Microsoft is preparing one of its biggest Windows 11 quality updates of the year, combining dozens of bug fixes with a broad set of usability improvements.
The upcoming August Patch Tuesday release follows Microsoft’s optional KB5101684 preview update, which introduces 42 fixes and feature improvements for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. Preview updates allow Microsoft to validate changes before they become part of the monthly security release.
During the company’s latest earnings call, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the company is investing to deliver “the best quality and fundamentals” for Windows, reinforcing remarks he made earlier this year about improving the core Windows experience. The point seems to be that there are few major headline updates here, but instead a deep focus on performance and reliability.
The changes are rolling out gradually through Microsoft’s Controlled Feature Rollout process, meaning some users will receive new features before others. The August Patch Tuesday release is expected on August 11, bringing many of the preview update’s improvements to a broader Windows 11 audience.
Key Upgrades
File Explorer receives several practical upgrades. File sizes now appear in familiar units such as KB, MB and GB instead of displaying every value in kilobytes. Users can also middle-click folders in the address bar and Home page to open them in new tabs.
Microsoft has also addressed issues affecting thumbnail quality, unexpected scrolling and visual flashing on the Home page.
Windows Search has been refined. The search engine is better at recognizing misspelled words and partial application names, while Settings searches are designed to surface more relevant results. The company is also improving shorter search queries to make finding apps faster.
Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security is expanding beyond laptops with built-in fingerprint readers to supported external fingerprint devices. This will allow desktop users to take advantage of Microsoft’s more secure authentication technology.
Owners of supported Copilot+ PCs can remove the Image Generation AI component from Windows, addressing requests from users who want greater control over built-in AI features.
To update accessibility, Voice Access now includes Voice Isolation, which can reduce interference from background sounds and nearby conversations to improve speech recognition. Users can choose between multiple filtering modes depending on their environment, and Korean language support has also been added. Voice Typing now disables Fluid Dictation by default for new users while providing guidance during initial setup.
Less Visible Improvements
The release also includes improvements that are less visible but could affect day-to-day reliability. Microsoft resolved problems that prevented File History backups from accessing SMB network shares, corrected an issue that left newly enrolled enterprise devices incorrectly marked as noncompliant. It also improved DHCP network renewals, increased Windows Update accuracy when estimating installation progress and enhanced update cleanup after installation.
Explorer, the Start menu, taskbar, sign-in experience and lock screen also receive reliability improvements.
Other additions include customizable touchpad scrolling and zoom speeds, accelerated scrolling, updates to widgets and the Start menu account interface. The upcoming release also features restored energy saver threshold settings, improved power management behavior, and better support for Unicode text rendering in multiple languages.
