Serious Discussion Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview builds [Mega-Thread]

[Amanda Langowski]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1350 (KB5041871) to the Dev Channel. This update is delivered in a format that offers a preview of enhancements to servicing technology on Windows 11, version 24H2. To learn more, see Introducing Windows 11 checkpoint cumulative updates. REMINDER: Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel will now receive updates based on Windows 11, version 24H2 via an enablement package (Build 26120.xxxx). For Insiders in the Dev Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle (shown in the image below) to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready. [caption id="attachment_176587" align="alignnone" width="670"] Turn on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available to get new features rolled out to you.[/caption] Going forward, we will document changes in Dev Channel builds in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available and then new features, improvements, and fixes available to everyone in the Dev Channel.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*​

[General]​

• When installing an MSIX package either locally or via the web (ms-appinstaller://?source=), we are beginning to roll out a change where Microsoft SmartScreen is used to verify the source of the MSIX package and if it’s safe to install.

[Windows Share]​

• We are rolling out the ability to easily share content to an Android device from Windows share window. The feature requires you to pair your Android device to your Windows PC using the Link to Windows app on Android and Phone Link on your PC.

[caption id="attachment_177181" align="alignnone" width="609"] Updated UI for sharing content to an Android device via the Windows share window showing an updated icon in the Nearby Share section.[/caption]

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*​

[Task Manager]​

• Fixed the issue causing graphs on the Performance page in Task Manager to not show the correct colors when using dark mode again.

Fixes for everyone in the Dev Channel​

[Windows Sandbox]​

• We fixed the issue causing Windows Sandbox to fail to launch with error 0x80370106.

[Voice Access]​

• Fixed an issue where Voice Access commands weren’t working for non-English supported languages.

Known issues​

[General]​

• [IMPORTANT] Windows Insiders joining the Dev Channel on PCs running Windows 11, version 24H2 Build 26100.xxxx will see "(repair version)" noted next to the latest Dev Channel build from Windows Update. This is nothing to worry about as all it means is that an in-place upgrade will happen to update your PC to the latest build in the Dev Channel.
• Adding additional languages or optional features may fail with error 0x800f081f.

[Task Manager]​

• Navigating between different pages in Task Manager may crash Task Manager.

[Input]​

• We’re working on the fix for an issue causing text suggestions for the hardware keyboard to not work properly (selecting one unexpectedly concatenates).

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel​

• Updates released to the Dev Channel are based off Windows 11, version 24H2.
• Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
• Many features in the Dev Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you*, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
• Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.
• Copilot in Windows** is being rolled out gradually to Windows Insiders across our global markets. Customers in the European Economic Area will be able to download the Copilot in Windows experience as an app from the Microsoft Store.

Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Source: Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1350 (Dev Channel)

 

[Amanda Langowski]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4010 (KB5041869) to the Beta Channel. REMINDER: Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel will receive updates based on Windows 11, version 23H2 via an enablement package (Build 22635.xxxx). For Insiders in the Beta Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle (shown in the image below) to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready. [caption id="attachment_176587" align="alignnone" width="670"] Turn on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available to get new features rolled out to you.[/caption] Going forward, we will document changes in Beta Channel builds in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available and then new features, improvements, and fixes available to everyone in the Beta Channel.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*​

[Taskbar & System Tray]​

• The more simplified system tray with shortened date/time change that began rolling out with Build 22635.3930 is now beginning to roll out again to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel after temporarily disabling the experience to address some issues.

[caption id="attachment_177177" align="alignnone" width="345"] Simplified system tray shown with shortened form data and time and no notification bell icon.[/caption]

• For Insiders in the Beta Channel who have the experience where we show jump lists when you hover your mouse cursor over apps on the taskbar that have jump lists that began rolling out with Build 22635.4000, there is a setting to turn this off should you want to via Settings > Personalization > Taskbar under “Taskbar behaviors”.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*​

[Taskbar]​

• Fixed a recent issue where if you pressed the Shift key when you right clicked on an app icon on the taskbar, it was opening another instance of the app rather than opening the expected menu. As part of this fix, we also fixed an issue where if you pressed the Shift key when right-clicking on an app icon on the taskbar would sometimes crash explorer.exe.

[Task Manager]​

• Fixed an issue where the dropdown at the top of the GPU section of Performance wasn’t showing in dark mode when dark mode was enabled.

Known issues​

[Taskbar]​

• We’re working on the fix for an issue causing explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when closing apps from the taskbar in the latest builds.

[File Explorer]​

Insiders in the Beta Channel with the updated Recent, Favorites, and Shared sections on the File Explorer homepage may see the following known issues:

• Keyboard focus may be lost on selection of an unselected tab item.

[Input]​

• We are working on the fix for an issue causing the emoji panel to close when trying to switch to the kaomoji and symbols sections, or after selecting an emoji.

Paint Update​

We are rolling out an update for Paint (version 11.2406.36.0 and newer) to Windows Insiders in the Beta and Release Preview Channels that introduces the following improvements:

• Pen back button eraser support: In the new update, users can now seamlessly switch from their current tool to erase by pressing on the eraser button or flipping to the back of the stylus pen to erase.
• Pen support lasso select in pen side button: In the latest update, users can click on the side button when they hover the stylus pen over the screen to use the free-form selection tool and select anything on the canvas quickly.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Paint.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel​

• Updates released to the Beta Channel are based off Windows 11, version 23H2.
• Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
• Many features in the Beta Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you*, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
• Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

• Copilot in Windows** is being rolled out gradually to Windows Insiders across our global markets. Customers in the European Economic Area will be able to download the Copilot in Windows experience as an app from the Microsoft Store.

Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Source: Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4010 (Beta Channel)

 

[Amanda Langowski]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27686 to the Canary Channel. If you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel or retail, please take note of a known issue below. We are also not planning to release SDKs for 27xxx series builds for the time being.

What’s new with Build 27686​

Windows Sandbox Client Preview​

This build includes the new Windows Sandbox Client Preview that is now updated via the Microsoft Store. As part of this preview, we’re introducing runtime clipboard redirection, audio/video input control, and the ability to share folders with the host at runtime. You can access these via the new “…” icon at the upper right on the app. Additionally, this preview includes a super early version of command line support (commands may change over time). You can use ‘wsb.exe --help’ command for more information. [caption id="attachment_177242" align="alignnone" width="710"] Windows Sandbox Client Preview with new dropdown showing clipboard redirection, audio/video input control, and the ability to share folders with the host.[/caption] FEEDBACK: Send us feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Security & Privacy > Windows Sandbox.

Changes and Improvements​

[General]​

• Some features that were previously rolled out to Insiders in the Canary Channel may disappear as we flight newer 27xxx series builds. These features should begin rolling out again to Insiders over time.
• We've made optimizations to improve battery life for PCs running Build 27686+ in the Canary Channel. Let us know what you think and if you are not seeing the battery life on your PC you are expecting, let us know via Feedback Hub. When filing feedback in Feedback Hub on any battery life issues you experience, be sure to use the “Start recording” button to capture additional logs.

[Settings]​

• In response to feedback, we have added a detach virtual hard disk (VHD/`VHDx) button to Settings making it much simpler to detach your VHD/VHDx as needed. This option is available under Settings > System > Storage > Disks & Volumes, in the properties for your VHD/VHDx.

[caption id="attachment_177244" align="alignnone" width="650"] New detach VHD button under highlighted in a red box in properties of attached VHD in Settings.[/caption]

[Networking]​

• To help us evaluate future improvements in network performance, your device may periodically run network tests in the background to collect diagnostic data. These tests will use a small amount of data (up to 10MB/day) and will only run on Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections that are not marked as metered. This will only occur on PCs in the Canary Channel running Build 27686 and higher.

