Microsoft Issues Fix For Windows 11 Wi-Fi Hotspots

Microsoft has dropped a preview of its next batch of Windows fixes, slipping a resolution for broken Wi-Fi hotspots in among the goodies.

The release – KB5014668 for Windows 11 – addresses the Wi-Fi hotspot functionality broken in June's patch Tuesday alongside some less necessary features like "search highlights," which "present notable and interesting moments of what's special about each day."

KB5014697, which was released on June 14 for Windows 11, had a selection of issues. Some .NET Framework 3.5 apps might fail and connecting to a Windows device acting as a hotspot wouldn't always work. The only fix was to roll back the patch or disable the Wi-Fi hotspot feature.

A third problem, where devices using Arm processors were unable to sign into Azure Active Directory, was hurriedly fixed with an out-of-band security update earlier this week.

• Windows 11 22H2 is almost here. Is it ready for the enterprise?
• WSL2 on Windows Server 2022 hits Windows Update
• Microsoft pulls Windows 10/11 installation websites in Russia
• Wi-Fi hotspots and Windows on Arm broken by Microsoft's latest patches

The release also addressed an issue that could stop people upgrading to Windows 11 and changed the name of Your Phone to Phone Link on the settings page. Bluetooth connection issues were also on the list, as well as fixes aimed at Microsoft's Surface Dial.

Sadly, the issues with .NET Framework 3.5 apps using optional components such as Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and Windows Workflow (WWF) continue to bedevil this release, and the mitigation (re-enabling .NET Framework 3.5 and the afflicted components) is the same.

The preview is optional and needs to be manually installed. While it can be picked up in the Optional area of Windows Update, Windows Update for Business will not show it, instead being included in the next security patch. The update can also be imported in Windows Server Update Services manually. ®