Microsoft’s December update for Windows 11 was meant to improve security and reliability. Instead, it has left some users complaining that their PCs feel slower than before.
The issue appears to be linked to the December 2025 cumulative update, KB5072033, which was rolled out to Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. After installing the update, users began noticing higher resource usage and sluggish system behavior than before.
At the center of the complaints is a quiet change to the AppX Deployment Service, known as AppXSVC. The service handles the installation and updating of Microsoft Store apps such as Calculator, Photos, and other built-in tools.
Before the update, AppXSVC was set to run in “Manual” mode, meaning it only started when needed. The December update switched it to “Automatic” startup, causing it to launch during boot and remain active, or repeatedly restart in the background.
For some users, that change has translated into noticeably higher CPU, memory, and disk usage. Reports of AppXSVC-related performance issues are not new, dating back several years, but some users say the December update has made the problem more noticeable. Reports have also flagged the update as potentially worsening performance on lower-end systems.
The situation has been particularly frustrating for IT teams. In managed environments, AppXSVC’s new start-stop behavior can trigger monitoring tools like Zabbix to log repeated crash alerts. One IT professional, Thomas J., said the alerts quickly became overwhelming, forcing administrators to manually suppress them.
Microsoft later acknowledged the change in a support document, saying the switch to Automatic startup was intended to improve reliability “in certain isolated scenarios.” The company also warned that disabling the service could break Microsoft Store app updates.
For now, users are left weighing stability improvements against real-world performance hits. Some are experimenting with service or registry changes to restore the old behavior, though doing so comes with trade-offs Microsoft itself advises against.
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