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Windows 11 23H2 Windows 11 23H2 Optional preview
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KB5055629

KB5055629: Cumulative update for Windows 11, version 23H2, April 2025. File Explorer, Narrator and Widgets gain new features

In short

Adds new File Explorer, Narrator, Phone Link and Widgets features, and fixes several Start menu and taskbar problems. It also lists open issues affecting Citrix installations, WSUS upgrades and CJK text in some browsers.

Does it affect you? Applies to: The update is for Windows 11, version 23H2. The page also documents changes for Windows 11, version 22H2 Enterprise and Education editions.

Build
22631.5262
Restart
Required

What changes

Fixes 8 changes

File Explorer

Gradual rollout
  • Extracting zipped files performs better, particularly when you unzip many small files.1

Start

Gradual rollout 2 items
  • Touch gestures work again for viewing the apps pinned in the Start menu.2
  • The Sign out and More options buttons in the Start menu account manager are visible with increased text size.3

Taskbar

Gradual rollout

For: Devices using Arabic or Hebrew display languages

  • Arrow keys move in the correct direction after you press Windows key + T when the display language is Arabic or Hebrew.4

Server Message Block (SMB)

  • On Windows 11, version 22H2 Enterprise and Education editions, the update fixes a delay opening certain Excel files on network shares.5
    The issue involved an Excel file on an SMB share with Access Based Enumeration enabled, with links to multiple files on network shares.

Sign in Impact

Verified in package

For: Windows 11, version 22H2 Enterprise and Education editions on Intel Core Ultra 200V Series Processors

  • On Windows 11, version 22H2 Enterprise and Education editions, a built-in USB camera can work for Windows Hello sign-in without manually disabling Enhanced Sign-in Security. A Windows Hello container created on version 23H2 might still prevent ESS use after upgrading to version 24H2.6
    The issue affected the USBxHCI controller and devices connected over USB on Intel(R) Core(TM) Ultra 200V Series Processors. The documented ESS setting is at Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > Additional settings > Sign in with an external camera or fingerprint reader.

Xbox

2 items
  • On Windows 11, version 22H2 Enterprise and Education editions, the update addresses an issue where the keyboard might not work with some Xbox Elite Wireless Controllers.7
    The issue affected certain controller firmware versions and could show an error indicator in Device Manager.
  • On Windows 11, version 22H2 Enterprise and Education editions, driver verifier no longer stops responding during gamepad controller driver certification.8
    The issue affected Windows Hardware Quality Labs testing.

New features 5 changes

File Explorer

Gradual rollout
  • File Explorer Home gains curated views that make Microsoft 365 content easier to access.9
    The new pivot-based views are for Microsoft 365 content.

Narrator

Gradual rollout

For: Narrator users

  • Narrator gains speech recap, so you can review spoken content, follow live transcription and copy what it last said.10
    The feature includes keyboard shortcuts.

Phone Link

Gradual rollout

For: Phone Link users

  • The Start menu provides direct access to Phone Link features such as calls, text messages, photos and content sharing.11
    The features connect the Windows PC and mobile device.

Widgets

Gradual rollout Verified in package 2 items
  • Web developers can use existing content to create interactive widgets for multiple widget surfaces.12
    Support is for web widget providers.
  • Lock screen widgets become available in the European Economic Area. You can add, remove and rearrange supported widgets.13
    Widgets that support the small sizing option can be added. Customize them under Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.

Improvements 3 changes

Desktop icons

Gradual rollout
  • Packaged apps pinned to the desktop no longer have an accent-colored backplate, making their icons easier to see.14
    The logic for apps pinned to the desktop has been updated.

Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist file (DriverSiPolicy.p7b)

Verified in package
  • On Windows 11, version 22H2 Enterprise and Education editions, the vulnerable driver blocklist gains drivers at risk of BYOVD attacks.15
    The update adds drivers to DriverSiPolicy.p7b.

Servicing stack

For: Devices installing this update

  • The servicing stack, which installs Windows updates, receives quality improvements to help devices reliably receive and install updates.16
    The combined package includes servicing stack update KB5056849, builds 22621.5251 and 22631.5251.

Known issues

  1. Open Affects: Everyone

    Noto fonts issue

    CJK text might look blurry or unclear at 96 DPI (100% scaling) in Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. Increasing display scaling improves clarity.17

    How to apply the workaround Workaround

    Increase display scaling to improve clarity. Users can also report Noto CJK font issues through the Google Noto Fonts GitHub repository.17

  2. Open Affects: Organizations and IT administrators

    Citrix

    Devices with Citrix Session Recording Agent version 2411 might fail to complete installation of the January 2025 Windows security update and revert to the previous updates. Home users are not expected to be affected.18

    How to apply the workaround Workaround

    Upgrade Citrix Session Recording Agent to version 2503 or newer; Citrix says this resolves the issue.18

