Microsoft Launches New Windows 11 Preview Builds: Enhancements and Features Announced
This week marks the introduction of two new preview builds for Windows 11, as Microsoft rolls out build 26200.5622 (KB5058512) to users in the Dev Channel. This update comes packed with a variety of enhancements and features designed to improve user experience and functionality.
Key Features of Build 26200.5622
One significant introduction in this build is the Click to Do feature, now available for Copilot+ PC users. This innovative tool allows you to select a sentence from any text on your screen and quickly draft a document by clicking “Draft with Copilot in Word“.Please note that this feature necessitates an active Microsoft 365 subscription.
Moreover, the Click to Do feature now provides support for additional languages, including French and Spanish for rewriting tasks, while German, Italian, and Portuguese are included for a wider range of text actions.
Introducing Quick Machine Recovery
A noteworthy addition is Quick Machine Recovery, now prominently featured in the Settings app. Announced at Ignite 2024, this enhancement allows users to efficiently resolve boot issues by applying necessary updates and fixes within the Windows Recovery Environment. A dedicated settings page is now available to check and configure the status of this feature. Windows Insiders can test Quick Machine Recovery in test mode.
Widgets and Other Notable Changes
The Windows Widgets feature has also seen an upgrade, now allowing for multiple boards. Users can seamlessly switch between views that focus solely on widgets or a combination of widgets and news updates.
Additional Updates:
- The “Open with”dialog now features app recommendations, enhancing the process of discovering new applications compatible with selected files.
- Phone Link has been upgraded to group notifications directly in the start menu and streamline screen mirroring for Android devices.
- Improvements in the Settings app have been made, including a better-aligned search bar for Copilot+ PCs and a redesigned product key entry interface to align with Windows 11’s aesthetics.
Additionally, a new Device Card feature on the Home page provides a snapshot of your PC’s specifications.
Bug Fixes and Improvements
General Fixes:
Alongside the new features, this build also offers an array of fixes aimed at enhancing stability and usability. Here’s a summary of key improvements:
- Windows Search: Resolved underlying crashes affecting semantic indexing for some users during previous updates.
- Start Menu: Implemented fixes to address issues where the Account Manager would fail to open for certain users and resolved start menu crashes.
- File Explorer: Multiple fixes have been introduced to address accessibility issues within the menu and enhance stability when performing various actions.
- Task Manager: Corrected issues with CPU utilization readings and visualization errors on the Performance page.
- Narrator: The ‘Describe image’ feature has received necessary fixes for improved functionality.
- Settings: Addressed issues leading to crashes in Settings and Quick Settings, particularly related to Bluetooth.
- Others: Miscellaneous stability improvements for specific applications and utilities.
Known Issues
While the update brings various enhancements, users should be aware of several known issues:
- Following a PC reset, the build version may inaccurately display as 26100 instead of 26200, though this will not impede future updates.
- Some users with Xbox Controllers may encounter system bugs when connecting via Bluetooth.
- Issues persist for certain actions in File Explorer’s AI functionalities, which Microsoft is actively working to resolve.
For additional information, visit the official announcement on the Windows Blogs website.
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