Hi all, last Thursday Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27971 to the Canary Channel.
A smooth ride for my Canary Channel devices, some quick fixes for this build it seems
Happy Upgrading!
What’s new in Build 27971
[Notification Center]
We are extending the functionality of Notification Center to secondary monitors. This means you will be able to see your calendar on any of your monitors as well as the option to show a bigger clock with seconds above calendar. You will be able to open Notification Center on any monitor by clicking the date and time in the system tray of your taskbar.
[We are beginning to roll this out to Windows Insiders in the Canary, so the experience isn’t available to all Insiders just yet as we plan to monitor feedback before pushing it out to everyone.]
Fixes
[File Explorer]
Fixed an issue in the latest Canary builds causing File Explorer to crash when transferring files to a network drive.
[Lock and login screens]
Fixed an issue in the previous build where the media controls might not display on the lock screen.
[Input]
Fixed an underlying issue related to microsoft.ink.dll and relevant APIs, which could result in pen and handwriting not working correctly in apps or app crashes recently due to unexpected exceptions being thrown.
[Other]
Fixed an underlying issue which was causing protected content playback to fail for some apps recently.
Fixed an issue impacting the ability to start Hyper-V virtual machines with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) on ARM64 devices.
Known issues
[Settings]
Settings may crash when accessing drive information under Settings > System > Storage. This also impacts accessing the drive information from the properties when you right click a drive in File Explorer.
[Start menu]
[NEW] Insiders with the new Start menu may experience it unexpectedly scrolling to the top.
[Power and Battery]
We’re investigating reports that sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders after the latest Canary builds.
Hi all, last Friday Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6780 (KB5067103) to the Dev Channel.
Upgrades went quick and smooth on most of my devices
Run dialog now supports dark mode 🤩🥷
One detected issued, Settings App stops responding to input when accessing Sign-in options directly through search (FeedBack Hub: https://aka.ms/AAya0ds)
Happy Upgrades!
New features gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*
[Agent in Settings]
The following changes and improvements are rolling out for agent in Settings on Copilot+ PCs:
We’re introducing new experiences to make it easier to modify settings in both search and recommended settings.
Recommend Settings: Now allows for faster changes by showing an inline agent action for recently modified settings.
Settings Homepage with options to adjust recently modified settings under “Recommended settings”.
Search: We now show more available results in the search fly out to discover what you’re looking for and to allow you to quickly modify those settings. In cases where the settings can’t be adjusted further, a dialog lets you know why and provides an option to modify the settings as needed.
More available results are displayed within search to take action and quickly modify those settings.
When searching for “increase volume” within settings, a dialog is presented indicating that volume is already at the maximum setting and provides a slider to modify the value.
[Drag Tray]
Drag Tray now supports multi-file sharing, intelligently surfaces more relevant apps, and enables seamless file movement to a chosen folder.
Drag Tray UI shows options to share to apps like WhatsApp, Paint, Snapchat, and movement to other folders.
Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*
[Click to Do (Preview)]
The following changes and improvements are rolling out for Click to Do on Copilot+ PCs:
We’re making it easier to act on what matters. Visual cues now make key entities, such as emails, tables, and more, light up on your screen as you launch Click to Do. Click on these entities to discover powerful actions that help you work faster and smarter.
[Administrator Protection]
The ability to enable Administrator Protection via Windows Security under Account protection is now available again.
[OneDrive]
We are rolling out the new OneDrive icon in Accounts and Homepages in Settings.
[Run]
Dark Mode: We continue to make improvements to the dark more experience in Windows 11. This week we are updating the Run dialog. [UPDATE] This change is on a very slow rollout so not many Insiders will see it right away. We plan to expand the rollout to more Insiders over the next few flights.
Run dialog in dark mode
Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*
[Click to Do (Preview)]
The following fixes are rolling out for Click to Do on Copilot+ PCs:
Fixed an issue where launching Click to Do on your primary display via right-edge gesture would result in the swipe visuals appearing on the incorrect display.
[Taskbar & System Tray]
Fixed an issue where pressing WIN + <number> repeatedly wasn’t cycling through the windows of an app as expected.
[File Explorer]
Fixed an issue in the previous flight which was causing File Explorer to crash a lot for some Insiders.
[Start menu]
Fixed an issue which was causing Start menu to unexpectedly scroll to the top when interacting with it.
Fixed an issue where the context menu in Start wouldn’t open with touch (just immediately dismissed).
[Search]
Fixed an issue where searches might show unexpected text instead of the expected results and images.
[Other]
If you were experiencing a large number of apps (including browsers) crashing in the previous flight, that should no longer repro with this update.
Known issues
[Taskbar & System Tray]
Our new animations on taskbar previews have been turned off temporarily because they were interfering with the ability to share a window from its preview, we will note when they’re brought back.
[File Explorer]
Copy progress might flash when clicking more or less details in dark mode version of the copy dialog.
Scrollbar and footer are missing and showing a white block instead when text is scaled in dark mode version of the copy dialog.
[Xbox Controller]
Some Insiders are experiencing an issue where using their Xbox Controller via Bluetooth is causing their PC to bugcheck. Here is how to resolve the issue. Open Device Manager by searching for it via the search box on your taskbar. Once Device Manager is open, click on “View” and then “Devices by Driver”. Find the driver named “oemXXX.inf (XboxGameControllerDriver.inf)” where the “XXX” will be a specific number on your PC. Right-click on that driver and click “Uninstall”.
