📢 Windows 11 (22H2) KB5029351 Update: What's new and improved?

What's new and improved in Windows 11 KB5029351 Update?

Highlights

1. Enhanced Search Experience: A new hover behavior has been introduced to the search box gleam. When users hover over the search box, a flyout might now appear. This behavior can be adjusted for a more personalized search box experience via the taskbar settings.
2. Support for DST in Israel: Microsoft extends its support for daylight saving time (DST) changes in Israel with this update.
3. Search App Fixes:
   • Users who faced an issue with the search app not opening after selecting the search icon (especially after the device was in sleep mode) can now breathe easily.
   • The reliability of the Search app has been fortified, addressing the inconvenience caused by previous bugs.

4. TAB Key and Search Results: Users will find navigating search results with the TAB key more intuitive, eliminating the need for additional steps.
5. Narrator Enhancement: The update ensures that the Narrator correctly identifies the search box on the taskbar and the highlights within the search box.
6. Optimized Search Box Size: On Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Book devices, the search box size has been modified to be more suitable in tablet posture mode.

Improvements

1. A New Approach to App Defaults: Microsoft has introduced novel functionality impacting app defaults. For an in-depth understanding, refer to the document on app pinning and app defaults in Windows.
2. New Policy - “Enable Optional Updates”: Ideal for administrators, this policy offers an avenue to configure monthly, optional cumulative updates for commercial devices. It also facilitates gradual Controlled Feature Rollouts (CFR).
3. Group Policy Service Modification: An addressed glitch ensures that the Group Policy Service does not prematurely stop waiting for network availability, thus ensuring correct policy processing.

4. D3D12 Independent Devices: Developers have been offered a new API for D3D12 Independent Devices, allowing them to create multiple D3D12 devices on a single adapter.
5. Display and Window Rendering: Issues related to WS_EX_LAYERED window rendering post display screen scaling have been resolved.
6. Virtual Print Queue & Print Jobs: The frustrating error where print jobs sent to a virtual print queue failed without any error message has been addressed.
7. High CPU Usage: An anomaly causing excessive CPU usage when the “fBlockNonDomain” policy was enabled has been fixed.
8. Disk Partition and BitLocker: A potentially system-halting issue when reallocating space from a deleted disk partition to an existing BitLocker partition has been addressed.

9. Remote Desktop Sessions: Inaccurate error messages appearing during Remote Desktop sign-ins have been fixed.
10. Start Menu Icon Visibility: First-time sign-in users will no longer face the issue of missing Start menu icons.
11. Syncing Settings: A bug preventing settings from syncing, even when enabled from the Windows Backup page, has been rectified.
12. Windows LAPS Policy Setting Reporting: For those using the Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP), the Windows LAPS "BackupDirectory" policy setting is now reported accurately when set to “Back up to AAD”.
13. Windows Update for Business Password Change: An error that hindered users from signing in post a password change request has been fixed.

End Notes

Lastly, for those who are up-to-date with their Windows updates, the system will intelligently download and install only the new fixes contained in this package, ensuring an efficient updating process.

Thanks for journeying through this update with me! Whether you're using Windows for work, play, or a mix of both, these changes, big or small, make a tangible difference in our day-to-day lives. So, here's a shout-out to all the developers and engineers working behind the scenes.

And to you, always keep your system updated – not just for the cool features but for optimum performance and security.