Microsoft stream to announce Windows 11 crashes before company unveils OS

Windows 11 Start Surfacepro Lighting
Windows 11 Start Surfacepro Lighting (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft's stream to announce Windows 11 buffered and crashed for many.
  • The Twitter stream for the event still seems to work.
  • Microsoft did not stream the event on YouTube.

Microsoft's stream to announce Windows 11 crashed before it got rolling. Panos Panay's face buffered and went away entirely for many trying to watch the stream. Notably, Microsoft decided to stream the event on its own platform and decided to not use YouTube.

While Microsoft's stream on its website stopped working, the Twitter stream still works.

Microsoft teased Windows 11 for weeks, sending out tweets and videos to get people excited. The livestream crashing is an embarrassing mistake that happened when Windows 11 was at center stage. At the time of publication, almost 42,000 people are watching the livestream on Twitter, but it's not known how many people are aware it's being streamed on that platform.

This is a developing story, and we'll add more details as they come in.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He's covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean's journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.