Hi all, Last Friday Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200 to the Canary Channel.
(Note the .5001 after the build number does not mean anything relevant to Windows Insiders and we will continue to use the primary build number for these flight blog posts.)
With the Canary Channel moving to a higher build number, the window closes on being able to switch to the Dev Channel without doing a clean-install of Windows. If you haven’t switched channels yet, you can still do so BEFORE taking Build 26200.
Studio effects is working again on my Surface Laptop Studio 2 on this build, no more need to disable the NPU (https://aka.ms/AApno2g)
Smooth upgrades on all my Canary Channel devices
Happy Upgrading!
Changes and Improvements
[General]
[REMINDER] As we’ve been mentioning previously that would happen, the build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop has returned.
[Widgets]
We are also making some improvements to the Widgets button on the taskbar so that the icons on the taskbar are clearer and we are rolling out a larger set of animated icons too.
As part of the Widgets board improvements that we began rolling out with Build 26090 a few weeks ago (which are now also rolling out to Insiders in the Dev Channel), we are introducing the ability for developers to send notifications to the taskbar button with their custom dashboards for the Widgets board. Developers can check out this documentation on how to implement this capability with their Widgets dashboards. To manage notifications from multiple dashboards, Widgets is also providing more granular control over what content shows on the Widgets button on the taskbar. You can go to Widgets Settings > Notifications and enable or disable taskbar notifications from individual dashboards. NOTE: These changes are only initially available to Windows Insiders in the European Economic Area (EEA).
[Taskbar & System Tray]
After trying out a different design for the energy saver icon in system tray a few months ago for PCs that are plugged in and do not have batteries (such as desktop PCs), we reverted the design back to the leaf icon a few builds ago. (This change is also present in Build 26100.)
Energy saver icon shown on the system tray for PCs that do not have batteries.
Fixes for known issues
[Taskbar & System Tray]
Fixed an issue that caused a dead zone you couldn’t click inside of next to the notification center.
Fixed an issue that was causing the page icons in quick settings to not work in secondary settings pages.
Fixed an issue where keyboard focus wasn’t shifting to the top item of the new page correctly after switching pages in quick settings.
[Input]
Fixed a tabtip.exe crash, which could impact the ability to input text.
[Windowing]
Fixed an issue which could cause RemoteApp windows to get cut off when using 200% scaling.
[Multiple Desktops]
Fixed an issue where the option to set a different wallpaper on each desktop wasn’t working.
Known issues
[General]
[IMPORTANT NOTE] We are investigating reports that some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620. The investigation is ongoing, however if you are impacted by this and really want to get onto the latest build in the Canary or Dev Channel today – you can download the latest ISO here and do a clean install and opt your device back into flighting in the Canary or Dev Channels.
[Copilot in Windows*]
[NEW] We are aware of reports by Insiders in the Canary, Dev, and Beta Channels that Copilot is auto-launching unexpectedly after restarting their PCs. We hope to have a fix for this issue soon and is unrelated to the auto-launching experience we tried out with Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels in early February which we stopped rolling out in March.
Voice access does not work reliably with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application.
Using Windows Ink to write in Copilot will not work with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window.
Hi all, last Wednesday Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100 to the Canary and Dev Channels.
The Canary and Dev Channels sharing the same builds is a temporary situation. While both channels are aligned (for example, Build 26100), Insiders in the Canary Channel have the opportunity to switch to the Dev Channel. Soon, the Canary Channel will advance to higher build numbers, and the opportunity to switch will close, so it’s advisable to decide which channel you wish to follow promptly.
Great News for the Canary channel fans, soon we will jump ahead!
It appears that build 26100 could indeed be the version released later this year as 24H2.
Happy upgrades!
What’s new in Build 26100
Changes and Improvements
[General]
[REMINDER] The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is not present in this build and will return in future Insider Preview builds. This is part of our normal process preparing Windows 11, version 24H2 for releasing to customers later this year – but does not mean we’re done. Windows 11, version 24H2, will be this year’s annual feature update. As mentioned here, Windows 11 will have an annual feature update cadence that releases in the second half of the calendar year.
