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Windows Insider

Build 26340.9212

Build 26340.9212: Windows Insider Experimental Channel, August 2026. File Explorer gets a redesigned menu and recovery reuses Wi-Fi

In short

Adds a redesigned File Explorer menu and saved-Wi-Fi networking in recovery. It also removes Drag Tray and includes input, Settings, and app fixes.

Does it affect you? Applies to: Devices enrolled in the Windows Insider Program in the Experimental Channel.

Build
26340.9212
Review notes Additional details from the official release notes (1) Read note
  • What changes The modern Run dialog’s verbosity was adjusted for screen reader users; Microsoft does not say whether it was increased or reduced.

The official sources are linked at the end of the page.

This is a test build for people in the Windows Insider Program. Features in it can change, be removed, or never reach regular Windows releases.

What changes

Improvements 12 changes

Emoji

For: Everyone in the Experimental Channel

  • The saluting face, face with peeking eye, goose, lotus, and kissing cat emoji have small design changes for greater consistency across platforms.1

Magnifier

For: Magnifier users

  • Magnifier's toolbar has updated icons and more consistent spacing.2

Input

For: Japanese IME users

  • Typing with the Japanese IME is more reliable, with fewer potential hangs and deadlocks.3

Start menu

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders who use the personalized Start menu

  • Some Insiders might temporarily stop seeing personalized Start menu features as the rollout population changes.4
    If the features are missing, they can be re-enabled through feature flags.

Run

2 items
  • The modern Run dialog is more reliable the first time it opens.5
  • The modern Run dialog provides less verbose information to screen reader users.6

Personalization

Gradual rollout 6 items
  • The Background page in Settings is more reliable.7
    Part of a gradual rollout of desktop background improvements.
  • Desktop slideshow transitions are more reliable on newly created accounts.8
    Part of a gradual rollout of desktop background improvements.
  • Background previews show a higher resolution when you choose a desktop background.9
    Part of a gradual rollout of desktop background improvements.
  • The desktop background preview in Settings displays better on portrait-mode monitors.10
    Part of a gradual rollout of desktop background improvements.
  • Desktop wallpaper changes are processed more reliably when they happen in quick succession.11
    Part of a gradual rollout of desktop background improvements.
  • Slideshow wallpapers can be used across multiple desktops without automatically switching back to Picture.12
    Part of a gradual rollout of desktop background improvements.

New features 6 changes

File Explorer

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders in the Experimental Channel

  • The right-click menu has a cleaner layout, keeps common actions easy to reach, and adds settings for choosing what appears.13
    The redesigned context menu is beginning to roll out.

Camera Roll Backup

For: Windows users with a mobile device

  • New links in Settings help you set up automatic backups of photos and videos from a mobile device to OneDrive.14
    The entry points are on the Settings > Home and Accounts pages.

Emoji

For: Everyone in the Experimental Channel

  • Emoji 17.0 adds new emoji, including distorted face, fight cloud, and hairy creature.15
    Open the emoji panel with Windows key + Period (.).

Get Started app

  • New pages help you personalize your device and discover features, including pages for installing apps, pinning sites, and choosing a theme. The pages might vary by device.16
    You can close the flow at any time or revisit it by opening Get Started.

Personalization

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders in the Experimental Channel

  • You can use DIB image files as desktop backgrounds.17
    Part of a gradual rollout of desktop background improvements.

Windows Recovery

For: Windows users and IT administrators

  • During recovery, Windows can automatically connect using eligible Wi-Fi profiles already saved in Windows, including supported certificate-based networks. This can help devices get online for recovery workflows without separately setting up Wi-Fi credentials in WinRE.18
    The capability is enabled by default. IT administrators can disable it.

Fixes 4 changes

File Explorer

For: Insiders in the Experimental Channel

  • Image previews no longer show an unexpected thick band across the middle.19

Input

  • Some third-party keyboard input methods, including certain Chinese IMEs, now show their status window correctly while you type in File Explorer and other parts of Windows.20

Settings

For: Insiders in the Experimental Channel

  • Settings no longer crashes when you interact with items on the Date & Time page.21

Apps on Arm64 PCs

For: Insiders using Arm64 PCs

  • Certain apps on Arm64 PCs no longer encounter the crash reported in recent flights.22
    Fixes an xtajit64.dll crash.

