Feb 24 Windows Update killed Google Icons and won't allow replacement.

Question

I accepted a Microsoft update for my Windows 11 laptop last night, February 24th, 2026. When I turned on my computer today, the icon for launching my Gmail account had disappeared. I searched for and found my Gmail through Bing and was able to open my email that way. I the tried to get the software to “Pin To Start” my Gmail. Coming back in later, my Gmail ico was again missing anywhere on my laptop. THIS APPEARS TO BE DELIBERATE ANTI-COMPETITIVE ILLEGAL ACTIVITY BY MICROSOFT. My question: IS MICROSOFT GOING TO CORRECT THIS IMMEDIATELY OR SHOULD I BEGIN REPORTING THIS TO FEDERAL AUTHORITIES?

Answer 1

Hello,

It appears that this issue occurred after installing the KB5077241 preview update.

Preview updates are optional cumulative updates released on the fourth Tuesday of each month,

typically at 10:00 AM Pacific Time (PST/PDT).

They are used for early validation of the upcoming monthly security release and include

only non‑security fixes and feature improvements.

Because preview updates are early-release versions, they may cause unexpected issues depending on the PC environment.

Unless the preview update contains a fix that you specifically need, there is no requirement to install it immediately.

Monthly security updates, on the other hand, are released on the second Tuesday of each month,

also at 10:00 AM Pacific Time (PST/PDT), and include both security and non‑security content.

Not all Windows updates—whether monthly updates or preview updates—install smoothly on every PC.

For this reason, it is generally safer to wait a few days after an update is released and check online information

before applying it.

Regarding the issue you are experiencing, please submit feedback to Microsoft so they can investigate

and improve future updates.

You can refer to the support article below for instructions on how to send feedback.

Send feedback to Microsoft with the Feedback Hub app