Update KB5101649 (build 28000.2525) for Windows 11 version 26H1 has been released as part of the July 2026 Patch Tuesday. The cumulative package contains various security improvements for internal OS functions and fixes 570 security issues, including three zero-day vulnerabilities. The build also includes all fixes and changes from the preliminary update KB5095091 (Build 28000.2340).
- Magnifier. Clearer Narrator announcements have been implemented, the ability to magnify protected content has been added, and the smoothness of the Lens mode has been improved.
- Task Manager. Tracking of NPU and GPU neural engines has been expanded.
- Camera. Support for Multi-App Camera and Basic Camera mode has been added.
- Windows Setup. The ability to choose a custom user folder name during the system installation stage has been introduced.
- Shell Performance. Launching apps and core interface elements — Start menu, Search, and Notification Center — has been accelerated.
- Personalization. Wallpaper retention has been improved.
- Windows Hello. The sign-in method, which is now used by default, has been refined.
- Search. File prioritization now triggers after typing just two characters.
- Dev Drive. The ability to specify the size in gigabytes has been added.
- USB and Docking Stations. The reliability of USB4 docks and the USB3 stack has been enhanced.
- Fonts. Times New Roman fonts for the Greek and Cyrillic alphabets have been updated.
- Emoji Panel. As part of standard deployment, the GIF image source has been updated (GIPHY instead of Tenor).
- Recycle Bin. Fixed the display of the file name upon deletion.
- Push Notifications. Resolved an issue causing apps using the Windows Push Notification Service (WNS) to freeze.
- Third-party Apps. Fixed an issue that appeared after installing the June 2026 security update KB5095091. Some apps using OLE Automation to interact with Microsoft Office were unable to launch Office or open documents.
- Secure Boot. The list of devices that can automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates has been expanded. Their deployment via Windows Update will continue over the coming months on supported PCs and unmanaged enterprise devices.
Known issues and important changes:
- Hotkeys. Behavior has changed when unregistering and clearing key combinations. In rare cases, some built-in Windows functions may temporarily stop responding to certain combinations. Restarting the app usually helps.
- Task Management. at.exe and schedcli.dll can no longer be used to manage AT Time and ATSvc servers. Microsoft recommends abandoning ATServer, which is disabled by default in Windows Server 2012. AT.exe and ATServer will be removed in future versions of Windows. Use schtasks.exe, PowerShell ScheduledTasks commands, or the TaskSchedulerService interface instead.
- Network. Security requirements for TDI transport registration have been strengthened. Apps using sockets via unregistered third-party TDI transports may stop working after installing the update. Registered transports are not affected by this change.
- RDP Security. Support for SHA-2 certificate thumbprints has been added for trusted RDP publishers. SHA-1 is retained for compatibility, but will be removed in the future. Microsoft recommends migrating to SHA-256 or a stronger algorithm as soon as possible.
To install the update, go to Settings > Windows Update and click Check for updates. A system restart will be required to complete the installation.
