Windows 11 Experimental Preview Build 28020 smooths out explorer.exe crashes that typically happen when switching virtual desktops or closing the input method switcher. The storage settings finally let users input gigabytes directly when creating or resizing Dev Drives, which saves time and prevents awkward megabyte conversions. A quiet typography update also corrects how Times New Roman stacks diacritical marks for Greek and Cyrillic text, fixing long-standing rendering glitches. Users attempting a local system reset should stick to the cloud download option for now, since the local recovery process still hangs and requires manual intervention.
Windows 11 Experimental Preview Build 28020 Fixes Explorer Crashes and Adds GB Support for Dev Drives
Windows 11 Experimental Preview Build 28020 lands with a few targeted fixes that actually matter for daily workflow. This update smooths out explorer.exe stutters when juggling virtual desktops and finally lets users specify Dev Drive sizes in gigabytes instead of wrestling with megabyte counters. The release also patches a font rendering quirk that has bothered Greek and Cyrillic users for years.
Windows 11 Experimental Preview Build 28020 and the explorer.exe stability patch
Virtual desktop managers have always been a bit fragile under the hood. Switching between them or closing the input method switcher used to trigger random explorer.exe hangs that forced users to restart the desktop shell. This build tightens up those memory handling routines so the taskbar and file explorer stay responsive during rapid context switching. Field reports show this exact studder appearing right after a routine graphics driver update leaves the desktop shell hanging. Users who keep multiple desktops open for work and gaming will notice the difference immediately.
Dev Drive size selection finally uses gigabytes
Creating a Dev Drive or adjusting volume sizes in the storage settings now accepts gigabyte values instead of forcing users to calculate megabytes. The old dialog required dividing or multiplying numbers that made it easy to misconfigure partition sizes. That megabyte counter was a pointless relic that only complicated basic disk management. This change cuts out the mental math and aligns the interface with how most people actually think about disk space. It also reduces the chance of accidentally creating a drive that is too small for modern development toolchains.
Times New Roman diacritical mark fix
The update ships with an adjusted Times New Roman rendering engine that handles combining diacritical marks better for Greek and Cyrillic scripts. Previous builds sometimes stacked accents incorrectly or dropped them entirely when text was resized or rendered at certain DPI scales. This patch corrects the positioning logic so characters align properly without overlapping or leaving gaps. The change is subtle but noticeable for anyone editing documents in those languages or running legacy software that relies on consistent typography.
Reset PC workaround you need to know
The reset feature still has a known snag that can leave the system stuck during a local recovery attempt. Running the local reset process often hangs at a certain percentage and requires a hard shutdown. The current workaround points users toward the cloud download option instead. Choosing the cloud recovery path bypasses the corrupted local recovery files and pulls a fresh system image directly from Microsoft servers. The local bug remains open in the tracking system and will likely be patched in a subsequent experimental release.
Experimental (26H1) Preview Build 28020.2149 - Windows Insider Program
Release notes for Experimental (26H1) Preview Build 28020.2149
Experimental (26H1) Preview Build 28020.2149 - Windows Insider Program
Keep the experimental channel updates handy and test new features in a virtual machine before pushing them to a main rig. The next build usually arrives within a week, so checking for updates regularly will keep the system stable until the official release cadence catches up.
