Microsoft updates Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2 initial setup (OOBE) with KB5041655

Microsoft has prepared and released a new OOBE update for Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2. It is now available under KB5041655, and its goal is to improve the initial setup experience of your Windows-based machine.

For those unfamiliar, OOBE stands for out-of-box experience. It is Windows' onboarding process, during which you set up basic settings, login with your Microsoft account, restore from a backup, customize your computer, and reject a metric ton of ads, such as Microsoft 365, Game Pass, Edge, and more.

Every now and then, Microsoft releases new OOBE updates, which arrive on end systems whenever customers connect to the internet during the initial setup. For example, you bought a new computer, powered it on, connected to the internet, and started setting it up. That is when your system gets the latest OOBE update.

You can always skip this part by setting up your computer offline and using the oobe\bypassnro command. Not only does this let you create an offline account, but it also bypasses several annoyances, such as ads and OneDrive's annoying Known Folder Backup feature.

Microsoft rarely explains what is new in the latest OOBE update for Windows 11. KB5041655 has only the following in its description:

This update improves the Windows 11, version 22H2 and Windows 11, version 23H2 out-of-box experience (OOBE). This update applies only to the Windows 11 OOBE process and is available only when OOBE updates are installed.

You can check out the complete list of new files included in KB5041655 on the official support page. However, you will not find anything useful or informative among them.

Speaking of more useful updates, Microsoft recently released the latest non-security updates for Windows 10 and 11. Windows 10 received KB5040525, and Windows 11 users received KB5040527. Both updates contain fixes, feature changes, and other improvements. Note that those updates do not contain security patches, and they are optional to install. The June 2024 non-security updates caused quite a lot of trouble, which is why many users only download mandatory monthly updates.

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