[Storage]​

• When formatting disks from the command line using the format command, we've increased the FAT32 size limit from 32GB to 2TB.

Fixes ​

[Dev Drive]​

• Fixed an issue where Dev Drive VHDs weren’t automatically re-mounting when the underlying volume was dismounted and brought back online.

[Lock screen]​

• Did some work to help address an issue where the battery icon displayed on the lock screen might be out of sync with the actual battery level of your PC.

[Windows Security]​

• Fixed an issue in the Windows Security app where if you browsed the networks under Firewall & Network protection, it showed a broken glyph (a rectangle) next to the network name rather than a network icon.

[Settings]​

• Fixed an issue under Settings > System > Storage > Disks and Volumes, where there was no space between the Create and Attach VHD buttons.
• Fixed an issue where the power mode option in Settings > System > Power & Battery was showing in cases where it couldn’t be changed, leading to a blank dropdown.
• Fixed an issue where if you searched in Settings for Kiosk and clicked the result for setting up kiosk mode, it wouldn’t navigate to the correct page for doing that.

[Other]​

• Fixed an issue in Registry Editor where when editing a DWORD or QWORD if you pasted in a HEX value into the text box and saved it, the value saved might not be the one you had entered (for example, pasting 0x1 would become 0x411).

Known issues​

[General]​

• [IMPORTANT NOTE FOR COPILOT+ PCs] If you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel or retail, you will lose Windows Hello pin and biometrics to sign into your PC with error 0xd0000225 and error message “Something went wrong, and your PIN isn’t available”. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN”.

[Input]​

• We are working on the fix for an issue causing the emoji panel to close when trying to switch to the kaomoji and symbols sections, or after selecting an emoji.

[UPDATED!] Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel​

• The builds we release to the Canary Channel represent the latest platform changes early in the development cycle and should not be seen as matched to any specific release of Windows and features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
• Many features in the Canary Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Some features may show up in the Dev and Beta Channels first before showing up in the Canary Channel.
• To get off the Canary Channel, a clean install of Windows 11 will be required. As a reminder - Insiders can’t switch to a channel that is receiving builds with lower build numbers without doing a clean installation of Windows 11 due to technical setup requirements.

• The desktop watermark shown at the lower right corner of the desktop is normal for these pre-release builds.

• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Source: Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27686 (Canary Channel)

 

[Amanda Langowski]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1542 (KB5041872) to the Dev Channel. This update is delivered in a format that offers a preview of enhancements to servicing technology on Windows 11, version 24H2. To learn more, see Introducing Windows 11 checkpoint cumulative updates. Please note we will not be publishing symbols for this build. REMINDER: Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel will now receive updates based on Windows 11, version 24H2 via an enablement package (Build 26120.xxxx). For Insiders in the Dev Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle (shown in the image below) to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready. [caption id="attachment_176587" align="alignnone" width="670"] Turn on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available to get new features rolled out to you.[/caption] Going forward, we will document changes in Dev Channel builds in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available and then new features, improvements, and fixes available to everyone in the Dev Channel.

New features gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*​

New position for the Widgets entry-point on left-aligned taskbars ​

We’re beginning to roll out a new position for the Widgets entry-point on left-aligned taskbars. The taskbar entry-point will move to the left of the systems tray and will be wider so you can see richer content from Widgets on your taskbar. When you launch the Widgets board, it will fly out from the right side instead of the left side. [caption id="attachment_176973" align="alignnone" width="477"] The Widgets entry-point at its new position to the left of system tray on a left-aligned taskbar.[/caption] FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Widgets.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*​

[Taskbar & System Tray]​

• Updated the taskbar to now support first letter navigation, so when keyboard focus is set to the taskbar (WIN + T), you can press a letter, and it will jump to the open or pinned app whose name starts with that letter. Pressing the letter multiple times will jump to the subsequent app which starts with that letter, if there are multiple apps for that letter. For those using uncombined taskbar, rather than app name, the first letter navigation will use window name. Along with this, pressing Home and End will now move keyboard focus to the first and last (respectively) items in the taskbar.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*​

[Input]​

• Fixed an issue causing text suggestions for the hardware keyboard to not work properly (selecting one unexpectedly concatenated).
• Fixed an issue causing the emoji panel to close when trying to switch to the kaomoji and symbols sections, or after selecting an emoji.

[Other]​

• Fixed an issue in Registry Editor where when editing a DWORD or QWORD if you pasted in a HEX value into the text box and saved it, the value saved might not be the one you had entered (for example, pasting 0x1 would become 0x411).

Fixes for everyone in the Dev Channel​

[General]​

• Fixed an issue where adding additional languages or optional features might fail with error 0x800f081f in the last few flights.

[Other]​

• [Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist file (DriverSiPolicy.p7b)] This update adds to the list of drivers that are at risk for Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks.
• [Group Policy Preferences Item Level Targeting (ILT) and Local Users and Groups] You cannot choose a group from the target domain for ILT. Also, you cannot choose an account from Local Users and Groups. The forest does not appear. This issue occurs when you deploy multiple forests, and the target domain has a one-way trust with the domain of the admin. This issue affects Enhanced Security Admin Environment (ESAE), Hardened Forests (HF), or Privileged Access Management (PAM) deployments.
• [NetJoinLegacyAccountReuse] This update removes this registry key. For more information refer to KB5020276—Netjoin: Domain join hardening changes.
• [Share button] On USB controllers, the button might not work with Game Bar.
• [GPU-Paravirtualized VM or Container] After you restart it, graphic allocation creation might fail. Because of this, the VM and Container are not as reliable as you expect.
• [Domain Name System (DNS)] This update hardens DNS server security to address CVE-2024-37968. If the configurations of your domains are not up to date, you might get the SERVFAIL error or time out.
• [PowerShell and VBScript] The issue stops you from using Windows Update Agent (WUA) APIs in your scripts.
• [BitLocker] A firmware update might fail if you turn on BitLocker.

Known issues​

[General]​

• [IMPORTANT] Windows Insiders joining the Dev Channel on PCs running Windows 11, version 24H2 Build 26100.xxxx will see "(repair version)" noted next to the latest Dev Channel build from Windows Update. This is nothing to worry about as all it means is that an in-place upgrade will happen to update your PC to the latest build in the Dev Channel.

[Task Manager]​

• Navigating between different pages in Task Manager may crash Task Manager.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel​

• Updates released to the Dev Channel are based off Windows 11, version 24H2.
• Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
• Many features in the Dev Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you*, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
• Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Source: Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1542 (Dev Channel)

 

[Amanda Langowski]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4076 (KB5041873) to the Beta Channel. REMINDER: Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel will receive updates based on Windows 11, version 23H2 via an enablement package (Build 22635.xxxx). For Insiders in the Beta Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle (shown in the image below) to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready. [caption id="attachment_176587" align="alignnone" width="670"] Turn on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available to get new features rolled out to you.[/caption] Going forward, we will document changes in Beta Channel builds in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available and then new features, improvements, and fixes available to everyone in the Beta Channel.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*​

[Windows Studio Effects]​

• The improvement introduced with Build 22635.3930 that introduces a Studio Effects icon in the system tray when using any application with a Studio Effects-enabled camera has temporarily been disabled with this build. We plan to re-enable this feature in a future flight.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*​

[File Explorer]​

• Fixed an issue where keyboard focus might get lost on selection of an unselected tab item.

[Voice Access]​

• Fixed an issue where Voice Access commands weren’t working for non-English supported languages.

[Input]​

• Fixed an issue causing the emoji panel to close when trying to switch to the kaomoji and symbols sections, or after selecting an emoji.

