- Windows 11 build 26100.2314 (KB5046617) and build 22631.4460 (KB5046633) are rolling out to everyone as the November 2024 Patch Tuesday update for versions 24H2 and 23H2.
- These security updates introduce new features, such as a sidebar for mobile devices in the Start menu, Copilot key customization, Gamepad keyboard layout, and Windows Sandbox from the Microsoft Store.
UPDATED 11/12/2024: Microsoft is now rolling out the November 2024 update for Windows 11 24H2 and version 23H2 as build 26100.2314 (KB5046617) and 22631.4460 (KB5046633), respectively, for devices in the Stable Channel. This Patch Tuesday update continues to expand new features previously planned for the launch of version 24H2, and it pushes various changes and fixes.
According to the official notes published on November 12, 2024 (notes from the Stable Channel preview and the Release Preview Channel), the Windows 11 update KB5046617 bumps the version number to 26100.2314 and (gradually) expands the availability of the new Start menu sidebar to access your phone information. The “All apps” menu is now called “All,” you can now turn off notification suggestions.
The dialog to show the Wi-Fi password now matches the design language of Windows 11, the “Disks & volumes” settings now provide an option to detach virtual hard drives, and there’s a new version of Windows Sandbox that updates from the Microsoft Store and offers various new features. Also, this update introduces a new Gamepad keyboard layout for the on-screen keyboard and improvements for the Windows Narrator.
Also available immediately, the Settings app now offers an option to change the action of the Copilot key for compatible keyboards. In addition, this release fixes a couple of known issues by the community where running the sfc /scannow command will result in errors and the undeletable 8.63GB of data when using the tools to free up space on Windows 11.
Even further, this release fixes general problems with the user interface, and addresses issues with HTML Applications HTA for ARM64, live kernel debug files (dumps), winlogon (error during shutdown), Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist file (DriverSiPolicy.p7b), web sign in, and detection of certain scanners. In addition, this rollout will bring fixes for Service for User to Self (S4U2self) and DirectAccess (known issue).
Also, in the official notes for Windows 11 23H2 (notes from the Stable Channel preview), the update KB5046633 bumps the version number to build 22631.4460, and similar to the preview update for version 24H2, you will find the new sidebar for mobile devices in the Start menu. In addition, the “All apps” menu has now been renamed to “All,” and there’s an option to turn off notification suggestions.
In the Out-of-box Experience (OOBE), the “Tailored Experiences” page has been renamed to “Personalized offers.”
The above changes are rolling out gradually. Also, immediately, devices on version 23H2 will get the option to change the action of the Copilot key and a slew of fixes for battery, Teams, vmswitch, Collector sets, Product activation phone numbers, Multi-Function Printer (MFP), Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA), Windows Hello for Business, Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist file (DriverSiPolicy.p7b), WebView2 apps, and Bluetooth.
Microsoft also notes the changes and fixes for version 23H2 are also available for version 22H2 for supported devices.
What’s new on Windows 11 build 26100.2314 (KB5044384)
These are the most significant changes that will soon arrive with the November 2024 update for version 24H2.
Start menu new sidebar for mobile devices
Microsoft is updating the Phone Link experience with a new sidebar on the Start menu’s right side for versions 24H2 and 23H2.
This feature is intended to make it easy to interact with your phone, including notifications and access to your photos, messages, and calls, once you connect your phone with the Phone Link app. However, these are only shortcuts to access the specific feature inside the Phone Link app.
As a result of this new integration, the “Start” settings page includes a new “Show mobile device in Start” option that allows you to turn the sidebar on or off in the Start menu.
Currently, the feature is available for Android devices, but the company plans to support iPhone devices in future updates.
Notifications suggestions suppression
As part of the notifications improvements, turning off the toast notifications that suggest different actions is now possible. You can disable this feature from the “…” menu when the toast notification appears, or you can open Settings > System > Notifications and turn off the “Notification Suggestions” toggle switch under the list of notifications for apps and other senders.
Windows Sandbox new features
From now on, the Windows Sandbox will receive updates from the Microsoft store. In addition, the virtualization experience now includes support for clipboard redirection, audio and video input control, and the ability to share folders with the isolated version of Windows 11. These new features are accessible from the menu in the top-right corner. These improvements are available for updates KB5044384 and KB5046633.
Disks & volumes with death option for virtual drives
As part of the storage improvements, on the “Disks & Volumes” page, inside the drive properties page, you will now find an option to detach VHD or VHDX. In the past, if you attached a virtual drive through the Settings app, you would have to use the legacy “Disk Management” app to detach it.
