Microsoft released preview update KB5077241 (26200.7922) for Windows 11 version 25H2 (2025 update). The cumulative update package KB5065426 (build 26100.7922) is intended for Windows 11 version 25H2 (Windows 11 2025 Update) based on x64 (amd64) and ARM64 processors.
- Emoji (new). Added support for Emoji 16.0. A new set of emojis (one from each key category) is now available on the emoji panel (Win + .).
- Backup and restore (new). The first-run restore feature is now part of the Data Archiving Program for organizations. On Microsoft Entra hybrid joined devices, cloud PCs, and multi-user environments, user settings and Microsoft Store apps are automatically restored upon first login.
- Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) (new). The Quick Machine Recovery feature automatically enables on Windows Pro devices that are not domain-joined or managed by enterprise solutions. For domain-joined and enterprise devices, QMR remains disabled unless the organization manually activates it.
- Taskbar and system tray. Added a built-in network speed test. It can be launched from the Wi-Fi/cellular quick settings or via the network icon context menu. The test opens in the default browser and checks Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and mobile connections.
- Taskbar (improvement). When app button combining is disabled, entire apps no longer move to the taskbar overflow area — only the specific window that lacks space moves.
- User accounts. A new item has appeared in the profile menu in the Start menu, allowing you to navigate to the Microsoft account benefits page.
- Identity and access management (new). Added support for SID resolution for Microsoft Entra ID groups and roles. This allows cloud groups to be displayed correctly in file permissions and local groups without using on-premises Active Directory.
- Camera settings (new). In Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras, added pan and tilt controls for supported cameras.
- Built-in Sysmon (new). Sysmon functionality is now integrated directly into Windows. This tool allows logging system events for threat detection and activity analysis. It is disabled by default and can be manually enabled via Optional Features or with the command: Dism /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:Sysmon. After installation, you need to run the command: sysmon -i.
- Widgets. Widget settings now open on a separate page rather than in a popup window.
- Desktop background. Added support for .webp format images for desktop background via Settings > Personalization > Background.
- Search. The search process icon in Task Manager has been updated — it now uses a magnifying glass icon.
- Storage settings. Updated design of some dialog boxes, improved temporary file scanning performance.
- Windows Update. Improved responsiveness of the settings page.
- Login and lock screen. Increased reliability of the login screen.
- Nearby sharing. Increased reliability of large file transfers.
- Projection. Increased stability of the projection panel (Win + P).
- Printing. Improved performance of the print spooler service (spoolsv.exe) under large job volumes.
- File Explorer. Added an Extract All button for non-ZIP archives. Fixed an issue where a new Explorer instance would open when pressing Shift + click or middle mouse click on an icon. Increased reliability of device display in the Network section.
- Display. Optimized display performance and reduced time to exit sleep mode on busy systems. Improved reliability of exiting sleep mode for laptops with the lid closed when powered via a docking station.
- Other. Fixed minor visual issues related to automatic taskbar hiding, Windows security popups, and the print dialog.
Installation via Windows Update: go to Settings > Windows Update and click Check for updates. A computer restart is required to complete the installation. After installing the update, the Windows 11 build number will change to 26200.7918.
Note: to have preview updates installed automatically, enable the Get the latest updates as soon as they are available option in Settings > Windows Update.
