Download KB5023706 And KB5023698 Cumulative Updates For Windows 11 [Patch Tuesday]

It is now the second Tuesday of the month, and all of us Microsoft geeks know it’s Patch Tuesday. Windows updates released on Patch Tuesday are cumulative updates, which means they will install all features and implement all fixes released in previous Windows updates.

Microsoft has released KB5023706 for Windows 11 22H2 and KB5023698 for Windows 11 initial release (21H2). These are both security updates but also include non-security updates. Additionally, these are both “Moment 2 updates,” which means that it includes significant new features.

The highlights for KB5023706 (Windows 11 22H2) are it includes an AI-integrated Bing search box in the taskbar, supports iPhone linking to the “Phone Link” app, and a bunch of other features and fixes. The majority of the updates were included in KB5022913 which was released as a Type D update on 28th February 2023.

Therefore, if you had previously installed the optional update, the cumulative Windows 11 update KB5023706 should be rather small in size.

These Windows 11 updates include some fixes and many security patches for the operating system. Together, the 2 updates fix 83 vulnerabilities. You can learn more about these security vulnerability fixes on Microsoft’s MSRC vulnerability guide. Set the filter to March 2023 and select the “vulnerabilities” tab.

Release Summary: KB5023706 and KB5023698

The table below gives a brief summary of these updates and the updated OS builds:

Article KB	OS	Release Date	Updated OS Build
KB5023706	Windows 11 22H2	14 March 2023	22621.1413
KB5023698	Windows 11 21H2	14 March 2023	22000.1696

KB5023706 Changelog

This update includes all the features and improvements that were introduced in KB5022913 which was released on 28th February 2023, and then some. We have compiled and listed all of the new features and improvements in KB5023706 here for you.

New Features in KB5023706

AI-Integrated Bing Search Box in Taskbar

The biggest flex for the KB5023706 update is that it includes a new search box in the taskbar that is powered by Bing. Bing is in turn powered by ChatGPT. This enables the users to get the most relevant results, by far, directly from their taskbar.

However, one caveat of this hyped-up feature is that the search results open in the Edge browser. In the example below, we entered the query directly into the search box. Upon pressing Ente, Microsoft Edge popped up and showed the results in the Edge browser.

Hence, it can be concluded that Microsoft did not integrate AI into Windows, but simply integrated the ChatGPT-enabled Bing search engine into the taskbar.

That said, when you install KB5023706 on Windows 11 22H2, the search box automatically appears in the taskbar even when it is disabled. You can choose to keep it, change it into an icon instead, or hide it from the following Settings page:

Settings app >> Personalization >> Taskbar >> Taskbar items

iPhone Linking

Previously, users could connect their Android to the “Phone Link” app on their Windows PC. They were then able to send and receive calls and messages, open phone apps, and perform other actions on their phone directly from the computer.

Now, Microsoft has extended this support for iOS (iPhone) devices as well.

Tabs Support in Notepad

The Notepad is perhaps the most basic text editor out there, natively available in Windows. Microsoft has now added support for tabs inside the app. This way, you do not have to open multiple instances (windows) of the Notepad app and increase your productivity by editing multiple Notepad tabs simultaneously.

Screen Recording in Snipping Tool

Before this update rolled out, you could only capture a still image of the screen using the built-in Snipping Tool. After installing KB5023706, you now also have the option to record the screen as a video.

To begin screen recording using Snipping Tool, open the app and toggle the recording option to the video icon.

Next, click “New” and then select the portion of the screen that you want to record.

Once selected, click on the “Start” button, and the Snipping Tool will start recording after a 3-second countdown.

Windows Studio Effects

Windows Studio Effects was already a part of Windows 11 for a long time. However, with KB5023706, the feature has now been integrated into Microsoft Teams.

The Windows Studio Effects feature is a “collection of audio and video effects that enables you to customize your audio and video for any situation you are in.” Basically, it is an AI-powered tool that artificially makes you look and sound more appealing.

That said, this feature is only available to a handful of users. Only devices with certain Qualcomm processors and Neural Processing Units (NPUs) have this feature at the moment.

If you are one of the lucky users to have this feature, do let us know the extent of the miracles this feature has worked for you in the comments section at the end of this post.

Redesigned Quick Assist App

The Quick Assist application has been redesigned and changed from having an old look to something more in tone with Windows 11. Of course, everything is in tone with Windows 11 as long as it has rounded corners.

This is what Microsoft has done. The Quick Assist app now has rounded corners and looks more appealing. Moreover, it also adheres to the general theme applied to your OS. However, nothing else has changed inside the app or in terms of functionality.

Other Exciting Features

There are just too many enhancements in KB5023706 to be discussed individually in this post. Here is a summarized list of the other improvements in the Windows 11 update:

• New widgets for Phone Link, Xbox Game Pass, and Spotify.

