Windows 11 build 22458 for the Dev channel brings a 'Sign-in options' link to the power menu [Update]

Microsoft today released a new Windows 11 Dev channel build from the rs_prerelease branch. The build brings just one UI change in the form of a new 'Sign-in options' link to the power menu in Start. There are, as expected, a bunch of bug fixes and known issues accompanying the single new feature.

 

 

While the company has been releasing Dev and Beta channel builds simultaneously, it does not seem to be the case today, as there is no Beta channel build in sight yet. Surprisingly, there was no cumulative update for the OS either yesterday as part of the Patch Tuesday updates. As for Dev channel builds themselves, major new features slated for release in the next version will eventually start appearing in these releases.

 

Generally, the firm releases servicing updates when builds head to the Beta and/or Release Preview channels, which is the case with Windows 11 since it is now available for commercial customers in the Release Preview channel. With Windows 11 slated to begin rolling out to eligible users starting October 5, it is surprising to see the bulk of bug fixes heading to Dev channel builds. The firm does note that it will bring "some fixes" from these Insider builds to the stable version after it releases. It is anybody's guess if these features will come in the way of day one updates.

 

Here are the fixes made as part of build 22458:

[Start]

• Fixed an underlying issue that was impacting Start reliability.

[Search]

• Folders with # in folder name can now be added to indexing.

[Settings]

• Addressed an issue that was causing Settings to crash sometimes when trying to open the Display page.
• Clicking “More about refresh rate” in Advanced Display Settings now opens the support page it’s supposed to.
• Fixed an issue where the Location page in Settings wasn’t showing warning text explaining why the location services setting was greyed out if it was greyed out.
• Changes made to preferences under Manage App Execution Alias in Settings should now be preserved.
• Fixed a couple typos in the output of dll (Issue #206).

[Windowing]

• Mitigated an issue that could make certain games unexpectedly crash when using ALT + Enter (i.e., switch between full screen and windowed) during with Auto HDR enabled.

[Other]

• Addressed an issue that was causing text truncation in the Encrypting File System window in certain cases.
• Fixed a rare scenario that could result in an uninstalled in-box app unexpectedly reappearing after reboot.
• Appx commandlets should now work with PowerShell 7.0+ printui.dll (Issue #13138).

As is expected with development builds, there are a bunch of known issues that users should be aware of. This includes the taskbar bug that misaligns the Start menu and the app icons, resulting in some icons being cut off. Here is the complete list of known issues:

[General]

• We’re working on a fix for an issue that is causing some Surface Pro X’s to bug check with a WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR.
• We’re working on a fix for an issue that is causing some devices to bug check with DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG error when attempting to update to a recent build.

[Start]

• In some cases, you might be unable to enter text when using Search from Start or the Taskbar. If you experience the issue, press WIN + R on the keyboard to launch the Run dialog box, then close it.
• System is missing when right-clicking on the Start button (WIN + X).

[Taskbar]

• IMPORTANT: Icons on the Taskbar are shifted to the side when in the default center alignment, resulting in them getting cut off by the “show hidden icons” button when too many apps are open.
• The Taskbar will sometimes flicker when switching input methods.

[Search]

• After clicking the Search icon on the Taskbar, the Search panel may not open. If this occurs, restart the “Windows Explorer” process, and open the search panel again.
• Search panel might appear as black and not display any content below the search box.

[File Explorer]

• If you right click files in OneDrive locations in File Explorer, the context menu will unexpectedly dismiss when you hover over entries that open sub-menus, such as “Open with.”

[Widgets]

• The widgets board may appear empty. To work around the issue, you can sign out and then sign back in again.
• Widgets may be displayed in the wrong size on external monitors. If you encounter this, you can launch the widgets via touch or WIN + W shortcut on your actual PC display first and then launch on your secondary monitors.

[Windows Sandbox]

• We’re investigating an issue in which Windows Sandbox may not launch for some Insiders after upgrading to this build.

[Microsoft Store]

• We continue to work to improve search relevance in the Store.

[Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) & Hyper-V]

• We’re investigating reports of both WSL2 and Hyper-V not working on this build on ARM64 PCs such as the Surface Pro X.

Lastly, Microsoft is also announcing a refreshed Tips app for Windows 11, complete with UI refreshes and the ability to serve "100+" tips for users. The OS is also receiving the ability to serve tips across the OS showing off new capabilities and features added, such as widgets, the new touch-focused improvements, and much more.

 

Update: As pointed out by our readers, which was also confirmed by Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc, the 'Sign-in options' link has been present in the Dev channel since last week's release. The addition was not mentioned in last week's release notes.