Microsoft promises to end Windows ‘confusion’ but you might need to buy a new PC

If you have a Windows laptop and have ever plugged in a USB-C cable expecting to quickly charge your PC or connect it to an external monitor, only for the battery to be unresponsive or the screen to remain blank, you are not alone.

The whole idea of USB-C was to help standardise connections across the technology ecosystem, including Windows computers. Today, if you buy a new PC, chances are it will charge with USB-C, or at least have these small ports via which to connect accessories such as hard drives and monitors.

But many of us will have been frustrated to find that connecting a device such as your phone to your Windows PC via USB-C isn’t always simple. Cables won’t necessarily work, and your existing chargers might not send enough voltage to charge your laptop speedily - or at all.

That’s why Microsoft has just put out a blog post entitled ‘Ending USB-C Port Confusion’, announcing it will soon require all Windows laptop manufacturers to adhere to specific USB-C standards for all new Windows 11 laptops, who will also need to clearly label their computers to show which of the standards the PC complies with.

But the catch is this only appears to apply to newly released Windows 11 laptops and tablets that have at least Windows 11 version 24H2 pre-installed. If you have issues with your current USB-C ports, you could be out of luck.

In the blog post, Microsoft’s Ugan Sivagnanenthirarajah admitted that “not all USB-C ports are created equal.”

“You can’t tell which ones deliver the full experience just by looking at them”, he said.

“PC manufacturers can implement ports that look identical but differ wildly in functionality: one may charge your laptop and run a 4K display; another might only deliver USB 2.0 data speeds. The USB specification allows this, and without clear enforcement, the consumer experiences frustration, guesswork, and endless troubleshooting.”

To address this, Microsoft is introducing new branding guidelines for PC makers to use, to try and make it clearer to consumers what their machine can do. Below is Microsoft’s new chart to explain. The labels will be, for example, “USB 40Gbps” or “USB 80Gbps”.

“We think it’s important for this clear branding to carry through to the actual customer experience with USB-C ports on Windows 11 PCs”, Sivagnanenthirarajah said. “While the USB specifications give PC manufacturers the ability to choose which optional features the port supports, we set out to establish a minimum bar for USB-C port capabilities on PCs.”

By complying with USB 3 standards as a minimum requirement, USB displays should, in theory, support most Windows 11 laptops going forward, and all USB-C ports on these new machines should support charging.

Microsoft even went as far as to make “two firm promises” for USB-C on Windows 11. Most importantly, the tech giant says that it will ensure that “USB Data, Charging and Display “just works” on all USB-C ports”, staying that “USB 1, USB 2, and USB 3 peripherals, chargers and displays will work exactly as advertised on any USB-C port on your WHCP-certified Windows 11 device.”

WHCP stands for “Windows Hardware Compatibility Program”, and is a catch-all for the specifications Microsoft provides to its Windows partners on how to build PCs.

Microsoft also promised that USB 40Gbps ports would be fully compatible with USB 4 and Thunderbolt 3 peripherals and accessories, another move to try and get rid of the confusion the company is addressing.