Microsoft releases preview of KB5014019 update for Windows 11 bringing new features and fixes

For Windows 11 users who like to live on the edge, Microsoft has released a preview version of the KB5014019 update that will be made available to a wider audience when Patch Tuesday next rolls around.

This is an optional, non-security update, that not only addresses a number of problems that have emerged in the operating system, but also introduces Windows spotlight on the desktop which Microsoft says "brings the world to your desktop with new background pictures". There are also tweaks to Widgets, and improvements to the Family Safety verification experience.

See also:

• The Windows 11 Microsoft Store opens up to all Win32 apps... oh, and ads, too
• Microsoft announces Project Volterra to breathe life into Windows on Arm
• Microsoft announces that third-party widgets are coming to Windows 11 this year

Among the various fixes included in this update, there is a fix for slow file copying as well as one for an IE mode window frame problem. Microsoft also says that the update addresses an issue that causes blurry app icons in Search results when the display's dots per inch (dpi) scaling is greater than 100 percent, and another with search box input focus.

Here's the full list of changes, fixes and improvements includes in this non-security update:

• New!  Improves the Family Safety verification experience for a child account when you send a request for additional screen time.
• New! Windows spotlight on the desktop brings the world to your desktop with new background pictures. With this feature, new pictures will automatically appear as your desktop background. This feature already exists for the lock screen. To turn on this feature, go to Settings > Personalization > Background > Personalize your background. Choose Windows spotlight.
• Addresses an issue that causes the Input (TextInputHost.exe) app to stop working.
• Addresses an issue in searchindexer.exe that affects the search for shapes in Microsoft Visio.
• Prevents users from bypassing forced enrollment by disconnecting from the internet when they sign in to Azure Active Directory (AAD).
• Addresses an issue that might run an AnyCPU application as a 32-bit process.
• Addresses an issue that prevents Azure Desired State Configuration (DSC) scenarios that have multiple partial configurations from working as expected.
• Addresses an issue that affects remote procedure calls (RPC) to the Win32_User or Win32_Group WMI class. The domain member that runs the RPC contacts the primary domain controller (PDC). When multiple RPCs occur simultaneously on many domain members, this might overwhelm the PDC.
• Addresses an issue that occurs when adding a trusted user, group, or computer that has a one-way trust in place. The error message, "The object selected doesn't match the type of destination source" appears.
• Addresses an issue that fails to display the Application Counters section in the performance reports of the Performance Monitor tool. 
• Addresses an issue that fails to maintain the display brightness after you change the display mode.
• Addresses an issue that might affect some apps that use d3d9.dll with certain graphics cards and might cause those apps to close unexpectedly.
• Addresses an issue that affects the IE mode window frame.
• Addresses an issue that affects Group Policy templates.
• Addresses an issue that prevents internet shortcuts from updating.
• Addresses an issue that causes some users to see a black screen when they sign in and sign out of Windows.
• Addresses an issue that causes an Input Method Editor (IME) to discard a character if you enter the character while the IME is converting previous text.
• Addresses an issue that affects the Desktop Duplication API, which affects display orientation and causes a black image to appear on the screen.
• Addresses an issue that causes print failures when a low integrity level (LowIL) application prints to a null port.
• Addresses an issue that prevents BitLocker from encrypting when you use the silent encryption option.
• Addresses an issue that leads to a false negative when you run scripts while Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) is turned on. This might generate AppLocker events 8029, 8028, or 8037 to appear in the log when they should not .
• Addresses an issue that occurs when you apply multiple WDAC policies. Doing that might prevent scripts from running when the policies allow scripts to run.
• Addresses an issue that affects the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) driver, which might increase the system's startup time.
• Addresses an issue that might cause the Remote Desktop client application to stop working when you end a session.
• Addresses an issue that affects the behavior and shape orientation of a mouse cursor for Microsoft Defender Application Guard (MDAG), Microsoft Office, and Microsoft Edge. This issue occurs when you turn on a virtual graphics processing unit (GPU).
• Addresses an issue that causes Widgets to appear on the wrong monitor when you hover over the Widgets icon on the taskbar.
• Adds animation to the Widgets icon when you click or tap the icon and the taskbar is aligned on the left.
• Addresses an issue that affects the rendering of the default Widgets icon on a taskbar that is aligned in the center.
• Addresses an issue that fails to make the options Run as administrator and Open file location available for certain results when you search from the taskbar.
• Addresses an issue that fails to automatically give the search box input focus when you select the Start menu and start typing.
• Addresses an issue that causes blurry app icons in Search results when the display's dots per inch (dpi) scaling is greater than 100 percent.
• Addresses an issue that causes file copying to be slower because of a wrong calculation of write buffers within cache manager.
• Addresses an issue that might cause a system to stop responding when a user signs out if Microsoft OneDrive is in use.
• Addresses a known issue that might prevent recovery discs (CD or DVD) from starting if you created them using the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) app in Control Panel. This issue occurs after installing Windows updates released January 11, 2022 or later.
• Addresses a known issue that affects certain GPUs and might cause apps to close unexpectedly or cause intermittent issues that affect some apps that use Direct3D 9. You might also receive an error in the Event Log in Windows Logs/Applications, and the faulting module is d3d9on12.dll and the exception code is 0xc0000094.

If you're interested in trying out the update before its full release, you can check for optional update in Windows Update, or download it from the Microsoft Update Catalog website.

Image credit: rokas91 / depositphotos