Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6682, introducing various changes and improvements across different aspects of the operating system. The new build includes features such as Click to Do on Copilot+ PCs, emoji updates, and Narrator enhancements, which can be toggled on or off depending on user preference. Additionally, the update resolves several issues, including bugs that caused PCs to bugcheck during hibernation or shutdown hangs, and improves the reliability of taskbar hiding and unhiding. 

Microsoft Unveils Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6682

In a recent development, Microsoft has released the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6682 to Windows Insiders in the beta channel. This update introduces several changes and improvements across various aspects of the operating system.

Gradual Rollout Features

The new build includes a range of features that can be toggled on or off, depending on user preference. These enhancements are designed to provide an improved experience in specific areas:

1. Click to Do on Copilot+ PCs: This feature streamlines interaction with Microsoft Copilot by allowing direct text input for prompts and offers suggested prompts powered locally by Phi-Silica.
2. Start Menu Enhancements: A small change is being tested in the Recommended section to showcase example prompts for the Copilot app, such as image creation.
3. Emoji Update: The Emoji 16.0 release introduces new emojis, including Face with Bags Under Eyes, Fingerprint, Root Vegetable, Leafless Tree, Harp, Shovel, and Splatter, which are now available in the emoji panel.
4. Gaming Improvements: Pressing the Xbox button on Xbox game controllers now opens Game Bar, while long-pressing it will open Task View, and holding it turns off the controller.
5. Narrator Enhancements:
   • Natural Voice Feedback: Narrator's pitch is no longer dramatically raised when announcing headings or grammar/spelling errors with Natural Voices.
   • Footnote Navigation: Users can navigate documents by footnotes and hear the footnote number clearly.
   • Continuous Reading: Narrator will not stop unexpectedly during long passages, ensuring smooth reading.
   • Comment Reading: Narrator correctly tracks focus when moving between the document canvas and the comments pane.
   • List Creation & Consumption: Narrator provides coherent and consistent announcements for lists across different surfaces and navigation methods.
   • Table Creation & Consumption: Quick navigation commands are supported in Scan Mode for tables, allowing users to jump to the first or last cell in a row or column using specific key combinations.
6. Settings Update: Advanced Settings are rolling out again to Dev and Beta Channels, but the long path and virtual workspaces options have been temporarily removed due to issues.
7. Other Improvements:
   • A SCOOBE (Second Chance Out of Box Experience) screen reminder is being introduced to notify users about Microsoft subscription needs and facilitate quick updates to payment methods.

Gradual Rollout Fixes

The new build also includes a range of fixes that can be toggled on or off, depending on user preference. These resolutions address specific issues:

1. General: An issue causing PCs to bugcheck (green screen) during hibernation or shutdown hangs has been fixed.
2. Taskbar & System Tray: Reliability of taskbar hiding and unhiding has been improved, potentially resulting in smoother animations.
3. File Explorer:
   • The Shared section in File Explorer Home will no longer be visible if there is no content.
   • File Explorer now correctly shows thumbnails for video files with certain EXIF metadata.
   • Interactions with the context menu no longer cause the File Explorer body to become unresponsive.
   • Hangs when launching the Open or Save dialog have been fixed.
4. Lock and Login Screens: Crashes on the lock screen when interacting with the power button have been resolved.
5. Start Menu: Underlying issues causing the Start menu to dismiss when using WIN + Shift + S for screenshots, Start menu reliability, and random scrolling back to the top have been fixed.
6. Windows Sandbox: An issue with the vmmemCmFirstBoot process consuming excessive CPU after login has been fixed.
7. Search: Instances where search gets stuck in a loading state have been reduced.
8. Settings: Crashes when interacting with Settings > System > Optional Features have been fixed.
9. Voice Access: Error 9001 preventing Voice Access from working has been resolved.
10. Windows Hello: Issues with booting into safe mode with the PIN unavailable and PIN setup failures on Entra-domain joined devices have been fixed.

Fixes for Everyone in the Beta Channel:

1. General: An issue affecting audio stuttering in apps using the Network Device Interface (NDI), particularly with Display Capture in OBS Studio, has been addressed.

Known Issues:

1. Click to Do: Launching Click to Do via the right-edge gesture on the primary display may show swipe visuals on the incorrect display.
2. Lock and Login Screens: Media controls may not display on the lock screen.
3. Windows Studio Effects: For some external webcams, enabling "Use Windows Studio Effects" may cause a camera preview failure due to a compatibility issue with camera firmware.
4. For Developers: PIX on Windows cannot playback GPU captures on this OS version; a new PIX release is expected by the end of September.
5. Settings: Placeholder text in the Settings search box may appear vertically misaligned.
6. Audio: Some Insiders are experiencing audio loss where Device Manager shows devices with a yellow exclamation mark, including "ACPI Audio Compositor."
7. Xbox Controllers: Some Insiders report PCs bugchecking when using Xbox Controllers via Bluetooth.

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6682 (Beta Channel)

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6682 (KB5065782) to the Beta Channel for Windows Insiders on Windows 11, version 24H2. 

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.6682 (Beta Channel)