Build 28000.3612: Windows Insider Release Preview Channel, November 2026. File Explorer menus gain controls, and Cloud rebuild arrives

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders

• The right-click menu opens faster and has fewer items. You can choose which commands and app extensions appear, and change the menu layout.¹
  Select Customize menu at the bottom of the context menu to open its Settings page. You can turn built-in commands such as Send to and Create shortcut on or off, and add commands such as Print. You can choose which app extensions appear in the main menu or a submenu, or hide the app extensions submenu. You can also display Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename, Delete, and Share directly in the menu, and move Properties to the bottom.

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders

• Search results show file names, locations, and dates in a consistent layout, making them easier to scan.²
• You can type ~ in the address bar to go directly to your user profile folder or its subfolders.³
  For example, enter ~\AppData in the address bar.
• The Folder Options dialog now supports dark mode.⁴

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders using XBOX mode

• Gaming Task View has a new navigation bar with quick access to Exit to Desktop and Power Options.⁵

• Camera, microphone, and location privacy controls are grouped together. Usage details from linked pages now appear on the main Privacy & security page.⁶
• The Device Info card on the Settings Home page is expanding to more markets. It shows key PC details and usage to people signed in with a Microsoft account.⁷
  More device information is available under Settings > System > About. Availability might vary by market.

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders using Phone Link

• You can hover over a recent message or notification in the Recent section to preview its content directly in Start without opening it.⁸
  Manage this under Phone Link > Settings > Start menu personalization.

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders

• App window previews animate better as you move the mouse across taskbar icons.⁹

• A contrast theme can reduce screen glare while keeping the original colors in photos, videos, and charts.¹⁰
  The dark contrast theme is on by default. Change it in the Magnifier toolbar or under Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier. Color inversion remains a separate option.
• Each display can use its own zoom level, with the magnified view kept on that display.¹¹
  Per-monitor zoom is on by default and requires displays to be set to Extend under Settings > System > Display. Adjust zoom with Windows key + Plus (+), Windows key + Minus (-), Ctrl + Alt and the mouse wheel, or the Magnifier toolbar. You can turn it off or adjust individual zoom levels in the toolbar or Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier.
• You can lock the magnified view on one display while moving the pointer to another. The locked display remains interactive.¹²
  Viewport locking requires per-monitor zoom. Point to a display and press Ctrl + Windows key + K to lock or unlock its view. Press Windows key + Esc to release all locked displays. You can change the lock shortcut to Ctrl + Alt + P under Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier.

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders using Live Captions

• A new setting keeps Live Captions from transcribing screen reader audio, so captions focus on microphone and system audio.¹³
  Include screen reader audio is off by default. Turn it on under Settings > Accessibility > Captions.

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders using Narrator

• Narrator can read and help you explore math equations in supported Microsoft 365 apps and web content.¹⁴
  Supported apps include Word and PowerPoint. Supported web content includes Microsoft Edge version 153.0.4234.32 and later and Google Chrome version 153.0.8010.18 and later. Press Narrator key + Alt + N to turn on math navigation, use the arrow keys to explore an equation, and press Esc to exit. Math reading supports English (United States), English (United Kingdom), Traditional Chinese, Finnish, German, and Spanish.

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders using Windows recovery

• Windows Recovery Environment can reuse saved Wi-Fi profiles to get online during recovery, without Wi-Fi details being set up in advance.¹⁵
  WinRE can reuse eligible saved profiles, including supported certificate-based networks. This is on by default, and IT administrators can disable it. The feature is beginning to roll out after being disclosed last month.

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders

• Cloud rebuild reinstalls Windows using files downloaded from Windows Update, even if Windows cannot start. It needs no USB drive or custom image.¹⁶
  You can choose to remove your files or securely erase them using the storage hardware's erase capability. This erasure is irreversible. IT administrators can configure and start a rebuild remotely through the Recovery CSP, using the installed build or a target build. To start it in Windows, open Settings > System > Recovery and select Rebuild PC. If Windows cannot start, go to Troubleshoot > Recovery and uninstall > Cloud rebuild in WinRE. Connect to Ethernet or Wi-Fi, review the target build, edition, and language, and confirm the data-loss warning.

For: Organizations using IPv6-only networks

• IPv4-only apps can reach IPv4 services on IPv6-only networks, helping organizations use IPv6-only networks with older apps.¹⁷
  Windows supports client-side 464XLAT translation for Wi-Fi and Ethernet. PREF64 is found through Router Advertisements by default, with DNS ipv4only.arpa as a fallback. CLAT requires SLAAC-based IPv6 addressing; DHCPv6 Prefix Delegation and WSL are not supported. Enable CLAT with netsh interface clat set global permit=enabled pref64fromdns=enabled pref64fromra=enabled, or use Group Policy under Network > TCPIP Settings > IPv6 Transition Technologies.

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders

• The Memory page now includes all installed system memory, and its statistics add up to that total.¹⁸
  The change is on the Performance tab.

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders

• The temporary files section has small visual changes.¹⁹
  The section is under Settings > System > Storage.

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders using multiple monitors

• Taskbar settings for multiple monitors are kept more reliably as monitors connect and disconnect.²⁰

For: Families using age-restricted app controls

• Messages are clearer when age-restricted parental controls block an app.²¹

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders

• A PC resumes more quickly from Modern Standby while helping save battery when the charge is low.²²
  The change means less hibernation above 80% battery and earlier hibernation below 10%.

For: Users of eligible PCs

• More eligible PCs might get memory integrity turned on during updates to help protect them.²³
  Memory integrity (HVCI) might be enabled while respecting existing user or IT administrator choices.

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders using Windows Spotlight

• Changes to the underlying platform aim to make Windows Spotlight more reliable on the lock screen.²⁴

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders

• Windows can better display and shape newly encoded characters and scripts.²⁵
  Text shaping support is updated for Unicode 17.0, which added 4,803 characters, including four scripts: Beria Erfe, Sidetic, Tai Yo, and Tolong Siki.

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders

• The update fixes an issue that might cause Miracast connections to default to a lower resolution with some wireless display receivers.²⁶

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders

• The update fixes an issue where the Microsoft 365 upgrade option might remain visible after a successful upgrade and cause an error if selected again.²⁷

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders using Sage 50 Accounting

• The update addresses an issue that might cause Sage 50 Accounting to close unexpectedly when you select options in the app.²⁸

For: Windows 11 version 26H1 Insiders

• The “Someone else is using this PC” warning no longer appears when no other user is signed in.²⁹