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Threat actors have been exploiting a vulnerability in the Roundcube Webmail client to target government organizations in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region, the successor of the former Soviet Union. [...]

WordPress sites are being hacked to install malicious plugins that display fake software updates and errors to push information-stealing malware. [...]

To make generative AI tools (genAI) work as well as possible, tech companies have chosen to train their large language models (LLMs) on large amounts of text, even though doing so could run afoul of copyright laws.

Most recently, book publisher Penguin Random House has chosen to include a warning in its books stating the content may not be used or reproduced for the purpose of training AI models. And, according to The Bookseller, the AI warning will not only be added to new books but also to reprints of older titles.

The move is likely to spur more publishers to follow suit with similar warnings to their books.

Microsoft is warning of Windows crashing with the blue screen of death on some ASUS laptop models when trying to upgrade to the latest version of the operating system, Windows 11 version 24H2. [...]

Microsoft will soon let customers build autonomous AI agents that can be configured to perform complex tasks with little or no input from humans.

Microsoft on Monday announced that tools to build AI agents in Copilot Studio will be available in a public beta that begins at the company’s Ignite conference on Nov. 19, with pre-built agents rolling out to Dynamics 365 apps in the coming month,s too.

Microsoft first unveiled plans to let users create AI agents in Copilot Studio — its low- or no-code AI development platform — in May with a private preview for select customers. 

Generative AI (genAI) agents can be seen as the next stage in the evolution of conversational AI assistants such as Microsoft’s Copilot and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. While AI assistants respond directly to a user’s instructions — such as drafting an email or summarizing a document — autonomous AI agents are triggered by events and can perform more complex, multi-step processes on their own.  

For example, a business could configure an AI agent to respond to the arrival of a customer email. At this point, the AI agent can look up the sender’s account details, check for past communications, and then take a range of actions — such as checking inventory 0r asking the customer for preferences — on its own. 

There are a wide range of potential use cases, according to Microsoft, with the ability to tailor AI agents to a variety of tasks, from employee onboarding to supply chain automation.

“We think of agents as the new apps for an AI-powered world,” said Bryan Goode, corporate vice president for business Applications at Microsoft.   

AI agents can be created via a no-code graphical interface in Copilot Studio, meaning no software development is required, according to Microsoft. Agents can then be published and accessed in variety of places: from Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant, on a website, or within an app.

The new Copilot AI agents can help take sales orders, for exaample.

Microsoft

Goode sees a broad appeal for workers outside of developers and IT: “We think everyone will need to be able to create agents in the future, much like how everyone can create spreadsheets or presentations in Microsoft 365,” he said. 

“Agents really represent the democratization of AI for many enterprise users who have specific tasks they want to accomplish, but have no desire to become AI experts,” said Jack Gold, principal analyst with business consultancy J. Gold Associates.

Microsoft has taken steps to mitigate the impact of “hallucinations” –—a problem that’s exacerbated when AI agents can act independently and are given access to business applications. 

For example, agents created for Dynamics will require human approval before carrying out certain actions, said Goode, such as preparing outbound communications. A viewable record of actions taken by an AI agent and why it took a decision is also kept in Copilot Studio.

More generally, Goode pointed to improvements to Microsoft’s Azure Content Safety system, which helps “measure, detect and mitigate hallucinations” more effectively, he said.

Nevertheless, hallucinations will continue to be a consideration for businesses that deploy AI agents, said Rowan Curran, senior analyst at Forrester. 

“Buyers are rightly excited about the potential of agentic AI systems, but the reality of implementation is going to be just as challenging, if not more so, than the current generation of advanced RAG [retrieval-augmented generation] systems,” Curran said. “Having a strong data foundation will be essential for building useful AI agents: data quality and management aren’t problems that can be swept under the rug.”

Microsoft is developing 10 pre-configured AI agents for its Dynamics 365 business application suite. These include a “sales qualification agent” for Dynamics 365 Sales, a “sales order agent” for Dynamics 365 Business Central, and a “case management agent” Dynamics 365 Customer Service. The AI agents for Dynamics 365 will be available “over the coming months,” a Microsoft spokesperson said, with pricing and licensing details to be announced closer to the general availability launch.  

Microsoft is not alone in building AI agents into its products: a broad swath of vendors is doing the same, from business software vendors such as Salesforce, which unveiled its Agentforce platform last month, to SAP and ServiceNow, as well as digital work app vendors such as Atlassian and Asana.

“In the next couple of years, you’ll see virtually all enterprise solutions providers deploy agents into their apps,” said Gold. 

The Bumblebee malware loader has been spotted in new attacks recently, more than four months after Europol disrupted it during 'Operation Endgame' in May. [...]

Apple was behind on smartphones, until it wasn’t. It lagged the crowd in digital music players, until it didn’t. There was a time when it was woeful on wearables, until it that changed. It’s the same old story when it comes to Apple Intelligence, which critics say lags behind the industry; eventually, it won’t.

Think back a little longer than the Overton-allotted three news-cycles we are allowed to recollect these days, and you’ll see that in each of the above examples, Apple didn’t go for the industry jugular until it had a solution that did the job. The iPhone wasn’t Apple’s first phone; the iPod wasn’t the first excursion into music (pre-digital Apple had the Apple CD SC in ’87); and much in mobile harkens to the iconic Apple Newton (including Apple Intelligence). 

Do bang the drum

But success is about hitting the drums when the audience is most prepared to dance to the beat. And while some of the most vocal AI proponents on social media seem to think the technology is going to save the world, the vast majority of humans haven’t quite begun tapping toes to this tune. 

Hundreds of millions of people (i.e. humanity) who fear for their way of life, employment prospects, and the effort they’ve invested in their own and their children’s education may be threatened by AI, so they’re less enthused about the arrival of this new tech. They want to adopt these AI toys slowly and deliberately and aren’t at all inclined to move fast and break things — because they know, in essence, they are the “things” that will be broke. 

Like any good DJ, you have to read the floor. With that in mind, perhaps it matters less that Apple is allegedly behind some of its starry-eyed AI competitors? ChatGPT being 25% more accurate than Siri today might be a challenge, but it can be overcome.

Perhaps it’s actually best for Cupertino to move slowly with cool tools while letting others run headlong into regulation, litigation, and rejection by a humans that no longer believe technology can save us. 

What do they want?

While it is arguable that Apple’s high-risk strategy to market its new devices primarily on their capacity to run a tech that isn’t even shipping yet could be the equivalent of playing Milli Vanilli at a Taylor Swift party, Apple’s history shows it often plays the tunes its audience doesn’t even know its hungry to hear. So, what does the audience want? 

More specifically, what doesn’t it want to hear (other than Milli Vanilli)? 

A recent Stagwell National Research group survey tells us:

• 31% of Americans are concerned that there is too much AI-generated content on social media.
• 30% of people fret that AI might make decisions without consent.
• 30% are concerned about the impact of AI on personal data and privacy.
• 28% are worried AI makes it easier to spread misinformation.
• 27% think AI will be used and abused by criminals and fraudsters.
• 75% of people think apps should tell us when they use AI.
• 28% of users are put off by ads for smartphones with AI.
• 60% of smartphone users have already used an AI solution
• Men are more likely to purchase an AI smartphone than women.

There’s lots of other insights, and all of them challenge the gold rush toward wholesale adoption of AI tech in daily life. Consumers want this rush to be led by a credible company. 

They want a guide they can trust. Maybe Apple is that guide?

