As Microsoft had promised in a blog post earlier, new features have been released to the Windows 11 22H2 operating system with KB5017389. This update has been released on the Release Preview channel for the Insiders which will upgrade your operating system’s build to 22621.608.
The same KB was also published earlier to the Release Preview channel but did not include any new features at the time. In contrast, this republished update includes only new features and no other fixes.
Let us look into the new features offered in this flight.
Windows 11 22H2 Build 22621.608 Summary
Here are some of the important details about this build for Windows 11.
| Complete Release Build | Cumulative Update for Windows 11 22H2 (KB5017389) |
| Channel | Release Preview (Flight Hub) |
| Release Date | Tuesday, October 4th, 2022 |
| Official Announcement | https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2022/10/04/rolling-out-new-features-for-windows-11-version-22h2-in-the-release-preview-channel/ |
| System Requirements | https://www.itechtics.com/windows-11-requirements-check/ |
| Download and install | First Download the stable version of Windows 11 22H2 (2022 Update) Then join the Windows Insider program |
Here is the list of the latest Windows 11 builds and versions for each channel for your information:
Windows 11 Latest Versions Numbers
| Windows 11 Channel | Release Date | Build/Version Information |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 (22H2) Stable | 25-Oct-22 | Windows 11 22H2 Build 22621.755 |
| Windows 11 (21H2) Stable | 17-Oct-22 | Windows 11 21H2 Build 22000.1100 |
| Windows 11 22H2 Release Preview | 19-Oct-22 | Windows 11 22H2 Build 22621.754 |
| Windows 11 21H2 Release Preview | 18-Oct-22 | Windows 11 21H2 Build 22000.1163 |
| Windows 11 Beta | 20-Oct-22 | Windows 11 22H2 Build 22623.870/22621.870 |
| Windows 11 Dev | 27-Oct-22 | Windows 11 Build 25231 |
What’s New and Improved in Windows 11 Build 22621.608
File Explorer Enhancements
The File Explorer has been upgraded to improve several new features.
You can now open multiple tabs in the same Explorer window, just like you do in a web browser. This is the “File Explorer tabs” feature which was not included in the original Windows 11 22H2 release but was anticipated since it had already been introduced to the Insiders.
Users can now also pin their important files and folders on the File Explorer homepage for convenient access.
Additionally, users will now also be able to see the actions performed by their colleagues on the shared Microsoft OneDrive files.
Suggested Actions
Windows 11 users can now perform actions faster through inline suggestions. These suggestions will be offered by the OS, depending on what you have highlighted or copied.
For example, if you copy a date, you will be advised to save an event in your calendar. If you copy a phone number, an inline suggestion will appear with the methods you can use to make a phone call.
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When copying the date and time, an inline light dismissible UI will appear suggesting you create a corresponding event in the calendar. When you select an option, the Calendar app will launch automatically to that specific event creation page and the date and time fields will be filled automatically as well.
Create event in Calendar. Source: Microsoft -
When copying a phone number, you will be suggested methods to make a phone call through the Microsoft Teams app, Skype, or other installed applications.
Make a call. Source: Microsoft
Taskbar Overflow
If you have multiple applications open simultaneously, the icons in the taskbar may exceed the allowed limit on your screen. If this happens, the taskbar will automatically transition into the new overflow state, allowing you to access other apps conveniently.
You can click on the ellipses in the taskbar to expand other app icons and access them easily. The overflow menu will adapt to the taskbar behaviors, such as having an extended UI of the taskbar, pinned applications, etc.
Improved Sharing Capabilities
Users will now be able to discover and share to more devices nearby using the improved sharing dialog box. Previously, nearby sharing was only allowed through Bluetooth. However, users can now share data with UDP as well.
If you try sharing a file from the desktop, File Explorer, Photos, Snipping Tool, Xbox Game Bar, and other apps that use the built-in Windows share window, you will now be able to share to nearby devices more conveniently.
Note: For the UDP function to work, you must enable network discovery and set the network type to “Private.”
Moreover, you can now also share/upload items directly to OneDrive from the built-in “Nearby sharing” window. This can be done from the desktop, File Explorer, Photos, Snipping Tool, Xbox Game Bar, and other apps that use the built-in Windows share window.
This concludes all of the new features introduced in this flight. Note that these features will be rolled out slowly, therefore you may not see them right after upgrading to build 22621.608.
How to Install Windows 11 Build 22621.608 (KB5017389)
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 the update:
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Navigate to the Settings app and then click Windows Update on the left.
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Here, click Check for updates on the right side of the window.
Check for pending updates -
You will then see the following update downloading and installing automatically:
2022-09 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5017389)
When it finishes installing, 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 before the end of the 10 days.
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
