Skip to the content
The Update Bureau
Windows 11 Windows 11 Insider Future platforms Insider Preview, Experimental Channel
Windows Insider

Build 29576.1000

Build 29576.1000: Windows Insider Experimental Channel, April 2026. Sound controls move into Settings and Task Manager adds NPU columns

In short

Brings more audio controls into Settings, adds Task Manager columns for NPU and app isolation, and introduces point-in-time restore. Changes are rolling out gradually.

Does it affect you? Applies to: Windows Insiders on devices in the Experimental Channel. The notes also apply to Canary 29500 series Insiders who may not yet have transitioned to Experimental.

Build
29576.1000

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

New features 4 changes

Sound settings

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders with audio devices that support hardware acceleration

  • If your audio device supports hardware acceleration, you can enable it in the device's Properties in Settings.1
    Adds the hardware acceleration option to the Advanced section of the device Properties.

Point-in-time restore for Windows

Gradual rollout

For: Windows Insiders

  • You can restore Windows to a previous state, including apps, settings, and user files, to help recover from disruptions.2
    Point-in-time restore is shown in the Troubleshoot menu for Windows RE.

Task Manager

Gradual rollout 2 items
  • On PCs with an NPU, optional columns show NPU use and memory; neural engines that are part of a GPU also appear on the Performance page.3
    Adds NPU and NPU Engine columns to Processes, Users, and Details, plus NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory columns to Details. Neural engines that are part of a GPU appear on Performance.
  • An optional column shows which apps are running in an AppContainer.4
    Adds an Isolation column to the Processes and Details pages.

Improvements 4 changes

Sound settings

Gradual rollout 4 items

For: Insiders using Sound settings

  • The volume slider shows on the side when audio is actively playing.5
  • You can configure exclusive mode for an audio device in Settings instead of Control Panel.6
    The setting is in the Advanced section of the device Properties.
  • You can configure whether other sounds are reduced when communication activity is detected in Settings instead of Control Panel.7
    Adds adaptive communication sound level settings directly in Settings.
  • The option to make an audio device the default for communications stays visible, but is greyed out if it is already the default.8
    The option appears in the device Properties.

Fix 1 change

Rendering

  • Some rendering issues in certain apps that appeared in recent Canary builds are fixed.9

Technical details

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

Data sheet

Released
2026-04-23
Type
Windows Insider build
VersionBuildChannel
— 29576.1000 Experimental Channel

Security

No vulnerabilities are listed for this update.

Sources

Updated
Cited passages from Microsoft's official notes (9)
  1. 1. If your audio device supports hardware acceleration, an option to allow hardware acceleration has now been added to the Advanced section in Properties that device. learn.microsoft.com
  2. 2. Point-in-time restore for Windows empowers you to quickly roll your device back to a previous state — helping minimize downtime and simplify troubleshooting when disruptions strike. learn.microsoft.com
  3. 3. New optional NPU and NPU Engine columns are now available on the Processes, Users, and Details pages. learn.microsoft.com
  4. 4. We’re also adding a new optional Isolation column to the Processes and Details pages, allowing you to see which apps are running in an AppContainer. learn.microsoft.com
  5. 5. We’ve updated the design of the volume slider, so now if there is audio actively playing it will be displayed on the side. learn.microsoft.com
  6. 6. Configuring exclusive mode for an audio device is now available in the Advanced section of the Properties for that device, so you don’t have to navigate to Control Panel to do it. learn.microsoft.com
  7. 7. Configuring adaptive communication sound levels (reducing volume of other sounds when communications activity is detected) is now available directly in Settings, so you don’t have to navigate to Control Panel to do it. learn.microsoft.com
  8. 8. The option to set an audio device as default sound device for communication will now always display in Properties, just greyed out if the device is already the default (rather than the control hiding in this case). learn.microsoft.com
  9. 9. Fixed an underlying issue causing some rendering issues in certain apps with recent Canary flights. learn.microsoft.com
Checked automatically: 8 of 8 checks passed, 9 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 5/5, 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