A guide to trust in AI

The company’s years-long commitments to security and privacy, and its decades of high consumer satisfaction mean it has that ethos — that credibility — to help guide the mass market to a more trusting embrace of AI. Apple has achieved this before — consider how global mobile payment leader Apple Pay managed to build trust even though many were suspicious of digital money when it was introduced.

It is the same when it comes to AI. People will resist being rushed at breakneck speed to an uncertain future led by unaccountable billionaire’s making nebulous “commitments” to some undefined “responsible” AI. They want the tech to also deliver trust.

Maybe that need for trust is why OpenAI agreed not to gather user data in order to win Apple’s Apple Intelligence integration deal? Perhaps Apple’s decision to create a circle of trust within which AI can be used while delivering highly specific services where it thinks it can make a difference matches the mood music people are hungry for. At Apple’s core, the fighter still remains. Let’s hope it does not squander consumer resistance on pockets full of mumbled promises.

Please follow me on LinkedIn, Mastodon, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill group on MeWe.

The prolific Chinese nation-state actor known as APT41 (aka Brass Typhoon, Earth Baku, Wicked Panda, or Winnti) has been attributed to a sophisticated cyber attack targeting the gambling and gaming industry. "Over a period of at least six months, the attackers stealthily gathered valuable information from the targeted company including, but not limited to, network configurations, user passwords,Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

A new report from Secureworks shows that the North Korean group Nickel Tapestry has expanded its operations from getting North Korean IT workers illegally employed by companies in other countries to allowing the workers to steal data that can be used for extortion if they’re fired, according to The Register.

To avoid falling victim to such scams, companies are being warned to conduct a thorough screening of their job applicants — preferably with on-site interviews. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on security involving remote access.

Warning signs to look out for include the use of Chrome Remote Desktop and AnyDesk software, if these are not part of the company’s regular equipment, and connections to Astrill VPN IP addresses. North Korean IT workers also tend to be reluctant to make video calls and often claim that their webcam is not working. However, according to Secureworks, they apparently have started experimenting with new software to handle video calls in the future.

Pentest Checklists Are More Important Than Ever Given the expanding attack surface coupled with the increasing sophistication of attacker tactics and techniques, penetration testing checklists have become essential for ensuring thorough assessments across an organization’s attack surface, both internal and external. By providing a structured approach, these checklists help testers systematicallyThe Hacker Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

Hi there! Here’s your quick update on the latest in cybersecurity. Hackers are using new tricks to break into systems we thought were secure—like finding hidden doors in locked houses. But the good news? Security experts are fighting back with smarter tools to keep data safe. Some big companies were hit with attacks, while others fixed their vulnerabilities just in time. It's a constant battle. [email protected]

Microsoft Office — best known for its Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook productivity applications — is how billions of people around the world work and study, whether they do it from home, an office, a classroom, or a combination of those. This suite of productivity tools is used by people working in more than 100 languages in nearly every country in the world, and it’s available in versions for personal, small business, enterprise, and educational use.

But there is more than one way to buy Office — or, rather, to buy the license to use it. There’s the “perpetual” version of Office that’s available as a one-time purchase: the current version is Office 2024. Then there’s the subscription version: originally called Office 365, Microsoft 365 plans are available in both personal and business subscriptions. At the enterprise level, both Microsoft 365 and Office 365 plans are available.

Microsoft has left no doubt: it wants you to use Microsoft 365, its cloud productivity platform. However, it also realizes that not all of its customers want to or can move to the cloud. For that reason, the company recently announced the release of Office 2024, almost apologetically:

Microsoft 365 is the best way to access the latest versions of the productivity apps that millions of people use every day to bring their ideas to life and power through tasks. But we know some of our customers still prefer a non-subscription way to access our familiar apps, which is why we’re releasing Office 2024 on October 1.

Available in consumer and small-business editions, this one-time purchase includes desktop versions of the core Office applications for a single Windows PC or Mac. For companies with more than five users, Microsoft offers Office LTSC 2024 to cater to organizations prioritizing an on-premises model. Office 2024 lacks many of the collaborative and cloud-powered features of Microsoft 365 apps, and its “locked-in-time” status means you won’t receive any new application features, just bug fixes and security updates.

Why choose to buy it one way and not the other? The answer can be complicated, especially because each suite of tools includes the same core applications, give or take. Here’s help deciding which version of Office is right for you or your company.

In this article:

• Office 2024 vs. Microsoft 365: Plans and pricing
• Office 2024 vs. Microsoft 365: Payment and licensing
• Office 2024 vs. Microsoft 365: Servicing
• Office 2024 vs. Microsoft 365: Do you want Microsoft to be your copilot?
• Office 2024 vs. Microsoft 365: Why your internet connection matters
• Office 2024 vs. Microsoft 365: Key questions to ask

Office 2024 vs. Microsoft 365: Plans and pricing For personal use

• Office Home 2024: $150, one-time purchase for use on one computer; includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote for Windows or macOS.
• Microsoft 365 Personal: $70 a year or $7 a month (1 user, 5 devices); includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Teams, Editor, Clipchamp, Access*, Publisher*, Microsoft Defender, and OneDrive with 1TB cloud storage; apps available for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and web. Microsoft Copilot Pro is available as an add-on.
• Microsoft 365 Family: $100 a year or $10 a month (6 users, 5 devices each); includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Teams, Editor, Clipchamp, Access*, Publisher*, Microsoft Defender, and OneDrive with 1TB cloud storage per user; apps available for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and web. Microsoft Copilot Pro is available as an add-on.

* Access and Publisher are available as Windows apps only; support for Publisher ends in 2026.

For small businesses

• Office Home & Business 2024: $250, one-time purchase for use on one computer; includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook.
• Microsoft 365 Apps for business: $99/user/year or $10/user/month (up to 300 users, 5 devices per user); includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneDrive with 1TB cloud storage per user. Microsoft 365 Copilot is available as an add-on.
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard, and Premium: plans range from $72/user/year to $264/user/year (up to 300 users); tools included depend on the level of your subscription. Desktop versions of Word, Excel, and other Office apps (installable on 5 devices per user) require a Standard plan or higher; the Basic plan offers only web and mobile versions. All plans include Exchange email hosting, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive with 1TB cloud storage per user. The Premium plan adds advanced security and management features. Microsoft 365 Copilot is available as an add-on.

For enterprises

• Office LTSC Standard 2024 and Professional Plus 2024: available only through volume licensing; contact Microsoft for pricing. LTSC stands for Long Term Servicing Channel; according to Microsoft, it’s designed for regulated devices that can’t accept updates for security reasons and for systems that don’t connect to the internet. (Note, however, that it’s the only nonsubscription version of Office available for large organizations.) The Standard edition includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote for Windows or macOS (1 device per user); Professional Plus adds Access.* Teams is not included but is available as a separate download.
• Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise: $144/user/year (5 devices per user); includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access*, Publisher*, and OneDrive with 1TB cloud storage per user. Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot are available as add-ons.
• Office 365 E1, E3, and E5: plans range from $93/user/year to $429/user/year; apps included depend on the level of your subscription. Desktop versions of Word, Excel, and other Office apps require an E3 plan or higher; the E1 plan offers only web and mobile versions. All plans include Exchange email hosting, SharePoint, and OneDrive with 1TB cloud storage per user. The E3 plan offers up to 5TB of storage per user, and the E5 plan adds advanced security and management features. Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot are available as add-ons.
• Microsoft 365 E3 and E5: plans range from $405/user/year to $657/user/year; these plans offer most of the same features as the Office 365 E3 and E5 plans, and also include Windows and additional Microsoft apps such as Visio, Loop, and Clipchamp. Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot are available as add-ons.
• Other plans: Microsoft offers additional Microsoft 365 plans for education, government, and nonprofit organizations and for frontline workers.

