Microsoft CEO Vows to Win Back Disaffected Windows Users

Satya Nadella told investors that Microsoft must “win back” its fans, citing eroding trust in Windows and other consumer products after a series of stability problems. The appeal frames the company’s immediate priority.

Satya Nadella wants Windows to use less RAM as part of a bigger push to win back consumers

In fiscal 2025 Microsoft pushed Copilot-driven AI across Windows, Xbox, Bing and Edge. The rapid integration coincided with buggy updates, frequent crashes, and reported reliability issues on GitHub, prompting internal criticism.

Satya Nadella wants Windows to use less RAM as part of a bigger push to win back consumers

CEO Satya Nadella leads the win-back effort; Windows chief Pavan Davuluri authored an internal memo promising stability; HashiCorp co-founder Mitchell Hashimoto publicly withdrew his project from GitHub. Microsoft reports over 1.6 billion active Windows devices worldwide.

The Register UK

Nadella said Microsoft is “hard at work changing the way we work,” reaffirming a “North Star” of delivering “customer value with highest quality and top-class innovation.” He added that Copilot will be scaled back while Windows updates will target performance gains for low-memory devices. Davuluri’s memo pledged a more thoughtful AI approach and a return to reliability as core goals.

Satya Nadella wants Windows to use less RAM as part of a bigger push to win back consumers

Developers have complained of recurring instability. HashiCorp co-founder Mitchell Hashimoto called GitHub “no longer a place for serious work,” after outages forced him to pull his project. The reliability problems on GitHub echo broader Windows frustrations and threaten Microsoft’s ecosystem credibility.

The Register UK

Sources do not provide exact churn figures for Windows users or the number of developers abandoning GitHub. Microsoft also has not released a detailed rollout schedule for the promised performance improvements, leaving the timeline uncertain.

Satya Nadella wants Windows to use less RAM as part of a bigger push to win back consumers

• “We are … hard at work changing the way we work.” — Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft

The Register UK

• “Our North Star remains the same: delivering customer value with highest quality and top-class innovation.” — Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft

The Register UK

• “As it turns out, he's very interested in getting people back into the Microsoft ecosystem: Finally, when it comes to our consumer business, we are doing the foundational work required to win back fans and strengthen engagement across Windows, Xbox, Bing, and Edge.” — Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft

Satya Nadella wants Windows to use less RAM as part of a bigger push to win back consumers

• “performance improvements for lower memory devices” — Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft

Satya Nadella wants Windows to use less RAM as part of a bigger push to win back consumers

• “no longer a place for serious work.” — Mitchell Hashimoto, Co-founder, HashiCorp

The Register UK

Microsoft says upcoming Windows builds will prioritize stability, scale back AI overlays, and improve performance on low-spec hardware. The company will monitor developer feedback and adjust rollout cadence, though specific release dates remain undisclosed.

Satya Nadella wants Windows to use less RAM as part of a bigger push to win back consumers