December 12, 2023—KB5033375 (OS Builds 22621.2861 and 22631.2861) (2024)

Release Date:

12/12/2023

Version:

OS Builds 22621.2861 and 22631.2861

^11/16/23
IMPORTANT Because of minimal operations during the Western holidays and the upcomingnew year, there won’t be a non-security preview releasefor the month of December 2023. There will be a monthly security release for December 2023. Normal monthly servicing for both security and non-security preview releases will resume in January 2024.

^11/14/23
IMPORTANT After February 27, 2024, there will no longer be optional, non-security preview releasesfor Windows 11, version 22H2. Only cumulative monthly security updates will continue for the supported editions of Windows 11, version 22H2.

Forinformation about Windows update terminology, see the articleabout thetypes of Windows updatesand themonthly quality update types. For an overview of Windows 11, version 23H2, see its update history page.

NoteFollow@WindowsUpdateto find out when new content is published to the Windows release health dashboard.

Highlights

This update addresses security issues for your Windows operating system.

Improvements

Note:To view the list of addressed issues, click or tap the OS name to expand the collapsible section.

Important:Use EKBKB5027397to update to Windows 11, version 23H2.

This security update includes quality improvements. Key changes include:

This build includes all the improvements inWindows 11, version 22H2.
No additional issues are documented for this release.

This security update includes improvements that were a part of update KB5032288(released December 4, 2023).When you install this KB:

This update makes miscellaneous security improvements to internal OS functionality. No additional issues were documented for this release.

If you installed earlier updates, only the new updates contained in this package will be downloaded and installed on your device.

For more information about security vulnerabilities, please refer to the Security Update Guide website and the December 2023 Security Updates.

Windows 11servicing stack update - 22621.2567 and 22631.2567

This update makes quality improvements to the servicing stack, which is the component that installs Windows updates. Servicing stack updates (SSU) ensure that you have a robust and reliable servicing stack so that your devices can receive and install Microsoft updates.

Applies to	Symptom	Workaround
IT admins	Using the FixedDrivesEncryptionType or SystemDrivesEncryptionType policy settings in the BitLocker configuration service provider (CSP) node in mobile device management (MDM) apps might incorrectly show a 65000 error in the "Require Device Encryption" setting for some devices in your environment. Affected environments are those with the “Enforce drive encryption type on operating system drives” or "Enforce drive encryption on fixed drives" policies set to enabled and selecting either "full encryption" or "used space only". Microsoft Intune is affected by this issue but third-party MDMs might also pe affected. Important This issue is a reporting issue only and does not affect drive encryption or the reporting of other issues on the device, including other BitLocker issues.	To mitigate this issue in Microsoft Intune, you can set the “Enforce drive encryption type on operating system drives” or "Enforce drive encryption on fixed drives" policies to not configured. We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.
All users	Windows devices using more than one (1) monitor might experience issues with desktop icons moving unexpectedly between monitors or other icon alignment issues when attempting to use Copilot in Windows (in preview).	To prevent users from encountering this issue, Copilot in Windows (in preview)might not be available on devices that have been used or are currently being used in a multimonitor configuration. We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.
All users	The color font format for COLRv1 does not render properly. This format enables Windows to display emoji with a 3D-like appearance.	We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.
All users	When using physical media or disc images (ISO) to install Windows 11, version 23H2 (also referred to as the Windows 11 2023 Update) on a device, Microsoft Narrator might not start. Narrator is commonly initialized using keyboard commands, such as Ctrl + Windows key + Enter. Although Narrator is present in Windows when the installation process begins, it might open in an unresponsive state when initialized using any method. Please note this issue does not occur when Windows 11, version 23H2 is installed using Windows Update on a device which is already running Windows 10 or Windows 11. This issue only occurs when physical media or ISOs are used for this installation and Narrator is only affected while the installation process is taking place. It should continue to work as expected once the installation is completed.	We are working on a resolution and updated media which can be used to install Windows 11, version 23H2 without this issue. We will provide an update in an upcoming release.
All users	Microsoft has received reports of an issue in which some Wi-Fi adapters might not connect to some networks after installing this update. We have confirmed this issue was caused by this update and KB5033375. As reported, you are more likely to be affected by this issue if you are attempting to connect to an enterprise, education, or public Wi-Fi network using 802.1x authentication. This issue is not likely to occur on home networks.	This issue is addressed using Known Issue Rollback (KIR). Please note that it might take up to 24 hours for the KIR to propagate automatically to consumer devices and non-managed business devices. Restarting your Windows device might help the KIR apply to your device faster. For enterprise-managed devices that have installed an affected update and encountered this issue, it can be addressed by installing and configuring a special Group Policy. The special Group Policy can be found in Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > <Group Policy name listed below> For information on deploying and configuring these special Group Policy, please see How to use Group Policy to deploy a Known Issue Rollback. Group Policy downloads with Group Policy name: Download for Windows 11, versions 23H2 and 22H2 - Windows 11 22H2 KB5032288 231029_032011 Known Issue Rollback Important You will need to install and configure the Group Policy for your version of Windows to resolve this issue. You will also need to restart your device(s) to apply the group policy setting.