Fixes for known issues
[General]
Made another fix to address the issue causing shutdown and hibernate to not work in the latest builds.
Fixed an issue resulting in some Insiders seeing error 0x80240067 when trying to download app updates from Microsoft Store or Windows updates in Settings in the latest builds.
[Copilot in Windows*]
With the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window, we have fixed the issue that prevented the ability to bring focus to the “…” or refresh buttons within Copilot when using a keyboard (ex: by using tab to cycle through buttons).
[Windowing]
Fixed a DWM crash impacting some Insiders in the latest flights (this could result in you seeing your screen flash black).
Known issues
[General]
[IMPORTANT NOTE] We are investigating reports that some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620. The investigation is ongoing, however if you are impacted by this and really want to get onto the latest build in the Canary or Dev Channel today – you can download the latest ISO here and do a clean install and opt your device back into flighting in the Canary or Dev Channels.
[Copilot in Windows*]
Voice access does not work reliably with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application.
Using Windows Ink to write in Copilot will not work with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window.
When Copilot in Windows is docked and resized to a large width, Copilot does not always fill the width of the panel. Resizing Copilot usually fixes this issue.
Hi all, last Thursday Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26090 to the Canary and Dev Channels.
All upgrades went smooth here, including in Windows365
Studio Effects is still freezing on Surface Latop Studio 2 if the NPU is enbled (Feedback Hub https://aka.ms/AApno2g)
The insider build watermark in the bottom right corner is gone for now, this usually points to a major build
Hpaay Upgrading!
What’s new in Build 26090
Widgets board improvements
We are restarting the rollout of the Widgets board improvements that originally began rolling out with Build 26058 to Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel. Those improvements include introducing a new navigation bar on the left allowing you to switch between a dedicated widgets dashboard and other integrated dashboards like Discover. Give it a try and let us know what you think using the feedback button at the top of the board.
We’ve added a new Navigation Pane on the left that allows you to switch to My Widgets dashboard.
A full widgets only experience from your favorite apps and services.
[We are beginning to roll this out to Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel today, so the experience isn’t available to all Insiders just yet.]
FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Widgets.
More Server Message Block (SMB) protocol changes
Starting with Build 26085 and higher, we are introducing the following Server Message Block (SMB) protocol changes for QUIC, signing, and encryption.
SMB over QUIC client disable: Administrators can now disable the SMB over QUIC client with Group Policy and PowerShell. To disable SMB over QUIC using PowerShell, run the following command in an elevated console:
Set-SmbClientConfiguration -EnableSMBQUIC $false
To disable SMB over QUIC using Group Policy, use GPMC.MSC or GPEDIT.MSC to configure the following setting:
SMB over QUIC client connection auditing: Successful SMB over QUIC client connection events are now written to the event log to include the QUIC transport. You can view these events using EVENTVWR.MSC under the following path:
Applications and Services Logs \ Microsoft \ Windows\ SMBClient \ Connectivity (Event ID: 30832)
SMB signing and encryption auditing: Administrators can now enable auditing of the SMB server and client for support of SMB signing and encryption. This shows if a third-party client or server doesn’t support SMB encryption or signing. You can configure these settings with PowerShell and Group Policy. To configure SMB client or server signing or encryption auditing using Group Policy, use GPMC.MSC or GPEDIT.MSC to configure the following settings:
Computer Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Network \ Lanman Workstation \ Audit server does not support encryption
Computer Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Network \ Lanman Workstation \ Audit server does not support signing
Computer Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Network \ Lanman Server \ Audit client does not support encryption
Computer Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Network \ Lanman Server \ Audit client does not support signing
To disable SMB over QUIC using PowerShell, run the following command in an elevated console:
The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is not present in this build and will return in future Insider Preview builds. This is part of our normal process for preparing Windows 11, version 24H2 for release to customers later this year – but does not mean we’re done. Windows 11, version 24H2, will be this year’s annual feature update.As mentioned here, Windows 11 will have an annual feature update cadence that releases in the second half of the calendar year.
