Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.598 and 22622.59

• Build 22622.598 = New features rolling out.
  
• Build 22621.598 = New features off by default.
  

Changes and Improvements in Build 22622.598

[Settings]

• For the time being, you will no longer be able to uninstall apps with inter-dependencies (e.g., Steam and gaming apps running on Steam) or repair Win32 apps under Settings > Apps > Installed apps. You will still be able to modify and uninstall Win32 apps without inter-dependencies.

Fixes in Build 22622.598

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue leading to a small set of Insiders with "launch folder windows in a separate process" not being able to launch File Explorer in the last two flights due to an explorer.exe crash.
• Fixed an issue where you couldn't interact with the top part of File Explorer (with the address bar) when File Explorer was full screen (F11).
• Fixed an issue where command bar items like copy, paste, and empty recycle bin may unexpectedly not be enabled when they should be.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.598 & Build 22622.598

• We fixed an issue that creates a duplicate print queue. Because of this, the original print queue stops working.
• We fixed an issue that affects Roaming User Profiles. After you sign in or sign out, some of your settings are not restored.

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.601 and 22622.601

• Build 22622.601 = New features rolling out.
  
• Build 22621.601 = New features off by default.
  

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.601 & Build 22622.601

• We fixed the issue where clicking the network icon on the Lock screen would not work and would crash the Lock screen.
• We updated the start date for daylight saving time in Chile. It will start on September 11, 2022 instead of on September 4, 2022.
• We reduced the power that the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol uses on some devices when they are in Sleep mode.
• We fixed an issue that affects Dual SIM calling. If you select no SIM on your phone and initiate a call on your device, Dual SIM functionality does not work.
  

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.730 and 22623.730

• Build 22623.730 = New features rolling out.
  
• Build 22621.730 = New features off by default.
  

What's new in Build 22623.730

Tablet-optimized taskbar

The touch-optimized taskbar is being re-introduced.  Note: Your taskbar will automatically transition to this optimized version when you disconnect or fold back the keyboard on your 2-in-1 device. This feature only works on devices that can be used as tablets. It does not work on laptops or desktop PCs.

As a reminder, there are two states of this taskbar: collapsed and expanded. In the collapsed state, the taskbar gets out your way, gives you more screen space, and prevents you from accidentally invoking the taskbar when you're holding your tablet. In the expanded state, the taskbar is optimized to be easier to use with touch. You can easily switch between the two states by swiping up and down on the bottom of your device.

If this feature is available, you will see a new setting at Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors called "Optimize taskbar for touch interactions when this device is used as a tablet" that will be set to on by default.

[This feature is isn't available to all Insiders as it is just beginning to roll out as feedback will be monitored before pushing it out to everyone.]

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Taskbar.

System Tray Updates

This update introduces updates to the System Tray that affect all device types — not just 2-in-1 devices. With this change, users will see a rounded focus and hover treatment on all icons in the lower right due to the continued modernization of this experience.

You may also notice that it is not possible to drag and drop or rearrange your system tray icons with this change. We heard your feedback on this change earlier this year and are working to address this in a future Insider Preview build.

[We are beginning to roll this feature out, so it isn't available to all Insiders just yet as we plan to monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing it out to everyone.]

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > System Tray.

Changes and Improvements in Build 22623.730

[File Explorer]

• Home now searches more recently opened Microsoft 365 cloud files for users who are signed with their Microsoft account or have their Microsoft account connected to the profile via Settings. Home search now shows recent file activity for cloud files when in details view. Microsoft 365 cloud files can now be searched using additional file properties such as file location, extension, and activity.
• File Explorer search will now show results as you type. The full search results page will update live without needing to press enter.

Fixes in Build 22623.730

[System Tray Updates]

NOTE: These fixes will only show if tablet-optimized taskbar with System Tray updates is enabled on your device. Please see above for details on the tablet-optimized taskbar and System Tray updates, which is beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders and not yet available for everyone.

• The taskbar should no longer flash because of changes in the system tray in non-tablet-optimized scenarios.
• Fixed an issue that was causing parts of the taskbar or its icons like search to get stuck in the wrong theme's colors when switching between light and dark themes.
• Date and time should no longer get stuck cutting off on the side of the screen from system tray changes.

[Start menu]

• Fixed an issue which was causing Start menu crashes for some Insiders.
• Fixed an issue where the Start menu recommended section might unexpectedly show one column instead of two.
• If you change the app associated with a particular file type, the icon for any of those file type displayed should now update in the recommended section.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.730 & Build 22623.730

• We fixed an issue that affects some processors. This issue occurs when you turn on Hyper-V and kernel Direct Memory Access (DMA) protections.
• We fixed an issue that affects the Microsoft Japanese input method editor (IME). Text reconversion fails when you use some third-party virtual desktops.
• We fixed an issue that might cause an application to stop responding. This might occur when the input queue overflows.
• We fixed an issue that stops you from signing in to various Microsoft Office 365 apps. This affects Outlook, Word, Teams, and so on.
• We fixed an issue that affects graphics drivers that use d3d9on12.dll.
  
