KB5079489: Cumulative update for Windows 11, version 26H1, March 2026. New taskbar network test, emoji, and recovery features arrive

For: Devices using an uncombined taskbar

• When the taskbar is uncombined, only app windows that do not fit move to the overflow menu. The menu no longer has large unused spaces in this situation.¹
  Applies when an app has multiple open windows and the taskbar does not have enough space.

• The Search process has a magnifying-glass icon in Task Manager.²

• Some Storage Settings dialogs have a more modern design.³
• Scanning for temporary files is faster.⁴

• The Windows Update settings page responds more quickly.⁵

• The sign-in screen is more reliable.⁶

• Sending larger files with Nearby Sharing is more reliable.⁷

• The project menu displays more reliably after you press Windows logo key + P.⁸

• Printing runs more smoothly, with fewer slowdowns during high-volume printing.⁹
  Improves performance of the Windows printing service (spoolsv.exe).

• Holding Shift while selecting the File Explorer taskbar icon, or using the middle mouse button, opens a new File Explorer window more reliably.¹⁰
• An Extract all option appears on the command bar when you browse non-ZIP archive folders.¹¹
• Devices display more reliably on the Network page in File Explorer.¹²

• The PC wakes from sleep more reliably.¹³
• The PC can resume from sleep faster, especially under heavy system load and in other scenarios.¹⁴

• Visual details are more consistent across Windows, including the auto-hidden taskbar, credential fields in the Windows Security dialog, and the print dialog.¹⁵

For: Organizations using Application Control for Business

• Application Control for Business identifies which apps should receive tags more accurately and behaves more reliably.¹⁶
  Improves Application ID tagging in Application Control for Business policies.

For: Narrator users

• Narrator's Natural Voices experience and setup are more reliable.¹⁷

• This release updates the listed AI components. These component updates apply only to Windows Copilot+ PCs.¹⁸
  Image Search, Content Extraction, Semantic Analysis, and Settings Model are updated to version 1.2602.1451.0.

• The update includes quality improvements to the component that installs Windows updates.¹⁹
  Includes servicing stack update KB5085536, version 28000.1763.

• The emoji panel includes a small set of new emojis, one from each major category.²⁰
  Introduces the Emoji 16.0 release.

For: Organizations using these device types

• The first-sign-in restore experience can restore user settings and Microsoft Store apps on more kinds of organization-managed devices.²¹
  Available on Microsoft Entra hybrid joined devices, Cloud PCs, and multi-user environments through Windows Backup for Organizations.

• Quick Machine Recovery turns on automatically on eligible Windows Professional PCs that are not joined to a domain or enrolled in enterprise endpoint management.²²
  Domain-joined and enterprise-managed devices keep Quick Machine Recovery off unless the organization enables it.
• Quick Machine Recovery runs a one-time scan when its recovery and automatic solution-check settings are both on. If no fix is immediately available, it points to recovery options.²³
  The scan requires both quick machine recovery and automatically check for solutions to be turned on.

• A network speed test is available from Wi-Fi or Cellular Quick Settings, or by right-clicking the system-tray network icon. It opens in the default browser and tests Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and cellular connections.²⁴

• The Start menu account menu has an option that opens the Microsoft account benefits page.²⁵

• Settings lets you control pan and tilt for supported cameras.²⁶
  Controls appear under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras, in Basic settings for the selected camera.

• Windows includes Sysmon, which can capture system events for threat detection. It is off by default and must be enabled before use.²⁷
  Captured events are written to Windows Event Log. Custom configuration files can filter the events monitored. Uninstall Sysmon from Sysinternals before enabling the built-in version if it is already installed.

• Widget Settings open as a full-page experience in the Widgets app instead of a dialog.²⁸

• You can use WebP (.webp) images as your desktop background from Settings or File Explorer.²⁹
  Choose Settings > Personalization > Background, or right-click the image in File Explorer.

• Search group headers show the number of results. Selecting a header shows that group's results and hides results from other groups.³⁰
• You can preview search results by hovering over a result and selecting Preview, without opening it.³¹

For: IT administrators with Windows 11 Arm64 devices

• IT administrators can install and use Remote Server Administration Tools on Windows 11 Arm64 devices.³²
  RSAT tools are optional features available through Settings > System > Optional Features or Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off. Tools include Active Directory, Server Manager, Group Policy Management, DNS Server, and DHCP Server tools.