[Copilot in Windows*]
You can ask Copilot in Windows (in preview) for help ten times when you sign in to Windows using a local account. After that, you must sign in using a Microsoft account (MSA) or a Microsoft Entra IDaccount (formerly Azure Active Directory (Azure AD)). To sign in, use the link in the dialog that appears in Copilot in Windows. If you do not sign in, some Copilot features might not work. To learn more, see Welcome to Copilot in Windows and Manage Copilot in Windows.
[Settings]
The redesigned version of the Delivery Optimization settings page under Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization that was first introduced in Build 25987 has been reverted to the previous design starting with Build 26085. We plan to bring back this redesigned settings page in a future flight after fixing some bugs. Thanks to Insiders for all the feedback on this!
Fixes for known issues
[General]
Fixed an issue which was causing video stutters in some apps (and possibly impacting FPS in some games) in the previous flight.
[Taskbar & System Tray]
Fixed an explorer.exe crash that was impacting taskbar reliability.
[File Explorer]
Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to see File Explorer unexpectedly using the previous design and have no tabs in the latest builds.
[Task Manager]
Fixed an issue where Task Manager was holding onto process handles sometimes, leading to processes not stopping when you closed apps if you’d had Task Manager open.
[Windowing]
Fixed an underlying issue which was causing the bottom half of secondary monitors to be unusable sometimes in recent builds (app windows wouldn’t maximize to that area).
Fixed an explorer.exe crash which was happening for some Insiders recently when dragging windows.
Known issues
[General]
[IMPORTANT NOTE] We are investigating reports that some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620. The investigation is ongoing, however if you are impacted by this and really want to get onto the latest build in the Canary or Dev Channel today – you can download the latest ISO here and do a clean install and opt your device back into flighting in the Canary or Dev Channels.
[NEW] We’ve seen some Insiders report that shutdown is still not working on their PCs after Build 26085 and are working on a fix.
[Copilot in Windows*]
Voice access does not work reliably with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application.
Using Windows Ink to write in Copilot will not work with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window.
When Copilot in Windows is docked and resized to a large width, Copilot does not always fill the width of the panel. Resizing Copilot usually fixes this issue.
With the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window, you may not be able to bring focus to the “…” or refresh buttons within Copilot when using a keyboard (ex: by using tab to cycle through buttons).
The Surface Laptop Go 3 is part of Microsoft’s Surface lineup, known for its sleek design and versatility. Here are the key highlights:
Design and Build:
The Laptop Go 3 features a premium aluminum chassis that feels solid in hand.
It’s incredibly lightweight, weighing just 2.49 pounds.
The 12.4-inch form factor makes it highly portable, perfect for on-the-go productivity.
The keyboard types great but is not back-lit
Display:
The 12.4-inch display offers a native resolution of 1536 by 1024 pixels.
While the resolution is relatively low, the IPS panel ensures good color accuracy and wide viewing angles.
Touch screen
Performance:
The Laptop Go 3 is powered by an Intel Core i5-1235U processor from the 12th Gen Intel lineup.
It’s a capable CPU for everyday tasks.
Memory and Storage:
The base model comes with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD.
This is a significant improvement over the previous generation’s 4 GB and 128 GB.
Battery Life:
The Laptop Go 3 boasts impressive battery life, with up to 15 hours of usage on a single charge.
Longer battery life means less frequent charging during your workday.
Operating System:
It runs Windows 11, Microsoft’s latest operating system.
Windows 11 brings a fresh interface, improved productivity features, and better integration with Microsoft services.
Verdict
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is no longer seen as just a budget-friendly choice. It offers respectable performance and power, yet its higher starting price places it closer to competitive options. It’s still a viable option for those in need of a lightweight, portable laptop for basic productivity tasks. However, for those requiring more robust performance, devices such as the Surface Laptop 5 or Surface Laptop Studio 2 may be worth considering.
Remember, the Surface Laptop Go 3 is all about striking a balance, and it does so admirably for its target audience. Whether it’s for students, professionals, or casual users, this laptop offers a sleek package with a touch of Microsoft elegance.
