Microsoft has rolled out the July 2023 optional cumulative update for Windows 11, version 22H2, bringing fixes for 27 issues, including those impacting VPN performance, display, and audio devices. KB5028254, a monthly non-security preview release, enables Windows administrators and users to test forthcoming improvements expected in the upcoming August 2023 Patch Tuesday release.
Notably, this update addresses issues causing audio and display devices to vanish after the system resumes from sleep, and it deals with excessive Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) requests to the network gateway when using VPN on a wireless mesh network, leading to poor network performance.
Among the improvements, the update ensures more accurate brightness settings and prevents Widgets from unexpectedly unpinning from the Windows taskbar. It’s essential to recognize that this “C” update is optional and lacks any security-related fixes, unlike Patch Tuesday releases.
Users can install the update by navigating to Settings > Windows Update, where they’ll find the ‘Download and install’ button after checking for updates. Alternatively, the update can be downloaded manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Upon installation, Windows 11 22H2 will be updated to build 22621.2070.
Apart from the aforementioned enhancements, the preview release also offers additional fixes and improvements. It addresses an issue in the Windows Notification Platform, affecting device power usage. Another fix addresses user mode printer drivers unloading unexpectedly when printing from multiple print queues to the same printer driver.
Additionally, the update influences the Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist, DriverSiPolicy.p7b, by adding drivers vulnerable to Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks. Another problem fixed involves Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC), where unsigned WDAC policies were copied to the EFI disk partition, which is typically reserved for signed policies.
However, the update is not without issues; there’s a known bug affecting provisioning on Windows 11 22H2 enterprise systems, resulting in partially configured endpoints and installation failures. A temporary fix is available for this issue, advising Windows admins to provision end-user devices before the Windows 11 22H2 upgrade to bypass the provisioning problems.
