on 24H2 to stop those who would be affected by the glitch from downloading the update.

Now the fix is in place with KB5050094 (as Bleeping Computer noticed), naturally those folks can go ahead and install the 24H2 update without any worries that their color scheme is going to go completely up the pole.

When turned on, Auto HDR means that PC games which don't have native HDR support get a simulated HDR makeover, one that makes a big difference compared to playing in plain old SDR.

It's worth noting that as KB5050094 is a preview update, it may have bugs of its own. So, you might want to wait a little longer, until the fix is bundled with the full February update for Windows 11 next month (assuming nothing's found to be wrong with the patch).

Microsoft is slowly fixing the various bugs that have been plaguing the 24H2 update, and KB5050094 also packs a cure for a nasty audio glitch (the one that broke the PC's sound entirely for those using a DAC with their Windows 11 computer).

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Darren has written for numerous magazines and websites in the technology world for almost 30 years, including TechRadar, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Computeractive, and many more. He worked on his first magazine (PC Home) long before Google and most of the rest of the web existed. In his spare time, he can be found gaming, going to the gym, and writing books (his debut novel – ‘I Know What You Did Last Supper’ – was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

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