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What Key Upgrades Does the Windows 11 KB5072033 Update Offer for Dark Mode and File Explorer?
The mandatory December 2025 security update for Windows 11, KB5072033, is now available. It applies to versions 25H2 and 24H2, delivering important performance enhancements, user interface refinements, and system fixes. This update elevates Windows 11 25H2 to Build 26200.7462 and version 24H2 to Build 26100.7462.
Significant Gaming Performance Fixes
This update addresses critical issues for gamers, particularly those using AMD GPUs. It resolves long-standing problems that caused frequent GPU crashes and driver-related errors in several popular games. Key improvements include:
- Enhanced GPU Stability: The update significantly reduces “GPU hung” and “driver removed” errors for users with certain AMD Radeon graphics cards running recent drivers.
- Reduced Stutter: Applications and games should experience less stuttering during launch on monitors with very high resolutions or high refresh rates.
- Memory Leak Correction: A memory leak associated with the lock screen slideshow feature has been patched. This leak could degrade system performance over time, impacting gameplay.
Refined User Interface and Experience
KB5072033 introduces several visual and functional improvements to the Windows 11 interface. These changes create a more consistent and efficient user experience.
- Comprehensive Dark Mode: All system dialogs in File Explorer now correctly apply dark mode. This includes pop-ups for file deletion confirmations and file transfer progress, which now use a dark background with appropriately colored accents.
- File Explorer Fixes: Several File Explorer bugs are resolved. The update corrects an issue that prevented video thumbnails from displaying, stops the toolbar from appearing unexpectedly, and restores the “Open” command’s app icon in the context menu.
- Consistent UI Sizing: The height of the Windows Search interface now matches the Start menu, creating a more visually balanced appearance.
- Drag Tray Upgrade: The Drag tray feature for Nearby Sharing now supports sharing multiple files at once, including files synced directly from OneDrive.
Advanced System Management Tools
The update consolidates advanced system features into a more accessible location. Under Settings, a “Virtual Workspaces” area now allows you to manage developer and virtualization tools directly. This eliminates the need to navigate to different locations like the Control Panel’s Optional Features. Features you can now toggle from this central location include:
- Windows Sandbox
- Virtual Machine Platform (enabling WSL2)
- Windows Hypervisor Platform
- Containers and Guarded Host
- Hyper-V management tools
How to Download and Install the Update
You can install KB5072033 through the standard Windows Update process by navigating to Settings > Windows Update. The system will typically download and install it automatically during its next check.
For users experiencing slow downloads or failures, direct download links for the offline installer (.msu file) are available from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Before downloading, verify your system’s specific OS version and architecture by going to Settings > System > About. The update file size is approximately 4.2 GB because it bundles AI models for Copilot+ PCs, which are downloaded even on systems that do not support these features.
Other Notable Improvements
- A bug that affected backlight performance for some keyboards has been fixed.
- Device management for connected phones is improved under Bluetooth & Devices > Mobile Devices.
- The update resolves an issue where virtual machines could lose their physical network adapter (NIC).
The only known issue acknowledged by Microsoft is an ongoing bug from a previous update where the password icon may disappear from the lock screen.