Windows 11 Patch Tuesday arrives with taskbar changes, but not the ones you want

As the calendar turns to the second Tuesday of the month, Microsoft has once again rolled out its anticipated Patch Tuesday updates for all supported Windows systems. While this month’s offerings may not be groundbreaking, they do bring some noteworthy enhancements to the table.

Windows 11 24H2 Introduces Taskbar Enhancements

The latest update for Windows 11, designated as KB5051987, primarily addresses security issues within the operating system. However, it also incorporates the KB5050094 build, which was previewed earlier this year and introduces some engaging features. Among the highlights is a refined Taskbar experience. Users will find that app previews are now more visually appealing when hovering over icons, accompanied by smoother animations.

• [Taskbar] New! Enhanced previews and animations for app icons on the Taskbar.
• [Windows Studio Effects] New! An icon will now appear in the system tray for apps utilizing Windows Studio Effects, specifically on devices equipped with a neural processing unit (NPU). Hovering over this icon provides a tooltip indicating the active app using the camera.
• [Fonts] New! The update adds a new simplified Chinese font, Simsun-ExtG, which includes 9,753 ideographs supporting Unicode Extensions G, H, and I, including the character for Biangbiang noodles.
• [File Explorer]
  • New! The context menu now includes a “New Folder” option when right-clicking items in the left pane.
  • New! Windows will restore previously open tabs in File Explorer upon enabling “Restore previous folder windows at logon.”
  • New! Specific File Explorer settings will be activated when enabling “Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign back in.”

Security Updates for Other Windows Versions

For those utilizing Windows 10 or earlier iterations of Windows 11, the updates are more focused on security rather than introducing exciting new features. While these updates are crucial for maintaining system integrity, they may not captivate users seeking fresh functionalities.

Below is a concise overview of the updates available: