Microsoft has just released the optional March 2023 non-security preview update for Windows 11. The Windows 11 KB5023778 update includes a variety of improvements and bug fixes, such as a search box that matches the current color scheme and a new feature that notifies users of Microsoft accounts.
How to install the Windows 11 KB5023778 update?
Windows admins who install this monthly non-security preview release can test improvements that will roll out with next month’s Patch Tuesday. However, it’s important to note that the Windows 11 KB5023778 update is optional and does not contain any security patches. Users can install this preview update from Settings > Windows Update by clicking the ‘Download and install’ button after checking for updates or manually download it and install it from the Microsoft Update Catalog.
One of the notable features of this month’s preview update is the introduction of notifications for Microsoft accounts in the Start menu. According to Microsoft, this feature is only available to a small audience right now but will deploy more broadly in the coming months. Users might notice different visual treatments as the company gathers feedback.
This “feature” has been under testing since at least November 2022, when Windows enthusiast Albacore first spotted an initial iteration. Some screenshots Albacore showed Microsoft promoting the OneDrive file hosting service or prodding users to create or complete their Microsoft accounts. However, reactions on social media to the “Microsoft account notifications” (or start menu promotional messages) were not favorable.
Today, Microsoft also shared a screenshot of what these notifications will look like, showing a prompt asking Windows 11 users to backup their files to the cloud using the company’s OneDrive service.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time Microsoft has experimented with promoting its products within the user interface of Windows apps.
In August 2022, it displayed ads for Microsoft 365 Family subscriptions to Office 2021 customers and ads for some Microsoft products (including Microsoft Editor) in the File Explorer app. In March, as part of a Windows Insider test, File Explorer got injected with OneDrive promotional messages again.
The Windows 10 Wordpad app showed ads pushing Microsoft’s free Office web apps four years later, and Microsoft also advertised its Microsoft Edge web browser in the Windows 10 Start Menu. However, it accidentally broke the Start Menu and Taskbar when testing Microsoft Teams ads on some Windows Insider builds.
In addition to these changes, the Windows 11 KB5023778 update comes with more fixes and improvements. One notable fix is an issue that affects Windows Search. Windows Search fails inside of Windows container images. Another improvement is that the update affects the Group Policy Editor by adding Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3 to the list of protocols that you can set. The update also addresses an issue that affects the Microsoft HTML Application Host (HTA), which blocks code execution that uses Microsoft HTA.
This occurs when you turn on Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) enforced mode. The update also addresses an issue that affects the Remote Procedure Call Service (rpcss.exe), which might cause a race condition between the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) and the Microsoft Remote Procedure Call (RPC) endpoint mapper.
Microsoft warned today that after starting next month, there wouldn’t be any other preview cumulative updates for supported Windows 10 versions. According to the company, “After March 2023, there are no more optional, non-security preview releases for the supported editions of Windows 10, version 20H2 and Windows 10, version 21H2.” Only cumulative monthly security updates (known as the ‘B’ or Update Tuesday release) will continue for these versions.
However, Windows 10, version 22H2 will continue to receive security and optional releases. Also, starting April 2023, optional non-security preview updates will be released on the Tuesday of the fourth week of the month to replace the “C” and “D” releases previously issued during the third and fourth weeks. This change aims to simplify the update process and reduce confusion for users.
It’s important to note that while these updates are optional, they do contain improvements and bug fixes that can help improve the performance and stability of Windows 11. Therefore, it’s recommended that users consider installing them when available.
The release of the Windows 11 KB5023778 update brings several improvements and bug fixes that can enhance the user experience. While some users may not be thrilled about the new Microsoft account notifications in the Start menu, Microsoft will likely gather feedback and make changes based on user reactions. It’s important to keep in mind that these updates are optional and do not contain security updates. However, they can still be beneficial for users who want to test out new features and improvements before they are released in the next Patch Tuesday update.
