The latest update for Windows 11 is a big one — and we’re not just talking about the size of the download. The update in question is KB5010414, and it’s something we have already touched on a couple of times.
Much of the focus has been, entirely understandably, on the new features the update brings; KB5010414 is about much more than this. Yes, the arrival of support for Android apps is nice, but it’s certainly not something everyone is interested in. What is more impressive and interesting about the KB5010414 is the laundry list of changes, tweaks and fixes Microsoft has introduced. This is what makes this the most significant update to Windows 11 yet.
The reason we have already written about the KB5010414 update is that it was first released to Insiders, and is now available as a preview update ahead of March’s Patch Tuesday when it will be unleashed on the masses.
Some of the most immediately noticeable changes are to be found in the taskbar. But, in addition to all of the headline-grabbing new features such as Android app support and new widget options, there are dozens of other noteworthy updates that will benefit users.
Microsoft draws attention to the following key changes, additions and fixes:
- New! Provides the ability to shares cookies between Microsoft Edge Internet Explorer mode and Microsoft Edge.
- New! Opens Microsoft Office files that are in the Start menu’s recommended section in the browser. This occurs if the device does not have an appropriate Microsoft Office license and the file is stored in Microsoft OneDrive or Microsoft SharePoint. If there is a license, the file will open in the desktop app instead.
- New! Adds the clock and date to the taskbars of other monitors when you connect other monitors to your device.
- New! Adds weather content to the left side of the taskbar if the taskbar is aligned in the center. When you hover over the weather, the Widgets panel will appear on the left side of the screen and will disappear when you stop hovering over the area.
- New! Adds the ability to quickly share open application windows directly from your taskbar to a Microsoft Teams call.
- New! Adds support for hot adding and the removal of non-volatile memory (NVMe) namespaces.
- New! Adds the ability to instantly mute and unmute a Microsoft Teams call from your taskbar. During a call, an active microphone icon will appear on the taskbar so that you can easily mute the audio without having to return to the Microsoft Teams call window.
- Addresses an issue that occurs when Windows Server 2016 runs as a terminal server using certain cloud computing virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). As result, the servers randomly stop responding after running for a period of time. This also addresses a regression that proactively checks to ensure that the CSharedLock in rpcss.exe is set correctly to avoid a deadlock.
- Addresses an issue that might cause the time zone list in Settings to appear blank for users who are not administrators.
- Addresses an issue that affects the Windows search service and occurs when you query using the proximity operator.
- Addresses an issue that fails to show the Startup impact values in Task Manager.
- Addresses an issue that prevents ShellWindows() from returning the InternetExplorer object when iexplore.exe runs in the Microsoft Edge Internet Explorer mode context.
- Addresses an issue that affects dialog boxes in Microsoft Edge Internet Explorer mode.
- Addresses an issue that causes Microsoft Edge Internet Explorer mode to stop working when you press the F1 key.
- Addresses an issue that causes the improper cleanup of Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) objects. This prevents session teardown and causes a session to stop responding.
- Addresses an issue that prevents printing from operating properly for some low integrity process apps.
- Introduces support for Windows Hello for Business Cloud Trust. This is a new deployment model for hybrid deployments of Windows Hello for Business. It uses the same technology and deployment steps that support on-premises single sign-on (SSO) for Fast IDentity Online (FIDO) security keys. Cloud Trust removes the public-key infrastructure (PKI) requirements for deploying Windows and simplifies the Windows Hello for Business deployment experience.
- Addresses an issue that prevents you from unloading and reloading drivers when the drivers are protected Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI).
- Addresses an issue that affects the Silent BitLocker enablement policy and might unintentionally add a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) protector.
- Addresses a reliability issue that affects the use of the Remote Desktop app to mount a client’s local drive to a terminal server session.
- Addresses an issue that displays right-to-left (RTL) language text as left justified on File Explorer command menus and context menus.
- Addresses an issue that prevents you from reaching the LanguagePackManagement configuration service provider (CSP) using the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Bridge.
- Addresses an issue that causes a mismatch between a Remote Desktop session’s keyboard and the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) client when signing in.
- Addresses an issue that causes incorrect tooltips to appear in an empty area on the taskbar after you hover over other icons like battery, volume, or Wi-Fi.
- Addresses an issue that occurs when you try to write a service principal name (SPN) alias (such as www/FOO) and HOST/FOO already exists on another object. If the RIGHT_DS_WRITE_PROPERTY is on the SPN attribute of the colliding object, you receive an “Access Denied” error.
- Addresses an issue that disconnects Offline Files on the network drive after you restart the OS and sign in. This issue occurs if the Distributed File System (DFS) path is mapped to the network drive.
- Addresses an issue that displays the authentication dialog twice when you mount a network drive.
We have already covered some of the issues that users have experienced after installing KB5010414, but it’s worth drawing attention to the single known issue that Microsoft currently acknowledges:
Recent emails might not appear in the search results of the Microsoft Outlook desktop app. This issue is related to emails that have been stored locally in a PST or OST files. It might affect POP and IMAP accounts, as well as accounts hosted on Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft 365. If the default search in the Microsoft Outlook app is set to server search, the issue will only affect the advanced search.
The company offers up the following advice:
To mitigate the issue, you can disable Windows Desktop Search, which will cause Microsoft Outlook to use its built-in search. For instructions, see Outlook Search not showing recent emails after Windows update KB5008212.
We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.
To see what you think of KB5010414, you can manually check for updates for Windows 11 and grab this cumulative update right away.
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