[Other]​

• Fixed an issue in Registry Editor where when editing a DWORD or QWORD if you pasted in a HEX value into the text box and saved it, the value saved might not be the one you had entered (for example, pasting 0x1 would become 0x411).

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel​

• [NetAdapterCx module] A system stops responding when large amounts of data travel over Wi-Fi. This issue occurs on devices that have certain wireless network cards.
• [Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist file (DriverSiPolicy.p7b)] This update adds to the list of drivers that are at risk for Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks.
• [Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC)]
  • When you apply WDAC Application ID policies, some apps might fail.
  • A memory leak occurs that might exhaust system memory as time goes by. This issue occurs when you provision a device.
• [Group Policy Preferences Item Level Targeting (ILT) and Local Users and Groups] You cannot choose a group from the target domain for ILT. Also, you cannot choose an account from Local Users and Groups. The forest does not appear. This issue occurs when you deploy multiple forests, and the target domain has a one-way trust with the domain of the admin. This issue affects Enhanced Security Admin Environment (ESAE), Hardened Forests (HF), or Privileged Access Management (PAM) deployments.
• [Autopilot] Using it to provision Surface Laptop SE devices fails.
• [FrameShutdownDelay] The browser ignores its value in the “HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main” registry key.
• [Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCPIP)] The issue causes high CPU usage and loss of packets. It also affects TCP connection success rates.
• [Cache manager] It might stop responding. This occurs when you use Hyperthreading on Windows Server 2022.
• [Print Support App] When you use the app with a USB device, the app stops responding and does not print. This issue also limits the functions of the user interface.
• [Universal Print clients] They fail to communicate with the Universal Print service. This affects printing functions. This issue occurs when you turn on Web Proxy Auto Discovery (WPAD).
• [NetJoinLegacyAccountReuse] This update removes this registry key. For more information refer to KB5020276—Netjoin: Domain join hardening changes.
• [Windows Backup] Backup sometimes fails. This occurs when a device has an Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) system partition (ESP).
• [PowerShell and VBScript] The issue stops you from using Windows Update Agent (WUA) APIs in your scripts.

Known issues​

[Taskbar]​

• We’re working on the fix for an issue causing explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when closing apps from the taskbar in the latest builds.

[File Explorer]​

• [NEW] We’re working on the fix for an issue causing explorer.exe to crash when interacting with archive files starting with the previous flight.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel​

• Updates released to the Beta Channel are based off Windows 11, version 23H2.
• Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
• Many features in the Beta Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you*, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
• Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Source: Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4076 (Beta Channel)

 

[Brandon LeBlanc]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 11 Builds 22621.4108 and 22631.4108 (KB5041587) to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel on Windows 11, version 22H2 (Build 22621) and version 23H2 (Build 22631). Below is a summary of the new features and improvements included as part of this update separated into two sections: gradual rollout and normal rollout. The bold text within the brackets indicates the item or area of the change we are documenting.

Gradual rollout​

These might not be available to all users because they will roll out gradually. Text bolded in brackets indicate the area of the change being documented.

• [Windows Share] New! You can now share content to your Android device from the Windows Share window. To do this, you must pair your Android device to your Windows PC. Use the Link to Windows app on your Android device and Phone Link on your PC.
• [File Explorer]
  • When you press Windows logo key + E, a screen reader might say a pane has focus, or the focus might not be set at all.
  • When you press Ctrl + F, sometimes the search does not start.
  • Keyboard focus sometimes might get lost when you press Shift + Tab.
  • Screen readers do not announce when you open or browse items that are in a breadcrumb of the Open or Save dialog.
  • Screen readers do not announce when you open or browse items in the column header.
• [Narrator] This update makes scan mode respond quicker. This is especially helpful when you use Microsoft Edge and read large documents. To use scan mode, you must turn on Narrator first (Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter). Then, turn on scan mode by pressing Caps lock + Spacebar during a Narrator session.
• [Voice access] You can now dictate the characters that you spell at a faster speed. You also have more editing options for the commands that select, delete, and move within text.

Normal rollout​

This update includes the following features and improvements that are rolling out as part of this update. Text bolded in brackets indicates the area of the change being documented.

• [Input Method Editor (IME)] When a combo box has input focus, a memory leak might occur when you close that window.
• [Country and Operator Settings Asset] This update brings COSA profiles up to date for certain mobile operators.
• [Bluetooth] External devices lose their connection when you deploy certain Bluetooth policies.
• [Bind Filter Driver] Your system might stop responding when it accesses symbolic links.
• [File Explorer] The navigation pane does not update when you browse folders that are in a shell namespace extension.
• [Unified Write Filter (UWF) and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)] An SCCM task to re-enable UWF fails because of a deadlock in UWF. This stops the device from restarting when you expect it.
• [Hibernate stop error] Your laptop stops responding after you resume it from hibernate. This occurs if you have closed and opened the lid many times.
• [Microsoft Entra single sign-on (SSO)] The SSO notice that the European Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires prompts too often. This occurs when you authenticate using a certificate. To learn more, see Upcoming changes to Windows single sign-on.

Thanks, Windows Insider Program Team

Source: Releasing Windows 11 Build 22621.4108 and 22631.4108 to the Release Preview Channel

 

[Brandon LeBlanc]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 11 Build 26100.1586 (KB5041865) to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel on Windows 11, version 24H2 (Build 16100). Below is a summary of the new features and improvements included as part of this update.

Normal rollout​

This update includes the following features and improvements that are rolling out as part of this update. Text bolded in brackets indicates the area of the change being documented.

• [FrameShutdownDelay] The browser ignores its value in the “HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main” registry key.
• [Domain Name System (DNS)] A deadlock occurs in the domain controller (DC) when it starts up in the DNS client.
• [OpenSSH] This update adds a prompt that asks you to confirm when you turn on OpenSSH using the Server Manager UI.

Thanks, Windows Insider Program Team

Source: Releasing Windows 11 Build 26100.1586 to the Release Preview Channel

 

[Brandon LeBlanc]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 10 22H2 Build 19045.4842 (KB5041582) to BOTH the Beta Channel and Release Preview Channel for Insiders who are on Windows 10, version 22H2. The Beta Channel and Release Preview Channel will receive the same Windows 10 builds; however, the Beta Channel is where we will try new features out with Insiders that we’re working on that are not yet ready for all Windows 10 customers. You can read our announcement for opening the Beta Channel for Windows Insiders on Windows 10 here.

This update includes the following features and improvements for Windows Insiders in BOTH the Beta and Release Preview Channels​

Items bolded in brackets indicate the area of the change being documented:

• [Input Method Editor (IME)] When a combo box has input focus, a memory leak might occur when you close that window.
• [Country and Operator Settings Asset] This update brings COSA profiles up to date for certain mobile operators.
• [Bluetooth] An app stops responding because of a memory leak in a device.
• [Bind Filter Driver] Your system might stop responding when it accesses symbolic links.
• [Unified Write Filter (UWF) and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)] An SCCM task to re-enable UWF fails because of a deadlock in UWF. This stops the device from restarting when you expect it.

Thanks, The Windows Insider Program Team

Source: Releasing Windows 10 Build 19045.4842 to Beta and Release Preview Channels

 

[Amanda Langowski]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4082 (KB5041876) to the Beta Channel. REMINDER: Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel will receive updates based on Windows 11, version 23H2 via an enablement package (Build 22635.xxxx). For Insiders in the Beta Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle (shown in the image below) to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready. [caption id="attachment_176587" align="alignnone" width="670"] Turn on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available to get new features rolled out to you.[/caption] Going forward, we will document changes in Beta Channel builds in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available and then new features, improvements, and fixes available to everyone in the Beta Channel.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*​

[Notifications]​

• If desired, there’s now an option to turn off the suggestions to disable notifications from certain apps. You can now press the “…” within the notification to disable the notification, as you can with other notifications, or you can go to the list of notification senders in Settings > System > Notifications and turn it off from there (called “Notification Suggestions” in the list). Note – this entry will only appear in the senders list after you have received one.

