Microsoft Enhances Windows 11 Setup and Recovery Features with KB5045520, KB5044612, KB5045525, and KB5044617

Recently, Microsoft rolled out its October 2024 Patch Tuesday updates for both Windows 10 (KB5044273 / KB5044277 / KB5044293 / KB5044286) and Windows 11 (KB5044284, KB5044285, KB5044280). In conjunction with these updates, the company introduced an upgraded media creation tool.

The latest Patch Tuesday updates for Windows 11 address an issue that caused boot loops as well as problems with Bluetooth and USB connections. Microsoft has also indicated that a fix for the SFC scan error is on the horizon. However, some persistent issues remain, such as the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) linked to WD HMB-based NVMe SSDs and an unremovable 8.63 GB of pre-upgrade data.

In addition to the regular Patch Tuesday updates, Microsoft has rolled out new dynamic updates specifically for WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment), often referred to as Safe OS updates, as well as Setup updates. This batch encompasses multiple versions of Windows 11, including 24H2, 23H2, 22H2, and 21H2.

Let’s start with the setup binary updates:

KB5045520: Setup Dynamic Update for Windows 11, version 24H2: October 8, 2024

Description

This update enhances the installation binaries or any files utilized during the feature updates for Windows 11, version 24H2.

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KB5045525: Setup Dynamic Update for Windows 11, versions 22H2 and 23H2: October 8, 2024

Description

This update focuses on optimizing setup binaries or any necessary files for feature updates in Windows 11, versions 22H2 and 23H2.

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KB5045527: Setup Dynamic Update for Windows 11, version 21H2: October 8, 2024

Description

This update streamlines Windows setup binaries or any files that support feature updates for Windows 11, version 21H2.

Next, we have the Safe OS WinRE updates:

KB5044612: Safe OS Dynamic Update for Windows 11, version 24H2: October 8, 2024

Description

This update improves the functionality of the Windows recovery environment in Windows 11, version 24H2.

..

KB5044617: Safe OS Dynamic Update for Windows 11, versions 22H2 and 23H2: October 8, 2024

Description

This update enhances the Windows recovery environment for versions 22H2 and 23H2 of Windows 11.

…

KB5044619: Safe OS Dynamic Update for Windows 11, version 21H2: October 8, 2024

Description

This update significantly improves the Windows recovery environment specific to Windows 11, version 21H2.

For those unfamiliar, these Dynamic Update packages are intended to be applied to existing Windows images before they go live. In a Techcommunity blog post discussing Windows 10 Dynamic Updates, Microsoft elaborated on its components and various applications. This package includes remedies for Setup.exe binaries, SafeOS updates for the Windows Recovery Environment, and more:

As soon as a feature update for Windows 10 begins—whether it’s triggered by media or a Windows Update service—Dynamic Update is one of the initial procedures engaged. The Windows 10 Setup reaches out to a Microsoft-hosted internet URL to retrieve Dynamic Update content, then integrates these updates into the installation media.

Included content consists of:

• Setup Updates: Fixes related to Setup binaries and any files that the Setup relies on for feature updates.
• Safe OS Updates: Necessary fixes for the “safe OS,”utilized in updating the Windows recovery environment (WinRE).

Furthermore, Dynamic Update will safeguard Language Pack (LP) and Features on Demand (FOD) content through the upgrade process. While these are not updates to LPs and FODs, they ensure the presence of these components upon completion of the update.

Importantly, these dynamic updates are not automatically distributed via Windows Update; they must be manually downloaded from the Windows Update Catalog. You can access them here: KB5045520, KB5045525, KB5045527, KB5044612, KB5044617, and KB5044619.

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