Microsoft has released KB5016695 for the Insiders subscribed to the Release Preview channel for Windows 11. Installing this update upgrades the operating system’s build to 22621.457. The update does not include any significant new features but brings several improvements and fixes.
The prominent improvement in this flight is the addition of usage history resources to the list. You can now view usage logs for several more resources on the “Privacy & Security” Settings page.
Several other issues have also been addressed in the update. Let us see what those are and then continue to see how to install KB5016695.
Table of contents
New in Windows 11 Build 22621.457
Usage History Additions
Viewing the usage history of the different resources allows you to view what resources have recently been accessed and by what programs/apps. For example, you can view when the last call was made from your computer, and when the camera was last accessed, giving you salient information about the usage of your computer.
Microsoft has now added more system resources to the list so you can monitor their logs as well. The following resource additions have been included:
- Camera
- Microphone
- Phone Calls
- Messaging
- Contacts
- Screenshots and apps
- Music Library
Navigate to the following to view their usage history:
Settings app >> Privacy & security
Other Improvements and Fixes
Other changes and fixes have also been made with this flight:
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint’s ability to identify and intercept ransomware and advanced attacks has been enhanced.
- A file will now be compressed regardless of its size if you have configured Server Message Block (SMB) Compression.
- Storage replication that occurs over low bandwidth or congested wide area networks (WAN) has been improved.
- An issue that causes Windows to display tablet mode features for some devices that do not have touchscreens has been fixed.
- An issue that causes some application windows to have blank sections in the Task View preview has been addressed.
- An issue that occurs for some Insiders when copying files from network drives and shows the error code 0x80070026 has been fixed.
- An issue that might cause the Local Security Authority Server Service (LSASS) to leak tokens has been taken care of.
- An issue that occasionally causes sihost.exe to use a high amount of the CPU has been fixed.
- An issue that causes Microsoft Edge to stop responding when you use IE mode has been addressed.
- An issue that causes the App-V client service to leak memory when you delete App-V registry nodes is fixed.
- An issue that prevents you from opening a URL if the URL’s length is more than 2084 characters is now fixed. This update supports a URL of up to 8192 characters.
- An issue that prevents codecs from being updated from the Microsoft Store is resolved.
- An issue that causes ServerAssignedConfigurations to be null in a few full configuration scenarios is addressed.
- An issue that sometimes prematurely interrupts the resizing operations of a Snap Assist area has been fixed.
- An issue that might cause the deployment of the Windows Hello for Business certificate to fail in certain circumstances after resetting a device is now fixed.
- An issue that prevents you from reinstalling Universal Printers after you remove them is addressed.
- An issue that prevents non-Windows devices from authenticating when they connect to a Windows-based remote desktop and use a smart card as the authentication method has been addressed.
- An issue that causes the Settings app to stop working on server domain controllers (DCs) when accessing the Privacy >> Activity history page has been fixed.
- An issue that affects a lookup for a nonexistent security ID (SID) from the local domain using a read-only domain controller (RODC) has been mitigated.
- An issue that prevents the Storage Migration Service (SMS) from completing the inventory on servers that have many shares is fixed.
- An issue that affects the Sync across your devices option under Settings >> System >> Clipboard has been fixed. The option will not remain enabled.
With these improvements, Microsoft did not disclose any known issues with the release. Let us now discuss how to install this update.
Impact of Usage History
Having the ability to view the usage history of the different resources on your computer gives you more control over the app’s permissions, which in turn enhances your privacy. Monitoring the different resources from time to time will let you know if any app or program is using a resource without your permission.
For example, if you find out that the camera is being used by Skype, even though you do not even use Skype yourself, you will sense that it is being used without your authorization and that someone might be trying to violate your privacy.
That said, we believe that Microsoft’s gradual improvements to the Windows 11 operating system is heading in the right direction. Giving the user more discretion as well as information over their resources will make them trust the operating system, as well as its manufacturer, even more.
How to Install Windows 11 Build 22621.457 (KB5016695)
To install this update, you need to be running Windows 11 and subscribed to the Release Preview channel. If you have enabled Windows updates, you will automatically get a “New features are ready to install” prompt.
If not, follow these steps to install this update:
-
Navigate to the Settings app and then click Windows Update on the left.
-
Here, click Check for updates on the right side of the window.
Check for pending updates -
You will then see the following update available:
2022-08 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5016695)
Click Download & Install in front of it.
Download and install the update -
Once the update is installed, click Restart Now to finalize the installation.
Restart computer
Once the computer restarts, you can verify that the OS has been updated by typing in winver in the Run Command box.
Rollback/Remove Windows 11 Insider Preview Update
If you do not wish to keep the installed preview 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 Updates
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 /AnalyzeComponentStoreDISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
