Last month, Microsoft confirmed it could not fix a bug breaking different parts of its desktop operating system. According to the company, the problem could result in the Start menu, Windows Search, and UWP apps no longer working. The only possible workaround was to uninstall programs utilizing Microsoft Office APIs. Now, however, users finally have a permanent solution that no longer requires removing problematic apps.
KB5027292, a preview update Microsoft released yesterday, finally fixes the broken Start menu, Windows Search, and UWP apps. Here is how Microsoft describes the problem:
The Start menu, Windows search, and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps might not work as expected or might have issues opening. Affected Windows devices might have damaged registry keys or data which might affect apps using Microsoft Office APIs to integrate with Windows, Microsoft Office, or Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Calendar. An example of an app affected by this issue is ClickShare. The underlying Issue is not caused by the installation of an update to Windows and might be exposed by an update to an affected app.
Unlike regular Patch Tuesday updates that install automatically in the background, preview releases require manual installation from Windows Update. You can install KB5027292 by heading to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update (Windows 10) or Settings > Windows Update (Windows 11) and clicking Check for updates.
The problem affects all client Windows 11 versions (21H2 and 22H2) and Windows 10 versions 22H2, 21H2, and 20H2. Server editions are not affected by the bug.
In addition to mending the Start menu and other parts of the operating system, KB5027292 resolves higher-than-usual CPU usage by File Explorer when the user tries to view or edit Effective Access permissions. You can learn more about that bug in our dedicated coverage.
Was your system affected by some of the bugs KB5027292 fixes? Let us know in the comments.