Windows 11's KB5048667 mandatory update keeps pushing ads as "personalized offers"

It’s that time of the month. Microsoft has recently released the KB5048667 mandatory update for the Windows 11 24H2 version. With that, the company brings “personalized offers” to your desktop.

That’s just a fancy way of saying that it’s an ad, which has been tested across Windows Insider channels for months. Basically, it shows tailored recommendations and ads based on your previous selections during the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE) setup when you first set up Windows 11.

But don’t fret, though. You can still opt out of it by going to Settings > Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback to disable it.

The mandatory “Patch Tuesday” update also brings cosmetic changes to the taskbar, like a shortened date and time display in Windows 11’s system tray and the option to remove the notification bell icon, along with security updates such as those for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8.1.

With that, Microsoft also addresses issues like taskbar clutter and notification settings, as well as bugs in File Explorer. It also improves compatibility with touchscreens and improves performance with Mica transparency effects.

As for the 22H2 and 23H2 versions of Windows 11, Microsoft also launched the KB5048685 update. This update also brings all the tidbits that we’ve previously mentioned, although they won’t completely roll out to everyone as soon as these updates are installed.

That’s all for Windows 11’s mandatory security updates of December 2024. Microsoft has previously reminded users that there won’t be any non-security updates left in 2024 as the holiday season of Christmas and New Year’s Eve is approaching.

You can download both KB5048667 & KB5048685 updates for Windows 11 24H2, 23H2, and 22H2 versions via Settings > Windows Update.