  You can now find new widgets for the aforementioned applications that appear when you click the widgets/weather button in the taskbar.

• Full-screen widgets board.

  You can now view the widgets board in full-screen mode by clicking the “expand” button from the top-right corner. You can also collapse it later using the same button.

  

• Tablet-Optimized Taskbar.

  If you have a 2-in-1 device that can also be converted into a tablet on demand, then you’re in luck. You can now get a cleaner look of the desktop when the taskbar is collapsed. Microsoft has been working on the feature for quite some time now to make the tablet-optimized taskbar error-free.

  There are two states of this taskbar: collapsed and expanded. To switch between the two states, swipe up and down on the bottom of your screen. When collapsed in tablet mode, the taskbar recedes to give you more screen space and keeps you from accidentally opening the taskbar. When expanded in tablet mode, the taskbar is optimized to be easier to use with touch. Your taskbar will automatically change to this optimized version when you disconnect or fold back the keyboard.

  Microsoft

  You can manage how the taskbar behaves on 2-in-1 devices from the following Settings page:

  Settings app >> Personalization >> Taskbar >> taskbar behaviours

• Enhancements to Narrator with support for more Braille displays.

  Using your Braille display while moving between Narrator and other screen readers is now a simple task. This essential feature makes it possible for the Narrator to easily connect with accessible add-ons, guaranteeing that differently-abled persons can do so without any hindrance.

• AI-powered File recommendations on the Start menu.

  The Start menu will now automatically suggest files for you open and work on using AI. However, this feature will only be available to the users connected to an Azure Active Directory.

• AI-powered energy recommendations.

  You can now improve your battery time by following the energy recommendations by Windows. You can find the new energy recommendations on the following Settings page:

  Settings app >> System >> Power & battery >> Energy Recommendations

  

  Simply click “Apply” in front of the energy recommendation to implement the new setting, or click “Apply all” to implement all of them altogether.

Fixes and improvements in KB5023706

• [New] This update implements phase three of Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) hardening. After you install this update, you cannot turn off the changes using the registry key.
• [New] This update addresses an issue that affects a computer account and Active Directory. When you reuse an existing computer account to join an Active Directory domain, joining fails. This occurs on devices that have installed Windows updates dated October 11, 2022, or later. The error message that showed up was: “Error 0xaac (2732): NERR_AccountReuseBlockedByPolicy: ‘An account with the same name exists in Active Directory. Re-using the account was blocked by security policy.’”
• The system tray icons have been enhanced. All icons will have a rounded focus and hover treatment in the lower right. You can move icons to rearrange them in the “Show hidden icons” flyout menu or move icons to the taskbar.
• Voice access has been made more flexible and supports interaction with more user interface (UI) controls. Voice now interacts with controls that contain:
  • Names that have numbers, such as “Click 5”.
  • Names without whitespaces between them, such as “click PivotTable” or “click PivotChart”.
  • Names that have special characters, such as Bluetooth & devices (“click Bluetooth and devices”) or Dial–up.
• Voice now supports spin controls, thumb controls, and split buttons. You interact with these controls by using the “click” command or number overlays.
• Addresses issues that affect snapping commands that snap a window left or right using Voice.
• Provides voice scrolling enhancements. You can use voice to scroll to the extreme left and right on a page. You can also use continuous scrolling to the left or right like what is already present for vertical scrolling.
• The following enhancements have been made to the Task Manager:
  • Filtering—You can now filter processes using the binary name, PID, or publisher name. The filter also applies when you switch between pages. The keyboard shortcut is ALT+F.
  • More theme options—You can now choose a theme for Task Manager that is different from the Windows theme. Also, all dialogs, except for the “Run new task” and the “Properties” dialog, now support themes. The dialogs will use app-specific themes or Windows themes.
  • Efficiency mode—You can now opt out of confirmation dialogs when you turn on Efficiency mode.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Color filter setting. When you select “Inverted,” the system sets it to “Grayscale” instead.
• This update addresses an issue that affects IE mode. The text on the status bar is not always visible.
• This update addresses an issue that displays a blue screen during video playback. This occurs after you set High Dynamic Range (HDR) on your display.
• This update addresses an issue that might affect the touch keyboard and the PIN entry keyboard. You might not be able to use them to enter text when you sign in to your device.
• This update addresses an issue that affects which folders appear in the “Browse” for “Folder picker.”
• This update addresses an issue that affects File Explorer. When you use Shift+Tab or Shift+F6 shortcut keys, the input focus does not move.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the user interface (UI). The volume up and volume down commands from a Bluetooth keyboard do not display.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Xbox subscribers. If you buy an Xbox subscription using the “Redeem code” option, the Xbox subscription card does not appear on the Settings Accounts page. This issue occurs when recurring billing is off.
• This update adds the new Tamil Anjal keyboard for the Tamil language.
• This update improves the reliability of Windows after you install an update.
• This update affects the United Mexican States. This update supports the government’s daylight saving time change order for 2023.
• This update addresses a date information issue. It affects the format of dates sent between Windows and some versions of the Heimdal Kerberos library.
• This update addresses compatibility issues that affect some printers. These printers use Windows Graphical Device Interface (GDI) printer drivers. These drivers do not completely adhere to GDI specifications.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the software keyboard. It does not appear in the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) after a Push-button reset (factory reset). This type of reset requires an external keyboard to be attached to provide credentials.
• This update addresses an issue that affects AppV. It stops file names from having the correct letter case (uppercase or lowercase).
• This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Edge. The issue removes conflicting policies for Microsoft Edge. This occurs when you set the MDMWinsOverGPFlag in a Microsoft Intune tenant and Intune detects a policy conflict.
• This update addresses an issue that affects provisioning packages. They fail to apply in certain circumstances when elevation is required.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). Using a provisioning package for bulk provisioning fails.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Universal Print’s Configuration Service Provider (CSP). A command prompt window appears when you install a printer.
• This update addresses a reliability issue that occurs when you use Task View.
• This update addresses an issue that might affect lsass.exe. It might stop responding. This occurs when it sends a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) query to a domain controller that has a very large LDAP filter.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS). LSASS might stop responding. This occurs after you run Sysprep on a domain-joined machine.
• This update addresses an issue that affects copying from a network to a local drive. Copying is slower than expected for some users.
• This update addresses an issue that affects parity virtual disks. Using Server Manager to create them fails.