[Lock screen]​

• We have updated the Lock screen so that the media controls will now show at the lower bottom center of the Lock screen now when media is being played.

[caption id="attachment_177265" align="alignnone" width="754"] Updated position of media controls shown on the Lock screen when media is being played highlighted in a red box.[/caption]

[Settings]​

• We’ve designed the settings page for Delivery Optimization under Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization to match the Windows 11 design principles.

[caption id="attachment_177267" align="alignnone" width="682"] Delivery Optimization settings page with updated design.[/caption]

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*​

[Taskbar & System Tray]​

• Fixed an issue causing explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when closing apps from the taskbar in the latest flights.

[Start menu]​

• Fixed an issue causing the Start menu to crash on launch in the last few flights for some Insiders.

[Other]​

• Fixed an issue causing a memory leak after receiving certain notifications.

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel​

[Other]​

• [NetJoinLegacyAccountReuse] This update removes this registry key. For more information refer to KB5020276—Netjoin: Domain join hardening changes.

Known issues​

[File Explorer]​

• We’re working on the fix for an issue causing explorer.exe to crash when interacting with archive files in the latest Beta flights.
• [NEW] We’re working on the fix for an issue causing File Explorer to crash when going to Home for some Insiders with the previous flight. If you are impacted by this and are having issues launching File Explorer because it’s set to Home, as a workaround one option is to use the Run dialog (WIN + R) to open specific folders.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel​

• Updates released to the Beta Channel are based off Windows 11, version 23H2.
• Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
• Many features in the Beta Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you*, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
• Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Source: Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4082 (Beta Channel)

 

[Amanda Langowski]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4145 (KB5041881) to the Beta Channel. REMINDER: Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel will receive updates based on Windows 11, version 23H2 via an enablement package (Build 22635.xxxx). For Insiders in the Beta Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle (shown in the image below) to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready. [caption id="attachment_176587" align="alignnone" width="670"] Turn on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available to get new features rolled out to you.[/caption] Going forward, we will document changes in Beta Channel builds in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available and then new features, improvements, and fixes available to everyone in the Beta Channel.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*​

[General]​

• For new PCs or new user accounts on managed commercial devices (PCs running Windows 11 Enterprise, Education, or Pro logged in with an Entra ID (or domain), the Microsoft 365 app will be pinned to the taskbar for quick access to Copilot for Microsoft 365.

[Input]​

• We have updated Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Mouse to now include the option to turn off enhanced mouse pointer precision for those that would prefer to not use it and have added a new option for changing mouse scrolling direction.

[caption id="attachment_177202" align="alignnone" width="641"] New toggles for enhanced mouse pointer precision changing mouse scrolling direction highlighted in red boxes.[/caption]

• We have updated Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touch to have a new section for touch screen edge gestures, where you can choose if you would like to disable the left or right screen edge touch gesture.

[Desktop Spotlight] ​

We are trying out some adjustments to the Windows Spotlight experience on the desktop to include hotspots when users right-click on the Windows Spotlight icon. In addition, these changes will include two different UX treatments that Insiders will notice. There is no change to the interaction model where right click opens the experience in full screen and double clicking launches the Bing landing page. When in full screen, you will now see two hotspots which will be animated to aid discovery, and which will reveal additional information on hover. Clicking on a hotspot will close the full screen experience and launch the Bing landing page. [caption id="attachment_177280" align="alignnone" width="601"] With Treatment 1 you will see a reduced flyout and hotspots which reveal additional information on hover. Clicking on a hotspot will launch the Bing landing page.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_177281" align="alignnone" width="602"] With Treatment 2 you will see a minimized Spotlight experience and hotspots which reveal additional information on hover. Clicking on a hotspot will launch the Bing landing page.[/caption]

[Windows Share]​

• We’re adding the ability to share content to Notepad and Clipchamp directly from the Windows share window.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*​

[File Explorer]​

• Fixed an issue causing File Explorer to crash when navigating to Home for some Insiders with the two flights. This also led File Explorer to crash on launch if it opened directly to Home.
• Fixed an issue causing explorer.exe to crash when interacting with archive files in the last few flights.

[Start menu]​

• Fixed an issue where the text might be unreadable in the section of the Start menu with Phone Link features shown on the side.

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel​

[Other]​

This update includes fixes for the following issues:

• [File Explorer] The navigation pane does not update when you browse folders that are in a shell namespace extension.
• [Hibernate stop error] Your laptop stops responding after you resume it from hibernate. This occurs if you have closed and opened the lid many times.
• [Windows Hello for Business] PIN reset does not work when you select the “I forgot my PIN’ link on the credentials screen.
• [Bind Filter Driver] Your system might stop responding when it accesses symbolic links.
• [Bluetooth] External devices lose their connection when you deploy certain Bluetooth policies.
• [Microsoft Entra single sign-on (SSO)] The SSO notice that the European Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires prompts too often. This occurs when you authenticate using a certificate. To learn more, see Upcoming changes to Windows single sign-on.
• [Unified Write Filter (UWF) and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)] An SCCM task to re-enable UWF fails because of a deadlock in UWF. This stops the device from restarting when you expect it.
• [Country and Operator Settings Asset] This update brings COSA profiles up to date for certain mobile operators.
• [Input Method Editor (IME)] When a combo box has input focus, a memory leak might occur when you close that window.
• [BitLocker] You might not be able to decrypt a BitLocker data drive. This occurs when you move that drive from a newer version of Windows to an older version.

Known issues​

[Start menu]​

• [NEW] If you click or tap on a letter on Start menu's All apps list, the All apps list may break. If you encounter this issue, please try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel​

• Updates released to the Beta Channel are based off Windows 11, version 23H2.
• Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
• Many features in the Beta Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you*, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
• Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Source: Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4145 (Beta Channel)

 

[Amanda Langowski]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27695 to the Canary Channel. We are also not planning to release SDKs for 27xxx series builds for the time being.

What’s new with Build 27695​

New position for the Widgets entry-point on left-aligned taskbars ​

We’re beginning to roll out a new position for the Widgets entry-point on left-aligned taskbars. The taskbar entry-point will move to the left of the systems tray and will be wider so you can see richer content from Widgets on your taskbar. When you launch the Widgets board, it will fly out from the right side instead of the left side. [caption id="attachment_177272" align="alignnone" width="430"] The Widgets entry-point at its new position to the left of system tray on a left-aligned taskbar.[/caption] FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Widgets.

