Microsoft has released September’s optional Windows update, known as KB5124010 for Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2. It significantly improves the Bluetooth functionality of Windows 11 and optimizes File Explorer, plus adds a few minor features here and there.
What’s new in KB5124010?
Bluetooth remains a perennial issue with Windows 11, which Microsoft has been trying to address for months. If you’ve been suffering through unreliable or broken Bluetooth connections, update KB5124010 may offer some relief—it should improve Bluetooth device connectivity, even more than the Windows 11 Bluetooth fixes from June.
File Explorer now offers an improved preview for files downloaded from the web, eliminating the need to manually unblock the preview for each individual file. File Explorer also automatically displays a preview of all downloaded files again (with the exception of HTML files, for which there is a “Preview” button).
Emoji fans will like that KB5124010 rolls out the Emoji 17.0 set for Windows 11, allowing you to use a number of new emojis, such as the distorted face, the ballet dancer, the fight cloud, and the hairy creature.
Microsoft claims to have fixed a bug that made it difficult to personalize Windows (for example, wallpapers). Device-Independent Bitmap (DIB) files are now also supported for desktop backgrounds, and Microsoft has added support for background images in slideshow mode across various desktop configurations.
Further improvements include some quality-of-life boosts, like being able to set app windows to always open maximized, the ability to remap the Copilot key, and a new Tips widget that offers Windows guidance.
All of these features and improvements are being gradually rolled out to all users, so it’s possible that you won’t see them immediately after installing the update. If you don’t, wait a few days and try again.
In addition to new features and improvements, the optional KB5124010 update also fixes a serious issue with File History. Whereas the feature had stopped working correctly after September Patch Tuesday, it’s now fixed immediately after installing KB5124010.
Note that this update also removes the PC-to-PC Migration tool, which previously made it possible to migrate files and settings directly from one PC to a new PC being set up. That process should now handled by Windows Backup and Restore instead.
How to install the KB5124010 update
Windows 11 doesn’t automatically install KB5124010 because it’s an optional preview update. You’ll need to search for KB5124010 manually via Windows Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Optional updates. Alternatively, you can download this optional update directly from the Microsoft Update Catalog.
Next month, on October 13th, Microsoft will roll out all the benefits of KB5124010 to all users with the mandatory October Patch Tuesday update. If you can wait that long, don’t want to try out any of the new features straight away, and aren’t bothered by the faulty File History feature, then you don’t need to install this optional update.