So, if you’re in the market for a light and affordable laptop, the Surface Laptop Go 3 could be your go-to choice!
As a tech enthusiast, I’ve had the pleasure of working with various laptops over the years, the last month I’ve been using the Surface Laptop Studio 2, it stands out as a remarkable piece of engineering designed for creative professionals. Here’s why this device has left an impression on me.
Unmatched Convertible Design
The Surface Laptop Studio 2 boasts a unique pull-forward touch-screen design that transforms seamlessly from a traditional laptop into a digital drafting tablet. This versatility is a significant change for artists, designers, and anyone who benefits from a hands-on approach to their work.
Performance That Packs a Punch
With the latest Intel Core i7-13700H processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2000 Ada Laptop GPU, this machine doesn’t just keep up; it leads the pack. The dedicated AI chip enhances local AI tasks, making features like video-call enhancements smoother than ever.
A Screen That Dazzles
The 14.4-inch PixelSense Flow display with a 120Hz refresh rate offers a visually stunning experience. Whether you’re editing high-resolution videos or designing intricate 3D models, the clarity and fluidity of the screen are simply unparalleled.
Thoughtful Features for Professionals
Long battery life, added USB-A and microSD ports, and a cleverly located magnetic stylus holder are just a few of the thoughtful touches that make the Surface Laptop Studio 2 a joy to use. It’s clear that Microsoft has considered the needs of professionals in every aspect of this device’s design.
Surface Slim Pen 2
Using the Surface Slim Pen 2 experience is great! It attaches magnetically to the front of the device where it also charges wirelessly
Final Thoughts
While the Surface Laptop Studio 2 comes with a premium price tag, it’s justified by its performance and unique features. It’s not just a laptop, it’s a creative companion that adapts to your workflow, empowering you to achieve more than you thought possible.
For creative professionals seeking a powerful, versatile laptop that doubles as a digital drafting tablet, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is an investment that pays dividends in productivity and creativity.
Microsoft’s recent Surface event has been a showcase of innovation, particularly with the unveiling of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6. These devices are not just new entries in Microsoft’s hardware lineup; they are a bold statement about the future of AI in business computing.
The Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 represent Microsoft’s commitment to blending sophisticated software with innovative hardware. These AI-powered PCs are built for a new era of work, where productivity and security go hand in hand with the advancements in AI technology. As businesses look to the future, Microsoft’s latest offerings are poised to be at the forefront of the AI revolution in the workplace.
Hi all, last Wednesday Microsoft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26085 to the Canary and Dev Channels.
The Canary and Dev Channels receiving the same builds is only temporary. During the times in which the Canary and Dev Channels are on the same builds (e.g. Build 26085), the window is open for Insiders in the Canary Channel to switch to the Dev Channel. At some point in the future, the Canary Channel will jump to higher build numbers and the window will be closed.
NOTE: Some features may begin rolling out to the Canary Channel first before the Dev Channel even if the two channels have the same build.
A bug that showed in a race condition up a couple of builds ago causing some miracast adapters to reboot when moving your mouse pointer is fixed in this build
Studio effects is still broken on Surface Laptop 2, as soon as you move while using the camera it freezes, as a temp work around you can disable the NPU in device manager and disabling & re-enabling the camera to restore a functioning camera without studio effects. (https://aka.ms/AApno2g)
Changes and Improvements
[Input]
The new pointer indicator accessibility setting for low vision Windows users introduced with Build 26052 has been temporarily disabled with Build 26085. We plan to re-enable this feature in a future flight after fixing some bugs. Thanks to Insiders for all the feedback on this!
[Settings]
Windows Insiders who have Bluetooth LE Audio capable assistive hearing devices can now set up and manage their devices via Settings > Accessibility > Hearing aids. This new accessibility settings page allows users to check their PC’s compatibility for Bluetooth LE Audio and pair/manage a set of hearing devices for a more streamlined configuration. Please note that this page is a work-in-progress, and the contents of this page may change over time. (Note this change was first introduced in Build 26080.)