Windows LAPS: Retrieve encrypted passwords during Active Directory recovery situations​

Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) has been improved with a new ability to recover encrypted passwords from Active Directory (AD) backup media even when there are zero AD domain controllers running. Windows LAPS encrypted passwords offer much better security over the traditional approach of storing clear-text passwords in Active Directory. Windows LAPS password encryption is based on Cryptography API: Next Generation Data Protection API (CNG DPAPI). Under normal operating conditions, the decryption keys are always retrieved from a running AD domain controller. When an unexpected disaster occurs, there may be no AD domain controllers running. You can now use the Get-LapsADPassword PowerShell cmdlet to retrieve and decrypt Windows LAPS encrypted passwords from Active Directory backup media (mounted using the AD snapshot browser, aka dsamain.exe) with zero network interaction with any AD domain controller. In fact, this operation is now possible even when running on a non-domain-joined, workgroup machine. If you still have access to your AD backup media, all Windows LAPS encrypted passwords will now be recoverable regardless of the situation. This new improvement is implemented in the existing Get-LapsADPassword PowerShell cmdlet. When the -Port and -RecoveryMode parameters are both specified, any retrieved passwords will be automatically decrypted in a purely local operation using the decryption keys found in the snapshot browser. Step 1: Mount the Active Directory backup media database: [caption id="attachment_177273" align="alignnone" width="565"] Command line view of mounting an Active Directory backup media database.[/caption] Step 2: Recover the Windows LAPS passwords from the mounted AD backup media database: [caption id="attachment_177274" align="alignnone" width="560"] PowerShell view of recovering Windows LAPS passwords from a mounted Active Directory backup media database.[/caption] Step 3: This step is informative only; the screenshot below demonstrates that the above operations were executed on a workgroup machine: [caption id="attachment_177275" align="alignnone" width="567"] View of all the operations for executing recovery of Windows LAPS passwords from a mounted Active Directory backup media database.[/caption] In summary this improvement resolves a key Windows LAPS concern of how to recover Windows LAPS passwords in a disaster scenario where no AD domain controllers are running. For more information see: Retrieving passwords during AD disaster recovery scenarios.

Changes and Improvements​

[General]​

• Insider Preview Build Expiration: The expiration date for Insider Preview builds flighted to the Canary Channel has been updated to 9/15/2025 starting with Build 27691. Please make sure you are updated to the latest build in the Canary Channel.
• Some Insiders in the Canary Channel will begin to see an estimated time for how long their PC will be offline to install Build 27695. This estimate will be shown on the Windows Update settings page and via the Start menu power button.

[caption id="attachment_177276" align="alignnone" width="421"] Estimated time for how long a PC will be offline to install a build as shown on the Windows Update settings page.[/caption]

[Notifications]​

• If desired, there’s now an option to turn off the suggestions to disable notifications from certain apps. You can now press the “…” within the notification to disable the notification, as you can with other notifications, or you can go to the list of notification senders in Settings > System > Notifications and turn it off from there (called “Notification Suggestions” in the list). Note – this entry will only appear in the senders list after you have received one.

[Windows Share]​

• We are rolling out the ability to easily share content to an Android device from Windows share window. The feature requires you to pair your Android device to your Windows PC using the Link to Windows app on Android and Phone Link on your PC.

[caption id="attachment_177181" align="alignnone" width="466"] Updated UI for sharing content to an Android device via the Windows share window showing an updated icon in the Nearby Share section.[/caption]

[Widgets]​

• We are rolling out an update to the Widgets Board to improve security and the APIs for creating widgets and feeds for users in EEA regions. As part of this update, the Microsoft Start Experiences app will power the Microsoft Start widget and feed experiences. Also, as part of this update, some existing widgets will be removed and others will be modified, temporarily affecting their functionality. This update sets the foundation for new widgets and other features in development, set to roll out soon.

Fixes ​

[File Explorer]​

• Fixed an issue where when pressing WIN + E, a screen reader might unexpectedly say a pane had focus, or focus may not be set within File Explorer at all.
• Fixed an issue which was causing CTRL + F to sometimes not start a search in File Explorer.
• Fixed an issue where keyboard focus might get lost sometimes when doing Shift + Tab in File Explorer.
• Fixed an issue causing screen readers to not announce when you were opening or navigating items in the breadcrumb flyouts of the open or save dialog.
• Fixed an issue causing screen readers to not announce anything when opening or navigating items in the column header flyout in File Explorer.

[Task Manager]​

• Fixed an issue where the colors in the Performance section weren’t displayed correctly in dark mode.

[Windows Sandbox]​

• Fixed an underlying issue which could cause Windows Sandbox to fail to launch with error 0x80070005 sometimes.

[Other]​

• Fixed an issue where when installing Windows by booting from recent install media, it wouldn't make itself the default partition if another version of Windows was installed.
• Fixed an issue underlying issue causing dfrgui.exe (Defrag and Optimize drives) to fail in the previous flight with a pop up saying SXSHARED_UCRT.dll was not found. This is also believed to be the cause of seeing an error saying “the specified module could not be found” errors in that flight when trying to use the backup options in Control Panel.

Known issues​

[General]​

• [IMPORTANT NOTE FOR COPILOT+ PCs] If you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel or retail, you will lose Windows Hello pin and biometrics to sign into your PC with error 0xd0000225 and error message “Something went wrong, and your PIN isn’t available”. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN”.

[Input]​

• We are working on the fix for an issue causing the emoji panel to close when trying to switch to the kaomoji and symbols sections, or after selecting an emoji.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel​

• The builds we release to the Canary Channel represent the latest platform changes early in the development cycle and should not be seen as matched to any specific release of Windows and features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.

• Many features in the Canary Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.

• Some features may show up in the Dev and Beta Channels first before showing up in the Canary Channel.

• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• To get off the Canary Channel, a clean install of Windows 11 will be required. As a reminder - Insiders can’t switch to a channel that is receiving builds with lower build numbers without doing a clean installation of Windows 11 due to technical setup requirements.

• The desktop watermark shown at the lower right corner of the desktop is normal for these pre-release builds.

• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Source: Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27695 (Canary Channel)

 

[eXDj]

When link to phone in start ?
I not see wheater in block desktop
Why ?
I need to stop insiders !
Dissaster !!!

 

[Brandon LeBlanc]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 10 22H2 Build 19045.4955 (KB5043131) to BOTH the Beta Channel and Release Preview Channel for Insiders who are on Windows 10, version 22H2. The Beta Channel and Release Preview Channel will receive the same Windows 10 builds; however, the Beta Channel is where we will try new features out with Insiders that we’re working on that are not yet ready for all Windows 10 customers.

This update includes the following features and improvements for Windows Insiders in BOTH the Beta and Release Preview Channels​

Items bolded in brackets indicate the area of the change being documented:

• [Microsoft Entra single sign-on (SSO)] The SSO notice that the European Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires prompts too often. This occurs when you authenticate using a certificate. To learn more, see: Upcoming changes to Windows single sign-on.

• [IE mode] Microsoft Edge sometimes stops responding when you use IE mode.

• [Country and Operator Settings Asset] This update brings COSA profiles up to date for certain mobile operators.

• [Media playback] Playback of some media might stop when you use certain surround sound technology.

• [File Explorer and taskbar] Windows server stops responding when you use apps like File Explorer and the taskbar.

• [Windows Update opt-in notifications] They now appear when you sign in.

• [Directory enumeration] This might fail if a directory has symbolic links that have long target names.

Thanks, The Windows Insider Program Team

Source: Releasing Windows 10 Build 19045.4955 to Beta and Release Preview Channels

 

[Amanda Langowski]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4225 (KB5043186) to the Beta Channel. Changes in Beta Channel builds and updates are documented in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available (via Settings > Windows Update)* and then new features, improvements, and fixes rolling out to everyone in the Beta Channel. For more information, see the Reminders section at the bottom of this blog post.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*​

[File Explorer] ​

• We are adding the ability to share content to an Android device from the context menu in File Explorer and on the desktop. To use this feature, the Phone Link must be installed and configured on your PC.

[caption id="attachment_177302" align="alignnone" width="250"] Ability to share content to an Android device from the context menu in File Explorer highlighted in a red box.[/caption]

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*​

[Input]​

• Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to see the emoji panel not working properly again in the previous flight (closing after selecting one emoji, and not able to switch categories).

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to everyone in the Beta Channel​

[Settings]​

• We are adding the ability to configure the Copilot key. You can choose to have the Copilot key launch an app that is MSIX packaged and signed, thus indicating the app meets security and privacy requirements to keep customers safe. The key will continue to launch Copilot on devices that have the Copilot app installed until a customer selects a different experience. This setting can be found via Settings > Personalization > Text input. If the keyboard connected to your PC does not have a Copilot key, adjusting this setting will not do anything.