These are all of the features, improvements, and fixes that KB5023706 offers for Windows 11 22H2. To read more in-depth about these, refer to this Microsoft announcement.

Moreover, there are also some known issues with this update. You can read all about the open (and fixed) known issues in our separate post:

Windows 11 Known Issues

KB5023698 Changelog

Fixes and improvements

KB5023698, which applies to Windows 11 version 21H2, does not include any significant features. However, This update includes all the improvements that were introduced in KB5019274 which was released on 19th January 2023 and was a Type C update, and then some more. We have listed the cumulative changes below:

• [New] This update implements phase three of Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) hardening. After you install this update, you cannot turn off the changes using the registry key.
• [New] This update addresses an issue that affects a computer account and Active Directory. When you reuse an existing computer account to join an Active Directory domain, joining fails. This occurs on devices that have installed Windows updates dated October 11, 2022, or later. The error message displayed was: “Error 0xaac (2732): NERR_AccountReuseBlockedByPolicy: ‘An account with the same name exists in Active Directory. Re-using the account was blocked by security policy.’”
• This update adds an advanced auto-learning feature for facial recognition.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Color filter setting. When you select Inverted, the system sets it to Grayscale instead.
• This update addresses an issue that affects IE mode. The text on the status bar is not always visible.
• This update addresses an issue that stops hyperlinks from working in Microsoft Excel.
• This update addresses an issue that affects a certain streaming app. The issue stops video playback after an advertisement plays in the app.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Appx State Repository. When you remove a user profile, the cleanup is incomplete. Because of this, its database grows as time passes. This growth might cause delays when users sign in to multi-user environments like FSLogix.
• This update affects the United Mexican States. This update supports the government’s daylight saving time change order for 2023.  
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Z-order of two maximized windows. A window that is behind another window might appear on top.
• This update addresses an issue that affects AppV. It stops file names from having the correct letter case (uppercase or lowercase).
• This update addresses an issue that affects Microsoft Edge. The issue removes conflicting policies for Microsoft Edge. This occurs when you set the “MDMWinsOverGP Flag” in a Microsoft Intune tenant and Intune detects a policy conflict.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). Using a provisioning package for bulk provisioning fails.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS). LSASS might stop responding. This occurs after you run Sysprep on a domain-joined machine.
• This update addresses an issue that affects parity virtual disks. Using Server Manager to create them fails.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the MDM_VPNv2_01 class. Enumerating this class fails. The error message displayed was “Generic Error”.

That said, Microsoft is not currently aware of any issues with KB5023698 for Windows 11 21H2.

After considering both the improvements as well as the known issues in these updates, if you still feel like upgrading to this build, continue reading to learn how.

Download and Install KB5023706 & KB5023698

You can install these updates on a Windows 11 PC through Windows Update as well as a standalone installer.

Download and install Windows 11, or check if your system meets the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11.

Download KB5023706 Offline Installers

To download the KB5023706 MSU offline installer for Windows 11 22H2, click on the respective link below:

Download Windows 11 KB5023706 for x64-based systems [284.0 MB]

Download Windows 11 KB5023706 for ARM-based systems [288.0 MB]

Download KB5023698 Offline Installers

To download the KB5023698 MSU offline installer for Windows 11 21H2, click on the respective link below:

Download Windows 11 KB5023698 for x64-based systems [320.5 MB]

Download Windows 11 KB5023698 for ARM-based systems [437.9 MB]

To install the update, simply run the downloaded MSU file and Windows will automatically install the update. You can also extract the CAB file from the MSU file and install it.