• We fixed issues that cause updates to the Microsoft Store to fail.
• We fixed an issue that affects the LanmanWorkstation service. It leaks memory when you mount a network drive.
• We fixed an issue that affects the Miracast UI. Sometimes it closes too soon when you cast to devices that use the DeviceObjectType:Aep.
• We fixed an issue that affects Task Manager. It stops working when you switch between light and dark mode or change the accent color.
• We fixed an issue that affects the font of three Chinese characters. When you format these characters as bold, the width size is wrong.
• We fixed an issue that affects input method editors (IME) from Microsoft and third parties. They stop working when you close the IME window. This occurs if the IME uses Windows Text Services Framework (TSF) 1.0.
• We fixed an issue that affects Microsoft Edge IE mode. It stops you from opening webpages. This occurs when you enable Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) and you do not configure Network Isolation policies.
• We fixed an issue that affects Microsoft Edge when it is in IE Mode. The titles of pop-up windows and tabs are wrong.
• We fixed an issue that stops the credential UI from displaying in IE mode.
• We fixed an issue that affects certificate mapping. When it fails, lsass.exe might stop working in schannel.dll.
  

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.741 and 22623.741

Build 22623.741 = New features rolling out.

Windows Insiders who are on Build 22622.601 and did not see Build 22623.730 should be able to reboot and see this new build offered.

REMINDER: Insiders who were previously on Build 22622 will automatically get moved to Build 22623 via an enablement package. The enablement package artificially increments the build number for the update with new features getting rolled out and turned on to make it easier to differentiate from devices with the update with features off by default. This approach is being used for the Beta Channel only and is not indicative of any changes or plans for final feature rollouts.

Insiders who landed in the group with new features turned off by default (Build 22621.xxxx) can check for updates and choose to install the update that will have features rolling out (Build 22623.xxx).

Fixes in Build 22623.741

[Tablet-optimized taskbar]
NOTE: These fixes will only show if tablet-optimized taskbar is enabled on your device. Tablet-optimized taskbar is still rolling out to Windows Insiders and not yet available for everyone.

• We fixed the issue causing the taskbar to sometimes collapse when it should be expanded if there are no running windows on the desktop.
• We fixed an issue that would occur when using the left or right edge gestures resulting in the Widgets or Notification Center (respectively) to overlap with or look truncated by the taskbar.
• Fixed an issue that was causing the tablet-optimized taskbar to crash explorer.exe if you entered the overflow flyout.

[System Tray Updates]
NOTE: These fixes will only show if tablet-optimized taskbar with System Tray updates is enabled on your device. Tablet-optimized taskbar and System Tray is still rolling out to Windows Insiders and not yet available for everyone.

• Fixed an issue so that Quick Settings items can now be rearranged with touch again.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.741 & Build 22623.741

• We fixed an issue that affects Server Manager. It might reset the wrong disk when several disks have the same UniqueId.
• We fixed localization issues for some setup files. These issues might stop you from creating installation media for non-English languages.

Known issues

[General]

• We're looking into reports that audio stopped working for some Insiders in recent Beta Channel builds.

[Tablet-optimized taskbar]

• The taskbar sometimes flashes when transitioning between desktop posture and tablet posture.
• The taskbar takes longer than expected to transition to the touch-optimized version when switching between desktop posture and tablet posture.
• When using the bottom right edge gesture to see Quick Settings, the taskbar sometimes stays stuck in the expanded state, instead of dismissing to collapsed state.

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.746 and 22623.746

Build 22623.746 = New features rolling out.
Build 22621.746 = New features off by default.

REMINDER: Insiders who were previously on Build 22622 will automatically get moved to Build 22623 via an enablement package. The enablement package artificially increments the build number for the update with new features getting rolled out and turned on to make it easier to differentiate from devices with the update with features off by default. This approach is being used for the Beta Channel only and is not indicative of any changes or plans for final feature rollouts.

Insiders who landed in the group with new features turned off by default (Build 22621.xxxx) can check for updates and choose to install the update that will have features rolling out (Build 22623.xxx).

Changes and Improvements in Build 22623.746

[System Tray]

• This build includes preliminary support to rearrange System Tray icons for Insiders who have the System Tray updates that began rolling out with Build 22623.730. Further improvements for this experience are coming soon. As a reminder, these System Tray updates are still rolling out and are not available to all Insiders just yet. If your PC does not have these changes, your System Tray experience will remain the same as before.
  

Fixes in Build 22623.746

[Tablet-optimized taskbar]
NOTE: These fixes will only show if tablet-optimized taskbar is enabled on your device. Tablet-optimized taskbar is still rolling out to Windows Insiders and not yet available for everyone.

• Fixed an issue where the gesture to slide the Start menu open from the bottom of the screen using touch might stop following your finger.

[System Tray Updates]
NOTE: These fixes will only show if tablet-optimized taskbar with System Tray updates is enabled on your device. Tablet-optimized taskbar and System Tray is still rolling out to Windows Insiders and not yet available for everyone.