Fixes for known issues
[General]
Fixed the underlying issue believed to be the cause of shutdown and hibernation not working in the previous flight.
[File Explorer]
Fixed an issue where the context menu in File Explorer was missing an acrylic background.
Fixed an issue where when opening the context menu in File Explorer, the icons might appear out of place and overlapping text.
Fixed an issue which was causing File explorer to leak GDI objects and heap memory for every folder navigation, leading to stability and rendering issues over time.
Fixed a memory leak when interacting with archive folders in File Explorer.
Fixed an issue causing thumbnails in File Explorer to sometimes unexpectedly be black in the previous flight.
[Sudo]
Fixed an issue believed to be the cause of the setting to enable sudo (under System > For Developers) not working for some Insiders.
Fixed an issue where if you ran the command “sudo pwsh”, it wasn’t working properly in recent builds.
[Windows Security]
Fixed a high hitting Windows Security app crash in the previous flight, which is believed to potentially be the cause of Insiders reporting that the Windows Security app icon in the system tray was sometimes missing in that flight.
[Input]
With this build, the recent issues with the mouse cursor disappearing, and other recent issues related to the mouse cursor behaving abnormally should be fixed.
[Settings]
Fixed an underlying issue which was causing Settings to freeze sometimes so you couldn’t interact with any of the pages.
Fixed an issue where the list of Bluetooth devices under Bluetooth & Devices wasn’t being read out by screen readers in recent builds.
[Windows Update]
Fixed the issue causing Insiders in the Dev Channel to see error 0x80070002 when trying to install cumulative updates.
Fixed an issue where using “Update and Shutdown” wasn’t shutting down your PC upon completion.
[Other]
Fixed an issue that was causing some Insiders to see bugchecks with CRITICAL_STRUCTURE_CORRUPTION recently.
Fixed an issue which was causing Voice Access to crash on launch for some Insiders in recent builds.
[IMPORTANT NOTE FOR GAMERS] Most popular games should work correctly again in the most recent Insider Preview builds in the Canary and Dev Channels. Please be sure to submit feedback in Feedback Hub on any issues you see with playing games on the latest builds. We will be removing this note with the next Canary and Dev Channel flight.
[UPDATED] We’re continuing to investigate reports of rollbacks (with error code 0xC1900101) when installing the latest builds.
[NEW] We’re working on the fix for an issue causing some Insiders to see File Explorer unexpectedly using the previous design and have no tabs in the latest builds.
[Copilot in Windows*]
Voice access does not work reliably with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application.
Using Windows Ink to write in Copilot will not work with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window.
When Copilot in Windows is docked and resized to a large width, Copilot does not always fill the width of the panel. Resizing Copilot usually fixes this issue.
With the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window, you may not be able to bring focus to the “…” or refresh buttons within Copilot when using a keyboard (ex: by using tab to cycle through buttons).
Hi all, last Wednesday Microsft released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26080 to the Canary and Dev Channels.
There are ISOs for this build – they can be downloaded > here <
Insiders in the Canary Channel will receive Build 26080.1 while Insiders in the Dev Channel will receive Build 26080.1100 (KB5037133) as we test delivery of a full build and a servicing update at the same time. There is no difference between the two of these as Build 26068.1100 does not include any additional code.
Flighting from Redmond Campus this week while attending the MVP Summit went smooth & very fast for some reason 😎
Happy Upgrades!
What’s new in Build 26080
Updates to Microsoft Teams in Windows 11
Starting with Windows 11, version 24H2, Teams users will get access to a preview experience of the new, unified Microsoft Teams experience on Windows. In this preview, Microsoft Teams will be available as a single application, enabling users to seamlessly switch between multiple cloud environments, tenants, and account types across personal and work. This new, unified application will soon be rolled out to commercial customers as well, through the normal update process. To add or access additional accounts, select your profile picture at the upper right corner of Teams when you sign into Teams.
Teams work user interface showing the Me control open with both work and personal account.