| Feature / Change | Performance Gain or Loss | Optimization | PC Speed | Gaming Optimization |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnifier: clearer announcements, protected content magnification, smoother Lens mode | ⚪ No direct impact | 🟢 Minor — Lens mode rendering pipeline smoothed | 🟡 Slightly smoother Lens interaction | ⚪ No impact |
| Task Manager: NPU and GPU neural engine tracking | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 Medium — better observability of AI workloads | ⚪ No direct change | 🟡 Low — helps monitor GPU compute usage |
| Camera: Multi-App Camera and Basic Camera mode | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 Medium — shared camera stream efficiency improved | ⚪ No direct change | 🟡 Low — reduces camera contention during streaming |
| Windows Setup: custom user folder name | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ Not applicable | ⚪ No change | ⚪ No impact |
| Shell Performance: faster Start, Search, Notification Center launch | 🟢 Medium — app and shell element launch accelerated | 🟢 High — core UI responsiveness improved | 🟢 Medium — faster desktop interaction | 🟡 Low — less background UI lag during gaming |
| Personalization: improved wallpaper retention | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — reduces unnecessary wallpaper reloads | ⚪ No direct change | ⚪ No impact |
| Windows Hello: refined default sign-in method | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — faster authentication flow | 🟡 Low — quicker login | ⚪ No impact |
| Search: file prioritization after two characters | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 Medium — instant indexing response | 🟡 Low — reduced wait for results | ⚪ No impact |
| Dev Drive: size specification in gigabytes | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — easier dev environment provisioning | ⚪ No change | ⚪ No impact |
| USB and Docking Stations: USB4 dock and USB3 stack reliability | 🟡 Low — fewer dropped connections | 🟢 Medium — more stable I/O path | 🟡 Low — less device re-enumeration lag | 🟢 Medium — stable external SSD/GPU dock throughput |
| Fonts: updated Times New Roman for Greek and Cyrillic | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ Not applicable | ⚪ No change | ⚪ No impact |
| Emoji Panel: GIF source switched to GIPHY | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — lighter media fetching | ⚪ No direct change | ⚪ No impact |
| Recycle Bin: fixed file name display on deletion | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ Not applicable | ⚪ No change | ⚪ No impact |
| Push Notifications: WNS app freeze resolved | 🟢 Low — eliminates hanging background processes | 🟡 Low — fewer blocked threads | 🟡 Low — less system unresponsiveness | 🟡 Low — fewer background interruptions |
| Third-party Apps: OLE Automation fix for Office interaction | 🟡 Low — prevents app launch failures | 🟡 Low — restores automation reliability | ⚪ No direct change | ⚪ No impact |
| Secure Boot: expanded auto-certificate deployment | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 Medium — hands-off certificate renewal | ⚪ No change | ⚪ No impact |
| Known: Hotkey unregistration may temporarily block built-in shortcuts | 🔴 Low — rare loss of input responsiveness | 🔴 Low — unexpected shortcut breakage | 🔴 Low — temporary slow-down in workflow | 🔴 Low — possible game shortcut interference |
| Known: at.exe/schedcli.dll deprecation, ATServer removal announced | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — migration required for legacy tasks | ⚪ No change | ⚪ No impact |
| Known: TDI transport registration security strengthened | 🔴 Medium — unregistered transports blocked | 🟢 Medium — tighter network stack integrity | ⚪ No change | 🔴 Low — niche multiplayer/anti-cheat drivers may break |
| Known: RDP SHA-2 thumbprint support added, SHA-1 to be removed | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 Medium — stronger publisher verification | ⚪ No change | ⚪ No impact |
Find and Change Settings
| Setting | Where to find | How to change |
|---|---|---|
| Magnifier Lens Mode Smoothness | Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier | Open Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier. Turn on Magnifier, then use the "View" dropdown to select "Lens". The improved smoothness is applied automatically. You can also adjust the zoom level using the plus and minus buttons. |
| Narrator Protected Content Magnification | Settings > Accessibility > Narrator | To hear clearer announcements and magnify protected content, open Settings > Accessibility > Narrator and turn the feature on. The improvements are applied by default; no additional configuration is required. |
| NPU and GPU Neural Engine Tracking | Task Manager > Performance tab | Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and go to the Performance tab. If your device has an NPU or a GPU with a neural engine, their activity will now appear in the list of monitored resources. No additional configuration is required. |
| Multi-App Camera | Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras | To allow multiple applications to access the camera simultaneously, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras, select your camera, and enable the Multi-App Camera option. To disable it, turn the toggle off. |
| Basic Camera Mode | Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras | Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras, select your camera, and turn on Basic Camera mode to use the camera with reduced functionality for debugging or basic capture. Turn it off to restore full functionality. |
