KB5079391 Preview Update Brings Smart App Control Flexibility to Windows 11
Microsoft has pushed out a new preview package for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. This non-security update focuses on quality improvements rather than security patches. Readers will find out what actually changes in the interface and which bugs get squashed during installation. The KB5079391 release brings significant usability tweaks that reduce friction for power users while fixing some annoying reliability quirks found in earlier builds.
Smart App Control No Longer Requires a Clean Install
The most notable change involves how users manage security policies without reinstalling their operating system. Previously toggling Smart App Control required wiping the drive and starting fresh, which was a major hurdle for testing environments. Now people can turn this feature on or off directly from Settings under Windows Security without losing data. The path remains within the app control section of the Security dashboard where users manage browser settings. This change alone saves hours of troubleshooting time for administrators who need to verify policy behavior quickly.
Narrator receives a significant upgrade when paired with AI features on compatible hardware. Users can now press specific key combinations to describe focused images or the full screen instantly using Copilot integration. The update works across all Windows 11 devices but offers faster processing on newer Copilot+ PCs where descriptions happen on device. Voice Access also sees refinements in how numbers are detected and written for English speakers. These tools aim to make accessibility features feel less like a separate utility and more like an integrated part of the workflow.
File Explorer and Display Reliability Improvements
Unblocking files from the internet now works more reliably within File Explorer after this update installs. Power users will notice that renaming a file allows use of voice typing with Windows plus H key combinations without error. The Settings About page received a refresh to make device specifications easier to scan without hunting through menus. High refresh rate monitors can report speeds over 1000 Hz after this update installs which helps compatibility with newer hardware. USB4 connections also enter lower power states while the PC sleeps to extend battery life on laptops.
A specific bug preventing updates from installing via WUSA on network shares has been fixed in this package. People using standalone installers will no longer see error code ERROR_BAD_PATHNAME when multiple files exist in the folder. The System File Checker also stops throwing extraneous errors during scans which makes diagnosing corrupted system files less frustrating for administrators. Windows Hello Fingerprint reliability sees improvements for certain devices that previously struggled with authentication after sleep. These fixes ensure the update process itself does not become a source of new headaches.
March 26, 2026—KB5079391 (OS Builds 26200.8116 and 26100.8116) Preview - Microsoft Support
March 26, 2026—KB5079391 (OS Builds 26200.8116 and 26100.8116) Preview - Microsoft Support
