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Good evening friends! Microsoft has released a new preview build of Windows 11 25197 for Windows Insider program members using the Dev channel.
Complete build number: 10.0.25197.1000.rs_prerelease.220902-1559.
Innovations
Taskbar optimized for tablets
Microsoft continues to test a new version of the taskbar, which is specially designed for a more comfortable use of the operating system on tablets. The taskbar will automatically switch to this option when you enter tablet mode on 2-in-1 hybrid devices. The feature does not work on laptops and desktops.
The new version of the taskbar has two states: collapsed and expanded. When minimized, it frees up screen space by preventing accidental taps on the taskbar in tablet mode. When expanded, it’s a familiar taskbar, but optimized for touch. You can switch between states by swiping up and down at the bottom of the screen.
To see if this feature is available on your device, go to Options -> Personalization -> Taskbar -> Taskbar Behavior. There you will find a new option “Automatically hide the taskbar when using the device as a tablet”which is enabled by default.
This change is not yet available to all Insiders in the Dev channel. Microsoft wants to collect feedback from a small group of users before the change is made available to all Insiders.
System tray update
With this build, Microsoft is introducing an updated system tray that is now available for all computers, not just 2-in-1 hybrid devices. When hovering over the icons in the lower right corner of the taskbar, all buttons will have a rounded shape.
You will also notice that from now on you will not be able to drag or change the position of icons on the taskbar. Insiders have already complained about this in the past, and Microsoft is working on implementing this feature. The ability to drag and drop tray icons will come in future builds.
This change is not yet available to all Insiders in the Dev channel. Microsoft wants to collect feedback from a small group of users before the change is made available to all Insiders.
Changes and improvements
- Options:
- Microsoft has begun introducing animated icons and illustrations to the Settings app. With the help of animated icons in the navigation bar, we continue to develop our motion design principles to turn familiar actions from purely functional to something exquisite.
- Microsoft has begun introducing animated icons and illustrations to the Settings app. With the help of animated icons in the navigation bar, we continue to develop our motion design principles to turn familiar actions from purely functional to something exquisite.
- Input:
- A minor tweak is now available to all Windows Insider Program members on the Dev channel to improve key retry speed for the traditional touch keyboard layout as well as the default touch keyboard layout. This will make keyboards more responsive. So, if you hold down the Backspace key, then the speed will be 20 clicks per second.
Fixes
- System tray updates:
Note. These fixes will only appear if your device has a tablet-optimized taskbar enabled. See above for more information about the tablet-optimized taskbar. This feature is currently not available to all Insiders in the Dev channel.- The taskbar should no longer flicker due to system tray changes in non-tablet-optimized scenarios.
- We fixed an issue where certain parts of the taskbar or its icons, such as Search, could have the wrong color when switching between light and dark skins.
- The date and time should no longer be truncated due to system tray changes.
- Start menu:
- Fixed a crash experienced by users when using the “Recommended” section.
- Conductor:
- We fixed an issue resulting in File Explorer not opening for a small number of Insiders when the “Launch folder windows in a separate process” option is enabled.
- Made some changes to improve the performance of deleting files using Explorer (when emptying the Recycle Bin or deleting using the Shift + Delete combination) when a large number of files are deleted at the same time.
- Input:
- We fixed an issue that caused ctfmon.exe to crash when adding words to a personal dictionary for some Insiders.
- Dragging the voice input window to another monitor that has a different scale than the original monitor should now work. Previously, the window returned to its previous location.
- Fixed an intermittent crash when using the input method switcher.
- We fixed an issue where voice input and other input features could hang on initialization.
- Fixed a display issue with some Sinhala words that caused them to overlap unexpectedly.
- Options:
- Updated the design of the lists displayed on the Startup, Advanced Application Settings, and Application Execution Aliases pages to better align with other pages in Settings.
- We fixed an issue that could cause the Settings app to crash when removing devices.
- Updated the “Personal Dictionary” page under “Privacy & Security” -> “Personalize Handwriting and Typing” to include “Custom Word List”.
- Widgets:
- We fixed an issue that caused the weather icon on the taskbar to appear taller than intended without any text.
- Window:
- Now, when you click on the title bar of the application thumbnail in the Task View, you will switch to the selected application. Previously, this action would close Task View without switching to the application.
- Fixed an intermittent crash in explorer.exe that could occur when using the Alt + Tab menu or Task View.
- Task manager:
- We fixed an issue that affected the stability of the Task Manager.
- When graphs are hidden on the Performance page, the circles used to represent different sections now look less blurry.
- Other:
- We fixed an issue that could cause some applications to hang when trying to print if an IPP printer took too long to respond to a print request.
- We fixed an issue where EnumPrinters did not always return the correct size for pcbNeeded, which could cause some programs to hang.
- Fixed a typo in the dialog box displayed when an app is blocked by Smart App Control.
- We fixed an issue resulting in missing characters in Windows boot options when using Chinese (Simplified) or Korean. As a result, squares were displayed in the text.
Note. Some of the fixes listed above may be included in the cumulative updates for the October 5 release version of Windows 11.
Known Issues
- General:
- We are investigating reports of some Insiders having audio playback stop working after upgrading to a previous build.
- We are investigating reports that recent Insider builds have seen an increase in crashes in some applications.
- Investigating reports of Insiders experiencing GSOD when moving the mouse in some games.
- We are investigating reports that some insiders are prompted to install OneDrive every time they reboot their device.
- Conductor:
- Engineers are working on a fix for an issue where Command Bar items such as Copy, Paste, and Empty Trash may not appear when they should.
- Options:
- [New] Investigating issues where uninstalling some apps from Settings -> Apps -> Installed apps does not work correctly.
- Taskbar optimized for tablets:
- [New] The taskbar can flicker when switching between desktop mode and tablet mode.
- [New] Switching taskbar to touch version takes longer than expected. This will be noticeable when switching between desktop mode and tablet mode.
- [New] The taskbar can overlap the Widgets and Action Center panels when opened with swipes from the left and right edges of the screen.
- [New] When opening the “Quick Actions” menu with a gesture in the lower right corner of the screen, the taskbar may not collapse and remain in an expanded state.
- [New] If there are no windows running on the desktop, the taskbar can sometimes be minimized when it should be maximized.
- Widgets:
- The number in the notification indicator on the taskbar may be displayed in an offset.
- In some cases, the notification information banner may not appear in the widget panel.
I wish you a successful update!
