Search highlights available as optional update (KB5011543) on supported Windows 10 builds

Last week Microsoft announced the release of Windows 10 21H2 Build 19044.1618 (KB5011543) to the Release Preview Channel for Insiders on Windows 10, and now that is arriving as an optional "C" update for all supported versions of Windows 10, including the Enterprise edition.

This update contains the same features announced last week for the Release Preview, but it bumps the supported Windows 10 build number slightly to 19044.1620 (21H2), 19043.1620 (21H1), and 19042.1620 (20H2).

In this release, search highlights have been added to Windows 10. This feature will allow the taskbar search box and search home to periodically update with content that will allow you to "discover more, be connected, and stay productive" and will include illustrations as well.

The latest update includes the following improvements and fixes across all builds:

• New! We provided the ability to change the color of toast buttons to identify success and critical scenarios more easily for apps that send notifications using Windows notifications in the OS. This feature also makes notifications more visually compact.
• New! We added a new policy that expands an app’s top three notifications by default in the Action Center for apps that send notifications using Windows notifications in the OS. This feature displays multiple notifications that you can interact with simultaneously.
• We fixed an issue that causes searchindexer.exe to stop responding during a dismount operation in the Remote Desktop setup environment.
• We fixed an issue that affects searchindexer.exe and prevents Microsoft Outlook’s offline search from returning recent emails.
• We fixed an issue that might deactivate Windows when you change the National Language Support (NLS) version from 6.3 to 6.2.
• We fixed an issue in which modern browsers fail to correctly render HTML that is generated by gpresult/h.
• We fixed an issue that causes an “Access denied” exception for a file during a PowerShell test for AppLocker.
• We fixed an issue that might cause the Group Policy Service to stop processing telemetry information for Group Policy Registry Preferences.
• We fixed an issue that might prevent a DNS Server query resolution policy from working as expected when you specify a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) and subnet conditions.
• We fixed a heap leak in PacRequestorEnforcement that degrades the performance of a domain controller.
• We fixed an issue that affects the Key Distribution Center (KDC) Proxy. The KDC Proxy cannot properly obtain Kerberos tickets for signing in to Key Trust Windows Hello for Business.
• We added support for Microsoft Account (MSA) Pass-through scenarios in Azure Active Directory (AAD) Web Account Manager (WAM).
• We fixed an issue that logs Event ID 37 during certain password change scenarios, including failover cluster name object (CNO) or virtual computer object (VCO) password changes.
• We fixed an issue that might unintentionally add a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) protector when you use the Silent BitLocker enablement policy.
• We fixed an issue that prevents the User Account Control (UAC) dialog from correctly showing the application that is requesting elevated privileges.
• We fixed an issue that causes the Move-ADObject command to fail when you move computer accounts across domains. The error message is, “Multiple values were specified for an attribute that can have only one value”.
• We fixed an issue that prevents Event 4739 from displaying the new values of certain attributes after a policy change.
• We fixed an issue that prevents Android device users from signing in to some Microsoft applications, such as Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Teams. This issue occurs after rolling over token signing and decrypting certificates, resetting a user’s password, or when an administrator has revoked refresh tokens.
• We fixed an issue that might cause domain joining to fail in environments that use disjoint DNS hostnames.
• We fixed an issue that prevents the Back button of the credentials window, where you sign in, from being visible in high contrast black mode.
• We fixed an issue that prevents you from accessing Server Message Block (SMB) shares using an IP Address when SMB hardening is enabled.
• We fixed an issue that occurs when the Best Practices Analyzer (BPA) values for SMB have not been updated for more recent platforms.
• We fixed an issue that causes stop error 0x1E in the SMB Server (srv2.sys).
• We fixed an issue that causes a mismatch between NetBIOS and DNS Active Directory domain names when you create a cluster.
• We fixed an issue that causes the Network File System (NFS) redirector to stop working (error 0x50) when you convert a text file to a PDF.

There's also a new servicing stack update included:

Windows 10 servicing stack update - 19042.1613, 19043.1613, and 19044.1613

• 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.

There's a few known issues to be aware of:

• Devices with Windows installations created from custom offline media or custom ISO image might have Microsoft Edge Legacy removed by this update, but not automatically replaced by the new Microsoft Edge. This issue is only encountered when custom offline media or ISO images are created by slipstreaming this update into the image without having first installed the standalone servicing stack update (SSU) released March 29, 2021 or later.
• After installing the June 21, 2021 (KB5003690) update, some devices cannot install new updates, such as the July 6, 2021 (KB5004945) or later updates. You will receive the error message, "PSFX_E_MATCHING_BINARY_MISSING".
• After installing this update, when connecting to devices in an untrusted domain using Remote Desktop, connections might fail to authenticate when using smart card authentication. You might receive the prompt, "Your credentials did not work. The credentials that were used to connect to [device name] did not work. Please enter new credentials." and "The login attempt failed" in red.

If any of the above issues affect you, Microsoft has also documented some workarounds that might work for you on the support page.

Finally, Microsoft also reminds us that Windows 10 20H2 will reach end of service on May 10, 2022 for devices running the Home, Pro, Pro Education, and Pro for Workstations editions. After that date, these devices will no longer receive monthly security and quality updates. It is recommended to update to a later version of Windows 10 or 11.

You can grab this optional update by heading to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and if not already available, Check for updates. In the Optional updates available area, you’ll find the link to download and install the update. Or you can manually download the update for your edition through this Microsoft Catalog link.

To view the full support article for KB5011543, head over to the dedicated webpage here.