* Access and Publisher are available as Windows apps only; support for Publisher ends in 2026.

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Office 2024 vs. Microsoft 365: Payment and licensing

One big difference between the Office 2024 and Microsoft 365 options is how you pay for them. If you are buying a “perpetual license” (such as with Office Home & Business 2024 or Office LTSC 2024), you pay a larger sum up front than with the subscription’s offerings under the Microsoft 365 brand, but you do so only once. When you subscribe to any of the Microsoft 365 plans, you pay annually or monthly for as long as you use the product.

Office 2024: A perpetual license

Whether you buy a single copy of Office 2024 or download hundreds of seats via volume licensing, Microsoft calls this is a “one-time purchase” because you pay only once, not every month. Labels like “perpetual” technically note the type of license rather than payment methodology, but in this case, the kind of license is tied to whether it was bought outright or simply “rented.”

Microsoft defines the term as when  “…you pay a single, up-front cost to get Office applications for one computer.” Up-front is the key adjective there. You have to ante up the entire purchase price before you get the software.

That purchase of a license to legally run the software gives you the right to use that version of Office 2024 in perpetuity. In other words, the license has no expiration date, and you may run the suite for as long as you want. Pay for Office 2024 this year and use it for as long as you’d like.

The gotcha is that if you want new features that come out with the next update, you will have to pay full price again when the next version comes out. There are no upgrade options on the perpetual license packages.

Microsoft 365: Office as a service

Microsoft 365 is a subscription service, the purchase method Microsoft would prefer you choose, where you pay the software giant monthly or annually. There is a discount, sometimes a tempting one, for going with the annual payment plan over the monthly one. (All enterprise plans require an annual commitment.) And the company is always sweetening this pot by offering more apps than you get with the perpetual license products and with a continuous supply of new features.

[ Related: Google Workspace vs. Microsoft 365: What’s the best office suite for business? ]

Like any subscription, Microsoft 365 provides a service — in this case, the right to run the suite’s applications and access the associated services — only as long as you continue to pay. Stop paying, and rights to run the apps expire. This happens in a progressive way, giving you time to download your data or update your payment plan, whichever you choose.

For 30 days after nonpayment, your plan will be “Expired.” You will still have access to all your apps and files. If you don’t activate it again while it’s in the Expired stage, it moves to “Disabled,” where it will stay for 90 days. You won’t be able to access your apps or data until you pay up. If you still don’t pay for your plan, it will be “Deleted.” At that point, it’s gone.

A Microsoft 365 license, then, is contingent on sustained payments. Halt the latter, and the license is revoked. Restart the payments — but don’t wait too long — to restore the license.

Office 2024 vs. Microsoft 365: Servicing

Although payments define one difference between Office 2024 and Microsoft 365, Microsoft’s development and release pace is ultimately more important to users — and the IT professionals who support them.

Think of Office 2024 as traditional software — a bundle of tools that typically don’t change much until the next major version. That holds for servicing, too. Microsoft does release monthly security and quality updates for the perpetual license versions of Office. (You can check from within any Office app if there are updates available. From, say, a Word document, go to File > Account and look for Product Information. Then choose Update Options > Update Now.)

But Office 2024 doesn’t get the continually upgraded features and functionality that Microsoft 365 does. Feature-wise, what you get when you buy the suite is it. If you want the updates, at some point in the future, you will have to buy whatever version Microsoft is selling as a perpetual license then.

Microsoft regularly releases feature and security updates for Microsoft 365 apps, though. And it releases them as they happen. As new features and functionality accrete, and the applications in Microsoft 365 evolve, Microsoft will decide it’s time for a new version of Office. It will then package some of those features into an upgraded suite for customers who continue to make one-time, up-front purchases. How long they keep doing this likely depends on how long there is a demand for these locked-in-time versions.

[ Related: Microsoft 365: A guide to the updates ]

One other important note: Office 2024 and Office LTSC 2024 will be supported with security updates only through October 9, 2029. That’s just five years of support, down from seven years in Office 2019 and 10 years in prior releases. In contrast, with Microsoft 365 subscriptions, support never runs out — as long as you keep paying, of course.

Office 2024 vs. Microsoft 365: Do you want Microsoft to be your copilot?

Microsoft also recently released Microsoft 365 Copilot, which Microsoft 365 business and enterprise subscribers can add for an additional $30 per user per month. The AI-powered productivity assistant is designed to enhance Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, and other Microsoft 365 applications, using large language models (LLMs) to understand your prompts, generate content, and assist with tasks. There’s also Copilot Pro, which brings many of the same features to Microsoft 365 consumer accounts for an extra $20 per month.

Key features include the following:

• Natural-language prompts: You can communicate with Copilot in plain language.
• Content generation and task automation: Copilot can help you create content, such as emails, documents, presentations, and code, as well as automate repetitive tasks.
• Data analysis: Copilot can analyze data and provide insights to help you make informed decisions.

Neither Microsoft 365 Copilot nor Copilot Pro is available without a Microsoft 365 subscription, though — so if you want Copilot integration with your Office apps, Office 2024 won’t get you there.

Office 2024 vs. Microsoft 365: Why your internet connection matters

One reason to choose Office 2024 over Microsoft 365 is internet access, or lack of it. If you don’t have reliable access to the cloud, can’t be connected to the internet for security reasons, or — for whatever reason — your computer is often offline, this is the type of software you need.

In fact, internet access is one of the main reasons Microsoft can’t force everyone to subscribe to Microsoft 365. Microsoft 365 runs in apps that are downloaded to your computer, phone, or tablet, but those apps require near-constant internet access, especially if you use OneDrive and store your files in the cloud.

In standard use, Microsoft 365 may stop working if it can’t connect to the internet, depending on the features you’re using and the availability of offline capabilities within those applications. For some use cases, this is a deal breaker. However, Microsoft is looking to address that concern. Extended offline access allows devices with Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise to remain active for up to six months without internet connectivity.

Office 2024, on the other hand, does not rely as heavily on an internet connection to operate, save files, and self-update. You can connect it when you have access and work offline when you don’t. This, as much as cost and a desire to stick to old-school software distribution models, is, perhaps, the most compelling reason to insist on one of the perpetual license products.

Office 2024 vs. Microsoft 365: Key questions to ask

If you aren’t sure which version and pricing model is for you and your company, here are a few questions to ask yourself and your team:

Budget and pricing: How much are you willing to spend up front? What is a more attractive pricing model: a one-time expense or a recurring monthly or annual fee? What cost-saving options, such as volume licensing, are available?

Features and functionality: What specific features and applications do you need, and do you require specialized tools or integrations?

Deployment and management: Do you prefer cloud-based for its agility or on-premises deployment, perhaps for compliance reasons? Do you have IT resources to manage on-premises installations?

Collaboration and teamwork: How important is real-time collaboration? Do you need features like shared workspaces, online meetings, and file sharing?

Security and compliance: What are your organization’s security and compliance requirements? Does the delivery option you’re considering provide the necessary security features and certifications?