| Feature / Change | Performance Increase or Decrease | Optimization | PC Speed Impact | Gaming Optimization |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emoji 16.0 support (new emoji set) | ⚪ No change | 🟡 Minor (emoji panel rendering optimized) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| First-run restore for organizations (Backup and restore) | 🟢 Slight increase after initial setup (apps pre-restored) | 🟢 High (reduces manual setup time) | 🟡 Slight improvement on first login | ⚪ No impact |
| Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) auto-enable on Windows Pro | 🟢 Improves system recovery speed | 🟢 High (automatic remediation) | 🟡 Slight improvement during recovery scenarios | ⚪ No impact |
| Built-in network speed test (Taskbar/System tray) | ⚪ No change | 🟡 Medium (quick diagnostics) | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low (helps verify connection for online gaming) |
| Taskbar overflow behavior fix (app combining disabled) | ⚪ No change | 🟡 Medium (better window management) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Microsoft account benefits page in Start menu | ⚪ No change | 🟡 Low (faster access to account info) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| SID resolution for Microsoft Entra ID groups and roles | ⚪ No change | 🟡 Medium (correct permission display) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Pan and tilt controls for cameras (Settings) | ⚪ No change | 🟡 Low (faster hardware adjustment) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Built-in Sysmon (optional feature) | 🔴 Slight decrease if enabled (event logging overhead) | 🟢 High (advanced threat detection) | 🔴 Slight decrease when active | 🔴 Slight decrease when active (background logging) |
| Widget settings on separate page | ⚪ No change | 🟡 Low (clearer settings UI) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| .webp desktop background support | ⚪ No change | 🟡 Low (more format flexibility) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Search process icon update in Task Manager | ⚪ No change | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Storage settings dialog redesign, temp file scan performance | 🟢 Slight increase (faster temp file scanning) | 🟢 Medium (improved storage cleanup speed) | 🟡 Slight improvement during disk cleanup | ⚪ No impact |
| Windows Update settings page responsiveness | 🟢 Slight increase (UI responsiveness) | 🟡 Low (faster navigation) | 🟡 Slight improvement in update management | ⚪ No impact |
| Login and lock screen reliability | 🟢 Slight increase (fewer hangs) | 🟡 Medium (faster login) | 🟡 Slight improvement in boot/login time | ⚪ No impact |
| Nearby sharing large file transfer reliability | 🟢 Slight increase (fewer failures) | 🟡 Medium (more stable transfers) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Projection panel (Win + P) stability | 🟢 Slight increase (less flickering/crashes) | 🟡 Low (smoother switching) | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low (stable multi-monitor for gaming setups) |
| Print spooler service performance (large jobs) | 🟢 Slight increase (under heavy load) | 🟢 Medium (improved queue handling) | 🟡 Slight improvement when printing large documents | ⚪ No impact |
| File Explorer: Extract All for non-ZIP, Explorer instance fix, Network device display | 🟢 Slight increase (less redundant processes) | 🟡 Medium (better file management) | 🟡 Slight improvement in file operations | ⚪ No impact |
| Display performance: exit sleep optimization, docking station lid closed reliability | 🟢 Slight increase (faster wake) | 🟢 Medium (reduced resume time on busy systems) | 🟢 Slight improvement in wake from sleep | 🟡 Low (quicker return to gaming after sleep) |
| Minor visual fixes (taskbar auto-hide, security popups, print dialog) | ⚪ No change | 🟡 Low (cosmetic and usability fixes) | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
Find and Change Settings
| Setting | Where to find | How to change |
|---|---|---|
| Emoji 16.0 support | Emoji panel (Win + .) | Open the emoji panel by pressing Win + . (period). The new set of emojis from Emoji 16.0 is automatically available. No additional setting is required to enable the new emojis. |
| First-run restore (Data Archiving Program) | Microsoft Entra hybrid joined devices, cloud PCs, multi-user environments | This feature is automatic for organizations using the Data Archiving Program. On Microsoft Entra hybrid joined devices, cloud PCs, and multi-user environments, user settings and Microsoft Store apps are restored automatically upon first login. No manual user action is required. |
| Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) | Windows Pro devices | On Windows Pro devices that are not domain-joined or managed by enterprise solutions, QMR is enabled automatically. For domain-joined and enterprise devices, it remains disabled unless the organization manually activates it through enterprise management policies. |
| Built-in network speed test | Wi-Fi/cellular quick settings or network icon context menu | Click the network icon in the system tray, then select the network speed test option from the quick settings or context menu. The test opens in your default browser and checks Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and mobile connections. |
