Can't change xbox controller settings without updating Windows first

What's really annoying is getting this error when you're already on the latest version in the windows preview program.

Thank goodness for steam. I just do my controller config in there now.

(Side note. Buying a steam deck finally pushed me over the edge to try to do all my gaming on Linux. So far so good.)

To anyone who hasnt: do it! I did it a year ago and the only things you cant do are games with kernel level anticheat, but pretty much any of those games arent worth playing in my opinion anyways.
- I tried with two different GPUs (Nvidia and AMD), and 6 different distros (including gaming specific ones), and my experience was garbage. Everything was super laggy, including steam itself.
  
  Eventually I gave up and reinstalled windows.
  
  And I'm not a windows fan boy. That install is the only non-linux system I run apart from my work PC (which I just use to remote into Linux).
- I wish Steam would let me filter games with rootkits so I don't even see them.

This thread is weird. People complain about Microsoft doing its Microsoft thing but the moment someone suggests to stop using Microsoft products and switch to an increasingly viable and approachable alternative they get downvoted.

"I don't want a solution, I want to be angry!"

Because telling someone to completely abandon their previous working setup for a complete new one with new bugs and zero understanding of the environment, while also having to relearn their entire workflow is not a solution to a controller not working.
- I used to have those concerns. But I still switched earlier this year from being a die-hard Microsoft user since DOS in the 90's. It's no where nearly as bad as you make it sound.
  
  First of all, the controller not working is only the tip of the iceberg of the bullshit sandwich Microsoft has been serving its users and it has gotten far worse now with Windows 11. Microsoft has turned Windows 11 an anti-consumer nightmare of a platform that has zero care for privacy or even for treating paying users as anything else than a source of additional income to exploit further through things like ads and data mining. On a platform they paid for already, must I say again.
  
  Secondly, you can dual boot which means you don't have to abandon your current setup and always have the option to go back to it should it not work for you. That being said, I haven't booted my Windows partition in months and am increasingly considering repurposing the drive for something else now.
  
  Thirdly, what very little problems I encountered were a simple google search away to be fixed. And I am far from being a superuser in that environment. I tried to use Linux 10 years ago before and it was a PITA and I gave up. It isn't like that anymore. It is much better. Things just work now unless you pick a shitty distro.
  
  Finally, I've had a harder time finding the settings in a Windows machine after an update that moved things around than I ever had when I first used Linux. And with Linux, especially if you use KDE Plasma as a desktop environment, if something isn't where you want it, you can customize it to be exactly how you like it. You can make it mimic Windows if you want. There are even custom themes that make it look exactly the same if you really don't want to change.
  
  And even if you don't mind that rapidly growing list of major irritants, many people including myself cannot even upgrade to Windows 11 unless they buy a whole new machine even if they wanted to because of the arbitrary DRM chip requirements. And they're dropping support for Windows 10 next year. So looking down the barrel of having to pay for a new computer while the current one works perfectly well, plus having to pay for another Windows license with which Microsoft will monetize the shit out of my usage of the platform with zero regards to my privacy, making the jump doesn't sound that bad of a decision anymore. I did it and I'm glad I did.
That's windows users for you. Only complaining and never putting any effort into learning the alternatives.
Seriously. Mac is so much better, what are they thinking?
- Mac is not Windows. As for better, these days, that is debatable. Apple has mostly stopped any kind of major growth, innovation, or rewrite a decade ago, after they ran out of the backlog of Jobs ideas. Now their products are just a cup game of feature juggling.
- that isn't just an OS change you dummy it's a complete repurchase of equipment. nice suggestion don't like windows/Linux jUsT bUy MaC hUrrdUrr

While this does seem overly restrictive and out of place there, the result of this isn't bad, because everyone should be at the most recent vesion at all times, period. If you aren't, you're exposed to more security holes and bugs. So it's weird that that program forces you to do that, but it's still not bad that you're forced to do it. If you get what I mean. For some less-caring users who'd otherwise never install updates, forced updates are actually a net positive.

However, as you can see, the creation dates for both the virtual disk of the VM and the Windows 10 ISO are August 2, 2024—just under nine days ago. I seriously doubt there is a significant Windows update that would prevent me from running Xbox Accessory without first updating my operating system
- I thought they meant to install windows 11.
That's a lot of words for "just use Linux".
- Yeah, you should use Linux regardless. ;-)
- Go ahead and update the firmware or change button bindings on an Xbox controller using Linux for me. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Ugh so much snark in this thread

"We need to update windows for ermmm ~~security~~ spyware and apps That use all your resources we want to shove the most spyware we will shove edge gx to gamers and regular edge to regular users and we will ~~force~~ all companies ~~to not~~ make their software cross platform" -Microsoft

Middle Finger to Microsoft, just use Linux

I'm using linux, tho I wanted to reverse engineer the program to make the controller customizable under linux, but if I don't run windows I can't do that!
- Fair point

Get rid of Windows. There's literally no good reason to have it anymore. None.

I don't have time to troubleshoot Linux all the time. So there's one good reason.
- Linux requires configuration but once it is set up, it works.
  
  Windows does require endless trouble shooting.
  
  You are projecting your bias here.
  
  Linux deff has learning curve which is what I think you are hinting at here
- Assuming it will need a huge amount of troubleshooting is a little crazy.
- I've had less time troubleshooting Fedora linux lately than I have on Windows
- From all the time saved not troubleshooting windows you might actually have to pick up a hobby, which I suppose to some is a reason
How do I play my VR games? How do I test the cross platform application I develop runs correctly on Windows? How do I update the firmware on a device for which the firmware updater only works on Windows?

I use Linux. These are some of the reasons I keep a Windows VM around. So no, it's not true there is "literally no good reason".
OP wants their Xbox controller to just work so I don't think Linux is the best option
- This, completely switching operating systems is not a reasonable solution to their minor problem.
- My Xbox controller has just worked on Linux for months now?
- Seems to be just working with windows huh
Have to have it for work, AutoCAD doesn't run on Linux

I suffer from having to update the firmware of my Xbox controllers through a Windows Laptop we use for office work (using LibreOffice, btw) because they will stop working on my Fedora Linux machine after some time when I update the kernel modules for xone and xpadneo.

It’s interesting to me that you can do that using a VM!!

Try the program "REWASD". Or for linux, Input Remapper (Pop OS has this by default in their repository)

I've heard of it before, but the one thing preventing me from using it is my uncertainty about whether the mapping is done through software. Do I need Rewasd to always run in the background, or with the Elite V2 can I remap the key bindings directly on the controller without needing the software to be active?
- You need the software running in the background. For what it's worth, the overhead is basically 0 when I use it.
  
  Or for linux, Input Remapper (Pop OS has this by default in their repository)
Came here to suggest looking at rewasd

OTOH, that dialog looks horrible. Who designed that? Are all Xbox dialogs like that?

I accidentally bought an Xbox controller but luckily realized driver updates and so on would be an endless parade of bullshit while I was still within the return window. Unbelievable that they are getting away with such poor user experience.

Xbox one controllers work out of the box
- That is not correct for the Bluetooth.

No KVM?

VBox has better GPU perf compared to QEMU if you are not passing a GPU in my experience
- Virtual box isn't platform native. It runs slower and isn't even fully foss