Hi all, last Wednesday on my Birthday Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27965 to the Canary Channel.
New startmenu features look promising, category grouping of apps makes start feel more familiar like mobile phone interfaces.
What’s new in Build 27965
Introducing the new Start menu for Windows 11
Updated Start menu shows pinned apps on the top, recommended apps and files in the middle, and installed apps which are grouped by a new category UI on the bottom.
Easily launch all your apps with scrollable Start menu
We’re making it easier for you to launch your apps with our updated, scrollable Start menu. With “All” now on the top-level, apps are easily accessible without having to navigate to a secondary page. In addition, we’re introducing two new views to browse and launch your installed apps in the “All” section: category and grid view.
The new default Category view automatically groups your apps by category for quick access to your most used categories and apps. So, if your most used apps are Outlook and Solitaire, you can expect those apps to bubble up to the top in their respective categories. Categories are formed when there are at least 3 apps in each respective category. Otherwise, they will remain in the “Other” category.
Grid view is ordered alphabetically like List view but allows for better scanning of all your installed apps with more horizontal real estate. With new view options to choose from in the “All” section, we’ll remember your last used view so you can reliably launch your apps with the view you prefer most.
Updated Start menu introduces 2 new ways to view installed apps: by category and grid views.
Experience a larger Start menu with responsive sections
We’re making better use of your screen real estate by adapting the size of the Start menu based on your screen size. Have a larger-screen device? You can expect to see a larger Start menu, by default, so you can see more of your apps and files. On larger devices, users can expect to see 8 columns of pinned apps, 6 recommendations, and 4 columns of categories in the Start menu. On smaller devices, you’ll see 6 columns of pinned apps, 4 recommendations, and 3 columns of categories.
Updated Start menu only shows pinned and installed apps to illustrate that sections within Start are now responsive and can collapse such as the Recommended section.
Sections within Start are also responsive so you can see more or less of your Pinned and Recommended sections. Have only a few pins? The Pinned section will shrink down to a single row and other sections will slide up. If you’d prefer to not see recommendations, then turn off the following toggles in Settings > Personalization > Start: “Show recently added apps,” “Show recommended files in Start…,” “Show websites from your browsing history,” and “Show recommendations for tips…” If there aren’t any recommendations available, the section will collapse so you can see more of your installed apps.
Toggles in Settings app to turn on/off features in Start.
Seamless cross-device integration with Phone Link
Lastly, we’ve updated Start to continue allowing you to take advantage of powerful cross-device features. Now, you can easily expand and collapse mobile device content using the new mobile device button next to the Search box.
This cross-device integration is generally available for connected Android and iOS devices in most markets and will be coming later in 2025 to the European Economic Area.
[We are beginning to roll this out to Windows Insiders in the Canary, so the experience isn’t available to all Insiders just yet as we plan to monitor feedback before pushing it out to everyone.]
FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Start menu.
Changes and Improvements for everyone in the Canary channel
[.NET Framework 3.5]
Starting with Build 27965, .NET Framework 3.5 is no longer a Windows Feature on Demand optional component. We encourage customers relying on the legacy framework to move to modern versions of .NET. Customers running business-critical applications that still depend on .NET Framework 3.5 can access a .NET Framework 3.5 standalone installer located here: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2337635. More information about .NET Framework products’ lifecycle can be found here: Lifecycle FAQ – .NET Framework | Microsoft Learn
[Command Line]
Edit, a command line text editor, is now delivered with Windows! You can quickly edit a file while in the Terminal app by typing edit followed by the file name. Edit is open source on GitHub and for a full list of its features, check out its docs.
Fixes
[Taskbar and System Tray]
If you were having issues with the taskbar not autohiding correctly in the previous flight, that should be resolved now.
[Video Playback]
Fixed a recent issue which was causing some videos and games to be unexpectedly red.
Fixed an issue that could affect playback of protected content in certain Blu-ray, DVD, and digital TV apps that used Enhanced Video Renderer with HDCP enforcement.
Known issues
[File Explorer]
[NEW] We’re working on the fix for an issue in the latest Canary builds causing File Explorer to crash when transferring files to a network drive.
[Settings]
[NEW] Settings may crash when accessing drive information under Settings > System > Storage. This also impacts accessing the drive information from the properties when you right click a drive in File Explorer.
[Lock and login screens]
[NEW] We’re investigating an issue in this build where the media controls may not display on the lock screen.
[Power and Battery]
We’re investigating reports that sleep and shutdown aren’t working correctly for some Insiders after the latest Canary builds.
Hi all, last Monday Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6760 (KB5065793) to the Dev Channel for Windows Insiders on Windows 11, version 25H2.
Smooth updates on all my devices, Happy Upgrades!
Known Issue: We’ve been hearing your feedback that some Insiders on Dev and Beta Channels have lost some updated features that were recently rolled out to Insiders with the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” toggle on*.
Insiders may see an update on their devices for “Windows Configuration Update” that is meant to address this issue.
We have paused new flights of 26220.6760 while we address this fix.
Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*
[Taskbar & System Tray]
We are introducing the ability to do built-in network speed test accessible from the taskbar. You can launch it via the Wi-Fi and Cellular Quick Settings pages or by right-clicking the network icon in the system tray. The tool opens in your default browser and supports testing Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Cellular connections. This feature helps assess network performance and supports troubleshooting.
Menu options to Diagnose network problems, Perform speed test, and Network and Internet settings from the network icon in the system tray.
