New Windows 11 Preview Builds Released: What’s New and Noteworthy
This Monday marked a rare event as Microsoft unveiled new preview builds of Windows 11 for its Insider program participants. Users subscribed to the Dev and Beta Channels can now explore builds 26200.6772 and 26100.6772, which come with a host of exciting enhancements. These updates include enhanced dark mode capabilities within File Explorer, alongside some less favorable changes that complicate the installation process by nudging users towards a Microsoft Account.
Despite these drawbacks, the latest builds offer a multitude of beneficial features. Below, we delve into the standout updates:
Click to Do (Preview)
Image Object Selection: The new Image Object select function aims to streamline the creative workflow by allowing users to highlight and select objects within images effortlessly. Simply hover your cursor over an image to unveil selectable segments. Once an object is chosen, users can copy and paste it into other applications or engage with Microsoft Copilot for enhanced creativity and insights.
Unit Conversion: The Click to Do functionality now supports in-app unit conversions, facilitating quick adjustments for various measurements shown on the screen. Currently, supported conversions include:
- Length
- Area
- Volume
- Weight
- Temperature
- Speed
- Hovering over a number with a unit brings up a tooltip with conversion options.
- Selecting the number opens a context menu featuring further conversion possibilities.
- Additional conversions can be accessed via the Copilot app, although this feature is presently unavailable for Insiders in the EEA (European Economic Area) or China.
Windows Hello Enhancements
Expanded Support for Peripheral Fingerprint Sensors: Windows Hello’s Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) now accommodates peripheral fingerprint sensors, broadening the secure sign-in capabilities for Windows 11 devices. Users can easily set this up by connecting a compatible fingerprint reader and navigating to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options to enroll.
Updates to the Windows Setup Experience
Custom User Folder Naming: Users now have the opportunity to name their default user folder during the Out-Of-Box Experience (OOBE).Here’s how to customize your user folder:
- On the Microsoft account sign-in screen, press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt.
- Enter “cd oobe” and hit enter, then type “SetDefaultUserFolder.cmd
”. - The folder name can consist of a maximum of 16 characters, and only Unicode characters are permitted. Any special characters will be omitted.
- Continue with the Microsoft account sign-in, and if your folder name is valid, it will be applied. Otherwise, a profile folder name will be generated automatically based on your Microsoft email address.
Removal of Local-only Commands: The update also removes certain methods for creating a local account during the Windows Setup (OOBE).While these methods were often utilized to bypass Microsoft account setup, they frequently skipped essential configuration screens, leading to an incomplete device setup. As a result, users are now required to complete the OOBE process with internet connectivity and a Microsoft account to ensure the device is correctly configured from the outset.
File Explorer Enhancements
Improved Dark Mode: The dark mode experience in File Explorer has been refined, now delivering a seamless look for key actions such as copy, move, and delete dialogs. The consistent dark mode interface now applies to:
- Copy, move, and delete dialogues in both default and expanded states
- Progress indicators and chart views
- Confirmation dialogues for actions like skipping or overriding files
- Various confirmation and error dialogues
General Fixes and Known Bugs
Gradually Released Fixes:
- Resolved an issue where some features unexpectedly disappeared from certain Insider PCs after the previous flight.
- Addressed a problem with the taskbar where it wouldn’t hide properly when minimized and might still show the system tray.
- Fixed focus issues when clicking app preview thumbnails that would dismiss the preview without bringing the app window to the front.
- Corrected an issue in File Explorer related to Encrypted File System (EFS) dialogues not responding to text scaling.
- Rectified problems for specific external webcams where enabling Windows Studio Effects could lead to camera preview failures.
- Adjusted reporting for certain network adapters to show accurate link speeds.
- Fixed issues affecting Hyper-V virtual machines on ARM64 devices using Trusted Platform Module (TPM).
- Addressed problems with playback in various digital media apps.
Known Issues:
- Click to Do: Launching Click to Do on the primary display through the right-edge gesture may cause swipe visuals to appear on a different display. This issue is under investigation.
- Lock and Login Screens: A new issue may prevent the touch keyboard from opening at the login screen; users can utilize the on-screen keyboard from the accessibility menu as a workaround.
- Taskbar & System Tray: Animations for taskbar previews have been temporarily disabled due to conflicts with window sharing functionalities.
- Search: Some searches may produce unexpected text instead of the anticipated results and images.
- Xbox Controllers: Certain Insiders may face a bug check when using Xbox Controllers connected via Bluetooth. To resolve this, users should uninstall a specific driver via Device Manager.
For more detailed information regarding these preview builds, please follow the links to the official announcements: Dev Channel and Beta Channel.
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