Microsoft Releases KB5064081 Preview for Windows 11 24H2
The latest update from Microsoft brings a range of exciting features and improvements to Windows 11 version 24H2. The gradual rollout ensures that users receive the update over time, rather than all at once.
Recall: A Personalized Homepage
The new Recall feature opens to a personalized homepage that showcases your recent activity and top-used apps and websites. This makes it easy to pick up where you left off and access key productivity features like Recent Snapshots and Top Apps and Websites. You can set filters in Settings to control which apps and websites are saved in snapshots.
Click to Do: An Interactive Tutorial
When launching Click to Do for the first time, you'll see a quick interactive tutorial that demonstrates how to complete tasks faster by summarizing large blocks of text or removing image backgrounds. To revisit the tutorial later, select More options > Start tutorial.
Improved System Dialog Box
The redesigned system dialog box emphasizes privacy prompts, with the screen dimming slightly and the prompt appearing at the center of the screen when an app requests access to location, camera, microphone, or other device capabilities.
Taskbar Updates
The larger clock with seconds is now back in the notification center, displayed above the date and calendar. To turn this option on, go to Settings > Time & language > Date & time and enable Show time in the Notification Center.
Additionally, the issue with the taskbar preview thumbnail, where accidentally clicking and dragging the mouse could stop the preview from working, has been fixed.
Search on the Taskbar
A new grid view is available when using Search from the Windows taskbar, helping you quickly identify the desired image within your search results. The search also provides clearer status information, including a notice if your search results are incomplete while your PC is organizing files in the background.
Lock Screen Updates
More widget options and support for personalizing lock screen widgets are rolling out, allowing you to add, remove, and rearrange widgets like Weather, Watchlist, Sports, Traffic, and more. Any widget that supports small sizing can be added.
File Explorer Enhancements
Dividers now separate top-level icons in the File Explorer context menu, making it easier to navigate. When signed in with a work or school account (Entra ID), File Explorer will display people icons in the Activity column and Recommended section at the top of File Explorer Home.
Windows Hello Improvements
A redesigned Windows Hello interface supports fast, clear communication across multiple authentication flows, including sign-in screens, passkeys, Recall, and more. The new security credential experience offers a cleaner, more intuitive interface for switching between authentication options like passkeys or connected devices.
Settings Updates
Windows activation and expiration prompts now match the Windows 11 design and appear as system notifications when action is required. Additionally, messaging under Settings > System > Activation has been improved.
You can also view which third-party apps have recently used generative AI models provided by Windows in Settings > Privacy & security > Text and Image Generation and choose which apps are permitted to use them.
Copilot+ PC Experience
The Copilot+ PC experience has been enhanced, with the agent in Settings helping you quickly find and change settings. Initially available on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, it now supports AMD- and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs as well.
Task Manager Updates
Task Manager now uses standard metrics to show CPU workload consistently across all pages, aligning with industry standards and third-party tools. You can also enable a new optional column called CPU Utility in the Details tab to display the earlier CPU usage value shown on the Processes page.
Widgets Enhancements
Multiple dashboards are now available in your Widgets Board, giving you more space for your favorite widgets and helping you stay informed with a feed that connects you to current events. A new navigation bar on the left side makes it easy to switch between widget dashboards and other views like the Discover feed.
The Discover feed has also been redesigned with a more organized, personalized, and engaging layout. Copilot-curated stories are now included, offering a well-rounded view of each topic with summaries, videos, and images from trusted MSN premium publishers.
Windows Backup for Organizations
Windows Backup for Organizations is now generally available, providing seamless device transitions with enterprise-grade backup and restore. This solution helps sustain productivity with minimal disruption, ensuring business continuity and organizational resilience.
PowerShell 2.0 Deprecation
Starting in August 2025, Windows 11 version 24H2 will no longer include Windows PowerShell 2.0. Most users won't be affected, as newer versions like PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell 7.x remain available and supported.
Live Captions and Input Fixes
Changing the opacity of live captions in Settings > Accessibility > Captions > Caption Style now has an effect. Additionally, issues with typing Chinese using an IME after copying something have been fixed.
An underlying issue related to textinputframework.dll could result in certain apps like Sticky Notes and Notepad crashing, which has also been addressed.
dbgcore.dll Fix
An issue with dbgcore.dll could result in certain apps, including explorer.exe, crashing. This has been fixed.
Kerberos Crash Fix
There was a potential crash in Kerberos when attempting to access a cloud file share. This issue has been resolved.
Login Improvements
Some underlying cases that led to seeing a blank white screen or "just a moment" for a few minutes while logging into your PC have been addressed.
Miracast Issue Fix
An issue where audio would initially play but stop a few seconds after casting to a TV on certain devices has been fixed.
Audio Service Fix
An underlying audio service that stops responding, which could impact the ability to play audio in certain cases, has also been addressed.
Cryptographic Provider Fix
An error in Windows Event Viewer with Error ID 57, where the Microsoft Pluton Cryptographic Provider provider was not loaded because initialization failed, has been fixed.
Additional Improvements
Normal rollout includes quality improvements and key issues addressed by the KB update after installation. The following summary outlines the changes:
- Device management: An issue that prevented some system recovery features from working properly due to a temporary file sharing conflict has been fixed.
- File system: An issue in Resilient File System (ReFS) where using backup apps with large files could sometimes exhaust system memory has been addressed.
- Input:
- Some extended characters appearing as empty boxes when using the Chinese (Simplified) IME have been fixed.
- Typing on the touch keyboard when using Microsoft Changjie, Bopomofo, or Japanese IMEs after switching to a previous version of the IME now works correctly.
- Performance: An issue that slows application installation on ARM64 devices has been resolved.
If you installed earlier updates, your device downloads and installs only the new updates contained in this package.
August 29, 2025—KB5064081 (OS Build 26100.5074) Preview - Microsoft Support
August 29, 2025—KB5064081 (OS Build 26100.5074) Preview - Microsoft Support