[Get Started/Microsoft 365 Copilot]
We’re adding a new Microsoft 365 Copilot page to the Get Started experience for managed commercial devices that are managed with an active Microsoft 365 subscription. This experience is designed to help users discover and engage with Microsoft 365 Copilot more easily, providing quick access to key features and helpful guidance directly within the Get Started flow.
Menu options to Diagnose network problems, Perform speed test, and Network and Internet settings from the network icon in the system tray.
[Windows Search]
The following changes and improvements are rolling out for improved Windows Search on Copilot+ PCs:
For Insiders with Copilot+ PCs, we’re updating the File Explorer Search Box placeholder text to raise awareness of the improved Windows Search experience introduced earlier this year. Learn more in our January blog post
File Explore Search Box with a magnifying glass search icon with the words “Try describing an image or file”.
Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to everyone in the Dev Channel
[File Explorer]
New! StorageProvider APIs for cloud providers to integrate with File Explorer Home. Developer documentation available here.
[Emoji]
We are temporarily turning off Emoji 16.0 and will bring it back in a future release.
[Voice access]
We are introducing a new ‘Wait time before acting’ setting in voice access, allowing users to configure the delay before a voice command is executed. This provides greater flexibility for users with varying speech patterns, enabling more accurate recognition whether speaking slowly or quickly. To set this up, navigate to voice access settings > Wait time before acting, and choose the option that best fits your preferences.
Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*
[General]
Fixed an underlying issue which was leading to some screen readers no longer being able to read screen content after the latest flights.
[Click to Do (Preview)]
The following fixes are rolling out for Click to Do on Copilot+ PCs:
Fixed an issue where Click to Do may unexpectedly invoke sometimes when pressing WIN + P.
[Taskbar & System Tray]
Fixed an issue in the latest builds where the battery icon could get out of sync with the actual charging state (for example, it would show that you weren’t plugged in when you were).
[File Explorer]
Fixed an issue where when you customized a folder’s view (for example, sorting files by name or changing the icon size), those settings only applied to the specific navigation path. If you opened the same folder from another app (like a browser), the settings wouldn’t carry over, leading you to need to manually reapply them every time. This was particularly noticeable with the Downloads folder, if you had turned off Group By Date.
[Lock and Login screens]
Fixed an issue in the latest build where the media controls might not be displayed on the lock screen although media was playing in an app that supports these controls.
[Windows Update]
Fixed an underlying issue which could lead “Update and shutdown” to not actually shut down your PC after.
[Settings]
Fixed an issue causing Settings to crash for some Insiders when accessing drive information under Settings > System > Storage. This also impacted accessing the drive information from the properties when you right clicked a drive in File Explorer.
Fixed an issue causing the placeholder text in the Settings search box to potentially appear vertically misaligned.
Fixes for everyone in the Dev Channel
[Networking]
Fixed an issue where you might not be able to connect to shared files and folders if you were using the Server Message Block (SMB) v1 protocol on NetBIOS over TCP/IP NetBIOS (NetBT) after the latest updates.
[For Developers]
There was an issue where PIX on Windows was unable to play back GPU captures on the latest OS versions. This was addressed by a new PIX release late last week.
[Video Playback]
Fixed an issue that affected playback of protected content in certain Blu-ray, DVD, and digital TV apps that used Enhanced Video Renderer with HDCP
Known issues
[Click to Do]
Launching Click to Do on your primary display via right-edge gesture will result in the swipe visuals appearing on the incorrect display. The issue is being investigated.
[Taskbar & System Tray]
Our new animations on taskbar previews have been turned off temporarily because they were interfering with the ability to share a window from its preview, we will note when they’re brought back.
We have a few issues that need ironing out with the changes in the previous flight when “automatically hide the taskbar” is enabled, including that the system tray may unexpectedly peek up – thanks Insiders that have shared feedback about it. We’re working on it.
[Search]
Certain searches may show unexpected text instead of the expected results and images.
[Windows Studio Effects]
For some classes of external webcams, turning on “Use Windows Studio Effects” in the advanced camera setting may result in a camera preview failure. This is due to a compatibility issue with the camera firmware and is being addressed with a future update. In the meantime, if you are impacted by this issue, turn off Windows Studio Effects inside the camera settings.
[Xbox Controllers]
Some Insiders are experiencing an issue where using their Xbox Controller via Bluetooth is causing their PC to bugcheck. Here is how to resolve the issue. Open Device Manager by searching for it via the search box on your taskbar. Once Device Manager is open, click on “View” and then “Devices by Driver”. Find the driver named “oemXXX.inf (XboxGameControllerDriver.inf)” where the “XXX” will be a specific number on your PC. Right-click on that driver and click “Uninstall”.
Hi all, last Thursday Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27954 to the Canary Channel.
A few fixes and tweaks, all upgrades went smoothly on my Canary channel devices
Happy Upgrades!
What’s new in Build 27954
Changes and Improvements
[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.
[Networking]
Fixed an issue where you might not be able to connect to shared files and folders if you were using the Server Message Block (SMB) v1 protocol on NetBIOS over TCP/IP NetBIOS (NetBT) after the latest updates.
Known issues
[General]
We’re working on the fix for an issue causing some Insiders with Arm64 PCs to experience an increase in bugchecks (green screens) with error IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL in the latest Canary builds.