[caption id="attachment_177304" align="alignnone" width="663"] New setting for configuring the Copilot key highlighted in a red box.[/caption]

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel​

[General]​

• Fixed an issue which was causing some Insiders to experience a bugcheck when closing Notepad in the previous flight.

[Other]​

This update includes fixes for the following issues:

• [Windows Installer] When it repairs an application, the User Account Control (UAC) does not prompt for your credentials. After you install this update, the UAC will prompt for them. Because of this, you must update your automation scripts. Application owners must add the Shield icon. It indicates that the process requires full administrator access. To turn off the UAC prompt, set the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer\DisableLUAInRepair registry value to 1. The changes in this update might affect automatic Windows Installer repairs; see Application Resiliency: Unlock the Hidden Features of Windows Installer.
• [Group Policy Preferences Item Level Targeting (ILT) and Local Users and Groups] You cannot choose a group from the target domain for ILT. Also, you cannot choose an account from Local Users and Groups. The forest does not appear. This issue occurs when you deploy multiple forests, and the target domain has a one-way trust with the domain of the admin. This issue affects Enhanced Security Admin Environment (ESAE), Hardened Forests (HF), or Privileged Access Management (PAM) deployments.
• [Task Manager] It stops responding when you switch from a high contrast theme to a normal theme.

Known issues​

[Start menu]​

• [NEW] If you click or tap on a letter on Start menu's All apps list, the All apps list may break. If you encounter this issue, please try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel​

• Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel will receive updates based on Windows 11, version 23H2 via an enablement package (Build 22635.xxxx).
• Many features in the Beta Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• For Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update*. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
• Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Source: Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4225 (Beta Channel)

 

[Amanda Langowski]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1843 (KB5043185) to the Dev Channel. This update is delivered in a format that offers a preview of enhancements to servicing technology on Windows 11, version 24H2. To learn more, see Introducing Windows 11 checkpoint cumulative updates. Changes in Dev Channel builds and updates are documented in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available (via Settings > Windows Update)* and then new features, improvements, and fixes rolling out to everyone in the Dev Channel. For more information, see the Reminders section at the bottom of this blog post.

New features gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*​

Shared Content in File Explorer Home ​

File Explorer will now provide you with quick access to files that have been shared with you. If you are signed into Windows with your Microsoft account, you will be able to view files that have been shared with your account, such as email, Teams chat, etc. If you are a commercial customer who is signed-in with your Microsoft Entra ID account, you will additionally be able to view files that they have shared with others. You can access this feature by launching File Explorer Home and clicking on the ‘Shared’ tab item. You will also be able to view a broader set of file types in their Recent, Favorites, and Shared sections on the homepage. For example, if you’ve recently opened/edited files in Designer, Loop, Power BI, Forms, etc. these files will now be available in your Recent list. [caption id="attachment_177176" align="alignnone" width="720"] File Explorer Home with new tabs for Recent, Favorites, and Shared.[/caption] FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Files Folders and Online Storage > File Explorer.

Windows Sandbox Client Preview​

This build includes the new Windows Sandbox Client Preview that is now updated via the Microsoft Store. As part of this preview, we’re introducing runtime clipboard redirection, audio/video input control, and the ability to share folders with the host at runtime. You can access these via the new “…” icon at the upper right on the app. Additionally, this preview includes a super early version of command line support (commands may change over time). You can use ‘wsb.exe –help’ command for more information. [caption id="attachment_177309" align="alignnone" width="628"] Windows Sandbox Client Preview with new dropdown showing clipboard redirection, audio/video input control, and the ability to share folders with the host.[/caption] FEEDBACK: Send us feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Security & Privacy > Windows Sandbox.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*​

[General]​

• For new PCs or new user accounts on managed commercial devices (PCs running Windows 11 Enterprise, Education, or Pro logged in with an Entra ID (or domain), the Microsoft 365 app will be pinned to the taskbar for quick access to Copilot for Microsoft 365. Existing commercial PCs that still have the previous Copilot in Windows experience will see that replaced with the Copilot app pinned to their taskbar.

[Lock screen]​

• We have updated the Lock screen so that the media controls will now show at the lower bottom center of the Lock screen now when media is being played.

[caption id="attachment_177265" align="alignnone" width="637"] Updated position of media controls shown on the Lock screen when media is being played highlighted in a red box.[/caption]

[Start menu]​

• When right-clicking on apps pinned to the Start menu, jump lists will be shown for apps that have them such as PowerPoint.

[caption id="attachment_177125" align="alignnone" width="241"] Jump lists will now be shown when right-clicking on apps pinned to the Start menu such as PowerPoint that have jump lists.[/caption]

• Based on feedback, we’ve made some updates to the new account manager on the Start menu making the sign out option directly visible, and adding a list of signed in users under “…” so it’s faster to switch accounts.

[caption id="attachment_177282" align="alignnone" width="353"] New account manager on the Start menu with sign out option directly visible highlighted in a red box.[/caption]

[Taskbar & System Tray]​

• We are trying out a more simplified system tray to highlight the date/time in a shortened form and to show the notifications bell icon based on DND status. Without the notification bell icon, you can get to your notifications by clicking the date and time to Notification Center. You can revert to the long form of the date/time and bell icon visuals by toggling the values in the Settings via Settings > Date and Time under “Show time and day in the system tray” and Settings > System > Notifications under “Notifications”. These settings are also accessible through the context menu shown by right clicking the system tray clock/bell icon button.

[caption id="attachment_177177" align="alignnone" width="348"] Simplified system tray shown with shortened form data and time and no notification bell icon.[/caption]

[Search on the Taskbar]​

• We are beginning to roll out the ability to share local files directly from within the search results shown in the search box on the taskbar.

[caption id="attachment_177099" align="alignnone" width="413"] New option to share a local file highlighted in a red box in the search results from the search box on the taskbar.[/caption]

[Input]​

• We have updated Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touch to have a new section for touch screen edge gestures, where you can choose if you would like to disable the left or right screen edge touch gesture.

[Notifications]​

• If desired, there’s now an option to turn off the suggestions to disable notifications from certain apps. You can now press the “…” within the notification to disable the notification, as you can with other notifications, or you can go to the list of notification senders in Settings > System > Notifications and turn it off from there (called “Notification Suggestions” in the list). Note – this entry will only appear in the senders list after you have received one.

[Settings]​

• In response to feedback, we have added a detach virtual hard disk (VHD/`VHDx) button to Settings making it much simpler to detach your VHD/VHDx as needed. This option is available under Settings > System > Storage > Disks & Volumes, in the properties for your VHD/VHDx.

[caption id="attachment_177244" align="alignnone" width="580"] New detach VHD button under highlighted in a red box in properties of attached VHD in Settings.[/caption]

• We’ve designed the settings page for Delivery Optimization under Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization to match the Windows 11 design principles.

[caption id="attachment_177267" align="alignnone" width="572"] Delivery Optimization settings page with updated design.[/caption]

• We’ve updated the dialog when viewing your Wi-Fi password under Settings > Network & internet to match the Windows 11 visuals.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*​

[File Explorer]​

• Fixed an issue where when pressing WIN + E, a screen reader might unexpectedly say a pane had focus, or focus may not be set within File Explorer at all.
• Fixed an issue which was causing CTRL + F to sometimes not start a search in File Explorer.
• Fixed an issue where keyboard focus might get lost sometimes when doing Shift + Tab in File Explorer.
• Fixed an issue causing screen readers to not announce when you were opening or navigating items in the breadcrumb flyouts of the open or save dialog.
• Fixed an issue causing screen readers to not announce anything when opening or navigating items in the column header flyout in File Explorer.

