The new Windows 10 update brings smoother media playback, tighter security and a surprising start menu tweak
The latest update for Windows 10, KB5044273, is now available and brings bug fixes, security fixes, and even a feature change. We’re now about a year away from the planned end date for Windows 10 (October 14, 2025), at which point Microsoft will no longer support it with regular updates.
Microsoft describes the new developments as improvements in the security of the internal operations of Windows 10. However, these are not the only changes. There’s also a small update to the position of your profile picture in the Start menu. Wow, Microsoft, you’re really pulling out all the stops here, aren’t you?
It’s possible that this is an attempt by Microsoft to integrate account management like Windows 11 into the Start menu. It had previously noted expanded Microsoft Account Management, which lets you manage Microsoft product purchases and subscriptions in the Start menu of another Windows 10 preview build. If accomplished in a similar way to Windows 11’s Microsoft account manager, it will remind users to use apps and products like OneDrive, Microsoft 365, and Copilot, which I think most Windows 10 users will find quite annoying.
What to expect after the update
Windows 10 users can expect the new update to be automatically downloaded and installed on their devices, similar to previous security updates. If you open Windows Update in the Settings app, you should see new updates being downloaded and installed, but if not, you can follow the advice of Windows Latest to install them using offline installers, and to be able to monitor them the exact names of each part update you can expect to see.
Once your PC is updated, your operating system build number (similar to the version number) should change to Build 19045.5011 or 19044.5011.
In addition to security updates and the change regarding profile pictures in the Start menu, this update also fixes some known issues, such as a bug regarding media playback and reducing the number of notifications asking you to log in to your Microsoft account when you use an app that asks you to do so. Microsoft Edge users can look forward to issues related to Internet Explorer Mode, an optional mode in Edge that allows more advanced or commercial users to use Edge in the same way as Internet Explorer, Microsoft’s outdated (and somewhat iconic) legacy browser .
You can review the full list of changes and fixes in Microsoft’s release document for KB5044273. I’d recommend making sure these types of updates are downloaded and installed to keep your Windows 10 device up to date, especially on the security front – although it’s yet another unfortunate reminder that this beloved operating system is quickly becoming the approaching the end of its lifespan.