[For developers]
PIX on Windows is unable to play back GPU captures on this OS version. This will be addressed by a new PIX release, estimated to arrive by the end of September. In the meantime, if you are impacted, you can use the “Send Feedback” button in PIX or contact us on the DirectX Discord server and we can help provide private builds.
Hi all, last Friday Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27950 to the Canary Channel.
This was a bumpy road for My Surface Laptop 13, since connecting it to na HP Essential USB-C dock, multiple GSOD occurred even after disconnecting the Dock (Feedback Hub: https://aka.ms/AAy044v)
During the Upgrade to This Build, the device kept running into GSOD, after multiple attempts it did successfully update and seems quite stable now, I did need to set up my Windows Hello Pin before I could use it again.
All other Canary Devices had a smooth ride on this flight, Happy Upgrades!
Changes and Improvements
[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.
[Settings]
Advanced Settings will revert to the previous “For Developers” experience after updating to this build. This change will come back soon.
Fixes
[General]
Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to experience a rollback attempting to install the latest build with either an 0xC1900101-0x20017 error or 0xC1900101-0x30017 error.
[Taskbar and System Tray]
Fixed an issue which could cause the app preview windows in the taskbar to become misaligned (away from the app icon you’d clicked / hovered over) after a display resolution change.
[File Explorer]
Fixed an issue where interacting with the context menu in File Explorer could lead to the body of File Explorer becoming unresponsive to clicks.
Fixed an issue which could lead to certain apps hanging when launching the Open or Save Dialog.
Fixed an issue where with certain apps installed, when you right clicked you may see the context menu unexpectedly switch back and forth with each right click between the normal initial view and “Show more options”.
[Graphics]
Fixed an which was causing some Insiders to experience screen flickers when using the browser (and potentially other scenarios) in the latest Canary builds.
[Audio]
If you were having issues with audio not working after the latest updates, that should be resolved now. Audio issues can have multiple root causes, though, so if you continue experiencing issues, please file feedback under Devices and Drivers > Audio and Sound in the Feedback Hub, if possible including a trace by using the “Capture the issue” option in Step #4 of the problem report.
[Dynamic Lighting]
Fixed an issue in Dynamic Lighting where the Dynamic Lighting Background Controller would occasionally consume excessive CPU after unlocking the machine.
[Other]
We’ve done some underlying work to help improve performance when gaming with game bar or other overlays on top of your game. This may particularly help those with multiple monitors which have different refresh rates. As always, if you’re experiencing game performance issues, please file feedback including a trace of the issue, following these steps. Thanks Windows Insiders who’ve shared feedback so far!
Known issues
[General]
We’re working on the fix for an issue causing some Insiders with Arm64 PCs to experience an increase in bugchecks (green screens) with error IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL in the latest Canary builds.
[For developers]
PIX on Windows is unable to play back GPU captures on this OS version. This will be addressed by a new PIX release, estimated to arrive by the end of September. In the meantime, if you are impacted, you can use the “Send Feedback” button in PIX or contact us on the DirectX Discord server and we can help provide private builds.
Hi all, last Friday Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6690 (KB5065786) to the Dev Channel for Windows Insiders on Windows 11, version 25H2.
All my Dev Channel Devices updated fast and smoothly, the pace Copilot+ Pc’s are getting new stuff is amazing
If you haven’t the chance to experience, Click to Do and Recall features I highly recommend them
Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*
[Click to Do (Preview)]
The following changes and improvements are rolling out for Click to Do on Copilot+ PCs:
Translation powered by Microsoft Copilot: We are introducing the ability to do translation with Microsoft Copilot with Click to Do, making it easier for you to translate on-screen text with just a few clicks. When you select text that is in a different language from your Windows display language or preferred language settings, a translation suggestion will appear. The selected text is sent to the Copilot app, which provides the translation seamlessly within the experience. This feature currently works if you have the new Copilot prompt box in Click to Do that began rolling out in the previous flight. This change is not yet rolling out to Windows Insiders in the EEA (European Economic Area) or China.
Option to translate to English what’s on your screen show in the Click to Do context menu.
[Taskbar & System Tray]
Just like being able to share a window to Microsoft Teams when mousing over an opened app on your taskbar, we’re trying out this taskbar capability with Microsoft Copilot. When mousing over an opened app window on the taskbar, you will see an option to share with Copilot where you will be able to quickly start a new conversation with Copilot and use Copilot Vision to scan, analyze, and offer insights on what is shown on your screen from that app at that time.
Ability to share screen with Copilot shown when mousing over Microsoft Edge on the taskbar.
Microsoft Copilot Vision controls shown when an Edge window is shared.
[Desktop Spotlight]
We are trying out a change that adds “Learn more about this background” and “Next desktop background” to the context menu when you click on your desktop if you have Windows Spotlight chosen as your desktop background under Settings > Personalization > Background.
[Settings]
We’ve refreshed the experience to make it easier to add or manage all your accounts in one place under Settings > Accounts. As part of this update, the “Email & accounts” section is now called “Your accounts,” reflecting a more unified and streamlined way to stay connected across Windows and your apps.
Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*
[File Explorer]
Fixed an issue where File Explorer may become unresponsive if a UNC server name was directly typed into address bar.
[Windows Update]
Fixed an issue causing some Insiders recently to find that installing the latest builds failed with error 0x80070002.
[Audio]
If you were having issues with audio not working after the latest updates, that should be resolved now. Audio issues can have multiple root causes, though, so if you continue experiencing issues, please file feedback under Devices and Drivers > Audio and Sound in the Feedback Hub, if possible, including a trace by using the “Capture the issue” option in Step #4 of the problem report.