| Custom User Folder Name During Setup | Windows Setup (OOBE) > Account creation screen | During a clean installation of Windows, when prompted to create a user account, you will now see an option to specify a custom folder name for the user profile. Type the desired name before completing the setup. This cannot be changed after the profile is created. |
| Shell Performance (Start, Search, Notifications) | Start menu, Search, Notification Center | App and interface launch acceleration is applied automatically via system updates. If Start, Search, or Notification Center feel slow, ensure you have installed the latest cumulative update. You may also restart the device to apply optimizations. |
| Wallpaper Retention | Settings > Personalization > Background | Open Settings > Personalization > Background and choose your preferred wallpaper. The improved retention ensures the wallpaper persists more reliably after updates or reboots. No additional action is required. |
| Windows Hello Sign-in Refinements | Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options | To use the refined Windows Hello sign-in method, open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options, select "Facial recognition" or "Fingerprint recognition" under Windows Hello, and set it up. It is now the default method; you can switch to a different method by selecting it. |
| Search File Prioritization (2 Characters) | Search > Type 2 characters | File prioritization now triggers automatically after typing just two characters in the Search box. Start typing a file name, and results will prioritize files more quickly. No additional settings are required. |
| Dev Drive Size in Gigabytes | Settings > System > Storage > Disks & volumes | Open Settings > System > Storage > Disks & volumes, select the drive, and choose "Create Dev Drive". You can now specify the desired size directly in gigabytes (GB) in the provided field. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the creation. |
| USB4 Dock and USB3 Reliability | System > Windows Update | Enhanced reliability for USB4 docks and the USB3 stack is applied automatically with the update. If you experience issues, check for the latest drivers in Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates. No manual configuration is required. |
| Times New Roman Font Update | Settings > Personalization > Fonts | The updated Times New Roman fonts for Greek and Cyrillic alphabets are installed automatically with the update. To use them, open Settings > Personalization > Fonts, search for "Times New Roman", and select the updated font family. Applications will use the new version by default. |
| Emoji Panel GIF Source | Emoji Panel (Win + .) > GIF section | The GIF source has been updated from Tenor to GIPHY. Press Win + . (period) to open the Emoji Panel, then click the GIF tab. GIFs will now be sourced from GIPHY. No settings changes are needed. |
| Recycle Bin File Name on Deletion | Recycle Bin (Desktop) | The file name display fix when deleting files to the Recycle Bin is applied automatically. Delete a file and open the Recycle Bin to verify the correct name is shown. No manual configuration is required. |
| Push Notifications (WNS) Freeze Fix | Settings > System > Notifications | To ensure WNS notifications work correctly after the fix, open Settings > System > Notifications and verify that notifications are enabled for the affected apps. If apps previously froze, restart them after installing the update to restore normal notification delivery. |
| Third-party App Compatibility (OLE Automation) | Settings > Apps > Installed apps | If an app using OLE Automation to interact with Microsoft Office fails to launch, install the update containing the fix. After installation, restart the affected app. If issues persist, repair the Office installation via Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft Office > Modify > Quick Repair. |
| Secure Boot Certificate Auto-Deployment | Windows Update | Expanded automatic Secure Boot certificate deployment is delivered via Windows Update on supported PCs and unmanaged enterprise devices. Ensure Secure Boot is enabled in UEFI firmware settings. No further action is needed; certificates roll out over the coming months. |
| Hotkey Unregistration Behavior | Registry or third-party hotkey tools | If built-in Windows functions temporarily stop responding to certain key combinations, restart the application that registered the hotkeys. To manually manage hotkeys, use third-party tools or the Windows Registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. Exercise caution. |
| AT Task Management (Deprecation of at.exe) | Task Scheduler > Task Scheduler Library | To replace at.exe, open Task Scheduler and create tasks using schtasks.exe commands or PowerShell ScheduledTasks cmdlets. Do not use at.exe to manage AT Time servers. Existing tasks should be migrated to Task Scheduler before future Windows versions remove ATServer entirely. |
| TDI Transport Registration Security | Windows Security > Device security | The strengthened TDI transport requirements are enforced automatically. If an app using unregistered third-party TDI transports stops working, contact the app vendor for an updated version that uses registered transports. No user-accessible toggle exists to revert this change. |
| RDP Trusted Publisher SHA-2 Thumbprints | Local Group Policy Editor > Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Software Restriction Policies | SHA-2 certificate thumbprints for trusted RDP publishers are now supported automatically. To migrate, open the Group Policy Editor, navigate to the appropriate security policy, and replace SHA-1 thumbprints with SHA-256 or stronger. SHA-1 is retained temporarily for compatibility but will be removed later. |
Official announcement on the Microsoft website.
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 |