Highlights –

  • Microsoft also revealed an update for the Windows subsystem for Android on Windows 11.
  • This update includes version 2203.40000.1.0 from the Microsoft Store and is available to Insiders in all channels (Dev, Beta, and Release Preview).

Microsoft’s most recent Patch Tuesday update includes bug fixes that could result in some user data not being wiped following a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC reset. That bug, found in late February by Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Rudy Ooms, resulted in certain user data that was still readable in the “Windows.old” folder after performing a remote or local wipe of a Windows 10 or 11 device.

This issue affected Windows 11, version 21H2; Windows 10, version 21H2; Windows 10, version 21H1; and Windows 10, version 20H2. Microsoft proposed a fix that entailed signing out from or unlinking from OneDrive before rebooting a Windows device. However, today’s fixes for Windows 11 and Windows 10 completely resolve the issue.

Microsoft’s note about the fixes for this failure-to-erase-data issue says, “some devices might take up to seven (7) days after you install this update to fully address the issue and prevent files from persisting after a reset. For immediate effect, you can manually trigger Windows Update Troubleshooter using the instructions in Windows Update Troubleshooter.”

At the same time, Microsoft also rolled out an update for the Windows Subsystem for Android OS on Windows 11. This update includes version 2203.40000.1.0 from the Microsoft Store and is available to Insiders in all channels (Dev, Beta, and Release Preview). Amazon Android app store, together with the Windows Subsystem for Android, allows users to run a variety of Android games and apps on Windows 11.
The latest updates include support for H.264 video hardware decoding, better integration between the subsystem and various Windows email clients, various networking changes and enhanced scrolling in the Amazon Appstore and Kindle apps, and more.

The Patch fixes and updates also introduce Windows 11 users with some new features. These features are among those that Microsoft began rolling out in preview a couple of weeks ago, including the aforementioned Android apps on Windows. Mainstream (non-Insider tester) customers can now manually download the handful of new Windows 11 features as of February 15.