  3. Open Affects: Organizations and IT administrators

    Windows 11, versions 24H2 might not download via Windows Server Updates Services

    On enterprise-managed devices with the April 8, 2025 security update or later, Windows 11, version 24H2 might not download through WSUS. The download might not start or finish, and Windows Update logs might show error 0x80240069.19

    How to apply the workaround Group Policy / Intune

    Install KB5058405 or later to resolve the issue. If using an update released before May 13, 2025, your IT admin can configure the special Group Policy.19

Technical details

Data sheet · Security · Downloads · Components Click to collapse or expand

Data sheet

Released
2025-04-22
Classification
Updates
Type
Cumulative update
Restart
Required
Replaces
KB5058919, KB5055528, KB5053657, KB5053602
+27 earlier KB5052094, KB5051989, KB5050092, KB5050021, KB5048685, KB5046732, KB5046633, KB5044380, KB5044285, KB5043145, KB5043076, KB5041587, KB5041585, KB5040527, KB5040442, KB5039302, KB5039212, KB5037853, KB5037771, KB5036980, KB5036893, KB5035942, KB5035853, KB5034848, KB5034765, KB5034204, KB5034123
Replaced by
KB5058405
VersionBuildChannel
23H2 22631.5262 General availability
23H2 22631.5261 Release Preview Channel

Security

No vulnerabilities are listed for this update.

Updated components

4,985 files changed since the previous update for the same versions.

Top changed componentsFiles
Settings145
Graphics and display49
Hyper-V and virtualization49
Bluetooth44
Networking44
Search40
Remote Desktop31
Security and sign-in30
File Explorer and shell28
Printing28
Windows Update28
Audio27

Verified in package: changed files confirm Sign in Impact, Widgets, Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist file (DriverSiPolicy.p7b).

Sources

Updated
Cited passages from Microsoft's official notes (19)
  1. 1. Fixed: Improved the performance of extracting zipped files, particularly in the case where you’re unzipping a large number of small files. support.microsoft.com
  2. 2. Fixed: You can’t use touch gestures to view the list of apps pinned in the Start menu. support.microsoft.com
  3. 3. Fixed: The Sign out and More options buttons in the Start menu account manager might not be visible with increased text size. support.microsoft.com
  4. 4. Fixed: If you use the arrow keys after pressing the Windows key + T, the arrows move in the wrong direction for Arabic and Hebrew display languages. support.microsoft.com
  5. 5. Fixed: An issue where an Excel file, hosted on a SMB file share with Access Based Enumeration enabled, containing links to multiple other files hosted on network shares, might take longer to open. support.microsoft.com
  6. 6. The built-in USB camera won't work with Windows Hello sign-in unless you manually disable Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS). support.microsoft.com
  7. 7. This update addresses an issue affecting Xbox Elite Wireless Controllers with certain firmware versions, where the keyboard might not function and displays an error indicator in the device manager. support.microsoft.com
  8. 8. Fixed: The driver verifier stops responding during gamepad controller driver certification, affecting Windows Hardware Quality Labs testing. support.microsoft.com
  9. 9. New! Pivot-based curated views on File Explorer Home that supports ease of access of Microsoft 365 content on Windows. support.microsoft.com
  10. 10. With speech recap, you can quickly access spoken content, follow along with live transcription, and copy what Narrator last said support.microsoft.com
  11. 11. You can do even more with your Windows PC and your mobile device with direct access to cross-device features from the Start menu. support.microsoft.com
  12. 12. Web developers can use their existing content to create interactive widgets that can be added to multiple widgets surfaces. support.microsoft.com
  13. 13. Support for lock screen widgets (previously referred to as “Weather and more”) arrives on devices in the European Economic Area (EEA). support.microsoft.com
  14. 14. The logic for apps pinned to the desktop has been updated, so that packaged apps no longer show an accent colored backplate. support.microsoft.com
  15. 15. This update adds to the list of drivers that are at risk for Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks. support.microsoft.com
  16. 16. This update makes quality improvements to the servicing stack, which is the component that installs Windows updates. support.microsoft.com
  17. 17. Increasing the display scaling improves clarity by enhancing text rendering. support.microsoft.com
  18. 18. The issue has been resolved in Citrix Session Recording Agent version 2503, released on April 28, 2025, and newer versions. support.microsoft.com
  19. 19. This is addressed in KB5058405. support.microsoft.com
Checked automatically: 8 of 8 checks passed, 19 quoted passages · compared with Microsoft's page on Oct 20, 2026
  • Quotes found in the official pages: passed
  • Numbers found in the sources: passed
  • Vulnerabilities from the dossier only: passed
  • Links to allowed domains only: passed
  • Every official change covered: passed
  • Readable plain text: passed
  • Changes confirmed by the file list: passed
  • Sources agree: passed

A second AI read the text against the sources: correctness 5/5, clarity 4/5, completeness 5/5. How we work

Published by The Update Bureau. Written with AI from Microsoft's own documents, checked by rules and a second AI. How we work · Report a mistake