Windows 11 KB5019342 Available for Insiders Dev Channel

A new cumulative update is now available for Windows 11 insiders in the Dev Channel, titled KB5019342. In this post, we have discussed what this update is really about, the fixes and improvements it imparts to the operating system, and ways to upgrade to Build 25211.

Windows 11, version 2022 update has recently been halted by Microsoft due to printer-related errors. Considering that, it is really good to know where Windows 11 version 22h2 is finally progressing.

What’s new on Windows 11 KB5019342?

This new patch updates your Windows 11 Insider Build to 25211.1010 on the Dev Channel. Since the “Sun Valley 3” development has been canceled officially by Microsoft, this update is still underlined under version 22h2. As per Microsoft, they will release a brand new OS every three years and they have already started working on Windows 12.

So, this update is nothing but an attempt to test the servicing pipeline. Let’s learn what new features and fixes are now available with this optional update to Insiders –

1] Widget Settings

The Widget picker and Widgets setting are now two different things starting from KB5019342. To open the Widget picker, use the “+” button while the Widget settings open by pressing the “Me” button. Insiders now have the ability to decide or control how the Widgets entry works on your taskbar.

If you open Widget settings by pressing the “Me” button, you see the below screenshot. On this page, you can do the following –

Turn On or Off Widgets board on hover.
Show notification badges for apps available on the taskbar.
Show announcements from widgets lying on the taskbar.

One may now enable or disable the toggle switches as shown in the above snapshot and choose preferred Widget settings. For now, this feature is available to a handful of Insiders.

Those who have already received this feature may provide their feedback using the hotkey Win + F. As usual, you will find the Feedback Hub under Desktop Environment > Widgets.

KB5019342 Changelog & Fixes

Based on users’ feedback, the tech giant has made the following changes and improvements to Windows 11 Insider Build.

1] Taskbar

Taskbar now displays Task Manager on it when you right-click anywhere on it. Learn how to enable this feature on your Windows 11 PC.

Fixes to Taskbar

Works upon a high-hitting Shell Experience Host crash in a recent Dev Channel build that impacts Quick Settings launch reliability.

Fixes to Task Manager:

Configures the graphs inside the Performance page to use a bit more transparency, It’s now quite easy to see the grid lines underneath it.
Improves Task Manager reliability.
No more black flashes when using Task Manager in light mode.
Corrects the font color of certain elements and made them readable even when you are using a contrasting theme.

2] System Tray

Windows Insiders may now rearrange System Tray icons if they have already installed OS Build 25197. Microsoft may add new features and improvements to it in upcoming releases.

As per Microsoft, the system tray update is still rolling and it may take some time to reach out to your device. Till then, continue using the one that is available on your computer.

3] File Explorer

On earlier builds, the Search and Address boxes were not interacting smoothly when you were using the Full-Screen mode. They have made necessary changes to it and resolved this issue.

Fixes to File Explorer:

The copy, paste, and empty Recycle Bin options on the command bar now work normally.
No more black bars on the sides of horizontal scroll bars when enabling the dark mode on Windows Explorer.

Fixes to Input:

Resolves a memory leak when repeatedly invoking the input switcher.
Earlier, when you switch between dark and light mode, the emoji panel and touch keyboard won’t update their colors correctly. With KB5019342, Microsoft resolves this problem as well.

4] Settings

KB5019342 blocks uninstalling apps with interdependencies (e.g., Steam and gaming apps running on Steam). It is also not possible to repair Win32 apps under Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Windows Insiders may modify and uninstall Win32 apps without interdependencies. This is a temporary issue and will be resolved in upcoming releases.

Fixes to Windows Settings:

Resolves a Settings crash that could happen when changing your mobile hotspot name.
Updates the examples used in the Short time selection under Time & Language > Language & Region > Regional Format. They now change it to make the 12-hour options by showing morning and afternoon times.

Fixes to Start Menu:

If you have Start set to show more pinned items, the animation for opening folders lower on the page will now appear from the right place.

Other Fixes on KB5019342

Microsoft is planning to roll out a server-side fix for the issues causing an incorrect date, time, or time zone on your Windows PC. An incorrect date & time was even preventing the installation of the latest Insider Preview builds from proceeding.
Resolves an issue wherein the Narrator would read out the details of the calendar.
Fixes an issue where Windows Explorer crashes repeatedly in Windows Sandbox. Only those insiders face this trouble who were using the tablet-optimized taskbar and later update the system tray.
No more application hanging issues when opening the Open File Dialog.
Insiders may now enable HDR without getting a black screen on their display screen.
Optimizes CPU usage for WSL2 users on ARM64 PCs even when WSL was idle.
Resolves an anomaly wherein when you close a print dialog, it causes a sudden crash to a few applications.
Previously, when you use the Open With dialog, the process continues to run even when it isn’t in use anymore. Microsoft resolves this problem as well.

Known Issues on KB5019342

They are looking into reports in which insiders complained of the Audio stopped working after installing the latest flights.
Certain applications might continue crashing after upgrading to the recent builds.
Various UI elements in apps continue disappearing or reappearing momentarily in recent builds.
If you use right-to-left display languages like Arabic, content may still animate out of view. This happens mostly when you click to get an expanded view of the widgets board and this board resizes afterward.
You might notice the notification badge number misaligned on the taskbar.

If you are running the Windows 11 Insider Build on a tablet, the following issues continue to occur –

Taskbar flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture.
The taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture.
When you open the Quick Settings, this might cause the taskbar to remain stuck in the expanded state.
The taskbar may collapse in situations where no windows are running on the desktop screen.
Using the left or right edge gestures can result in the Widgets or Notification Center (respectively) overlapping with or looking truncated by the taskbar.

What should I do if I can’t install KB5019342?

If you are not able to install this quality update on your PC, do the following –

Launch Settings (Win + I) and navigate to the below path on it.

System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters

Locate Windows Update under Most frequent, and click on the Run button.
Wait for the troubleshooter to find and resolve the underlying causes automatically.

Restart your PC and hopefully, you would be able to install this insider build update on your PC. In case you are still facing trouble installing this update, report it to the Microsoft team via Feedback Hub.