[Input]​

• Updated the logic for the setting "Press the lower right corner of the touchpad to right-click" Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touchpad so it shouldn’t show in cases where the touchpad doesn’t support the functionality.

[Task Manager]​

• Fixed an issue where the background wasn’t displayed correctly in Task Manager settings.

Fixes for everyone in the Dev Channel​

[General]​

• We can confirm that the Recall feature is no longer showing as an option under the ‘Turn Windows features on or off’ dialog in the Control Panel in Windows.
• Fixed an underlying issue believed to be the cause of Insiders on the previous flight finding the Windows Modules Installer (tiworker.exe) unexpectedly using 100% of the CPU, causing freezes and other issues on PCs.
• Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to fail to install the latest updates, seeing error 0x800f0993.

[Input]​

• Fixed an issue causing text suggestions for the hardware keyboard to not work properly (selecting one unexpectedly concatenates).

[Widgets]​

• Fixed an issue which could result in the Widgets icon unexpectedly displaying in the taskbar twice sometimes.

[Other]​

This update includes fixes for the following issues:

• [FrameShutdownDelay] The browser ignores its value in the “HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main” registry key.
• [Unified Write Filter (UWF) and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)] An SCCM task to re-enable UWF fails because of a deadlock in UWF. This stops the device from restarting when you expect it.
• [OpenSSH] This update adds a prompt that asks you to confirm when you turn on OpenSSH using the Server Manager UI.
• [NetJoinLegacyAccountReuse] This update removes this registry key. For more information refer to KB5020276—Netjoin: Domain join hardening changes.
• [Domain Name System (DNS)] This update hardens DNS server security to address CVE-2024-37968. If the configurations of your domains are not up to date, you might get the SERVFAIL error or time out.
• [vmswitches] They fail to enumerate using Get-VMSwitch command.
• [Windows Installer] When it repairs an application, the User Account Control (UAC) does not prompt for your credentials. After you install this update, the UAC will prompt for them. Because of this, you must update your automation scripts. Application owners must add the Shield icon. It indicates that the process requires full administrator access. To turn off the UAC prompt, set the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer\DisableLUAInRepair registry value to 1. The changes in this update might affect automatic Windows Installer repairs; see Application Resiliency: Unlock the Hidden Features of Windows Installer.
• [Group Policy Preferences Item Level Targeting (ILT) and Local Users and Groups] You cannot choose a group from the target domain for ILT. Also, you cannot choose an account from Local Users and Groups. The forest does not appear. This issue occurs when you deploy multiple forests, and the target domain has a one-way trust with the domain of the admin. This issue affects Enhanced Security Admin Environment (ESAE), Hardened Forests (HF), or Privileged Access Management (PAM) deployments.
• [Task Manager] Graphs on the Performance page in Task Manager do not show the correct colors when you use dark mode.
• [Remote Desktop Services] It stops responding.

Known issues​

[General]​

• [IMPORTANT] Windows Insiders joining the Dev Channel on PCs running Windows 11, version 24H2 Build 26100.xxxx will see "(repair version)" noted next to the latest Dev Channel build from Windows Update. This is nothing to worry about as all it means is that an in-place upgrade will happen to update your PC to the latest build in the Dev Channel.
• [NEW] This build may fail to install with error 0x800f0983. If you see this error, please try to install it again, as it should work on retry. If it stays on 0%, please be patient - it should proceed.
• [NEW] Reset your PC > Cloud Download won’t work on this build, it will get stuck on Getting Things Ready. Please choose the non-cloud option if you need to reset while we work on a fix.

[Start menu]​

• [NEW] If you click or tap on a letter on Start menu's All apps list, the All apps list may break. If you encounter this issue, please try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

Snipping Tool Update​

We are rolling out an update for Snipping Tool (version 11.2408.13.0 and newer) to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels that introduces the ability to change the folder that original screenshots and screen recordings are automatically saved to. Just go to app settings in Snipping Tool to select a new default folder to try it out! [caption id="attachment_177311" align="alignnone" width="680"] Setting in Snipping Tool to change the folder that screenshots and screen recordings are automatically saved.[/caption] FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Snipping Tool.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel​

• Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel receive updates based on Windows 11, version 24H2 via an enablement package (Build 26120.xxxx).
• Many features in the Dev Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• For Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update*. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
• Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Source: Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1843 (Dev Channel)

 

[Brandon LeBlanc]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 11 Build 26100.1876 (KB5043178) to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel on Windows 11, version 24H2 (Build 26100). Below is a summary of the new features and improvements included as part of this update separated into two sections: gradual rollout and normal rollout. The bold text within the brackets indicates the item or area of the change we are documenting.

Gradual rollout​

These might not be available to all users because they will roll out gradually. Text bolded in brackets indicate the area of the change being documented.

• [Start menu] New! The "Sign out" option is now on the account manager when you open the Start menu. To change to a different user, select the ellipses (...). A list of other users appears to make it easier to switch.
• Taskbar] New! You can now share local files directly from the search results that appear in the Search box on the taskbar.
• [Settings]
  • New! The Delivery Optimization Settings page now matches the Windows 11 design. See Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization.
  • New! There is a new energy recommendation to turn off high dynamic range (HDR). This helps to conserve energy on devices that have HDR displays. Go to Settings > Power & battery > Energy recommendations.
• [Lock screen] New! Media controls now show in the lower part of the lock screen at its center when media is playing.
• [Battery life] New! When your device’s battery power is running low, a pop-up window will appear that asks you to plug in your device. This occurs when the battery level reaches 20% and while Energy Saver is set to “Always On”.

Normal rollout​

This update includes the following features and improvements that are rolling out as part of this update. Text bolded in brackets indicates the area of the change being documented.

• [Open Source Software] This update adds attributions to credits.txt files for Rust OSS components.
• [Input Method Editor (IME)] When a combo box has input focus, a memory leak might occur when you close that window.
• [WebView2 apps] They do not detect input from Xbox 360 and Bluetooth controllers.

Thanks, Windows Insider Program Team

Source: Releasing Windows 11 Build 26100.1876 to the Release Preview Channel

 

[Brandon LeBlanc]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 11 Builds 22621.4247 and 22631.4247 (KB5043145) to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel on Windows 11, version 22H2 (Build 22621) and version 23H2 (Build 22631). Below is a summary of the new features and improvements included as part of this update separated into two sections: gradual rollout and normal rollout. The bold text within the brackets indicates the item or area of the change we are documenting.

Gradual rollout​

These might not be available to all users because they will roll out gradually. Text bolded in brackets indicate the area of the change being documented.

• [Start menu] New! The "Sign out" option is now on the account manager when you open the Start menu. To change to a different user, select the ellipses (...). A list of other users appears to make it easier to switch.
• [Taskbar] New! You can now share local files directly from the search results that appear in the Search box on the taskbar.
• [Settings] New! The Delivery Optimization Settings page now matches the Windows 11 design. See Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization.
• [Windows Share] New! This update removes the search box from the Windows Share window.
• [Lock screen] New! Media controls now show in the lower part of the lock screen at its center when media is playing.

Normal rollout​

This update includes the following features and improvements that are rolling out as part of this update. Text bolded in brackets indicates the area of the change being documented.