Updates and support: How often do you want to receive updates and new features, and do you need ongoing technical support?

Future-proofing: How do you envision your organization’s technology needs evolving? Does a subscription-based model provide the flexibility you need, or are you more concerned with ensuring stability in the coming months and years? Do you want to get a jump on generative AI features embedded in your productivity apps?

Whichever license you ultimately choose, you will get many of the same tools. And the reasons for making one choice over another may have less to do with price and features than with how you or your users work, support and security needs, reliability of internet access, online storage and collaboration needs, and how excited (or annoyed) you or your users are likely to be by new features that turn up, like a gift, in the software.

Choosing between a Microsoft 365 subscription and Office LTSC 2024 depends on your organization’s specific needs. For those seeking a dynamic, cloud-powered workspace with real-time collaboration and advanced features, Microsoft 365 offers a compelling solution. However, if on-premises stability and a single purchase model are paramount, Office LTSC may be the better fit. Consider your organization’s future-proofing needs and collaboration requirements when making this critical decision.

This article was originally published in July 2017 and most recently updated in October 2024.

Windows 11 24H2 has been released, but behind the scenes, Microsoft is constantly working to improve the newest version of Windows. The company frequently rolls out public preview builds to members of its Windows Insider Program, allowing them to test out — and even help shape — upcoming features.

Skip to the builds

The Windows Insider program is divided into four channels:

• The Canary Channel is where platform changes (such as major updates to the Windows kernel and new APIs) are previewed. These changes are not tied to a particular Windows release and may never ship at all. Little documentation is provided, and builds are likely to be very unstable. This channel is best for highly technical users.
• The Dev Channel is where new features are introduced for initial testing, regardless of which Windows release they’ll eventually end up in. This channel is best for technical users and developers and builds in it may be unstable and buggy.
• In the Beta Channel, you’ll get more polished features that will be deployed in the next major Windows release. This channel is best for early adopters, and Microsoft says your feedback in this channel will have the most impact.
• The Release Preview Channel typically doesn’t see action until shortly before a new feature update is rolled out. It’s meant for final testing of an upcoming release and is best for those who want the most stable builds.

The Beta and Release Preview Channels also receive bug-fix builds for the currently shipping version of Windows 11. See “How to preview and deploy Windows 10 and 11 updates” for more details about the four channels and how to switch to a different channel.

Not everyone can participate in the Windows 11 Insider program, because the new operating system has more stringent system requirements than Windows 10. If your PC fails to meet the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11, you cannot join the Windows 11 Insider Program. (See “How to check if your PC can run Windows 11.”)

Below you’ll find information about the Windows 11 preview builds that have been announced by Microsoft in the past six months. (For the Release Preview Channel, we cover builds released for the current version of Windows 11, not for earlier versions.) For each build, we’ve included the date of its release, which Insider channel it was released to, a summary of what’s in the build, and a link to Microsoft’s announcement about it.

Note: If you’re looking for information about updates being rolled out to all Windows 11 users, not previews for Windows Insiders, see “Windows 11: A guide to the updates.”

The latest Windows 11 Insider preview builds Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4371

Release date: October 18, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available can now use the new Narrator key + Ctrl + X shortcut to copy what Narrator last spoke to clipboard. It follows the pattern of using Narrator key + X, which repeats the last spoken phrase out loud.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible get several fixes for several bugs, including one in which Narrator would slow down after 15 minutes of continuous use with a single application.

An update for the Snipping Tool (version 11.2409.23.0 and newer) is also being rolled out to Windows Insiders in the Beta and Release Preview Channels. It introduces a new “Copy as table” feature.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4371.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2130

Release date: October 18, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get several new features, including one in which “All apps” is now just “All” on the Start menu.

Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get several bug fixes, including for a bug in which clipboard history did not display items you had copied.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the All apps list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2130.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27729

Release date: October 17, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build adds the ability  to configure the Copilot key. You can choose to have the Copilot key launch an app that is MSIX packaged and signed, thus indicating the app meets security and privacy requirements to keep customers safe.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which the screen went black for a few seconds for some people when using Alt + Tab.

There are five known issues in this build, including one in which some Insiders with PCs that have older NVIDIA GPUs (like the GTX 970, Quadro K620, etc.) are experiencing some issues where their displays appear stuck at a black screen and unresponsive or seeing their GPUs showing errors in Device Manager and not working correctly.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27729.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4367

Release date: October 11, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available get a small set of general improvements and fixes that Microsoft claims improves the overall experience of running Windows. They also now have the ability to share directly to apps that support sharing in Windows when right-clicking on local files in File Explorer or the desktop.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible get several bug fixes, including for one in which some Insiders saw an unexpected amount of spacing between items in the Start menu All Apps list.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4367.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2122

Release date: October 11, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general fixes that Microsoft says improve the overall experience of running Windows. The Disconnect and Logoff dialogs in Task Manager now support dark mode and text scaling.

Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get one bug fix, for a bug that caused the screen to go black for a few seconds for some people when using Alt + Tab.

Everyone in the Dev Channel gets several bugs fixed, including one in which some Insiders saw error 0x800f0825 when trying to install the latest Dev Channel builds.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the All apps list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2122.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.2152

Release date: October 10, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build gradually rolls out a number of new features, including one in which you can stop the suggestions to turn off notifications from certain apps. Select the ellipses (…) in the notification and turn it off. You can also go to Settings > System > Notifications and turn it off from there.

The build also immediately rolls out a change in which you can configure the Copilot key on the keyboard. The build also immediately fixes a number of bugs, including one in which you could not sign in to your account from the web because the screen stopped responding.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.2152.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27723

Release date: October 9, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build introduces several minor changes and features, including one in which you can share local files directly from within the search results shown in the search box on the taskbar.

There are five known issues in this build, including one for those using Copilot+ PCs, in which if you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel, or retail, you will lose your Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into your PC. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN.”

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27723.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1930

Release date: October 4, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and one bug fix, for a bug in which the boot menu wasn’t displaying correctly for some Insiders with dual-boot devices.

Everyone in the Dev Channel can now configure the Copilot key. You can have the Copilot key launch an app that is MSIX packaged and signed, increasing security and privacy.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the list may break. If you encounter this issue, please try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1930.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4300 

Release date: October 4, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available will see “All” instead of “All apps” on the Start menu. In addition, Windows Search runs IFilters in the Less Privileged App Containers (LPACs). LPACs are like app containers, but they deny even more permissions by default. The intent is that a process running in a LPAC has access only to the resources needed by it. This helps to minimize the potential damage that can be caused by a compromised process by limiting its access to sensitive system components and data.

Two bugs are fixed for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible, including one in which items in the navigation pane became very spread out for some people.

There are two known issues in the build, including one in which live captions will crash if you try to use them.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4300.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27718

Release date: October 2, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build introduces a number of minor new changes and features. You can now drag apps from the Pinned section of the Start menu and pin them to the taskbar. For laptops on battery, a notification will pop up asking you to plug in your laptop if the battery level reaches 20% while Energy Saver is set to “Always On.” 

Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which the emoji panel closed when you tried to switch to the kaomoji and symbols sections, or after selecting an emoji, and another in which the Widgets icon sometimes unexpectedly displayed twice in the taskbar.

There are three known issues in this build, including one for those using Copilot+ PCs, in which If you are joining the Canary Channel from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel or retail, you will lose Windows Hello pin and biometrics to sign into your PC; you’ll see error 0xd0000225 and an error message “Something went wrong, and your PIN isn’t available.” You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN.”

