April 2025 was another active month for Windows 11 updates, bringing a crucial mix of security enhancements, a few notable new features, and necessary bug fixes to keep your system running smoothly and securely. As we wrap up the month, let’s recap what arrived on the Windows Update doorstep.
April’s Security Spotlight: Patch Tuesday
As expected, the big security event of the month was the April Patch Tuesday, which landed around the second week. This essential release tackled a significant number of security vulnerabilities – a total of 121 flaws were addressed across Windows and other Microsoft software. Of particular importance were fixes for one actively exploited zero-day vulnerability and eleven critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerabilities. Applying these updates was a critical step in protecting your system from potential online threats.
These vital security patches were included in the cumulative updates rolled out during April, such as KB5055528 for Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2, and KB5055523 for version 24H2. A later preview update, KB5055627 (for 24H2), also built upon these foundations.
Beyond Security: Features and Enhancements Delivered in April
While security was a major focus, the April updates also delivered some user-facing changes and underlying improvements. The availability of these features can depend on your specific Windows 11 version (22H2, 23H2, or 24H2) and whether you had installed the optional preview updates.
For those running the latest Windows 11 Version 24H2, April brought some interesting additions:
Smarter Search with AI (especially on Copilot+ PCs): Enhancements to Windows Search leveraging artificial intelligence to better understand natural language queries when searching for files like documents and photos. Live Captions also saw expanded support for language translation. Handy UI Tweaks:
- A new Gamepad keyboard layout was introduced for the touch keyboard, designed to improve typing with an Xbox controller.
- An emoji icon was added to the system tray, providing a quicker way to access the emoji picker.
- The Settings app (System > About) now features prominent “Top cards” to give you a quick overview of your PC’s key hardware specs (processor, RAM, storage, GPU).
Task Manager Refinements: The Task Manager is moving towards using standard metrics for displaying CPU workload, aiming for greater consistency.
More Flexible Widgets (EEA Users): Users in the European Economic Area gained more control over their lock screen widgets, with the ability to add, remove, and rearrange Weather, Watchlist, Traffic, and other supported widgets.
Integrated Windows Studio Effects: For PCs equipped with an NPU, an icon now appears in the system tray when an app using Windows Studio Effects is active, offering quick access to those settings.
Improved Dialog Scaling: File Explorer dialogs, like those for copy and cut, now better respect the text size settings configured in Windows.
While versions 22H2 and 23H2 primarily received security and stability updates in April’s cumulative releases (like KB5055528), these improvements are crucial for maintaining a healthy system.
Addressing Issues: Bugs and Their Fixes
April’s updates weren’t without their bumps for some users. Microsoft worked to quickly address issues that arose:
Blue Screen of Death (0x18B): A notable issue was a blue screen error with the code 0x18B that some users encountered after installing the April security update and restarting. This secure kernel error was acknowledged and a fix was subsequently released in a later update (like the KB5055627 preview for 24H2). If you experienced this, ensure you have the very latest cumulative update installed.
The Mysterious inetpub Folder: Some users discovered that the April updates created an empty inetpub folder on their C: drive. While generally harmless for those not using IIS, it was an unexpected addition.
General Bug Squashing: As with any cumulative update, April’s releases included numerous other fixes for less widespread issues, contributing to overall system stability and performance.
Looking Ahead
With May just around the corner, we can anticipate the next round of updates, including the May Patch Tuesday. Staying informed and keeping your Windows 11 installation updated remains the best way to ensure you have the latest security protections and benefit from ongoing improvements.
What are your thoughts on the Windows 11 updates released in April? Did you encounter any issues, or have you noticed the new features? Share your experiences in the comments below!
Leave a Reply