• [IE mode] Microsoft Edge sometimes stops responding when you use IE mode.
• [Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)] There is inconsistent data between TCP_INFO_v1 and GetPerTcpConnectionEstats. File synchronization services use TCP connection performance analysis tools. This issue affects how accurate those tools are.
• [Country and Operator Settings Asset] This update brings COSA profiles up to date for certain mobile operators.
• [Outlook and other encrypted email apps] This issue prompts for your PIN each time you open an encrypted email.
• Microsoft Defender for Endpoint] Work Folders files fail to sync when Defender for Endpoint is on.
• [Microsoft Edge] It sometimes stops responding when you use IE mode.

Thanks, Windows Insider Program Team

Source: Releasing Windows 11 Build 22621.4247 and 22631.4247 to the Release Preview Channel

 

[Amanda Langowski]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4291 (KB5043166) to the Beta Channel. Changes in Beta Channel builds and updates are documented in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available (via Settings > Windows Update)* and then new features, improvements, and fixes rolling out to everyone in the Beta Channel. For more information, see the Reminders section at the bottom of this blog post.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*​

[Task Manager]​

• We’ve updated the design of the Disconnect and Logoff dialogs in Task Manager to now support dark mode and text scaling.
• In the Performance section we now label listed disks with their type.

[Settings]​

• Tailored Experiences is becoming Personalized offers in OOBE. The new setting can be found on the Recommendations and offers page under Settings > Privacy & security. Personalized offers will let users opt-out of allowing Windows to use info about their devices and how they use them to enhance Windows.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*​

[General]​

• Fixed a few issues which could cause explorer.exe crashes, including one causing sporadic explorer.exe crashes when using ALT + Tab in recent builds.

[Start menu]​

• Fixed an issue where if you clicked or tapped on a letter on Start menu's All apps list, the All apps list may break and not display correctly.

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel​

[Other]​

This update includes fixes for the following issues:

• [Microsoft Defender for Endpoint] Work Folders files fail to sync when Defender for Endpoint is on.
• [Outlook and other encrypted email apps] This issue prompts for your PIN each time you open an encrypted email.
• [Microsoft Edge] It sometimes stops responding when you use IE mode.
• [Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)] There is inconsistent data between TCP_INFO_v1 and GetPerTcpConnectionEstats. File synchronization services use TCP connection performance analysis tools. This issue affects how accurate those tools are.
• [Country and Operator Settings Asset] This update brings COSA profiles up to date for certain mobile operators.
• [Task Manager] It stops responding when you switch from a high contrast theme to a normal theme.

Known issues​

[Start menu]​

• [NEW] After installing this build, you may find there is an unexpected amount of spacing between items in the Start menu all apps list.

[Live captions]​

• [NEW] After installing this build, live captions will crash if you try to use it.

Snipping Tool Update​

We are rolling out an update for Snipping Tool (version 11.2408.15.0 and newer) to Windows Insiders in the Beta and Release Preview Channels that introduces the ability to change the folder that original screenshots and screen recordings are automatically saved to. Just go to app settings in Snipping Tool to select a new default folder to try it out! [caption id="attachment_177311" align="alignnone" width="648"] Setting in Snipping Tool to change the folder that screenshots and screen recordings are automatically saved.[/caption] FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Snipping Tool.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel​

• Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel will receive updates based on Windows 11, version 23H2 via an enablement package (Build 22635.xxxx).
• Many features in the Beta Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• For Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update*. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
• Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Source: Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4291 (Beta Channel)

 

[Amanda Langowski]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1912 (KB5043168) to the Dev Channel. Changes in Dev Channel builds and updates are documented in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available (via Settings > Windows Update)* and then new features, improvements, and fixes rolling out to everyone in the Dev Channel. For more information, see the Reminders section at the bottom of this blog post.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*​

[General]​

• This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs.

[Mobile Hotspot]​

• The Windows Mobile Hotspot has been enhanced to support 6 GHz connections. The new band requires chips that support the feature and updated drivers; not all chips that support 6 GHz Wi-Fi in general will support the 6 GHz mobile hotspot. The change will be visible under Settings > Network & internet > Mobile hotspot when you edit the mobile hotspot properties. For compatibility with existing devices, the mobile hotspot will only use 6 GHz when explicitly enabled.

[caption id="attachment_177327" align="alignnone" width="359"] 6 GHz showing under mobile hotspot properties in Settings on PCs that have the right hardware and drivers.[/caption]

[Other]​

This update includes fixes for the following issues:

• [Open Source Software] This update adds attributions to txt files for Rust OSS components.
• [Task Manager]
  • Its Settings page might have a white background when it should not.
  • It stops responding when you switch from a high contrast theme to a normal theme.
• [Input Method Editor (IME)] When a combo box has input focus, a memory leak might occur when you close that window.
• [WebView2 apps] They do not detect input from Xbox 360 and Bluetooth controllers.

Known issues​

[Start menu]​

• If you click or tap on a letter on Start menu's All apps list, the All apps list may break. If you encounter this issue, please try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel​

• Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel receive updates based on Windows 11, version 24H2 via an enablement package (Build 26120.xxxx).
• Updates delivered to the Dev Channe are in a format that offers a preview of enhancements to servicing technology on Windows 11, version 24H2. To learn more, see Introducing Windows 11 checkpoint cumulative updates.
• Many features in the Dev Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• For Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update*. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
• Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Source: Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1912 (Dev Channel)

 

[Amanda Langowski]

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4300 (KB5044386) to the Beta Channel. Changes in Beta Channel builds and updates are documented in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available (via Settings > Windows Update)* and then new features, improvements, and fixes rolling out to everyone in the Beta Channel. For more information, see the Reminders section at the bottom of this blog post.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*​

[Start menu]​

• "All apps" is now just "All" on the Start menu. This change began rolling out with Build 22635.4291 earlier this week.

[Fonts]​

• There is a new simplified Chinese font (Simsun-ExtG) with 9,753 ideographs supporting Unicode Extensions G, H and I. Included is the highly requested character for Biangbiang noodles. This character U+30EDD is said to be the most complicated Chinese character, as you can see in the image below. We are aware that some applications may not be able to display these new extension characters yet.
  • Unicode range G 30000-3134A (4,939 chars)
  • Unicode range H 31350-323AF (4,192 chars)
  • Unicode range I 2EBF0-2EE5D (622 chars)

[caption id="attachment_177339" align="alignnone" width="97"] Biangbiang character Unicode 30EDD.[/caption]

[Security]​

• Windows Search runs IFilters in the Less Privileged App Containers (LPAC). LPAC are like app containers, but they deny even more permissions by default. The intent is that a process running in a LPAC has access only to the resources needed by it. This model helps to minimize the potential damage that can be caused by a compromised process by limiting its access to sensitive system components and data.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on*​

[General]​

• Fixed a high hitting explorer.exe crash impacting Insiders while using your PC in the last few Beta Builds.

[File Explorer]​

• Fixed an issue which was causing the items in the navigation pane to become very spread out (with unexpected padding between each item) for some people.

Known issues​

[Start menu]​

• After installing this build, you may find there is an unexpected amount of spacing between items in the Start menu all apps list.

[Live captions]​

• After installing this build, live captions will crash if you try to use it.

New Clock widgets: Countdown and Timer​

We are rolling out a Clock app update to Windows Insiders across all Insider Channels that includes two new clock widgets: countdown and timer. Make sure you have the latest version of the Clock app update from the Microsoft Store (version 11.2408.9.0 and higher). After you open the widgets board, you can open the widgets picker by clicking the “+” button in the top right corner where you would be able to add these widgets to your board. [caption id="attachment_177332" align="alignnone" width="525"] New countdown and timer widgets from the Clock app showing on the widgets board.[/caption] FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Clock App.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel​

• Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel will receive updates based on Windows 11, version 23H2 via an enablement package (Build 22635.xxxx).
• Many features in the Beta Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
• For Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update*. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready.
• Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
• Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
• Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Source: Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4300 (Beta Channel)