Windows 11 March 2023 Update Issues: (KB5023706)

Summary: Struggling with one of the many Windows 11 upgrade issues- Windows 11 March 2023 Update earlier this year? This Windows update was causing issues with the performance of SSDs. Let’s understand how we can resolve the KB5023706 update issue.

According to an official post on the Microsoft Blog, Security patches are released on the second Tuesday of every month at exactly 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (PST).

And so it was on Tuesday, the 14th of March 2023 — on “patch tuesday”, as Microsoft calls it, Windows update number KB5023706 was released to the public.

It was a mandatory upgrade that fixed 83 security holes in the operating system, and we would not have much more to say if that had been all.

Unfortunately, millions of users around the globe faced minor as well as serious issues with the Windows 11 upgrade.

Read on to know more.

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Table of Content:

• What’s New In The Windows 11 Update?
• What Are The Issues With The Windows 11 Upgrade?
• How To Fix The Update Not Installing?
• Things To Remember

What’s New In The Windows 11 Update? [Windows 11 March 2023 Update]

Before we get into the issues with the Windows 11 upgrade, let us first see what notable fixes were brought to us in this patch.

1. The snipping tool can now record video. (The Xbox game bar can still do this).
2. You can now link your iOS phone to Windows 11 devices. (Natively through the Phone Link App).
3. Aimed at programmers and developers, the notepad now features tabbed browsing.
4. The taskbar has been optimized for tablet use.
5. There have been major upgrades to the voice assistant, Cortana.
6. The update launches phase 3 of DCOM hardening as outlined here, in update KB5004442.
7. Issues with the file explorer Shift + Tab functionality have been fixed.

That said, the issues with the Windows 11 upgrade seem to far outweigh any benefits it brings.

The next section will outline the most major issues with the Windows 11 Upgrade number KB5023706.

What Are The Issues With The Windows 11 March 2023 Update?

Listed below are the reported issues with the Windows 11 upgrade (KB5023706).

Some of these issues are serious, and others, not so much.

1. Data Loss And Permissions Errors

By far, one of the major issues with the Windows 11 upgrade is the risk of data loss.

This risk seems to be compounded for people who host servers on their devices, such as ApacheSQL or MySQL, for example.

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As user BenokanDeepBlue reported on Github, he received a “Connection Timeout” error when he attempted to run his Windows Subsystem.

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Another example would be of user Jesús002 reporting on the official microsoft forum that the update crippled his antivirus from running properly.

Jesús002 also mentioned explicitly that he believes this could lead to data and program loss for him and other users who faced similar LSA (Local Security Authority) issues with the Windows 11 upgrade.

If you have faced some sort of data loss on Windows, the first solution would be to use system restore to go back in time” to a safer place.

However, if you do not have a system restore point before the update, or if you need data that you got recently, your best bet would be to use a professional, purpose-built data recovery tool for Windows.

Also Read: Best Methods to Find Lost or Missing Files on Windows 10/11

2. Storage Media Performance Issues

Though data loss was one of the most critical issues with the Windows 11 upgrade, the thing that hassled the most users was actually slower SSD and HDD speeds.

Here is what Reddit user u/QNAPDaniel has to say on the matter:

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Another Reddit user, martin0297 is also facing issues with his computer games, which could be a direct result of this SSD mishap.

In another example, here is what Reddit user u/mesp21 reports:

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The slower SSD and HDD storage issues have been the most documented issues with the Windows 11 upgrade, and there has been no proper fix as such, yet.

If you are facing slower read and write speeds, and they are really affecting you, our advice would be to uninstall and revert the LCU (Latest Cumulative Update).

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3. Slow Boot Speeds

As an extension of the storage media performance issues with the Windows 11 upgrade listed above, many users face slower boot times.

Translation: Some users have to wait ridiculously long for their modern, previous, or even current-generation devices to start up.

Even if the users were not cold starting, it has not been uncommon for users to have boot-up wait times of three to five minutes.

The issue seems to be particular to laptops, though there have been documented cases of desktop computers with the same problem.

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4. Slower Internet Speeds

As Reddit user u/thienphucn1 reported on the official Windows 11 subreddit, update KB5023706 seems to wreak havoc with the device’s WLAN PCIE card.

If your wifi is turning on and off randomly, or if you are facing significantly laggy and slow internet, it is quite possible that this update is to blame.

A potential fix to this problem is to navigate to “Change Power Plan” > “Change Advanced Power Settings” > “Link State Power Management” > Toggle to “Off”.

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5. Update Refusing To Install- Windows 11 March 2023 Update

In a lot of cases, one of the main issues with the Windows 11 upgrade has been that the upgrade is refusing to install, displaying an error message when attempted.

Now, with all the problems it is causing, wouldn’t it be better to avoid the update altogether?

Actually, no.

Being a “patch Tuesday” update, it brings important security fixes, and those outweigh the problems that come with update KB5023706.

Information on how to fix the update not installing is given below.

How To Fix The Update Not Installing?

Here is how to manually install Windows 11 update number KB5023706:

1. Navigate to the Microsoft Update catalog website, available at this link.

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2. In the search bar, key in “KB5023706”, and hit enter.

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3. For most people, the right download will be the second one, for x64 based systems. Click the download button.

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4. In the pop up dialog box that appears, click on the hyperlink to begin your download.

5. Navigate to wherever the MSU file was saved, and double-click it. Wait for the installation to complete.

6. Restart your computer.

Things To Remember- Windows 11 March 2023 Update

These were the biggest issues with the Windows 11 upgrade number KB5023706, and as you can see, some of them were quite serious.

The puzzling part of this equation is that not all users have been affected, with the affected being estimated at just over 20%.

If you do happen to fall within that unfortunate 20%, a simple fix would be to roll back your Windows update, or install the update.

If you have lost data, as was the case with many, many users, use Stellar Data Recovery Software.

Any questions as to how the data recovery tool for Windows works, you can always reach out to our super-friendly and helpful team at Stellar.

Hopefully, you found this article insightful, and we’ll see you in the next one.

Also Read: Free Unlimited Data Recovery Software in 2023