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Microsoft released the Windows 11 optional preview cumulative update KB5074105 (for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2) with multiple fixes and changes, including resolving a known issue where the password sign-in option/icon could disappear from lock screen sign-in options after installing updates dating back to the August 2025 preview update line. Affected users could still authenticate by hovering over the blank area where the password option should appear to reveal the hidden button; Microsoft reports the issue is addressed in KB5074105.
The same KB5074105 preview update also introduces a local hardening change to reduce unauthorized interaction with sensitive system information by adding a mandatory User Account Control (UAC) prompt when accessing Settings > System > Storage. This change is intended to prevent non-admin users (or threat actors with local/remote access to a non-admin session) from viewing or manipulating detailed storage and temporary-file/system-file information without administrative approval, and is being rolled out as an optional “C-release” preview ahead of broader deployment.
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Ahead of the February 10, 2026 Patch Tuesday rollout, Microsoft made KB5074105 available to Windows Insiders with a feature-heavy set of changes. These included Cross Device Resume expansion, accessibility improvements, Windows Hello fingerprint sensor support changes, Smart App Control deactivation, AI agent language updates, and multiple bug fixes.
Microsoft added a new hardening control in KB5074105 that forces a UAC prompt and administrator approval before accessing Storage settings. The change is intended to stop unprivileged users or someone with local access to an unlocked session from viewing or changing sensitive storage-related settings and data.
Microsoft used KB5074105 to resolve the known issue that caused the password sign-in option icon to disappear from the Windows 11 lock screen. The fix applied to affected 24H2 and 25H2 devices impacted by updates released after August 2025.
On January 29, 2026, Microsoft released the optional Windows 11 preview update KB5074105 for versions 24H2 and 25H2 as a C-release ahead of February Patch Tuesday. The update bundled numerous reliability fixes and a combined servicing stack update KB5074104.
In September 2025, Microsoft addressed other problems tied to KB5064081, including DRM video playback issues, NDI streaming lag, and non-admin app installation problems caused by unexpected UAC prompts. The password sign-in icon issue remained unresolved at that time.
After updates released since August 2025, some Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 systems with multiple sign-in methods enabled lost the visible password sign-in icon on the lock screen. Password sign-in still functioned through a hidden or placeholder button.
Microsoft released the non-security preview update KB5064081 for Windows 11 on August 29, 2025. Later reporting says this update introduced several regressions affecting sign-in, media playback, streaming, and app installation behavior.
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Microsoft reported **over 1 billion monthly active Windows 11 users**, but user sentiment remains negative, with prominent complaints focused on **buggy updates**, perceived reliability regressions, and unwanted feature changes (including AI-related additions). Microsoft leadership publicly acknowledged the feedback and said the company will prioritize **performance, reliability, and overall user experience** improvements to rebuild trust. Microsoft also released the **KB5074105** optional *non-security* preview cumulative update for Windows 11 (24H2/25H2), positioned as an end-of-month quality update ahead of the next Patch Tuesday. KB5074105 includes dozens of changes and targets operational issues including **boot problems** (e.g., startup hangs when Windows Boot Manager debugging is enabled and iSCSI boot failures with `Inaccessible Boot Device`), **sign-in issues** (including `Explorer.exe` hanging on first login under certain startup-app configurations), and **activation/license migration failures** during upgrades when devices cannot register with the Windows Activation server; the update is available via Windows Update or manual download from the Microsoft Update Catalog.
Jun 29, 2026
Microsoft began rolling out **Windows 11 preview updates** for versions **25H2 and 24H2** (including the optional non-security preview update `KB5074105` and Release Preview builds `26200.7701`/`26100.7701`) focused on functionality, performance, and reliability improvements rather than patching new security vulnerabilities. The updates emphasize expanded **AI-driven experiences** (including refinements to Copilot+ PC-related models and more natural-language assistance within Settings), along with usability changes and a simplified Windows update title format intended to reduce administrative friction in tools like **WSUS** and **Microsoft Configuration Manager**. Alongside these feature updates, Microsoft highlighted an operational security risk: **Windows Secure Boot certificates** used by most Windows devices are expected to begin expiring in **June 2026**, and organizations that do not update Certificate Authority (CA) material in time may face devices that cannot boot securely. Separately, consumer guidance circulated on bypassing Windows 11 hardware eligibility checks (notably **TPM 2.0** requirements) to upgrade “unsupported” PCs; while this may extend device usability after Windows 10 support ended, it can also undermine Microsoft’s intended security baseline and increase enterprise risk if adopted outside controlled policy.
Jun 29, 2026
Microsoft released the mandatory Windows 11 cumulative update **KB5101650** for versions **25H2** and **24H2**, alongside **KB5099414** for **23H2**, as part of its latest Patch Tuesday rollout. The update advances Windows 11 builds to **26200.8875** and **26100.8875** for 25H2 and 24H2 and includes fixes for **571 vulnerabilities**, with security-critical items such as continued **Secure Boot** certificate deployment delivered in the normal rollout phase. Microsoft said 25H2 and 24H2 receive the same package because both are based on 24H2, and no new known issues were acknowledged for the release. Beyond security fixes, KB5101650 adds and expands several user-facing and reliability improvements, including broader availability of **Point-in-time restore**, the new accessibility feature **Screen Tint**, quieter **Widgets**, and more flexible update pausing. Microsoft also addressed Bluetooth pairing and audio issues, including improvements for AirPods and call handling, while fixing problems affecting **File Explorer** performance, `explorer.exe` stability, Recycle Bin file naming, taskbar badges, networking in virtualized environments, **WSL** VPN connectivity, printing, **BITS** shutdown delays, and GIF support in the emoji panel after a switch from Tenor to **GIPHY**. The update is being distributed automatically through Windows Update and is also available as an offline `.msu` installer through the Microsoft Update Catalog.
Jul 17, 2026