Microsoft has released the Windows 10 20H2 Build 19042.662 to the Beta and Release Preview Channels for Insiders who are on 20H2 or the Windows 10 October 2020 Update.
The update, KB4586853, contains a load of bug fixes but is perhaps, as Neowin notes, most notable because it’s a preview for this month’s optional updates for Windows 10 version 20H2 and 2004 that aren’t in the Insider program.
Unless there’s another out-of-band update like last week’s emergency fix, for authentication issues after installing the patch for a Kerberos flaw, it’s likely to be the final optional update for 2020 as Microsoft pauses optional updates in December due to holidays and lower staffing levels. It will still release Patch Tuesday security updates.
SEE: Cheat sheet: Windows 10 PowerToys (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
The final optional updates for Windows 10 versions 20H2 and 2004 should arrive in the next few days. The updates for both versions will be the same because they share the same core operating system.
Top fixes and improvements in this Insider build include an update for Internet Explorer’s About dialog to use the standard modern dialog, fixes for the Narrator accessibility feature, and a fix for a bug that prevents users from finding some Xbox consoles on a Windows device.
Another Xbox-related issue fails to display the Xbox Game Bar app controls on supported monitors, which happened for Microsoft DirectX 9.0 games running with Variable Refresh Rate enabled on these monitors.
There was also an issue that displays a black screen to Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) when users attempt to sign in.
Users should find that touch keyboards can now open Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps when USB devices are connected. Additionally, the update addresses a bug that made touch keyboards unstable in the Mail app.
There are fixes for small annoyances, such as one that crops the touch keyboard when using a Remote Desktop Connection on a device that has a different screen resolution. Another bug was causing excessive network traffic when using the Open File dialog box in File Explorer and then browsing to a shared folder that has the Previous Version feature available. And some users may have been struggling with devices continually restarting after installing an app.
Microsoft also addressed an issue preventing certain MIDI devices from connecting using Bluetooth Low Energy. And it fixed an issue that prevents access to Azure Active Directory (AD) using Google Chrome because of a Conditional Access policy error.
SEE: Using Chrome on Windows 7? Google just gave you another six months of support
Finally, this Insider preview rolls up the fix for the authentication issues being caused by Microsoft’s November Patch Tuesday patch for the Kerberos bypass flaw.
“We fixed issues with Kerberos authentication related to the PerformTicketSignature registry subkey value in CVE-2020-17049, which was a part of the November 10, 2020 Windows update,” Microsoft says in release notes.