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27718.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1912

Release date: September 30, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who’ve turned on the toggle to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and fixes that Microsoft says improves the overall experience of running Windows. In addition, Windows Mobile Hotspot has been enhanced to support 6GHz connections. The new band requires chips that support the feature and updated drivers; not all chips that support 6GHz Wi-Fi in general will support the 6GHz mobile hotspot.

Those in the Dev Channel who agreed to receive the latest updates also get several bug fixes, including one in which Task Manager’s Settings page might have a white background when it should not.

There is one known issue in this build: if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the All apps list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1912.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4291

Release date: September 30, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned on the toggle to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available get an updated Task Manager design in which the Disconnect and Logoff dialogs in Task Manager now support dark mode and text scaling. They also get several bug fixes, including one in which explorer.exe crashed sporadically when using ALT + Tab in recent builds.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets several bug fixes, including one in which Work Folders files failed to sync when Defender for Endpoint was on.

There are two known issues in the build, including one in which live captions will crash if you try to use them.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4291)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.1876

Release date: September 23, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build, for those using Windows 11 version 24H2, gradually rolls out a number of new features, including one in which when your device’s battery power is running low, a pop-up window will appear that asks you to plug in your device. This occurs when the battery level reaches 20% and while Energy Saver is set to “Always On.

Several bug fixes are being immediately rolled out, including one in which when a combo box has input focus, a memory leak might have occurred when you closed that window.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.1876.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.4247 and 22631.4247

Release date: September 23, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

In this update for users on Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2, a variety of features are being rolled out slowly, including one in which the “Sign out” option is now on the account manager when you open the Start menu. To change to a different user, select the ellipses (…). A list of other users appears to make it easier to switch.

The update also fixes several bugs, including one in which Microsoft Edge sometimes stopped responding when you used IE mode.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.4247 and 22631.4247.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4225

Release date: September 20, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available will get the ability to share content to an Android device from the context menu in File Explorer and on the desktop. To use this feature, the Phone Link app must be installed and configured on your PC.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible get a fix for a bug in which the emoji panel didn’t work properly.

Everyone in the Beta Channel can now configure the Copilot key. You can choose to have the Copilot key launch an app that is MSIX packaged and signed, thus indicating the app meets security and privacy requirements.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets several bug fixes, including for a bug in which some Insiders experienced a bug check when closing Notepad.

There is one known issue in the build, in which if you click or tap on a letter on the Start menu’s All apps list, the list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4225.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1843

Release date: September 20, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a new feature, in which File Explorer provides you with quick access to files that have been shared with you. If you are signed into Windows with your Microsoft account or Entra ID account, you will be able to view files that have been shared with your account, such as email, Teams chat, etc. You can access this feature by launching File Explorer Home and clicking on the Shared tab.

Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get several bug fixes, including one in which when pressing Windows key + E, a screen reader might unexpectedly say a pane had focus, or focus may not be set within File Explorer at all.

Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a number of bug fixes, including one in which could result in the Widgets icon unexpectedly displaying in the taskbar twice sometimes.

There are four known issues in this build, including one in which if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1843.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4145

Release date: August 30, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available will see several new features, including one in which the Sign out option is immediately visible in the new account manager on the Start menu. There’s also a list of signed in users under the three-dot icon so it’s faster to switch accounts. The mouse and touchscreen controls have more options, and hotspots now appear on the desktop when users right-click the Windows Spotlight icon. The changes are being rolled out gradually.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible get fixes for several bugs, including one in which explorer.exe crashed when interacting with archive files. These fixes are being rolled out gradually

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets a number of bug fixes, including for a bug in which the [NetJoinLegacyAccountReuse] registry key has been removed.

There is one known issue in the build: if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the All apps list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4145.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27695

Release date: August 30, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build, Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) has been improved with a new ability to recover encrypted passwords from Active Directory (AD) backup media even when there are zero AD domain controllers running.

A number of bugs have been fixed, including one in which Ctrl + F would sometimes not start a search in File Explore, and another in which the colors in the Performance section of Task Manager weren’t displayed correctly in dark mode.

There are two known issues in this build, including one for those using Copilot+ PCs, in which  If you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel or retail, you will lose your Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into your PC with error 0xd0000225 and error message “Something went wrong, and your PIN isn’t available.” You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking Set up my PIN.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27695.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4082

Release date: August 26, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available will see the media controls at the lower bottom center of the Lock screen when media is being played. There is also now an option to turn off the suggestions to disable notifications from certain apps. These features are being rolled out gradually.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible get fixes for several bugs, including one in which explorer.exe crashed for some Insiders when closing apps from the taskbar. These fixes are being rolled out gradually.

Everyone in the beta channel gets one bug fix, in which the [NetJoinLegacyAccountReuse] registry key has been removed.

There are two known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one that causes explorer.exe to crash when interacting with archive files.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4082.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.4108 and 22631.4108

Release date: August 19, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel (Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2)

Starting with this update, a variety of features will be rolled out slowly, including one that lets you share content to your Android device from the Windows Share window. To do this, you must pair your Android device to your Windows PC. Use the Link to Windows app on your Android device and Phone Link on your PC.

A number of bugs are being fixed, including one in which when a combo box has input focus, a memory leak might occur when you close that window.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.4108 and 22631.4108.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22610.1586

Release date: August 19, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel (Windows 11 24H2)

This build, for those with Windows 11 version 24H2, gradually rolls out a new feature in which when you right-click a tab in File Explorer, you have the choice to duplicate it.

A wide variety of bug fixes are being gradually rolled out, including for a bug in which memory leak occurred when you interacted with archive folders and another in which File Explorer stopped responding when you browsed within it.

Three bug fixes have been immediately released to everyone, including one in which a deadlock occurred in the domain controller (DC) when it started up in the DNS client.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.1586.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4076

Release date: August 19, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will find that a feature introduced in Build 22635.3930 that showed a Studio Effects icon in the system tray when using any application with a Studio Effects-enabled camera has temporarily been disabled. It will be re-enabled in a future build.

Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which  Voice Access commands weren’t working for non-English supported languages.

A wide variety of bugs are fixed for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Windows Backup sometimes failed in devices with an Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) system partition (ESP).

There are two known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which explorer.exe crashes when interacting with archive files.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4076.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1542

Release date: August 19, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a new feature that adds first letter navigation support to the taskbar. When keyboard focus is set to the taskbar (WIN + T), you can press a letter, and it will jump to the open or pinned app whose name starts with that letter. The feature is being gradually rolled out so isn’t yet available to everyone.

Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get fixes for three bugs, including one in which the emoji panel closed when trying to switch to the kaomoji and symbols sections, or after selecting an emoji.

Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a number of bug fixes, including for a bug in which adding languages or optional features might fail with error 0x800f081f.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which navigating between different pages in Task Manager may crash it.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1542.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27686

Release date: August 15, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build includes the new Windows Sandbox Client Preview that is now updated via the Microsoft Store. It introduces runtime clipboard redirection, audio/video input control, and the ability to share folders with the host at runtime. You can access these via the new “…” icon at the upper right on the app. This preview also includes a very early version of command line support. (Commands may change over time.) You can use the wsb.exe –help command for more information.

The build also includes optimizations to improve battery life and a detach virtual hard disk (VHD/VHDx) button in Settings that makes it simpler to detach your VHD/VHDx as needed.