[Settings]
Fixed an issue where Settings > System > Optional Features > Add an optional feature may not load when Administrator Protection was enabled.
Known issues
[Click to Do]
Launching Click to Do on your primary display via right-edge gesture will result in the swipe visuals appearing on the incorrect display. The issue is being investigated.
[Lock and login screens]
We’re investigating an issue in this build where the media controls may not display on the lock screen.
[Taskbar & System Tray]
[NEW] Our new animations on taskbar previews have been turned off temporarily because they were interfering with the ability to share a window from its preview, we will note when they’re brought back.
[NEW] We have a few issues that need ironing out with the changes in the previous flight when “automatically hide the taskbar” is enabled, including that the system tray may unexpectedly peek up – thanks Insiders that have shared feedback about it. We’re working on it.
[Search]
[NEW] Certain searches may show unexpected text instead of the expected results and images.
[Windows Studio Effects]
For some classes of external webcams, turning on “Use Windows Studio Effects” in the advanced camera setting may result in a camera preview failure. This is due to a compatibility issue with the camera firmware and is being addressed with a future update. In the meantime, if you are impacted by this issue, turn off Windows Studio Effects inside the camera settings.
[For developers]
PIX on Windows is unable to play back GPU captures on this OS version. This will be addressed by a new PIX release, estimated to arrive by the end of September. In the meantime, if you are impacted, you can use the “Send Feedback” button in PIX or contact us on the DirectX Discord server and we can help provide private builds.
[Settings]
The placeholder text in the Settings search box may appear vertically misaligned.
[NEW] Settings may crash when accessing drive information under Settings > System > Storage. This also impacts accessing the drive information from the properties when you right click a drive in File Explorer.
[Xbox Controllers]
Some Insiders are experiencing an issue where using their Xbox Controller via Bluetooth is causing their PC to bugcheck. Here is how to resolve the issue. Open Device Manager by searching for it via the search box on your taskbar. Once Device Manager is open, click on “View” and then “Devices by Driver”. Find the driver named “oemXXX.inf (XboxGameControllerDriver.inf)” where the “XXX” will be a specific number on your PC. Right-click on that driver and click “Uninstall”.
Hi all, Yesterday Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6682 (KB5065782) to the Dev Channel for Windows Insiders on Windows 11, version 25H2.
Quick a jump in build number with a lot of new and updates stuff to show for it.
Happy Upgrades!
Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*
[Click to Do (Preview)]
The following changes and improvements are rolling out for Click to Do on Copilot+ PCs:
Copilot prompt box: The new Copilot prompt box in Click to Do is designed to streamline user interaction with Microsoft Copilot. This enhancement helps save time and allows users to type a custom prompt directly into a text box, which is then sent to Copilot along with your selected content on screen. Suggested prompts appear below the text box as well, powered locally by Phi-Silica (supported for text selections only and English, Spanish, and French). This change is not yet rolling out to Windows Insiders in the EEA (European Economic Area) or China.
New Copilot prompt box at the top of the Click to Do context menu.
New visual animations for the right edge gesture in Click to Do: These new visual animations are designed to give you a clear visual cue as you swipe and follow your finger for a more delightful, intuitive experience. These animations help you better understand the gesture’s intent, making interactions feel more purposeful.
New and popular action tags: New and popular action tags to the context menu in Click to Do are designed to help you discover our newest and most popular AI-powered actions available to use.
Example of a top action highlighted in a red box in Click to Do’s context menu.
The output from the Summarize action for text entities in Click to Do should start to feel even more brief and concise as we continue to tune for improvements.
[Start menu]
We are trying out a small change in the Recommended section of the Start menu where we will show examples of prompts that you can try using in the Copilot app such as creating an image with Copilot.
[Emoji]
The Emoji 16.0 release introduces a small but thoughtfully curated set of new emojis—one from each major category—designed to resonate across cultures and contexts. Each emoji carries timeless symbolism and practical versatility. With this build, you will see these new emoji available in the emoji panel.
New Emoji 16.0 emoji from left to right: Face with Bags Under Eyes, Fingerprint, Root Vegetable, Leafless Tree, Harp, Shovel, and Splatter.
Face with Bags Under Eyes: Captures exhaustion or the need to rest.
Fingerprint: Identity or security.
Root Vegetable: Represents healthy eating and gardening.
Leafless Tree: Symbolizes winter, emptiness, or dormancy.
Harp: A timeless musical icon with ancient roots.
Shovel: Useful for gardening or metaphorically digging out of trouble.
Splatter: Expressive and fun.
[Gaming]
We have made some improvements for using Xbox game controllers for gaming on Windows 11. Short pressing the Xbox button opens Game Bar. A new change we’re introducing is when you long press the Xbox button, it will open Task View. Pressing and holding the Xbox button continues to turn off the game controller.
[Narrator]
We’ve made several improvements to ensure Narrator delivers smoother, more reliable experience when working with documents in Word. These updates focus on making reading, writing, and editing more natural and efficient.
More natural voice feedback: Narrator no longer raises pitch dramatically when announcing headings or grammar/spelling errors, making the experience smoother and less distracting when using Natural Voices.
Better footnote navigation: You can now navigate a document via footnotes and clearly hear the footnote number, helping you stay oriented while reading or editing documents with references.
