The final Patch Tuesday updates of 2023 for Windows 11 are here, but Narrator crashes if you install them from ISO

It’s the second Tuesday of the month, which means the Patch Tuesdays updates for Windows are here, and these are also the last such updates of 2023.

KB5033375 (OS Builds 22621.2861 and 22631.2861) is here and like all Patch Tuesday updates, they are a must for every Windows device, as they install important security updates that keep them safe and protected against cyber threats. The KB5033375 package was released for Windows 11 22H2, and 23H2, while Windows 11 21H2 got the KB5033369 package.

Needless to say, they are already available to download and install in Windows update and make sure you do so as soon as possible.

The KB5033369 brings some additional improvements to Windows 11 21H2, as you can see below.

• This update affects the Netherlands time zone. It adds the recent man-made landmass outside of Rotterdam to the shape files.
• This update affects Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE). It enables Conditional Access (CA) scenarios.

However, the KB5033375 for both Windows 11 22H2, and 22H3, has a list of known issues, but one in particular, will be prevalent. If you install both of these versions from ISO files or a physical disc, Microsoft Narrator has a good chance of crashing on both of these versions.

When using physical media or disc images (ISO) to install Windows 11, version 23H2 (also referred to as the Windows 11 2023 Update) on a device, Microsoft Narrator might not start.

Microsoft

Any other way doesn’t work either. For example, if you try a specific keyboard command, such as Ctrl + Windows key + Enter, the Narrator might open, although it will be in an unresponsive state.

The Redmond-based tech giant is working on a solution that will be released in a future Windows update. However, expect no resolution to this issue this year, as these updates will be the last of 2023.

If you do want to update your Windows 11 through these methods, while fully aware of this issue, you can do so by downloading the ISO files from here.

KB5033375 and KB5033369: Known issues

Below you can check the complete list of all known issues coming with the latest Patch Tuesday updates for Windows 11.

For KB5033375 we have the following known issues:

Applies to	Symptom	Workaround
IT admins	Using the FixedDrivesEncryptionType or SystemDrivesEncryptionType policy settings in the BitLocker configuration service provider (CSP) node in mobile device management (MDM) apps might incorrectly show a 65000 error in the “Require Device Encryption” setting for some devices in your environment. Affected environments are those with the “Enforce drive encryption type on operating system drives” or “Enforce drive encryption on fixed drives” policies set to enabled and selecting either “full encryption” or “used space only”. Microsoft Intune is affected by this issue but third-party MDMs might also pe affected.Important This issue is a reporting issue only and does not affect drive encryption or the reporting of other issues on the device, including other BitLocker issues.	To mitigate this issue in Microsoft Intune, you can set the “Enforce drive encryption type on operating system drives” or “Enforce drive encryption on fixed drives” policies to not configured.We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.
All users	Windows devices using more than one (1) monitor might experience issues with desktop icons moving unexpectedly between monitors or other icon alignment issues when attempting to use Copilot in Windows (in preview).	To prevent users from encountering this issue, Copilot in Windows (in preview) might not be available on devices that have been used or are currently being used in a multimonitor configuration.We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.
All users	The color font format for COLRv1 does not render properly. This format enables Windows to display emoji with a 3D-like appearance.	We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.
All users	Windows devices using more than one (1) monitor might experience issues with desktop icons moving unexpectedly between monitors or other icon alignment issues when attempting to use Copilot in Windows (in preview).	To prevent users from encountering this issue, Copilot in Windows (in preview) might not be available on devices that have been used or are currently being used in a multimonitor configuration.We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.
All users	When using physical media or disc images (ISO) to install Windows 11, version 23H2 (also referred to as the Windows 11 2023 Update) on a device, Microsoft Narrator might not start.Narrator is commonly initialized using keyboard commands, such as Ctrl + Windows key + Enter. Although Narrator is present in Windows when the installation process begins, it might open in an unresponsive state when initialized using any method.Please note this issue does not occur when Windows 11, version 23H2 is installed using Windows Update on a device which is already running Windows 10 or Windows 11. This issue only occurs when physical media or ISOs are used for this installation and Narrator is only affected while the installation process is taking place. It should continue to work as expected once the installation is completed.	We are working on a resolution and updated media which can be used to install Windows 11, version 23H2 without this issue. We will provide an update in an upcoming release.

For KB5033369:

Applies to	Symptom	Workaround
IT admins	Using the FixedDrivesEncryptionType or SystemDrivesEncryptionType policy settings in the BitLocker configuration service provider (CSP) node in mobile device management (MDM) apps might incorrectly show a 65000 error in the “Require Device Encryption” setting for some devices in your environment. Affected environments are those with the “Enforce drive encryption type on operating system drives” or “Enforce drive encryption on fixed drives” policies set to enabled and selecting either “full encryption” or “used space only”. Microsoft Intune is affected by this issue but third-party MDMs might also pe affected.Important This issue is a reporting issue only and does not affect drive encryption or the reporting of other issues on the device, including other BitLocker issues.	To mitigate this issue in Microsoft Intune, you can set the “Enforce drive encryption type on operating system drives” or “Enforce drive encryption on fixed drives” policies to not configured.We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.