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A report describes an intermittent Windows bug in which copying Video CD files with File Explorer can stall the copy and leave parts of the interface unresponsive until a hardware restart. The author says the issue appeared after Windows updates in early 2023 and has not received a response to a report sent to Microsoft; Microsoft has not publicly confirmed the bug in the supplied material.
A report says copying files from a Video CD (VCD) with Windows Explorer can stall the transfer and leave parts of the Windows interface unresponsive, sometimes requiring a button-initiated restart. The author says the intermittent problem began after Windows updates in early 2023; Microsoft has not confirmed the issue or provided a fix in the source material.
The reported failure occurs while copying VCD contents to a PC, particularly the large multimedia files in the disc’s MPEGAV folder. The author says the copy speed can drop to zero and remain there. Even after closing the copy window and ejecting the disc, Explorer may stop displaying newly created files or folders until the view is refreshed, other parts of the interface may glitch, and the Explorer process may resist restarting.
According to the report, a normal Windows restart can then hang indefinitely at the “Restarting” screen. The author says pressing the computer’s restart or power button is the way they were able to recover. The bug does not occur every time, and the report says retries after deleting copied files and rebooting may be needed.
The author reproduced the behavior across different systems, including virtual machines, and reports that it first appeared with Windows 11’s March 2023 update KB5023706 and Windows 10’s April 2023 update KB5025221. These are the author’s test findings, not a Microsoft-confirmed cause. The report says playback in Windows Media Player and extraction using VCDGear did not trigger the failure; third-party copying apps also avoided it unless they used Windows’ standard copy method.
A Disc Copy Can Disrupt Windows
The report describes a failure that can extend beyond a single stalled file transfer: Explorer and other parts of the desktop may remain unreliable until the machine is restarted. That makes the issue relevant to people archiving or recovering content from older discs, even if VCDs are now uncommon.
The source also says that Explorer’s ability to display and copy VCD files does not mean that an ordinary file copy is the best way to preserve a disc. The author reports that copied DAT files may differ between attempts and that a dedicated extractor can handle stream errors. The immediate concern is the reported system instability, while the extent of the problem and its underlying cause remain unverified by Microsoft.
Why Video CDs Copy Differently
VCDs can appear in Windows as discs with files and folders, including large DAT files, but the report explains that their layout and contents do not behave like a typical data disc. It cites technical explanations that describe the visible DAT entry as an ISO gateway through which Windows emulates raw track reading. The report says Linux handles these tracks differently, and that a simple file copy may not preserve all disc contents, such as menus, still images, CD audio or index data.
For that reason, the author recommends using software such as VCDGear to extract audiovisual content or imaging software to create a BIN/CUE disc image. The report says copying through Explorer had generally worked for users despite not being the preferred preservation method, until the behavior described began after the 2023 updates. The supplied material does not identify which Windows component changed.
“At some point the copying speed drops to zero and it stays there.”
— The report’s author, describing the failure
Cause and Scope Remain Unknown
The source material contains the author’s testing and reports from other users, but no Microsoft confirmation, public investigation, or fix announcement. It is not clear which specific change in the cited updates is responsible, how many Windows systems are affected, or whether later updates have changed the behavior.
The author says the problem is intermittent and more reliable to reproduce with a physical disc, possibly because the transfer takes longer. The report does not establish whether that is the cause of the difference. It also does not provide a response from Microsoft or documentation of a formal bug status.
Watch for a Microsoft Response
The next clear development would be a response from Microsoft, confirmation through an official issue report, or a Windows update that addresses the behavior. The source says the author submitted a report through Feedback Hub in late 2025 but had heard nothing at the time of writing.
Until there is further information, the report suggests avoiding Explorer for VCD extraction and using dedicated software or disc imaging tools instead. It remains unclear whether Microsoft will change Explorer’s handling of VCDs or advise users to use another method.
Key Questions
What happens when the reported bug occurs?
The copy may stall at zero speed, followed by missing file listings or other interface glitches. The report says Windows may then require a restart using the computer’s physical restart or power button.
Which Windows updates are linked to the reported issue?
The author says the bug first appeared after Windows 11 update KB5023706 in March 2023 and Windows 10 update KB5025221 in April 2023. Microsoft has not confirmed that link in the supplied material.
Does playing a Video CD trigger the problem?
The report says playing VCD content in Windows Media Player did not trigger the bug. It describes the failure during copying through Explorer.
How does the report recommend extracting a Video CD?
It recommends a dedicated tool such as VCDGear to extract audiovisual content, or disc imaging software to create a BIN/CUE image. The author says these methods avoid the reported Explorer failure.
Has Microsoft confirmed or fixed the bug?
Not in the source material. The author says they filed a Feedback Hub report in late 2025 and had received no confirmation or fix by the time of writing.
Source: hn
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