| Taskbar app button combining | Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors | To disable app button combining, open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors and set "Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels" to "Never". When combining is disabled, only the specific window that lacks space moves to the overflow area, not the entire app. |
| Microsoft account benefits page | Start menu > Profile menu | Open the Start menu, click your profile picture or name, and select the new item that navigates to the Microsoft account benefits page. |
| SID resolution for Microsoft Entra ID groups and roles | File permissions and local groups | This feature works automatically for Microsoft Entra ID groups and roles. Cloud groups are now displayed correctly in file permissions and local groups without using on-premises Active Directory. No user action is required. |
| Camera pan and tilt controls | Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras | Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras, select a supported camera, and use the new pan and tilt controls to adjust the camera view. |
| Built-in Sysmon | Optional Features or Command Prompt | To enable, open Settings > System > Optional Features and add Sysmon, or run the command: Dism /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:Sysmon. After installation, run: sysmon -i to install the Sysmon service and start logging system events. |
| Widget settings page | Widgets board | Open the Widgets board and click the settings icon. Widget settings now open on a separate page instead of a popup window. |
| Desktop background .webp support | Settings > Personalization > Background | Open Settings > Personalization > Background, click "Browse photos" and select a .webp image file to set it as your desktop background. |
| Search process icon | Task Manager | Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc). The search process icon now uses a magnifying glass icon. No user action is required. |
| Storage settings dialog boxes | Settings > System > Storage | Open Settings > System > Storage to view the updated dialog boxes. Temporary file scanning performance has been improved automatically. |
| Windows Update page responsiveness | Settings > Windows Update | Open Settings > Windows Update. The page responsiveness has been improved automatically. No user action is required. |
| Login and lock screen reliability | Lock screen | The login screen reliability has been increased automatically. No user action is required. |
| Nearby sharing large file transfers | Settings > System > Nearby sharing | Open Settings > System > Nearby sharing and ensure the feature is enabled. Large file transfer reliability has been improved automatically. |
| Projection panel (Win + P) | Press Win + P | Press Win + P to open the projection panel. The stability of the projection panel has been improved automatically. |
| Print spooler performance | Print spooler service (spoolsv.exe) | The print spooler service performance has been improved automatically under large job volumes. No user action is required. |
| Extract All button for non-ZIP archives | File Explorer | Select a non-ZIP archive file in File Explorer, then click "Extract All" in the command bar. The "Extract All" button is now available for non-ZIP archive formats. |
| File Explorer new instance issue | File Explorer | Fixed automatically. Shift + click or middle mouse click on an icon no longer opens a new Explorer instance unnecessarily. |
| Network section device display | File Explorer > Network | Open File Explorer and navigate to Network. The reliability of device display has been improved automatically. |
| Display performance and sleep mode | Display settings | Display performance and exit from sleep mode have been optimized automatically, including for laptops with the lid closed connected via docking station. No user action is required. |
| Taskbar auto-hide, Windows security popups, print dialog visual fixes | Taskbar, Windows Security, Print dialog | Minor visual issues related to automatic taskbar hiding, Windows security popups, and the print dialog have been fixed automatically. No user action is required. |
The last 10 Windows updates:
| Update | Build | Version | Windows | Channel | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KB5121157 | 28020.2818 | 26H1 | Windows 11 | Beta | 2026-08-31 |
| KB5121158 | 28120.2824 | 26H1 | Windows 11 | Experimental | 2026-08-31 |
| KB5121794 | 26300.9278 | 26H2 | Windows 11 | Preview | 2026-08-27 |
| KB5121132 | 28120.2760 | 26H1 | Windows 11 | Experimental | 2026-08-21 |
| KB5124040 | 26220.9223 | 25H2 | Windows 11 | Beta | 2026-08-21 |
| KB5124042 | 26340.9233 | 26H2 | Windows 11 | Experimental | 2026-08-21 |
| KB5121106 | 28020.2731 | 26H1 | Windows 11 | Beta | 2026-08-17 |
| KB5121109 | 28120.2738 | 26H1 | Windows 11 | Experimental | 2026-08-17 |
| KB5124036 | 26220.9202 | 25H2 | Windows 11 | Beta | 2026-08-17 |
| KB5124038 | 26340.9212 | 26H2 | Windows 11 | Experimental | 2026-08-17 |