- Windows 11 builds 26100.2605 (KB5048667), 22631.4602, and 22621.4602 (KB5048685) are rolling out as the December 2024 Patch Tuesday Update for versions 24H2, 23H2, and 22H2.
- These security updates introduce new features for the Taskbar, Start menu, and File Explorer.
- The company is also pushing different changes for the Settings app and addressing various issues.
- Also, these updates are virtually the same, and you can download them now from the Windows Update settings.
UPDATED 12/10/2024: Microsoft is now making available the last Patch Tuesday Update in 2024 for Windows 11 with the release of build 26100.2605 (KB5048667) for version 24H2 and builds 22631.4602 and 22621.4602 (KB5048685) for versions 23H2 and 22H2 with security fixes and several improvements for existing features.
According to the official changes (Microsoft’s preview changes in the Stable Channel and Release Preview Channel changes), Windows 11 build 26100.2605 had new features and improvements that were previously assumed to be coming during the launch of version 24H2. For example, the December 2024 Patch Update now shortens the date and time in the System Tray and removes the bell icon when the “Do not disturb” option is enabled.
The Start menu now supports the Jump List for pinned apps. When holding the “Shift” and “Ctrl” keys while clicking an item in the Jump List, it will open as an administrator. The Settings app updates the Touch, Dynamic Lighting, and Privacy & Security settings pages.
File Explorer now includes a feature to share files with your Android device from the context menu. The update KB5048667 also brings fixes and changes for the IME toolbar, Windows Search, display, mouse, clipboard, keyboard, game bar, and more.
In the case of Windows 11, update KB5048685 for versions 23H2 and 22H2, and you’ll find improvements in Windows Search and Task Manager. The non-security update also fixes activation problems when replacing a motherboard and unresponsive system when printing with an IPP USB printer and updates the Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA).
It’s important to note that the update for version 22H2 is only available for Enterprise and Education editions because the support for version 22H2 has already ended.
What’s new Windows 11 build 26100.2605 (24H2)
These are the changes gradually rolling out in the last cumulative update of 2024 for Windows 11 24H2. Microsoft is rolling out these improvements gradually, meaning that it will take time to appear on every device.
Start menu and Taskbar
Windows 11 update KB5048667 expands the “Shift + Ctrl” keyboard shortcut when clicking the item from the Jump List to run it as an administrator from the Start menu or Taskbar. Also, the Start menu now support Jump Lists for pinned apps.
Microsoft now shows a shorter version of the date and time in the Taskbar by default, but you can change this setting from the “Time & language” section.
The bell icon will no longer show in the System Tray if the “Do not disturb” feature is enabled. In this case, you can click the date and time button to open the “Notifications” interface and view unread messages.
Also, when enabling the “Automatically hide the taskbar” option, the search box shows as an icon instead of a search box.
Settings app
On the “Touch” settings page, it’s now possible to enable or disable left or right screen edge touch gesture.
In the “Privacy & security” section of the Settings app, you can now turn off the “Personalized offers” to prevent the system from collecting information about your device to improve the experience. The option also appears in the Out-of-box Experience (OOBe), which was previously known as “Tailored Experiences.”
On the “Dynamic Lighting” page, the system will show a placeholder message and turn off brightness and effects controls when no compatible device is attached to the computer.
File Explorer send to Android option
This update also introduces an updated version of File Explorer, which includes a new entry in the context menu for sharing files directly with Android devices.
This update also fixes a bug that added more space between the items listed in the left pane and a rendering issue with the search box when using a small window.
Task Manager
As part of the changes for the Task Manager, the update KB5048667 rolls out a new version that now supports dark mode and text scaling for the “Disconnect” and “Logoff” dialogs. Also, the “Performance” section now shows the type for each drive (NVMe, SATA, etc.).
Windows Search
The Windows Search experience now uses LPACs (Less Privileged App Containers) to make IFilters more secure. LPACs are like secure boxes that limit what IFilters can access. This prevents potential harm if an IFilter is compromised, making Windows Search more secure.
Mouse
On the Mouse settings page, you can now change the scrolling direction for the mouse wheel and turn enhanced mouse pointers on or off. While the scrolling direction option is new, the enhanced pointers setting was previously only available in the Control Panel.
Accessibility
This update adds two new features to the Windows Narrator experience: Skip past links (N’) and Jump to lists (L’).
In addition, Microsoft is improving speech-to-text and text-to-speech features, and it will now deliver language files through the Microsoft Store.
Other changes
In addition, the IME toolbar will hide when apps are in full-screen mode. The company is improving speech-to-text and text-to-speech features, and it’s fixing problems with the display when rendering the desktop elements and apps. In addition, there are fixes for the mouse, clipboard, and mouse and game bar.
Furthermore, this non-security update fixes problems with the DISM and Get-WindowsCapability commands as well as issues with Windows Update and JPG files.
Windows 11 is also getting fixes for HTML Applications (HTA), Task Manager, RAW format images, Exporting chart objects, and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).
What’s new Windows 11 build 22631.4602 (23H2 and 22H2)
The Windows 11 update KB5048685 (Microsoft’s notes from the preview in the Stable Channel and Release Preview Channel changes) for version 23H2 and 22H2 brings the same new features and changes as the update for version 24H2 (as outlined above). However, these devices will receive some additional fixes for Bluetooth LE Audio.
Installation process
To download and install these Windows 11 builds, open the “Windows Update” settings, turn on the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” option, and click the “Check for Updates” button.
If you prefer manually installing the December 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.
If, after installing the Windows 11 build 26100.2605 for version 24H2, you can’t find any of the new improvements, you may be able to enable them manually by running the vivetool /enable /id:50564332,50565209 command with the ViveTool.
It’s important to note that build 26100.2605 (KB5048667) was originally available as build 26100.2454 (KB5046740) in the Stable Channel and as build 26100.2448 in the Release Preview Channel, but it’s now available to everyone as the December 2024 Patch Tuesday update.
Also, the Windows 11 builds 22621.4602 and 22631.4602 (KB5048685) were previously available as builds 22631.4541 and 22621.4541 (KB5046732) in the Stable Channel as non0-security updates, but now, they’re available as security update for all compatible devices running version 23H2 and 22H2.
What are your thoughts about these changes? Have you already upgraded to version 24H2? Let me know in the comments.
Update December 10, 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].