We received consistent feedback from personal and work users: you prefer a single Teams app that allows you to easily access and switch between personal and work accounts. This update lets you use one app for all kinds of Teams accounts.
Teams personal account user interface over Teams work user interface.
You can join any Teams meeting with ease. In upcoming builds, when you are joining a meeting, you can select the account you want to use. You will also be able to join a meeting without signing in.
Teams user selecting which account to use to join a meeting.
Notifications have been improved, showing which Teams account they belong to. In addition, personal notifications have more details, giving clear and easy actions from the notification banner.
A Teams notification that someone is calling.
You can now launch personal and work accounts simultaneously with separate icons on the taskbar. We listened to users about their communication needs in various aspects of their lives and how they want to use Teams. The feedback was clear that a multi-window experience is preferred.
Other things to know:
This unified preview app experience is labeled “Microsoft Teams (work or school)”. The app name will be automatically updated to “Microsoft Teams” in future releases.
This is a preview release, and you will notice some changes from your current experience using Microsoft Teams (free) and Microsoft Teams (work or school). These changes and more updates will continue until we reach general availability. Notably in this release, Teams will launch into a separate icon for single accounts.
We will remove the standalone consumer app, “Microsoft Teams (free)”, in future releases.
If you lose access to either Teams applications through use of the Windows Insiders Program, you can access your preferred Teams application from this download page.
For Enterprise Admins, the ability to sign in with Microsoft accounts will be part of a normal monthly update, there is no new app to install if you have new Teams. The functionality is targeted for preview in April and general availability in May. The ability for users to sign in with Microsoft accounts will follow all sign in restriction polices as it has for all versions of Teams. Admins can learn more in Message Center (MC719659).
[ADDED] This preview version of Microsoft Teams is immediately available on clean installs of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26080 and higher.
[ADDED] Existing Windows Insiders need to be on Microsoft Teams version 24057.2000.2723.3544 or higher to see this capability, which is rolling out gradually.
Improvements to Copilot in Windows* now rolling out to more Windows Insiders
We have been trying out a new runtime for Copilot in Windows* that allows you to manage more settings via Copilot, including accessibility-focused settings, and use Power Automate Desktop through Copilot! We are now rolling out these Copilot in Windows improvements to more Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel (which first began rolling out on 2/20) and beginning to roll these improvements out to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel.
More built-in capabilities via Copilot in Windows
Try asking Copilot to turn on Narrator or Live Captions, turn on battery saver, show you available networks, even empty your recycle bin or clean up your storage. Here’s the full list of things you can ask Copilot to do!
New with this update:
Ask for available wireless networks.
Ask for system or device information.
Ask for battery information.
Ask to clean storage.
Ask to empty recycle bin.
Ask to toggle battery saver.
Ask to show startup apps.
Ask for your IP address.
Ask for system, device, or storage information.
Try accessibility features:
Ask to turn on narrator.
Ask to open voice access.
Ask to turn on magnifier.
Ask to change text size.
Ask to start live captions.
Ask to turn on high-contrast.
Ask to start voice typing.
Already live, now on the new runtime:
Ask to toggle dark/light theme.
Ask to toggle Bluetooth.
Ask to toggle do not disturb.
Ask to add a device.
Ask to take a screenshot.
Ask to cast your screen to another monitor.
Ask to change your background image.
Ask to set volume, change volume, or mute/unmute volume.
Ask to launch an application.
State that certain parts of your PC aren’t working: Audio, Windows Update, Camera, Bluetooth, Printer, Network, others.
Ask to snap a window.
Ask to start a focus session.
Introducing Power Automate via Copilot in Windows
Power Automate is a low-code automation solution that is part of the Power Platform. We’re excited to introduce the Power Automate plugin in Copilot in Windows. This first release of the plugin offers automation features for Excel, PDF manipulation and file management.
To use the plugin, download or update Power Automate Desktop to the latest version from the Microsoft Store. Currently plugins are only accessible if you are signed in to Copilot in Windows with a Microsoft account.