Reliable continuous reading: Narrator will no longer stop unexpectedly during long passages of text. Continuous reading now flows smoothly from start to finish.
Improved comment reading: Narrator now correctly tracks focus when moving from the document canvas into the comments pane, so you can review and read comments without losing context
Creating & Consuming List
Coherent and consistent announcements: Narrator now reads lists in a consistent manner across surfaces and navigation methods. List entities such as style and level will be announced as per the chosen verbosity to ensure users have context about the formatting and their position in the list.
Complete list reading: Narrator will no longer cut off when a list item continues onto the next line — the entire content is announced properly.
Navigation List Items: You can now navigate Up and down from one list item to another using Ctrl + Up/Down keys.
Creating & Consuming Tables
Easier navigation commands: Narrator now supports quick navigation in Scan Mode to the first or last cell in a row or column, helping users move through tables more efficiently. You can navigate using the following commands:
Beginning of Row – Ctrl + Alt + comma
End of Row – Ctrl + Alt + period
Beginning of Column – Ctrl + Alt + Shift + comma
End of Column – Ctrl + Alt + Shift + period
Clearer guidance at table boundaries: When navigating with the Tab key inside an editable table, Narrator now provides an announcement when reaching the last cell. This prevents confusion and accidental row additions.
Less confusing entry announcements: Narrator no longer announces “entering table” twice when moving across cells. You’ll now hear this feedback only once, making it easier to track whether you’re still inside the same table.
Better feedback during selection: Narrator now make clear announcements as you select one or more cells across row and columns or both. It also clearly announces when a text selection extends across multiple cells, so you know exactly how much content they’ve selected.
Awareness of non-uniform tables: Narrator now alerts users if a table is non-uniform (for example, missing cells in certain rows or columns), giving important context about table structure.
[Settings]
After being temporarily disabled, Advanced Settings is rolling out again to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels. However, we have temporarily removed the long path and virtual workspaces options to address some issues.
[Other]
We’re introducing a simple reminder that appears as a SCOOBE screen (Second Chance Out of Box Experience) to let you know your Microsoft subscription needs attention (for example, if a renewal payment didn’t go through). In just a few clicks, you can review and update your payment method and keep your subscription benefits uninterrupted.
SCOOBE screen for notifying you your Microsoft 365 subscription is past due with link to take action.
Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*
[General]
Fixed an issue causing some PCs to bugcheck (green screen) while hibernating after the latest flights. This may have made it look like hibernation had shut down your PC. This issue is believed to also be the cause of some Insiders finding that shutdown had hung and would sit on a black screen with a fan noise.
[Taskbar & System Tray]
Did some work to help improve reliability of taskbar hiding and unhiding when the setting “automatically hide the taskbar” is enabled. As part of this work, the animation may be smoother for you now. As a reminder – if an app has an alert (the orange highlight on the app icon) then the taskbar will show.
Fixed a couple issues which could lead to you not being able to interact with apps or the desktop in the area directly above the taskbar.
[File Explorer]
Fixed an issue for some users, where the Shared section in File Explorer Home might be visible even if there was no content to display.
Fixed an issue which was Fixed an issue where File Explorer was unexpectedly not showing thumbnails for video files containing certain EXIF metadata.
Fixed an issue where interacting with the context menu in File Explorer could lead to the body of File Explorer becoming unresponsive to clicks.
Fixed an issue which could lead to certain apps hanging when launching the Open or Save Dialog.
[Lock and Login screens]
Fixed an issue which could cause the lock screen to crash when interacting with the power button in the latest builds.
[Start menu]
Fixed an underlying issue which was causing Start menu to dismiss if you tried to use WIN + Shift + S to take a screenshot of it.
Fixed an issue impacting Start menu reliability in the latest builds.
Fixed an issue which was causing Start menu to randomly scroll back up to the top sometimes.
[Windows Sandbox]
Fixed an issue for Windows Sandbox users which could lead to the vmmemCmFirstBoot process consuming large amounts of CPU after login, causing your PC to potentially become unresponsive.
[Search]
We did some work to help reduce instances where search may get stuck in a loading state.
[Settings]
Fixed an issue which could lead to Settings crashing when interacting with Settings > System > Optional Features.
[Voice Access]
Fixed an issue which could result in Voice Access not working, showing error 9001.
[Windows Hello]
Fixed an issue where booting into safe mode wasn’t working, with a message saying “Something happened and your PIN isn’t available” for some people.
Fixed an issue where Windows Hello Pin setup might fail with error 0x80090010 on Entra-domain joined devices that had installed the latest updates.
[Other]
If the ability to move the hardware indicators disappeared for you after the last flight, it should be back now.
Fixes for everyone in the Dev Channel
[General]
This update addresses an issue that affects audio in apps using the Network Device Interface (NDI). Audio stutters when Display Capture is on in OBS Studio Application. This could occur after installing the latest updates.
Known issues
[Click to Do]
[NEW] Launching Click to Do on your primary display via right-edge gesture will result in the swipe visuals appearing on the incorrect display. The issue is being investigated.
[Lock and login screens]
[NEW] We’re investigating an issue in this build where the media controls may not display on the lock screen.
[Windows Studio Effects]
[NEW] For some classes of external webcams, turning on “Use Windows Studio Effects” in the advanced camera setting may result in a camera preview failure. This is due to a compatibility issue with the camera firmware and is being addressed with a future update. In the meantime, if you are impacted by this issue, turn off Windows Studio Effects inside the camera settings.