A number of bugs have been fixed, including one in which Dev Drive VHDs weren’t automatically remounting when the underlying volume was dismounted and brought back online, and one in the Windows Security app where if you browsed the networks under Firewall & Network protection, it showed a broken glyph (a rectangle) next to the network name rather than a network icon.

There are two known issues in this build, including one in which if you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel, or retail, you will lose Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into your PC. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN.”

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27686.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1350

Release date: August 9, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can more easily share content to an Android device from Windows share window. The feature requires you to pair your Android device to your Windows PC using the Link to Windows app on Android and Phone Link on your PC. The feature is being rolled out gradually.

Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get one fix that addresses an issue in which graphs on the Performance page in Task Manager did not show the correct colors when using dark mode again. The fix is being rolled out gradually.

Everyone in the Dev Channel gets several bug fixes, including for a bug in which Windows Sandbox failed to launch with error 0x80370106.

There are four known issues in this build, including one in which navigating between different pages in Task Manager may crash it.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1350.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4010

Release date: August 9, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, many of those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will see the simplified system tray with shortened date/time change that began rolling out with Build 22635.3930. The feature is being rolled out gradually.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get fixes for two bugs, one in which the dropdown at the top of the GPU section of Performance wasn’t showing in dark mode when dark mode was enabled, and the other in which if you pressed the Shift key when you right-clicked on an app icon on the taskbar, it opened another instance of the app rather than opening the expected menu.

There are three known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one that causes explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when closing apps from the taskbar.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4010.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1340

Release date: August 5, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get improvements for spelling and corrections in voice access, including the ability to dictate characters at a faster speed and have more editing flexibility with selection, deletion, and text navigation commands.

Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a fix for a bug in which items under “Let desktop apps access your location” section in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location had visibly flickered although there were no changes displayed.

There are four known issues in this build, including one in which navigating between different pages in Task Manager may crash it.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1340.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4005

Release date: August 2, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general tweaks and fixes that Microsoft says improves the overall experience of running Windows.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get one fix for a bug that caused sporadic explorer.exe crashes for some Insiders.

There are three known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one that causes explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when closing apps from the taskbar.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4005.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4000

Release date: July 26, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and fixes, as well as some improvements to spelling and corrections in voice access.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get two bug fixes, one in which Notification Center got stuck and would not open, and another that caused issues with launching the touch keyboard and emoji panel.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets two fixes that address one bug in which Narrator would not work as expected when navigating through the Recent, Favorites, and Shared tab items, and another that caused the context menu in Home or Gallery to open in the wrong position when using Arabic or Hebrew display languages.

There are four known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which files shared with you in File Explorer may not appear if there has been no interaction with that file.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4000.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1330

Release date: July 26, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can duplicate a tab by right-clicking on it in File Explorer. (Note: This is being gradually rolled out.)

Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a fix for a bug in which no text appeared on the Windows Update page in Settings for Insiders using certain languages.

There are three known issues in this build, including one in which the BitLocker Recovery screen issue documented here may also impact Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1330.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.1297

Release date: July 25, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build, for those with Windows 11 version 24H2, gradually rolls out a wide variety of new features, including pinning apps to the taskbar by dragging and dropping items directly to taskbar from the pinned section in the Start menu, using your mouse to drag files between breadcrumbs in the File Explorer address bar, and directly sharing to specific Microsoft Teams channels and group chats in the Windows share window.

It also includes a variety of changes released immediately to everyone, including being able to use OneDrive as a RemoteApp in Azure Virtual Desktop.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.1297.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26257

Release date: July 24, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build introduces the ability to duplicate a tab by right-clicking it in File Explorer. In addition, if you use the netsh wlan show networks command, you should be able to read SSIDs that are UTF-8 encoded. This means that Wi-Fi SSIDs with Unicode characters (like emojis) should be properly displayed in netsh output. This change is just beginning to roll out, so not all Insiders in the Canary Channel will see it right away.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which the address bar dropdown appeared unexpectedly while you were using File Explorer.

There are three known issues in this build, including one in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26257.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3936

Release date: July 22, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will see updated designs for the “Open with” dialog where the group headers are removed, among a few other changes.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get several bug fixes, including one in which text suggestions for the hardware keyboard did not work.

Note that the bug fixes and new features are being gradually rolled out.

There are nine known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if the taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3936.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1252

Release date: July 15, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can now pin apps from the Start menu to the taskbar by dragging and dropping items directly to taskbar from the pinned section in the Start menu.

Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get several bug fixes, including one in which explorer.exe crashed when navigating away from Home.

Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a variety of bug fixes, including for one in which some Insiders saw a bug check with error KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE, and another in which Settings > System > Power & Battery had duplicate text when showing a warning about a slow charger.

There are three known issues in this build, including one in which the Windows Update page in Settings is not displaying correctly for Insiders using certain languages (no text shows).

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1252.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3930

Release date: July 12, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build for Windows 11 version 23H2, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can get quick access to files that have been shared with you. If you are signed into Windows with your Microsoft account, you will be able to view files that have been shared with your account, such as email, Teams chat, etc. If you are a commercial customer who is signed in with your Microsoft Entra ID account, you will additionally be able to view files that they have shared with others. You can access this feature by launching File Explorer Home and clicking on the Shared tab item.

In addition, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can access Studio Effects in Quick Settings from the system tray of the taskbar. Note that this is being gradually rolled out and so is not yet available to everyone.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get several bug fixes, including for one in which the All apps list wasn’t being read out by screen readers.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets one bug fix, in which you can now view or interact with the taskbar after you install KB5039302.

There are seven known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3930.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3951 and 22631.3951

Release date: July 11, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

In this update, you can drag apps from the Pinned section of the menu and pin them to the taskbar, and when you right-click a tab in File Explorer, you have the choice to duplicate it. Note that these features and several others might not be available to all users because they will roll out gradually.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3951 and 22631.3951.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26252

Release date: July 10, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build begins to roll out the “Weather and more” feature, which brings finance, traffic, and sports to your Lock screen, alongside weather information. You can also now pin apps from the Start menu to the taskbar by dragging and dropping items directly to taskbar from the pinned section in the Start menu.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one that caused colors in the Performance section of Task Manager to not display correctly in dark mode, and another in which Settings > System > Power & Battery had duplicate text when showing a warning about a slow charger.

There one known issue with this build, in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26252.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3858

Release date: June 28, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get some minor changes to simplify the Windows share window, including removing the search box. In addition, the preview thumbnail title in the taskbar, Alt + Tab, and Task View for File Explorer windows will now indicate if that window includes multiple tabs.

Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a number of bug fixes, including some addressing accessibility issues where File Explorer, Common File Dialog (CFD), and Browse/Shortcuts Dialogs did not respond appropriately to your text size / scaling preferences.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets several bug fixes, including one in which the app icon flashing in the taskbar is now be a bit easier to see. Another fix addresses a bug in which Group Policy failed to detect when a network’s speed is slow, instead assuming that a fast link was present.

There are six known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3858.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26244

Release date: June 28, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build includes a small set of general enhancements and fixes that improve the overall experience of running Windows, according to Microsoft. In addition, a new Game Pass recommendation card on the Settings homepage will be shown to you if you actively play games on your PC.

One bug was fixed, in which some Insiders saw a Pcasvc.dll error dialog pop-up with the message “Missing entry: PcaWallpaperAppDetect” after upgrading from Windows 11, version 22H2/23H2 to a 26xxx build.

