Windows 10 KB5026435 is now available for download as a non-security cumulative update. Unlike the previous updates, today’s Windows 10 release has a few new features, such as upgraded Windows Search and more. The patch is out via Windows Update, but you can also download the offline installer of Windows 10 KB5026435.
KB5026435 is an optional update, meaning it won’t automatically download and install on your devices. Users have already tested this update in the Windows Insider Program, and it is safe for most devices. However, some of you may have issues, so waiting until the June 2023 Patch Tuesday may be ideal.
For those who don’t know, Windows 10’s monthly security update, which ships on the second Tuesday of every month, has all improvements from the previous optional cumulative update. This means the June 2023 Update will ship with everything included in today’s optional update.
If you check for updates today and you’ve already skipped Windows 11 offer, you will see the following patch under the optional updates section:
2023-05 Cumulative Update Preview for Windows 10 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5026435)
Download Links for Windows 10 KB5026435
Windows 10 KB5011543 Direct Download Links: 64-bit and 32-bit (x86).
Windows 10 KB5026435 (Build 19045.3031) Full Changelog
Windows 10 22H2 Build 19045.3031 comes with an improved search box.
The update refreshes the Windows Search experience for all taskbar experiences, such as regular/bottom, top, right or left, small icons and more. After the update, you can easily access apps or files and browse the web.
At the same time, you can also try search highlights, a new feature that aims to highlight the best of Bing directly in the search panel. This feature was previously available to Windows 11 only, but it’s now rolling out to Windows 10 via May 2023 optional update, and it is possible to roll back to the old experience.
You can roll back to the legacy search experience by responding to the dialog message when you use search.
Microsoft is introducing new features for toast notifications (pop-ups that appear on desktop and above apps). It is now possible to display up to three high-priority toast notifications simultaneously.
This feature is handy for apps that set calls (Phone Link), reminders or alarms (Clock app), reminders and alerts (Microsoft To Do), and more. Microsoft is also experimenting with showing as many as four warnings, with three high-priority notifications and one normal-priority notification.
In addition to these two new features, there are a lot of minor fixes and tweaks worth checking out in this preview update.
For example, Microsoft says it has fixed an issue that affects IE mode where users cannot access the tabs settings. A bug has been fixed where multi-function label printers may not run as expected.
Likewise, Microsoft has also fixed an issue that affects the touch keyboard. This affected some users, and they couldn’t view the correct layout of the keyboard.
Here’s a list of all bug fixes and improvements:
- Microsoft fixed an issue where the touch keyboard failed to open.
- Microsoft fixed an issue that broke Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) cluster.
- Microsoft fixed an issue where policies did not apply correctly to mobile device management (MDM), affecting apps like Microsoft Intune.
- Windows Firewall should work correctly after deploying the update. This means the firewall will drop all connections to the IP address.
- Fixed issues with Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC).
- Finally, a bug has been fixed where users encountered BSOD when accessing a significant reparse point using NTFS.
In addition to new optional cumulative updates, Microsoft has also rolled out new ISO files for Windows 10 with May 2023 fixes and improvements.
The company also confirmed that it wouldn’t publish new optional updates for Windows 10 21H2, which is set to reach the end of support on June 13.
Microsoft warns upgrade to Windows 10 22H2 or use Windows 11
You may be automatically upgraded to the latest version if you haven’t upgraded to Windows 10 22H2 yet. That’s because Microsoft is set to end support for Windows 10 21H2 on June 13 and has reminded users that they need to update to Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11 22H2 as soon as possible.
“As always, we recommend that you update your devices to the latest version of Windows 10, or upgrade eligible devices to Windows 11,” Microsoft officials said.
While Windows 11 is recommended, some devices may not be able to run it officially, which is why the tech giant will continue to support Windows 10 until at least October 2025.