After you have Power Automate installed and you activate the plugin in the plugins section in Copilot in Windows, you can ask for tasks such as:
Write an email to my team wishing everyone a happy weekend.
List the top 5 highest mountains in the world in an Excel file.
Rename all PDF files in a folder to add the word final at the end.
Move all word documents to another folder.
I need to split a PDF by the first page. Can you help?
Do you want to share your feedback on the Power Automate plugin or do you have other automation scenarios that you would like us to support? Feel free to contact us: powerautomate-ai@microsoft.com.
[The rollout continues for these Copilot in Windows improvements to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels today, so the experience isn’t available to all Insiders just yet.]
FEEDBACK: Because of an issue with our feedback pipeline, please do not use the in-line feedback form that opens from thumbs up/down for these actions right now, and instead file feedback about using these in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Copilot in Windows.
Changes and Improvements
[Copilot in Windows*]
We are beginning to roll-out an updated Copilot in Windows experience that adds the ability to switch between the existing “docked” behavior that attaches Copilot to the side of your desktop, and a new mode where it acts like a normal application window which you can resize and move around your screen. As part of this change, we’re also introducing some under-the-hood improvements as well. This experience is beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel As always, please report any issues you experience to us via Feedback Hub.
Copilot in Windows undocked and shown next to Notepad like a normal application window.
[Taskbar & System Tray]
You can turn on live captions more quickly by using the new quick setting. Just open quick settings from the system tray, scroll down, then select the live captions quick setting.
The new live captions quick setting highlighted with a red box in the quick settings flyout from the system on the taskbar.
Updated the design of the progress bar under app icons to help make it easier to see. This will appear on the taskbar as well as the Start menu.
Design of progress bar under app icons has been updated to show a thin line under the colored progress bar to make it easier to see.
[File Explorer]
When extracting files, if there is a file name conflict you can now choose to apply your selected action (skip, replace) for all conflicts.
New option highlighted for choosing to apply your selected action (skip, replace) for all conflicts when extracting files in File Explorer.
[Windows Update]
Removed the What’s New link in Windows Update history for Windows Insiders – it will only show now for retail (released) versions of Windows. To check what’s new in Insider builds, please follow this blog.
[Printing]
[ADDED] Building off the printer improvements first introduced with Build 26020, we have added the ability to rename your printer directly from Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanner.
Fixes for known issues
[General]
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR DEV DRIVE USERS: Insiders on Build 26068 and higher who have Dev Drives should no longer see their Dev Drives breaking when rolling back as long as you roll back to Build 26063 and higher. Rolling back to earlier builds may still result in issues with Dev Drives.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Fixed an issue causing Windows Update in Settings to not load or crash in Build 26063. If you are still on Build 26063 and encounter this, rebooting may resolve the issue. If it doesn’t, the update should still eventually download on its own – appreciate your patience.
Fixed an issue for Narrator not working when setting up a device or in Advanced Startup.
[Copilot in Windows*]
Fixed an issue where if you turned the Copilot icon off and back on in Settings never showed it on your taskbar again.
[Taskbar & System Tray]
Fixed a memory leak related to showing the tooltip for the date and time in the taskbar when you had enabled additional clocks.
[File Explorer]
Fixed an underlying issue believed to be the cause of some Insiders finding File Explorer had started freezing and using unexpectedly high CPU in the last couple builds. Please file feedback in the Feedback Hub if you continue experiencing this after upgrading.
Fixed an issue where your preference for “Show extracted files when complete” when extracting files in File Explorer wasn’t persisting across upgrades.
Fixed a timing issue where when you start a search from Home in File Explorer, it might unexpectedly show no results the first time you tried.
Fixed an issue causing the Details view in File Explorer to be unexpectedly cramped in recent builds when using compact mode.
Made a change to help address an issue where after a DWM crash, when you opened File Explorer it could just show a blank area on top instead of rendering the area correctly.
Fixed an issue where the 7zip and ZIP compression options weren’t displaying correctly for Insiders with the English (United Kingdom) display language.