[For developers]
PIX on Windows is unable to play back GPU captures on this OS version. This will be addressed by a new PIX release, estimated to arrive by the end of September. In the meantime, if you are impacted, you can use the “Send Feedback” button in PIX or contact us on the DirectX Discord server and we can help provide private builds.
[Settings]
[NEW] The placeholder text in the Settings search box may appear vertically misaligned.
[Audio]
Some Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels are experiencing an issue where audio stops working and Device Manager shows one or more devices with a yellow exclamation mark, including “ACPI Audio Compositor” and others. Selecting Properties on these devices will show “Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing.” If you are impacted by this issue, you can follow these instructions to get back into a working state:
Right-click on the device with a yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager and select “Update driver”.
Choose “Browse my computer for drivers” and then “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer”.
Select the driver from the list with the most recent date and click “Next”. If you are presented with a list of common hardware types instead of one or more specific drivers, this device is not related to this issue.
This device should be repaired and no longer show a yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager. If it continues to show a yellow exclamation mark, the yellow exclamation mark is not related to this issue.
Repeat these steps for each device with a yellow exclamation mark.
[Xbox Controllers]
Some Insiders are experiencing an issue where using their Xbox Controller via Bluetooth is causing their PC to bugcheck. Here is how to resolve the issue. Open Device Manager by searching for it via the search box on your taskbar. Once Device Manager is open, click on “View” and then “Devices by Driver”. Find the driver named “oemXXX.inf (XboxGameControllerDriver.inf)” where the “XXX” will be a specific number on your PC. Right-click on that driver and click “Uninstall”.
Microsoft Store Update
Windows Insiders running version 22508.1401.x.x of the Microsoft Store and higher will see the following improvement rolling out:
Microsoft Store’s AI Hub is getting a new addition: Microsoft 365 Copilot Agents! Clicking on the agent cards will directly launch Microsoft 365 Copilot where you can explore the deeper capabilities of each agent. These include the Prompt, Writing, Idea, Career and Learning coaches as well as Analyst and Researcher. The cards will be shown to users with the Microsoft 365 Copilot app installed and are subject to availability based on subscription tier.
Agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot in the Microsoft Store’s AI Hub.
Launching apps provided and updated by publishers: In previous months, we rolled out the capability to update apps that are provided and updated by publishers. Starting with this Microsoft Store update, you’ll be able to launch these types of apps directly from the product page or from the downloads page if the app supports it.
Launch app updates provided from publishers directly on the product page.
FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Microsoft Store.
Hi all, last Thursday Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27943 to the Canary Channel.
Some fixes and tweaks, a quick and smooth upgrade on all my Canary devices
Happy Upgrades!
Changes and Improvements
[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.
Fixes
[General]
Fixed the issue causing Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files to get stuck when scanning files. This issue also caused the entry to clean up previous Windows Installations to not show in Storage Settings.
[Taskbar]
Fixed an issue where if you minimized an app and switched back and forth between desktops, you might end up seeing a duplicate preview thumbnail when hovering over the app in the taskbar.
[Display and Graphics]
Fixed an issue which could result in HDR unexpectedly turning off immediately after you enabled it in Settings.
[Other]
Fixed an issue causing an event saying “The “Microsoft Pluton Cryptographic Provider” provider was not loaded because initialization failed” with error 57 to appear in Event Viewer for some Insiders after boot.
Fixed an issue where if you had to enter a PIN for your device to cast from Quick Settings, pressing Enter wouldn’t confirm the PIN.
Made another fix to help with Group Policy Editor having unexpected large blank areas and not rendering correctly with the Chinese display language.
Known issues
[General]
[IMPORTANT]Some Windows Insiders may experience a rollback attempting to install this build with either an 0xC1900101-0x20017 error or 0xC1900101-0x30017 error. Unfortunately retrying to install the build will result in another rollback. We are working on a fix.
[NEW] We’re working on the fix for an issue causing some Insiders with Arm64 PCs to experience an increase in bugchecks (green screens) with error IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL in the latest Canary builds.
[For developers]
PIX on Windows is unable to play back GPU captures on this OS version. This will be addressed by a new PIX release, estimated to arrive by the end of September. In the meantime, if you are impacted, you can use the “Send Feedback” button in PIX or contact us on the DirectX Discord server and we can help provide private builds.
[Graphics]
We’re investigating an issue which is causing some Insiders to experience screen flickers when using the browser (and potentially other scenarios) in the latest Canary builds.
[Audio]
Some Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel are experiencing an issue where audio stops working and Device Manager shows one or more devices with a yellow exclamation mark, including “ACPI Audio Compositor” and others. Selecting Properties on these devices will show “Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing.” If you are impacted by this issue, you can follow these instructions to get back into a working state:
Right-click on the device with a yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager and select “Update driver”.
Choose “Browse my computer for drivers” and then “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer”.
Select the driver from the list with the most recent date and click “Next”. If you are presented with a list of common hardware types instead of one or more specific drivers, this device is not related to this issue.
This device should be repaired and no longer show a yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager. If it continues to show a yellow exclamation mark, the yellow exclamation mark is not related to this issue.
Repeat these steps for each device with a yellow exclamation mark.
Hi all, yesterday Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.5790 (KB5065779) to the Dev Channel for Windows Insiders on Windows 11, version 25H2.
