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Windows 11 Windows 11 Insider Future platforms Insider Preview, Experimental Channel
Windows Insider

Build 29695.1001

Build 29695.1001: Windows Insider Experimental Channel, October 2026. Magnifier contrast themes and VMware green-screen fix

In short

Adds a lower-glare contrast theme in Magnifier and fixes several network, virtual machine, and VMware issues. Recall may be missing or unable to launch on some Copilot+ PCs after a clean install.

Does it affect you? Applies to: Windows Insiders in the Experimental (Future Platforms) Channel. The Recall issue affects some Copilot+ PCs after a clean install.

Build
29695.1001
Review notes Additional details from the official release notes (1) Read note
  • What changes The fix addresses some applications using HCS-managed virtual machines when sharing Windows host folders with Linux VMs through Plan9. Before the fix, those folders might not appear or be accessible in the guest.

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

Fixes 4 changes

Network

Gradual rollout
  • Internet access works again for some Insiders who lost it after the previous two flights.1

Hyper-V

Gradual rollout
  • Folders shared from a Windows host can appear and be accessed in Linux virtual machines.2
    Fixes an issue with HCS-managed virtual machines sharing host folders with Linux VMs using Plan9.

Other

Gradual rollout 2 items
  • Some Insiders no longer see an unexpectedly high volume of ESENT events after recent flights.3
  • Insiders using VMware no longer experience the frequent green-screen bugchecks described in the notes.4
    Fixes the underlying issue causing bugchecks with error PFN_SHARE_COUNT.

Improvements 2 changes

Family Safety

Gradual rollout

For: Families using parental controls

  • Messages are clearer when Family Safety blocks applications because of age-restricted parental controls.5

Windows setup

Gradual rollout

For: Families setting up Windows

  • Windows setup provides more information about parental controls and their availability, helping families understand the protections they can choose.6

New feature 1 change

Magnifier

Gradual rollout

For: Insiders in the Experimental Channel

  • A toolbar toggle applies a contrast theme to reduce glare while leaving photos, charts, and videos in their original colors. The dark theme is selected by default, and you can choose the theme in Magnifier settings; color inversion remains available separately.7

Technical details

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

Data sheet

Released
2026-10-23
Type
Windows Insider build
VersionBuildChannel
— 29695.1001 Experimental Channel

Security

No vulnerabilities are listed for this update.

Sources

Updated
Cited passages from Microsoft's official notes (7)
  1. 1. Fixed an issue causing internet access to stop working for some Insiders after the last two flights. learn.microsoft.com
  2. 2. Fixed an issue where some applications that used HCS-managed virtual machines experienced issues when sharing host folders with Linux VMs using Plan9. learn.microsoft.com
  3. 3. Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to see an unexpectedly high volume of ESENT events after the latest flights. learn.microsoft.com
  4. 4. Fixed an underlying issue in the latest flights causing Insiders using VMware to experience frequent green screen bugchecks with error PFN_SHARE_COUNT. learn.microsoft.com
  5. 5. Improved family safety messaging when applications are blocked because of age-restricted parental controls. learn.microsoft.com
  6. 6. We're improving information on parental controls and their availability during Windows setup, so families can more easily understand available protections and make informed choices from the very beginning. learn.microsoft.com
  7. 7. Turn on a contrast theme directly from the Magnifier toolbar for a more comfortable viewing experience. learn.microsoft.com
Checked automatically: 8 of 8 checks passed, 7 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 3/5, 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