Microsoft backports some of Windows 11 22H2 features to the original release

Microsoft has already released several feature updates for its latest operating system, so those who stick to the original Windows 11 release are missing out on a lot of nice changes (here are my top 5 features Microsoft added to Windows 11 in 2022). However, Windows 11 21H2 (original release) is still supported, and Microsoft continues to backport parts of the newer versions. The latest Windows 11 22000.1515 build, available in the Release Preview channel, has improved Windows Settings with a few new features.

Windows 11 22000.1515 adds the Spotlight Theme to the Personalization page and the new tools for subscriptions. Insiders can now manage OneDrive and Xbox subscriptions on the Accounts page, plus receive OneDrive storage limit alerts. Some users will be more excited to receive fixes for a bunch of annoying bugs preventing opening specific apps, damaging the memory, and breaking the touch keyboard.

Here is the complete changelog for Windows 11 build 22000.1515:

• New! We combined Windows Spotlight with Themes on the Personalization page. This made it easier for you to discover and turn on the Windows Spotlight feature.
• New! We improved the Microsoft Account experience in Settings. For example, you could manage OneDrive subscriptions and storage alerts.
• New! We provide the full amount of storage capacity of all your OneDrive subscriptions. It also displayed the total storage on the Accounts page in the Settings app.
• New! We displayed storage alerts for Microsoft OneDrive subscribers on the Systems page in the Settings app. The alerts appeared when you were close to your storage limit. You could also manage your storage and purchase additional storage, if needed.
• New! We displayed Xbox subscription details on the Accounts page in the Settings app. Xbox subscribers could also manage their subscription on that page. Users who are not subscribers could explore Xbox subscription options on the Accounts page
• We fixed an issue that affected searchindexer.exe. It randomly stopped you from signing in or signing out.
• We fixed an issue that stopped you from searching for a file based on the file’s contents.
• We fixed a resource conflict issue between two or more threads (known as a deadlock). This deadlock affected COM+ applications.
• We fixed an issue that affected conhost.exe. It stopped responding.
• We fixed an issue that affected some modern applications. This issue stopped them from opening.
• We fixed an issue that affected the Domain Name System (DNS) suffix search list. When you configured it, the parent domain might have been missing.
• We added support for long URL lengths of up to 8196 characters.
• We fixed an issue that might have occurred when the Input Method Editor (IME) was active. Applications might have stopped responding when you used the mouse and keyboard at the same time.
• We fixed an issue that might have affected FindWindow() or FindWindowEx(). They might have returned the wrong window handle.
• We fixed an issue that damaged memory. The issue occurred when you used certain HD audio controller hardware.
• We fixed an issue that affected certain systems that had firmware Trusted Platform Modules. (TPM). This issue stopped you from using AutoPilot to set up those systems.
• We fixed an issue that affected printing in landscape mode in Microsoft Edge. The print output was incorrect. This issue occurred when you used Microsoft Defender Application Guard.
• We fixed an issue the stopped the touch keyboard from opening.
• We fixed an issue that stopped explorer.exe from responding. This issue occurred when you used the play and pause buttons on your keyboard on certain devices.
• We fixed an issue that affected Windows Server 2022 domain controllers. They stopped responding when they managed Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) requests.
• We fixed an issue that affected the Resilient File System (ReFS) MSba tag. The issue caused a nonpaged pool leak.
• We fixed an issue that affected ReFS. The issue caused high nonpaged pool usage, which depleted system memory.

Changes and fixes in Windows 11 22000.1515 will arrive in the upcoming non-security cumulative updates. Those staying away from the Windows Insider Program will not have to wait too long to get those sweet new features and improvements. You can find Microsoft's announcement post on the official Windows Blogs website.

Microsoft backports some of Windows 11 22H2 features to the original release