Microsoft has released the optional August 2023 cumulative update for Windows 11, version 22H2, with fixes for several issues affecting the Search app.

KB5029351 is a monthly non-security preview update that enables Windows admins and users to test fixes and improvements scheduled for release with the forthcoming September 2023 Patch Tuesday rollout.

The update tackles an issue encountered after waking the system from sleep mode, where the Search app fails to launch when clicking the search icon.

Furthermore, it enhances the Search app’s reliability while addressing an issue affecting the search box dimensions on Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Book devices in tablet mode.

Notably, monthly “C” updates are optional; unlike Patch Tuesday releases, they do not come with security-related fixes.

To install the KB5029351 update, click the ‘Download and install’ button in Settings > Windows Update to check for new updates.

Alternatively, you can download it from the Microsoft Update Catalog and install it manually.

​​​​Other highlights in Windows 11 KB5029351

Today’s optional update comes with additional fixes and improvements, with some of the most important ones listed below:

• This update adds new functionality that affects app defaults.
• This update addresses an issue that affects print jobs that are sent to a virtual print queue. They fail without an error.
• This update addresses an issue that causes high CPU use. This occurs when you enable the “fBlockNonDomain” policy.
• This update addresses an issue that affects disk partitions. The system might stop working. This occurs after you delete a disk partition and add the space from the deleted partition to an existing BitLocker partition.

The complete list of fixes and improvements can be found in the KB5029351 support bulletin.

With this update, Microsoft also introduced a new policy named “Enable optional updates,” which gives admins better control of how monthly optional updates are installed on enterprise devices.

The same policy can be used to control the deployment of controlled feature rollouts (CFR) across endpoints.

A temporary fix is available for this issue, with Windows admins being advised to provision end-user devices before the Windows 11 22H2 upgrade to get around the provisioning issues.