Microsoft has released the optional cumulative update KB5017380 Preview for Windows 10 20H2, Windows 10 21H1, and Windows 10 21H2.

This update includes many bug fixes and improvements, including a new FIDO2 authentication feature and Windows Hello.

Preview of Cumulative Update KB5017380 is part of Microsoft’s September 2022 Monthly “C” Update, allowing administrators to test upcoming fixes released in Patch Tuesday October 2022.

Unlike the Patch Tuesday cumulative updates, the “C” preview updates are optional and do not include security updates. However, if you are running a Windows Insider build, the preview update will be installed automatically.

Windows users can install this update by going to Settingsclicking on Windows Update, and manually perform a ‘Check for updates.’

Since this is an optional update, you will be asked if you want to install it by clicking on the “Download and Install” link, as shown in the image below.

After installing this update, Windows 10 20H2 will be updated to build 19042.2075, Windows 10 21H1 will be updated to build 19043.2075, and Windows 10 21H2 will be updated to build 19044.2075.

Windows 10 users can also manually download and install the KB5017380 preview update from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

What’s new in Windows 10 KB5017380

With this update, Microsoft introduced a new security feature that lets you connect to sites in a Remote Desktop session and authenticate using your local FIDO2 hardware security keys or Windows Hello.

Additionally, you can now connect to your Windows device via RDP using Azure Active Directory (AD) authentication with Windows Hello or FIDO 2 local security keys.

“Introduces a feature that lets you use Azure Active Directory (AD) authentication to sign in to Windows using Remote Desktop,” reads today’s update.

“Then you can use Windows Hello or security devices, such as Fast Identity Online 2.0 (FIDO2) keys, for remote login. This also enables the use of conditional access policies.”

In addition to the FIDO2 improvements, Windows 10 Cumulative Update KB5017380 preview includes forty other improvements or fixes, with nine changes highlighted by Microsoft listed below:

• New! News and interests settings are now located under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > News & Interests. Alternatively, right-click on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.

• New! All taskbar orientations now support news and hotspots. A top, left, or right taskbar now has similar functionality and settings to the horizontal taskbar.

• Fixes an issue that requires you to reinstall an app if you didn’t get the app from the Microsoft Store. This issue occurs after upgrading to Windows 10 or newer operating system.

• Fixes a rare blue screen of death that occurred after changing the display mode while using more than one screen.

• Fixes an issue that forces IE mode tabs to reload in a session.

• Fixes an issue that affects IE mode after opening a PDF file. When you try to open a different page using the same browser window, the page will not open in that browser window.

• Addresses an issue that affects the Microsoft Japanese IME when it is active and IME mode is enabled. When you use the numeric keypad to insert a hyphen (-) character, the IME inserts the wrong one.

• Fixes an issue that affects the rendering of the search box. It does not display correctly if you log in in tablet mode.

• Fixes a known issue that affects DST in Chile. This issue can affect the time and dates used for meetings, applications, tasks, services, transactions, etc.

Microsoft warns that after installing this update, some Windows devices may experience audio playback issues.

“After installing this update, some Windows devices may experience issues with audio not working. Some affected Windows devices may have no audio, but other affected Windows devices may have no audio. problems only on certain ports, certain audio devices or only in certain applications”, it reads. KB5017380 release notes.

“Most of the affected audio device drivers either have the “audio enhancements” setting disabled prior to the installation of this update or the audio device driver has issues with the “audio enhancements” feature.”

You can find a full list of fixes in the Support Bulletin KB5017380.