Wi-Fi password dialog new design
On System > Network & internet > Wi-Fi, the interface to find the wireless password has been updated to match the design language of Windows 11.
Also, as part of the networking improvements, the November 2024 Patch Tuesday update updates the netsh wlan show networks command to read SSIDs using the UTF-8 encoding, meaning that the command can also show when the SSID includes emojis in the name.
Copilot key customization setting
On the update KB5044384 (and KB5046633), the “Text input” settings page now has a new “Customize Copilot key on the keyboard” option to change the action of the Copilot key for the keyboard that offers this option.
Originally, the Copilot key was designed to give users more direct access to the chatbot, but Microsoft then changed the direction of AI on Windows and removed the Copilot integration in favor of the Windows Copilot Runtime, which integrates over 40 different AI models into the operating system to offer new innovations beyond the Copilot chatbot capabilities.
So, now, the company quietly added an option so that users can change the behavior of the key to something else. If you have a keyboard designed for Copilot, on Settings > Personalization > Text input, you will now be able to use the “Customize Copilot key on the keyboard” setting to change the action to open Search, launch a specific app, or disable the key.
Gamepad keyboard layout
Microsoft is working on a new Gamepad layout for the on-screen keyboard to make it easier to navigate and type using the Xbox controller.
The new layout maps specific buttons, such as X, Y, LB, RB, LT, and others, to common keys like Backspace, Space, Left and Right, and numbers. It also introduces a slightly different keyboard design with a vertical alignment.
Windows Narrator
In this rollout, Microsoft is also adding a new “Narrator key + Ctrl + X” keyboard shortcut to copy the last spoken content from the Windows Narrator to the clipboard.
If you use this accessibility feature and the new Outlook app, Windows Narrator will also read the contents of emails automatically.
Other improvements
In addition, this update fixes a known issue that causes the Task Manager to show the wrong or always zero for applications and processes in the “Processes” tab.
As part of the Windows Subsystem for Linux integration, this update fixes a problem that prevented you from accessing a Dev Drive.
Finally, this patch for November also addresses an internet connection problem caused by an issue with the DHCP settings.
What’s new on Windows 11 Build 22631.4460 (KB5046633)
These are the most significant changes that will soon become available for version 23H2.
OOBE with Personalized offers
In the Out-of-box Experience, the “Tailored Experiences” feature has been renamed to “Personalized offers.”
Also, on Settings > Privacy & security, this release updates the “General” page. First, the page is now known as “Recommendations & offers,” and the “Tailored Experiences” feature becomes “Personalized offers.”
“Personalized offers” is an option that allows you to prevent the system from using your system information to enhance the operating system experience.
Furthermore, the page has updated the name of all the settings, and now each setting has its own unique icon.
The changes for the Copilot key customization, Notifications, Narrator, Gamepad keyboard, and Start menu sidebar are the same as those for version 24H2.
Installation process
To download and install the November 2024 update on your computer, open the “Windows Update” settings by turning on the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” option and clicking the “Check for Updates” button.
If you prefer manually installing the November 2024 update for Windows 11, download the update for version 24H2 from the Microsoft Update Catalog website. The update for version 23H2 can be found on this Microsoft support page.
If you encounter issues after applying this cumulative update, you can uninstall it using these instructions to revert to the previous version of the operating system.
It’s important to note that these features are not entirely new to the operating system. The company has been testing them through the Windows Insider Program for some time. They were supposed to ship during the release date of Windows 11 24H2, but Microsoft now rolls out most features outside the feature update releases.
The update KB5044380 was first available as build 22631.4387 through the Release Preview Channel, and then the company made it available as build 22631.4391 in the Stable Channel. Also, the update KB5044384 became available as build 26100.2152 through the Release Preview Channel, and then Microsoft made it available as build 26100.2161 in the Stable Channel on October 22. On November 12, these updates will become available to everyone as update KB5046617 (build 26100.2314) for version 24H2 and update KB5046633 (build 22621.4460 and 22631.4460) for version 23H2 and 22H2.
In addition to the Patch Tuesday update for Windows 11, Microsoft is also updating Windows 10 22H2, 21H2, and older versions.
What are your thoughts about these changes? Have you already upgraded to version 24H2? Let me know in the comments.
Update November 12, 2024: This page has been updated to ensure accuracy and include the latest information.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].