There are two known issues with this build, one in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620, and another in which colors in the Performance section aren’t displaying correctly in dark mode.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26244.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3790

Release date: June 21, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build for Windows 11, version 23H2, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can use their mobile device directly from the Start menu. See this blog post for details.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get one bug fix, which addresses contrast issues of certain elements in File Explorer (left navigation pane, view pane/folder view, status bar buttons on the bottom right) in light, dark, and high contrast themes.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets two bug fixes, for a bug in which Settings was crashing when trying you were trying to look at Wi-Fi properties, and another in which Settings might crash when attempting to install an optional feature via Settings > System > Option features.

There are six known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which swipe invocation for Widgets may not work if taskbar is center-aligned instead of left-aligned, and another in which some Insiders to see errors when attempting to use Voice Typing.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3790.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.994

Release date: June 20, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build, for those with Windows 11 version 24H2, fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) failed to verify the policies of some apps, and another that caused DWM.exe to stop responding.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.994.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26241

Release date: June 19, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience of running Windows, according to Microsoft. In addition, dragging-and-dropping files between breadcrumbs is now available in the File Explorer Address Bar.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one that caused File Explorer to crash when going to Home.

There are two known issues with this build, one in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620, and another in which colors in the Performance section aren’t displaying correctly in dark mode.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26241.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3785

Release date: June 14, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can right-click on apps pinned to the Start menu to see jump lists for apps that have them, such as PowerPoint. They can also more easily share content to an Android device from the Windows share window. Note that these and other new features are being gradually rolled out so are not yet available for everyone.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get a number of bug fixes, including for a bug in which clicking your profile icon on the Start menu and choosing Change account settings did not open account settings.

Everyone in the Beta Channel get a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which your system might have not been able to resume from hibernate after you turned on BitLocker.

There are seven known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3785.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.961

Release date: June 14, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience of running Windows.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.961.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3807 and 22631.3807

Release date: June 13, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

In this update, Copilot will be pinned to the taskbar and will behave like an app so you can do things like resize, move, and snap the window. The build also lets you create 7-Zip and Tape Archive (TAR) files using the File Explorer context menu and adds support for Emoji 15.1. Note that those and other features are gradually rolling out and are not yet available for everyone. The Copilot features have not yet begun to roll out.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3807 and 22631.3807.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26236

Release date: June 12, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build starts the rollout of the new account manager on Start menu. When you sign in with a Microsoft account, the new design gives you a quick glanceable view of your account benefits and makes it easy to manage account settings. In addition, it includes a small set of general updates and fixes that Microsoft says improves the overall experience of running Windows.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one that caused the preferred audio volume (under Settings > System > Sound > Volume Mixer) for Microsoft Edge to not persist across after restarting the app.

There are two known issues with this build, one in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620, and another in which colors in the Performance section aren’t displaying correctly in dark mode.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26236.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3720

Release date: June 7, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can now use voice access to dictate text hands-free using Narrator. In addition, they get a new feature, auto restart for voice access in Windows 11, which automatically restarts voice access if it encounters any issues.

Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a number of bugs fixed, including one in which pressing Ctrl + F would sometimes not start a search in File Explorer.

There are seven known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3720.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.770

Release date: June 7, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience of running Windows. They also get an update of the Snipping Tool that introduces automatic save for screen recordings. Your recordings will automatically be saved to the Screen Recordings folder (inside your Videos folder). You can choose to turn this off in Snipping Tool settings.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.770.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26231

Release date: June 6, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build, Narrator users can now use voice access to dictate text hands-free. In addition, a new feature called auto restart for voice access in Windows 11 automatically restarts voice access if it encounters any issues so that individuals with limited mobility can get back to using voice access as quickly as possible.

The build also includes a variety of bug fixes and improvements, including several that increase Task Manager reliability.

There is one known issue with this build, in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26231.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.751

Release date: May 31, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get the latest version of Copilot, which is pinned to the taskbar and runs like a traditional app, allowing you to resize, move, and snap the window. In addition, a new Linked devices page under Settings > Accounts allows you to manage PCs and Xbox consoles that you are signed into with your Microsoft account.

Everyone in the Dev Channel gets several bug fixes, including for a bug in which the Win + W keyboard shortcut did not work correctly to open the Widgets board, and another in which installation of Windows update failed to complete when you had to restart your device more than once.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.751.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26227

Release date: May 30, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build, Copilot for Windows runs as a traditional app pinned to the taskbar, allowing you to resize, move, and snap the window. The build also adds support for Emoji 15.1 and introduces a new Linked devices page under Settings > Accounts that allows you to manage PCs and Xbox consoles that you are signed in to with your Microsoft account.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which some apps didn’t run on startup even though they were enabled as startup apps in Settings, and another in which the Win + W keyboard shortcut did not work correctly and open the Widgets board.

There is one known issue with this build, in which some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26227.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3646

Release date: May 23, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience” of using Windows.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets a number of bug fixes, including for a bug in which File Explorer stopped responding when you swiped from a screen edge after you turned off edge swiping, and another in which TWAIN drivers stopped responding when used in a virtual environment.

There are six known issues in this build, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3646.)

Windows 11, version 24H2 (Build 26100.712)

Release date: May 22, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build is a preview of the annual Windows 11 feature update to be released later this year. It includes a variety of new features, including HDR background support, energy saver, Sudo for Windows, Rust in the Windows kernel, support for Wi-Fi 7, and voice clarity, among others. In it, Copilot will also become a traditional app that can be pinned to the taskbar. Microsoft will be sharing details about all its features in the coming months.

Note that new AI features such as Recall announced by Microsoft earlier this week will not be available on your PC after installing this update, as they require a Copilot+ PC. For more information on those new AI features and Copilot+ PCs, see Microsoft’s blog post.

(Get more info about Windows 11, version 24H2.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.670

Release date: May 17, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of unspecified “improvements and fixes that improve the overall Windows experience.”

Everyone in the Dev Channel gets several bug fixes including for a bug in which the Network Locations header was missing in the This PC section of File Explorer, and another in which NTLM authentication traffic might have increased in domain controllers (DC).

There is one known issue in this build, in which the Windows key + W keyboard shortcut may not work correctly to open the Widgets board.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.670.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3640

Release date: May 17, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get support for Emoji 15.1, which introduces a small number of new emoji, and support for creating 7-zip and TAR archives in addition to ZIP via the context menu in File Explorer. The build also fixes several bugs for those who have the toggle turned on, including a few accessibility issues in File Explorer’s Common File Dialog.

Everyone in the Beta Channel gets several bug fixes, including for the underlying cause of the Start menu crashing on launch or the All apps list not displaying.

There are five known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3640.)

Windows 11 Insider Builds 22621.3668 and 22631.3668

Release date: May 17, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This build for Windows version 22H2 (Build 22621) and version 23H2 (Build 22631) adds several new features, including one that lets you directly share to specific Microsoft Teams channels and group chats in the Windows share window, if you sign in using a Microsoft Entra ID.

It also starts the rollout of the new account manager on the Start menu, which shows you your account benefits a glance and makes it easier to manage your account settings when you use a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows.

These features might not be available to all users yet, because they will roll out gradually.

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which File Explorer stopped responding when you swiped from a screen edge after turning off edge swiping.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Builds 22621.3668 and 22631.3668.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26217

Release date: May 15, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

This build includes, in Microsoft’s words, “a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders.”

