New Windows 10 update delivers smoother media playback, tighter security, and a surprise start menu tweak

The latest update for Windows 10, KB5044273, is now available – and it brings bug fixes, security issue resolutions, and even a feature change. We are now about a year out from the scheduled deprecation date for Windows 10 (14 October 2025) after which Microsoft will no longer support it with regular updates. 

Microsoft describes the new developments as improvements to the security of Windows 10’s internal workings. Those aren’t the only changes, however. There’s also a minor update to the position of your profile picture in the Start menu – wow, Microsoft, really pulling out all the stops here, are you? 

It’s possible that this could be an effort by Microsoft to integrate account management like that of Windows 11 into the Start menu. It had previously spotted a more fleshed-out Microsoft account management, allowing you to manage Microsoft product purchases and subscriptions, in the Start menu of another Windows 10 preview build. If it’s realized in a similar way to Windows 11’s Microsoft account manager, it’ll remind users to use apps and products like OneDrive, Microsoft 365, and Copilot, which I imagine most Windows 10 users will find pretty annoying. 

What to expect after the update

Windows 10 users can expect the new update to be downloaded and installed on their devices automatically, similar to previous security updates. If you open Windows Update in the Settings app, you should see new updates being downloaded and installed, but in case you don’t, you can follow Windows Latest’s advice to install them using offline installers, as well as being able to check the exact names of each constituent update you can expect to see. 

Once your PC is updated, your operating system’s build number (similar to the version number) should change to Build 19045.5011 or 19044.5011.

Apart from security updates and the change related to profile pictures in the Start menu, this update also fixes some known issues, such as a bug related to media playback and reducing the number of notifications asking you to log into your Microsoft account when using an app that prompts you to do so. Microsoft Edge users can look forward to issues relating to Internet Explorer mode, an optional mode in Edge that allows more advanced or commercial users to use Edge similarly to Internet Explorer, Microsoft’s deprecated (and somewhat iconic) legacy browser. 

You can go through the full list of changes and fixes in Microsoft’s release document for KB5044273. I would recommend ensuring updates like this are downloaded and installed to keep your Windows 10 device up to date, especially in terms of security – though it’s another unhappy reminder that this beloved OS is rapidly approaching the end of its life. 

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