How to get this update

Before installing this update

Microsoft combines the latest servicing stack update (SSU) for your operating system with the latest cumulative update (LCU).For general information about SSUs,see Servicing stack updatesandServicing Stack Updates (SSU): Frequently Asked Questions.

Install this update

Release Channel	Available	Next Step
Windows Update and Microsoft Update	Yes	None. This update will be downloaded and installed automatically from Windows Update.
Windows Update for Business	Yes	None. This update will be downloaded and installed automatically from Windows Update in accordance with configured policies.
Microsoft Update Catalog	Yes	To get the standalone package for this update, go to theMicrosoft Update Catalogwebsite.
Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)	Yes	This update will automatically syncwith WSUS if you configure Products and Classifications as follows: Product: Windows 11 Classification: Security Updates

If you want to remove the LCU

To remove the LCU after installing the combined SSU and LCU package, use the DISM/Remove-Package command line option with the LCU package name as the argument. You can find the package nameby using this command: DISM /online /get-packages.

Running Windows Update Standalone Installer (wusa.exe) with the /uninstall switch on the combined package will not work because the combined package contains the SSU. You cannot remove the SSU from the system after installation.

File information

For a list of the files that are provided in this update, download thefile information for cumulative update 5033375.

For a list of the files that are provided in the servicing stack update, download thefile information for the SSU - versions 22621.2567 and 22631.2567.

As an expert in the field of operating systems and software updates, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to guide you through the intricacies of the recent Windows 11 update, version 23H2. My expertise is grounded in a comprehensive understanding of Windows architecture, update mechanisms, and security protocols, ensuring that the information provided is accurate and reliable.

Let's delve into the key concepts and information contained in the provided article:

Release Information:
- Release Date: December 12, 2023.
- Version: OS Builds 22621.2861 and 22631.2861.
- Monthly Release Schedule: No non-security preview release for December 2023 due to minimal operations during Western holidays. Monthly security release continues, and normal servicing resumes in January 2024.
- Upcoming Changes: After February 27, 2024, no optional, non-security preview releases for Windows 11, version 22H2. Only cumulative monthly security updates will be available.
Security Update Highlights:
- The update primarily focuses on addressing security issues for the Windows operating system.
- It includes all the improvements from Windows 11, version 22H2.
- No additional documented issues for this release.
Improvements and KB5032288:
- Miscellaneous security improvements to internal OS functionality.
- Users are advised to use EKBKB5027397 to update to Windows 11, version 23H2.
Servicing Stack Update - 22621.2567 and 22631.2567:
- Quality improvements to the servicing stack, ensuring a robust and reliable system for receiving and installing updates.
Known Issues and Workarounds:
- IT admins may encounter a reporting issue related to BitLocker settings, which is being addressed.
- Users with multiple monitors might experience desktop icon issues when using Copilot in Windows (in preview).
- A rendering issue with the COLRv1 color font format.
- Narrator may not start when installing Windows 11, version 23H2 using physical media or disc images (ISO).
Wi-Fi Connectivity Issue:
- Some Wi-Fi adapters may not connect to certain networks after the update, especially for enterprise, education, or public Wi-Fi networks using 802.1x authentication.
- The issue is addressed using Known Issue Rollback (KIR) and special Group Policy configurations.
How to Get the Update:
- The update is available through various channels, including Windows Update, Windows Update for Business, Microsoft Update Catalog, and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).
Removal Instructions:
- Instructions on how to remove the cumulative update if necessary, with specific guidance on using the DISM/Remove-Package command line option.
File Information:
- Users can find detailed information on the files included in the update and servicing stack update by downloading the corresponding file information.

In conclusion, the provided information covers a comprehensive overview of the Windows 11 update, version 23H2, including release details, security highlights, improvements, known issues, and update deployment methods. If you have any specific questions or require further clarification on any aspect, feel free to ask.