September 2023 Windows 11 Version 22H1 Non-Security Optional Preview "C" Release

 Microsoft released the monthly “C” release preview cumulative updates with non-security improvements and fixes for Windows 11, Version 22H1 today.

IMPORTANT After today, September 26, 2023, there will no longer be optional, non-security preview releases for Windows 11, version 21H2.  Only cumulative monthly security updates will continue for the supported versions of Windows 11, version 21H2.

The KB5030301 update highlight for Windows 11 version 22H1 addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Excel. It stops responding when you try to share a file as a PDF in Outlook. This non-security update includes the following quality improvements:

• New! This update completes the work to comply with the GB18030-2022 requirements. It removes and remaps characters for Microsoft Wubi input and Microsoft Pinyin U-mode input. You can no longer enter character codepoints that are not supported. All the required codepoints are up to date.

• This update supports daylight saving time (DST) changes in Greenland.

• This update changes the spelling of Ukraine's capital from Kiev to Kyiv.

• This update addresses an issue that affects account lockout event 4625. The format of the event is wrong in the ForwardedEvents log. This occurs when an account name is in the user principal name (UPN) format.

• This update affects the Key Distribution Center (KDC) and user security identifiers (SID). KDC now reads the user SID from the Subject Alternative Name (SAN) of a certificate. Because of this, mobile device management (MDM) providers can use offline templates to fill in the user SID. To learn more, see KB5014754.

• This update addresses an issue that is related to changes in the forwarding of events.

• This update addresses an issue that affects XPath queries on FileHash and other binary fields. It stops them from matching values in event records.

• This update addresses an issue that affects an Application Virtualization (App-V) environment. Copy operations within it stop working. This occurs after you install the April 2023 update.

• This update addresses an issue that affects the Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol (SCEP) certificate. The system reports some SCEP certificate installations as failed. Instead, the system should report them as pending.

• This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Print to PDF. It uses the metadata for the name you sign in with as the author of a printed PDF. It should use the display name instead.

• This update addresses an issue that affects some USB printers. Microsoft Defender stops them from printing.

• This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC). AppID Tagging policies might greatly increase how long it takes your device to start up.

• This update addresses an issue that affects IMEPad. It stops working. This occurs when you enter end-user-defined characters (EUDC).

• This update addresses an issue that affects application compatibility. It is related to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.

• This update addresses an issue that affects Remote Apps. The display of some elements is not aligned correctly.

• This update addresses an issue that affects the Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (DTC). It has a handle leak. Because of this, the system runs out of memory.

• This update addresses an issue that might make Windows stop responding. This might occur if you use Microsoft OneDrive files that are compressed by NTFS.

• This update addresses an issue that might cause a user-mode memory leak. It might occur when you call CopyFile() or MoveFile().

• This update addresses an issue that affects external binding. It fails. This occurs after you install Windows updates dated May 2023 or later. Because of this, there are issues that affect LDAP queries and authentication.

Update: To get the update, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. The link to download and install the update can be found in the Optional updates area.  To get the standalone package for this update, go to the Microsoft Update Catalog website.

For information about the types of updates released by Microsoft each month, see Windows monthly updates explained.

Windows 11 update history

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

September 2023 Windows 10 Non-Security Optional Preview "C" Release

 Microsoft released KB5030300 for Windows 10 version 22H2 optional non-security release preview (Windows monthly updates explained).

The following are the highlighted changes included in the update:

• New! This update brings back an improved search box experience on the taskbar. If you have a top, bottom, regular, or small icons taskbar, you will see the search box appear. You can use it to easily access apps, files, settings, and more from Windows and the web. You will also have access to the latest search updates, such as search highlights. If you want to restore your previous search experience, you can do that easily. Use the taskbar shortcut menu or respond to a dialog that appears when you use search.

• New! This update adds animations to a few icons on the news and interests taskbar button. These animations occur when:

  • A new announcement appears on the news and interests taskbar button.

  • You hover over or click the icon while the announcement is on the taskbar.

• This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Excel. It stops responding when you try to share a file as a PDF in Outlook.

• This update addresses an issue that affects the touch keyboard. Sometimes it does not open.

See the referenced KB Article for long list of quality improvements included in the update.

This update makes quality improvements to the servicing stack, which is the component that installs Windows updates. Servicing stack updates (SSU) ensure that you have a robust and reliable servicing stack so that your devices can receive and install Microsoft updates. For general information about SSUs, see Servicing stack updates and Servicing Stack Updates (SSU): Frequently Asked Questions.

Update:  To get the update, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. The link to download and install the update can be found in the Optional updates available area.  To get the standalone package for this update, go to the Microsoft Update Catalog website.

Windows 10 update history

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Windows 11 22H3 Update

    The Windows 11 2023 Update (22H3) is being released today for eligible Windows 11 and Windows 10 devices.  

Windows 11:  Devices with Windows 11 22H2 installed can get opt to install the update now via Windows Update (Settings > Windows Update) and selecting Check for updates. 

Windows 10: Eligible devices can install the update the same as for Windows 11.  To determine if your device meets the minimum system requirements for Windows all, use the PC Health Check app. 

Additional information about the update is available at the Windows Experience Blog at How to get the Windows 11 2022 Update.

New Features

There are over 150 new features as well as new Surface devices. A short list of the new features included in the Windows 11 2023 Update provided by Zac Bowman at Windows Central is as follows:

• App folders in Start menu
• Resizable pinned area in Start menu
• Drag and Drop on the Taskbar
• Focus Assist integration with Notification Center
• New "spotlight" wallpaper feature
• New Voice Access accessibility feature
• New Live Captions accessibility feature
• New gestures and animations for touch users
• New snap layouts bar when moving app windows
• New Task Manager app
• New "Suggested Actions" feature when copying dates/numbers
• Tabs in File Explorer
• Better OneDrive integration with File Explorer
• Numerous UI improvements and consistency updates

See the Windows Experience Blog article by Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President & Consumer Marketing Officer for an illustrated example of many of the new features.  Other information about the new release are available at Announcing Microsoft Copilot, your everyday AI companion as well as a list of Windows September top features highlights.  You can also watch the video of the presentation at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/event.

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...