It also fixes two bugs, including one in which after using the Disable button for a camera under Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Cameras, the Enable button wouldn’t work; and the other in which the text showing the color filters keyboard shortcut was missing from Settings > Accessibility > Color filters.

Microsoft is investigating reports that some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620. If that happened to you and you want to get the latest build in the Canary or Dev Channel, download the latest ISO, do a clean install, and opt your device back into flighting in the Canary or Dev Channels.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26217.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3575

Release date: May 10, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can copy files from the Windows share window by clicking the new copy button. The build also fixes several bugs for those who have the toggle turned on, including one in which the address bar dropdown appeared unexpectedly on its own, because focus moved to the address bar.

There are five known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3575)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.470

Release date: May 10, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a new Game Pass recommendation card on the Settings homepage. The card will be shown to you if you actively play games on your PC.

Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a wide variety of bug fixes, including one in which IT admins can now use mobile device management (MDM) to turn off the prompt that appears when users sign in to an Entra-joined machine. To do this, they can turn on the “DisablePostLogonProvisioning” policy setting. After a user signs in, provisioning is off for Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.470.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26212

Release date: May 8, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build, you can now generate QR codes for URLs and cloud file links through the Windows share window in order to share web pages across your devices. To do it in Microsoft Edge, click the share button in the Edge toolbar and choose “Windows share options.”

The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which File Explorer sporadically crashed when using path suggestions in the address bar.

Microsoft is investigating reports that some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels are stuck on Build 26040 or Build 23620. If that happened to you and you want to get the latest build in the Canary or Dev Channel, download the latest ISO, do a clean install, and opt your device back into flighting in the Canary or Dev Channels.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26212.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3570

Release date: May 3, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can duplicate a tab by right-clicking on a tab in File Explorer and also receive a wide variety of bug fixes, including one in which the address bar dropdown might appear unexpectedly while using File Explorer.

The build fixes several bugs for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Copilot auto-launched unexpectedly after PCs restarted.

There are five known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3570)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.461

Release date: May 3, 2024

Released to: Dev Channel

In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience of Windows. Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a bug fixed in which one in which Copilot auto-launched unexpectedly after PCs restarted.

There is one known issue with this build: some Insiders experience an install error 0x8007371B when trying to install Build 26120.461

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.461.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3566

Release date: April 26, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can now drag-and-drop files with a mouse between breadcrumbs in the File Explorer Address Bar. For everyone in the Beta Channel, widgets are no longer pixelated or fuzzy. In addition, widgets on the lock screen are more reliable.

The build fixes an assortment of bugs for everyone in the Beta Channel, including a memory allocation issue in the Host Networking Service (HNS) that caused high memory consumption. The bug also affected service and pod deployment and scaling.

There are seven known issues in this build, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3566.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3500

Release date: April 19, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

This build begins the rollout of a new account manager on the Start menu for those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates. When you sign in with a Microsoft account, the new design gives you a quick glanceable view of your account benefits and makes it easier to manage account settings.

In the build, everyone in the Beta Channel gets new navigation bar on the left allowing one to switch between a dedicated widgets dashboard and other integrated dashboards like Discover.  

There are several known issues in this build for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3500.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200

Release date: April 19, 2024

Released to: Canary Channel

In this build there are several improvements to the Widgets button on the taskbar so that the icons on the taskbar are clearer. There are also a larger set of animated icons.

Several bugs have been fixed, including one that caused RemoteApp windows to get cut off when using 200% scaling.

There are four known issues with this build, including one in which using Windows Ink to write in Copilot will not work with the updated Copilot in Windows feature that allows Copilot to act like a normal application window.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3495

Release date: April 12, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will get recommendations for apps from the Microsoft Store under Recommended on the Start menu. This will appear only for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel in the US and will not apply to commercial devices (devices managed by organizations). This can be turned off by going to Settings > Personalization > Start and turning off the toggle for “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more.”

In the build, everyone in the Beta Channel can switch between two ways of using Copilot for Windows: 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 that you can resize and move around your screen.

There are several known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3495.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3520 and 22631.3520

Release date: April 11, 2024

Released to: Release Preview Channel

This update adds a new mobile device management (MDM) policy called “AllowScreenRecorder” for the Snipping Tool. With it, IT admins can turn off screen recording in the app. The build also adds support for Arm64 .msi files using a Group Policy Object (GPO).

There are a wide variety of bug fixes in this build, including for a bug in which Settings stopped responding when you dismissed a flyout menu, and another in which the Windows Local Administrator Password Solution’s (LAPS) Post Authentication Actions (PAA) did not happen at the end of the grace period. Instead, they occurred at restart.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.3520 and 22631.3520.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3430

Release date: April 5, 2024

Released to: Beta Channel

In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a Copilot feature in which when you copy text or image files, the Copilot icon will change appearance and animate to indicate that Copilot can help. When you hover your mouse over the Copilot icon, it will provide a menu of actions that you can take, such as creating a similar image or analyzing an image. If you select an action on the menu, it will launch the action with Copilot.

There are several known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Internet Information Services (IIS) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) may not work.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3430.)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100

Release date: April 3, 2024

Released to: Canary and Dev Channels

This build fixes a variety of bugs, including one that prevented bringing focus to the “…” or refresh buttons within Copilot when using a keyboard (for example, by using tab to cycle through buttons).

There are four known issues with this build, including one in which Copilot in Windows does not always fill the width of the panel when docked and resized to a large width. Resizing Copilot to less than half of the width of your screen usually fixes this issue.

Note: The Canary and Dev Channels receiving the same builds is only temporary. During the period in which they are on the same builds, Insiders in the Canary Channel can switch to switch to the Dev Channel. Soon, the Canary Channel will jump to higher build numbers and the window will be closed for switching.

(Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.)

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered severe cryptographic issues in various end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) cloud storage platforms that could be exploited to leak sensitive data. "The vulnerabilities range in severity: in many cases a malicious server can inject files, tamper with file data, and even gain direct access to plaintext," ETH Zurich researchers Jonas Hofmann and Kien Tuong Truong Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

Several end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) cloud storage platforms are vulnerable to a set of security issues that could expose user data to malicious actors. [...]

The Internet Archive was breached again, this time on their Zendesk email support platform after repeated warnings that threat actors stole exposed GitLab authentication tokens. [...]

Unknown threat actors have been observed attempting to exploit a now-patched security flaw in the open-source Roundcube webmail software as part of a phishing attack designed to steal user credentials. Russian cybersecurity company Positive Technologies said it discovered last month that an email was sent to an unspecified governmental organization located in one of the Commonwealth of

Unknown threat actors have been observed attempting to exploit a now-patched security flaw in the open-source Roundcube webmail software as part of a phishing attack designed to steal user credentials. Russian cybersecurity company Positive Technologies said it discovered last month an email that was sent to an unspecified governmental organization located in one of the Commonwealth of Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

North Korean information technology (IT) workers who obtain employment under false identities in Western companies are not only stealing intellectual property, but are also stepping up by demanding ransoms in order to not leak it, marking a new twist to their financially motivated attacks. "In some instances, fraudulent workers demanded ransom payments from their former employers after gaining

North Korean information technology (IT) workers who obtain employment under false identities in Western companies are not only stealing intellectual property, but are also stepping up by demanding ransoms in order to not leak it, marking a new twist to their financially motivated attacks. "In some instances, fraudulent workers demanded ransom payments from their former employers after gaining Ravie Lakshmananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]