[Task Manager]
Fixed an issue which could lead to your GPU showing as -1 in Task Manager.
Fixed an issue where Task Manager may unexpectedly show no GPU % used (when that was not the case).
Fixed an issue impacting Task Manager reliability.
[Audio]
Fixed an issue causing HDMI connected devices to not have audio in the last few builds.
[Input]
Fixed an issue causing the input switcher (WIN + Space) design to revert to an older style and draw in the wrong location.
Fixed an issue where DWM could hang when writing with pen in Snipping Tool.
Fixed a high hitting ctfmon.exe crash, which could impact the ability to input text.
Fixed an issue where magnifier wasn’t following the mouse cursor when centered on screen in recent builds.
Fixed an issue where mouse cursor shadows (if enabled) were not rendered correctly with large cursors.
Fixed an issue where the mouse cursor was unexpectedly leaving a trail of mice on the screen.
Fixed an issue which could lead to some mice and keyboards not working in safe mode.
Fixed an issue where when waking your PC from sleep in Build 26063 the touchpad might be banged out in Device Manager, resulting in the mouse cursor not showing when you tried to use it.
[Settings]
Fixed an issue where a Display Connection section was incorrectly showing up under Settings > System > Display > Graphics that when clicked, would crash Settings.
Fixed an issue where a brightness slider might not show in Settings > System > Display in recent builds even though a brightness slider was available for you to use in Quick Settings.
[Other]
Fixed an underlying issue which could lead to Snipping Tool hanging.
Fixed an underlying dxgi.dll issue which led to some app and game crashes in Build 26058+.
Fixed an underlying issue with winmmbase.dll which could lead to app crashes in Build 26058+.
Fixed an issue related to tcpip.sys which was causing some Insiders to see bugchecks with UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP in the last few builds.
Fixed an issue which was causing some Insiders to see bugchecks with SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION in the last few builds.
Fixed an issue which was causing some Insiders to see bugchecks with DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION in the last few builds.
Fixed an issue where if you attempted to use the Windows Update troubleshooter, it would show error 0x803C010A.
Known issues
[General]
[IMPORTANT NOTE FOR GAMERS – UPDATED!] Most popular games should work correctly again in the most recent Insider Preview builds in the Canary and Dev Channels. Please be sure to submit feedback in Feedback Hub on any issues you see with playing games on the latest builds.
[UPDATED] We’ve made some more changes to help reduce the number of rollbacks (with error code 0xC1900101) when installing the latest builds and are continuing to investigate reports. If your PC rolls back trying to install this build, please file feedback in Feedback Hub.
In some cases, the File Explorer context menu no longer has the acrylic effect. This will be fixed in a future flight.
We’re investigating reports of mouse cursor issues after installing Build 26058+, including that the cursor is disappearing in some apps. If you’re experiencing issues, please file feedback describing exactly what you’re seeing under Input and Language > Mouse in the Feedback Hub. This build includes a number of fixes to help with recent reports.
When opening the context menu in File Explorer, the icons may appear out of place and overlapping text.
[NEW] Running the command “sudo pwsh” won’t work properly in this build.
[Copilot in Windows*]
[NEW] Voice access does not work reliably with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window noted in the above blog post.
[NEW] Using Windows Ink to write in Copilot will not work with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window noted in the above blog post.
[NEW] When Copilot in Windows is docked and resized to a large width, Copilot does not always fill the width of the panel. Resizing Copilot to less than half of the width of your screen usually fixes this issue.
[ADDED 3/14] With the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window, you may not be able to bring focus to the “…” or refresh buttons within Copilot when using a keyboard (ex: by using tab to cycle through buttons).
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The Windows Insider Program offers a great way to preview the latest features and updates of Windows before they are released to the general public. As an IT professional, you can benefit from testing insider builds of Windows in several ways:
Test new features first: Insiders get to experience upcoming Windows 10 features before they officially roll out. While some features may not be fully finished, most of what shows up in Insider builds is nearly complete. This early access is especially useful for IT professionals and developers who want to ensure that upcoming features won’t impact critical systems.
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