Removals 2 changes

Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC)

For: Users and administrators who use WMIC

  • WMIC is no longer included in this build.23
    This is part of the ongoing deprecation and removal of WMIC from Windows.

Drag Tray

For: Insiders in the Experimental Channel

  • Drag Tray is removed from this build.24
    The notes say Microsoft is exploring improvements and may share a replacement experience in a later update.

Technical details

Data sheet · Security · Downloads · Components Click to collapse or expand

Data sheet

Released
2026-08-17
Type
Windows Insider build
VersionBuildChannel
— 26340.9212 Experimental Channel

Security

No vulnerabilities are listed for this update.

Sources

Updated
Cited passages from Microsoft's official notes (24)
  1. 1. This includes the saluting face, face with peeking eye, goose, lotus, and kissing cat emoji. learn.microsoft.com
  2. 2. We've adjusted the padding and spacing across the toolbar for a more polished, consistent layout. learn.microsoft.com
  3. 3. Improved reliability of typing with the Japanese IME by reducing potential hangs and deadlocks. learn.microsoft.com
  4. 4. We're adjusting the rollout population for the personalized Start menu, so some Insiders might see the features temporarily disappear. learn.microsoft.com
  5. 5. Improved first launch reliability. learn.microsoft.com
  6. 6. Adjusted verbosity for screen reader users. learn.microsoft.com
  7. 7. Improved reliability of the Personalization > Background page in Settings. learn.microsoft.com
  8. 8. Improved reliability of desktop slideshow transitions on newly created accounts. learn.microsoft.com
  9. 9. Improved the resolution of previews when selecting a desktop background in Personalization > Background. learn.microsoft.com
  10. 10. Improved the desktop background preview display in Settings for users with portrait mode monitors. learn.microsoft.com
  11. 11. Improved reliability of processing desktop wallpaper changes when they happen in quick succession. learn.microsoft.com
  12. 12. Added support for using slideshow wallpapers with multiple desktops so that it won't automatically switch you back to Picture. learn.microsoft.com
  13. 13. We're beginning to roll out an updated context menu experience in File Explorer, designed to feel faster, cleaner, and easier to tailor to the way you work. learn.microsoft.com
  14. 14. New entry points on the Settings > Home and Accounts pages help you set up Camera Roll Backup and automatically back up photos and videos from your mobile device to OneDrive. learn.microsoft.com
  15. 15. We're adding support for Emoji 17.0. This includes new emoji such as distorted face, fight cloud, and hairy creature. learn.microsoft.com
  16. 16. The new pages include the app install page, the site pinning page, and the personalized theme page. learn.microsoft.com
  17. 17. Added support for using DIB image files as desktop backgrounds. learn.microsoft.com
  18. 18. We're adding a new WinRE networking capability that allows the Windows Recovery Environment to automatically reuse eligible Wi-Fi profiles already saved in the main Windows OS, including supported certificate-based Wi-Fi networks. learn.microsoft.com
  19. 19. Fixed an issue from the previous flight where previews in File Explorer showed an unexpected thick band across the middle. learn.microsoft.com
  20. 20. Fixed an issue where some third-party keyboard input methods, including certain Chinese IMEs, might not display their status window correctly when typing in File Explorer and other parts of Windows. learn.microsoft.com
  21. 21. Fixed an issue causing Settings to crash in the previous flight when interacting with items on the Date & Time page. learn.microsoft.com
  22. 22. Fixed an xtajit64.dll crash, which was leading to issues with certain apps for Insiders on Arm64 PCs in the latest flights. learn.microsoft.com
  23. 23. Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) has been removed in this release. learn.microsoft.com
  24. 24. Based on feedback, we're removing the experience in this build. learn.microsoft.com
Checked automatically: 8 of 8 checks passed, 24 quoted passages
  • Quotes found in the official pages: passed
  • Numbers found in the sources: passed
  • Vulnerabilities from the dossier only: passed
  • Links to allowed domains only: passed
  • Every official change covered: passed
  • Readable plain text: passed
  • Changes confirmed by the file list: passed
  • Sources agree: passed

A second AI read the text against the sources: correctness 4/5, clarity 4/5, completeness 5/5. How we work

Published by The Update Bureau. Written with AI from Microsoft's own documents, checked by rules and a second AI. How we work · Report a mistake