Yes, we’re testing out next year’s builds progress already in the Dev Channel
Smooth upgrades on my Dev-Channel Devices
New Copilot+ PC experiences
Introducing fluid dictation in voice access
Fluid dictation is a new feature in voice access on Copilot+ PCs, that makes voice-based dictation smoother and smarter. It automatically corrects grammar, punctuation, and filler words as you speak, reducing the need for manual editing. This experience is powered by on-device small language models (SLMs) so ensure fast and private processing. To use it, launch voice access and complete setup if you’re a first-time user. Fluid dictation is enabled by default – you can check or toggle it via the settings flyout in the top-right corner or simply say “turn on/off fluid dictation.”
The option to turn fluid dictation on or off in the settings flyout in voice access highlighted in a red box.
It works in any text app but is disabled in secure fields like passwords or PINs to protect your privacy. Fluid dictation in voice access is currently available in all English locales and is available on all Copilot + PCs.
FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Voice access.
Making Windows Studio Effects available on additional cameras
We are working to bring the Windows Studio Effects experience from integrated laptop cameras to a broader range of camera hardware, helping you stay professional and look your best across more setups. On supported Copilot+ PCs, we are rolling out the ability to use Studio Effect’s AI-powered camera enhancements with an additional, alternative camera – such as a USB webcam or your laptop’s built-in rear camera.
New option inside Settings to turn on the ability to use Windows Studio Effects on an additional camera highlighted in a red box.
To get started, navigate to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras and select your preferred camera from the connected cameras list. Then, open the advanced camera options menu to find the new “Use Windows Studio Effects” toggle. Once enabled, you can now access and adjust Studio Effects directly from the camera settings page or via the quick settings menu in the taskbar.
NOTE: The required update for the Windows Studio Effects driver will first roll out to Intel®-powered Copilot+ PCs with the update rolling out for AMD and Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs in the coming weeks.
FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Studio Effects.
Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*
[Agent in Settings]
The following changes and improvements are rolling out for agent in Settings on Copilot+ PCs:
We are beginning to roll out the new agent in Settings experience to Windows Insiders with their primary display language is set to French.
[File Explorer]
File Explorer Home now offers on-hover actions for faster file management. Hovering over a file with your mouse in File Explorer Home will display commands like Open file location and Ask Copilot about this file. You will be able to try out the Copilot integration and attach files easily. This experience currently only works if you’re signed in with a Microsoft account. Work or school account (Entra ID) support is coming in a future flight. This change is not yet rolling out to Windows Insiders in the EEA (European Economic Area).
On-hover actions in File Explorer Home highlighted in a red box.
[Settings]
Advanced Settings will revert to the previous “For Developers” experience after updating to this build. This change will come back soon.
Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on*
[General]
Fixed an underlying issue which was causing Insiders on certain devices to experience an unexpected increase in lag in various scenarios after the latest flights, including when interacting with File Explorer and taskbar (clicks could take 500ms to be processed), and browser windows (particularly when watching videos). Performance issues can have multiple causes, so if you’re continuing to experience issues, please let us know by filing feedback, including as many details as possible.
[Taskbar & System Tray]
Fixed an issue which could cause the app preview windows in the taskbar to become misaligned (away from the app icon you’d clicked / hovered over) after a display resolution change.
[File Explorer]
Fixed an issue where with certain apps installed, when you right clicked you may see the context menu unexpectedly switch back and forth with each right click between the normal initial view and “Show more options”.
[Settings]
Fixed an issue causing Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files to get stuck when scanning files.
[Other]
Fixed an issue causing an event saying “The “Microsoft Pluton Cryptographic Provider” provider was not loaded because initialization failed” with error 57 to appear in Event Viewer for some Insiders after boot.
Known issues
[General]
[NEW] We’re investigating an issue causing some PCs to bugcheck (green screen) while hibernating after the previous flight. This may make it look like hibernation has shut down your PC. We recommend not hibernating your PC until this is fixed if you are experiencing this issue.
[File Explorer]
For some users, the Shared section in File Explorer Home may be visible even if there is no content to display.
[For developers]
[NEW] PIX on Windows is unable to play back GPU captures on this OS version. This will be addressed by a new PIX release, estimated to arrive by the end of September. In the meantime, if you are impacted, you can use the “Send Feedback” button in PIX or contact us on the DirectX Discord server and we can help provide private builds.
[Audio]
[NEW] Some Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels are experiencing an issue where audio stops working and Device Manager shows one or more devices with a yellow exclamation mark, including “ACPI Audio Compositor” and others. Selecting Properties on these devices will show “Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing.” If you are impacted by this issue, you can follow these instructions to get back into a working state:
Right-click on the device with a yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager and select “Update driver”.
Choose “Browse my computer for drivers” and then “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer”.
Select the driver from the list with the most recent date and click “Next”. If you are presented with a list of common hardware types instead of one or more specific drivers, this device is not related to this issue.
This device should be repaired and no longer show a yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager. If it continues to show a yellow exclamation mark, the yellow exclamation mark is not related to this issue.
Repeat these steps for each device with a yellow exclamation mark.
[Xbox Controllers]
Some Insiders are experiencing an issue where using their Xbox Controller via Bluetooth is causing their PC to bugcheck. Here is how to resolve the issue. Open Device Manager by searching for it via the search box on your taskbar. Once Device Manager is open, click on “View” and then “Devices by Driver”. Find the driver named “oemXXX.inf (XboxGameControllerDriver.inf)” where the “XXX” will be a specific number on your PC. Right-click on that driver and click “Uninstall”.