To download any other updates related to any of the above, please check the Microsoft Catalog.

Windows Update

Perform the following steps to download and install the Patch Tuesday update on your Windows 11 computer:

1. Navigate to the following:

   Settings app >> Windows Update

2. Click “Check for updates.”

   

3. Click “Restart Now” when the update has been installed.

   

   You will now see one of the following updates downloading and installing automatically, depending on your Windows 11 version:

   2023-03 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5023706)

   2023-03 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 for x64-based Systems (KB5023698)

   Once installed, click “Restart Now” to finalize the installation.

Once the computer reboots, the update will be successfully installed. To confirm this, check the updated build number by typing in winver in the Run Command box.

Rollback/Remove Windows 11 Cumulative Update

If you do not wish to keep the installed update for some reason, you can always roll back to the previous build of the OS. However, this can only be performed within the next 10 days after installing the new update.

To roll back after 10 days, you will need to apply this trick.

Cleanup After Installing Windows Update

If you want to save space after installing Windows updates, you can run the following commands one after the other in Command Prompt with administrative privileges:

dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore
dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

Block KB5023706 or KB5023698 from Installing

Since these are mandatory updates, they will download and install themselves on the schedule. If you want to block them from installing, temporarily or permanently, you can follow the steps below:

1. Download the “Show or hide updates” tool from Microsoft.

2. Run the utility and click Next to start the scanning process.

   

3. Next, click the “Hide updates” button.

   

4. Select the updates you want to block and click Next.

   

   This automatically hides the update from Windows Update and it will not be installed during the next update process.

5. Press the Close button to close.

If you want to unhide or show hidden updates, run the tool again and select Show hidden updates instead of “Hide updates.” The rest of the process is the same.

Final Analysis

Patch Tuesday updates are thoroughly vetted by Microsoft and other Insider users through feedback. Moreover, type C and D updates are also released before Patch Tuesday updates to address any remaining issues. Even so, the final update is not without its problems.

That said, this Moment 2 update is surely worth installing, especially for users who are on Windows 11 22H2. KB5023706 introduces some brilliant features that will boost your productivity as well as your multitasking skills.

Windows 11 Patch Tuesday History

KB Article	OS Version	Build	Release Date	Significant Changes	Announcement
KB5023706	22H2	22621.1413	14-Mar-23	– AI Bing search box, iOS linking, tabbed notepad, screen recording from Snipping Tool, redesigned Quick Assist	Microsoft Announcement of KB5023706
KB5023698	21H2	22000.1696	14-Mar-23	– Phase three of DCOM hardening, other fixes	Microsoft Announcement of KB5023698
KB5022845	22H2	22621.1265	14-Feb-23	– .NET Framework updates integrated into UUP-based feature updates	Microsoft Announcement of KB5022845
KB5022836	21H2	22000.1574	14-Feb-23	– Combines Windows Spotlight with Themes on the Personalization page – Multiple changes to the Accounts Settings page	Microsoft Announcement of KB5022836
KB5022303	22H2	22621.1105	10-Jan-23	– ODBC Connectivity with SQL Server fixed. – Local Session Manager security issues fixed	Microsoft Announcement of KB5022303
KB5022287	21H2	22000.1455	10-Jan-23	– ODBC Connectivity with SQL Server fixed. – Local Session Manager security issues fixed	Microsoft Announcement of KB5022287
KB5021255	22H2	22621.963	13-Dec-22	-UI discrepancies in Task Manager are fixed -DPAPI decryption issue is fixed	Microsoft Announcement of KB5021255
KB5021234	21H2	22000.1335	13-Dec-22	-UI discrepancies in Task Manager are fixed -DPAPI decryption issue is fixed	Microsoft Announcement of KB5021234
KB5019980	22H2	22621.819	8-Nov-22	-Task Manager option added to taskbar’s context menu	Microsoft Announcement of KB5019980
KB5019961	21H2	22000.1219	8-Nov-22	-Task Manager option added to taskbar’s context menu	Microsoft Announcement of KB5019961

Related posts:

• Download KB5022913 (22621.1344) For Windows 11 22H2 With AI-Powered Search, iPhone Link Support, Screen Recorder In Snipping Tool
• Download KB5017328 Windows 11 Cumulative Update For September 2022
• Download KB5023696 Cumulative Update For Windows 10 22H2, 21H2, 20H2 [Patch Tuesday]
• Download KB5011493 Cumulative Update For Windows 11
• Windows 11 Cumulative Update KB5008353 Fixes Major Bugs