• Fixed an issue for Insiders with "automatically hide the taskbar" enabled, where right-clicking app icons in the system tray was unexpectedly making the taskbar dismiss.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.746 & Build 22623.746

• We enabled the ms-appinstaller Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) to work for the DesktopAppInstaller.
• We fixed an issue that affects the Windows Search service. Indexing progress is slow when you use the service.

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.870 and 22623.870

• Build 22623.870 = New features rolling out.
  
• Build 22621.870 = New features off by default.
  

REMINDER: Insiders who were previously on Build 22622 will automatically get moved to Build 22623 via an enablement package. The enablement package artificially increments the build number for the update with new features getting rolled out and turned on to make it easier to differentiate from devices with the update with features off by default. This approach is being used for the Beta Channel only and is not indicative of any changes or plans for final feature rollouts.

Insiders who landed in the group with new features turned off by default (Build 22621.xxxx) can check for updates and choose to install the update that will have features rolling out (Build 22623.xxx).

What's new in Build 22623.870

Narrator Braille Driver Solution
Braille devices will continue working while switching between Narrator and third-party screen readers as narrator will automatically change Braille drivers.

Prerequisites:  You must remove Narrator's current braille support if it is already installed by following the steps below:

• Open Settings.
• Go to Apps> Optional features > Installed features.
  
• Search for Accessibility – Braille support.
  
• Expand Accessibility – Braille supportand uninstall the feature.
  

Install new narrator braille support:

• Go to Settings > Accessibility > Narrator > Braille.
  
• Select the more button.
• Download braille from this new window by selecting the Download and installbraille button.
  
• After braille is installed, then return to Settings > Accessibility > Narrator > Braille.
  
• Select the braille display driver used by your third-party screen reader from the "Braille display driver" option. This only needs to be done once.

Refer to the detailed documentation to learn more about the braille driver solution.

Additional Resources:
Please refer to the Narrator User Guide for additional information on supported braille displays and [URL'https://support.microsoft.com/windows/chapter-8-using-narrator-with-braille-3e5f065b-1c9d-6eb2-ec6d-1d07c9e94b20#WindowsVersion=Windows_11]braille functionality in Narrator[/URL].

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Narrator.

Changes and Improvements in Build 22623.870

[Taskbar]

• Based on your feedback, we've added Task Manager to the context menu when right-clicking on the taskbar. We are beginning to roll this out, so the experience isn't available to all Insiders in the Beta Channel just yet.
  

Fixes in Build 22623.870

[Tablet-optimized taskbar]
NOTE: These fixes will only show if tablet-optimized taskbar is enabled on your device. Tablet-optimized taskbar is still rolling out to Windows Insiders and not yet available for everyone.

• Improved how touch gestures and their animations with the tablet-optimized taskbar work with the touch keyboard.

[System Tray Updates]
NOTE: These fixes will only show if tablet-optimized taskbar with System Tray updates is enabled on your device. Tablet-optimized taskbar and System Tray is still rolling out to Windows Insiders and not yet available for everyone.

• Fixed an issue causing explorer.exe to crash when dragging icons in the system tray.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.870 & Build 22623.870

• New! We added improvements to the Microsoft Account experience in Settings. For instance, you can manage your Microsoft One Drive subscription and related storage alerts.
  
• New! We added a new consent form for those of you enrolled in Windows Hello Face and Fingerprint. You have new choices for your biometric data. You can keep storing your biometric data or open Settings to delete the data if you have not used your face or fingerprint for authentication in over 365 days. You also have these options if you upgraded to Windows 11 and have not yet seen the new Hello Learn More Privacy text.
  
• New! We enhanced search visual treatments on the taskbar to improve discoverability. This is available to a small audience initially and deploys more broadly in the months that follow. Some devices might notice different visual treatments as we gather feedback. To learn more about why you might be seeing these changes, see Search for anything, anywhere.
  
• We updated DriverSiPolicy.p7b for the Windows kernel vulnerable driver blocklist. This update includes drivers that are vulnerable to Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks.
• We extended original equipment manufacturer (OEM) control of Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI) enforcement for targeted hardware configurations.
• We fixed an issue that affects the Microsoft Azure Active Directory (AAD) Application Proxy connector. It cannot retrieve a Kerberos ticket on behalf of the user. The error message is, "The handle specified is invalid (0x80090301)."
• We fixed an issue that affects cached credentials for security keys and Fast Identity Online 2.0 (FIDO2) On hybrid domain-joined devices, the system removes these cached credentials.
• We fixed an issue that might cause vertical and horizontal line artifacts to appear on the screen.
• We fixed an issue that affects title bars when you use third-party tools to customize them. The title bars did not render. This update ensures that title bars render; however, we cannot guarantee all text customizations will work as before.
• We fixed an issue that might fail to sync the audio when you record game play using the Xbox Game Bar.

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.875 and 22623.875

• Build 22623.875 = New features rolling out.
  
• Build 22621.875 = New features off by default.
  

Changes and Improvements in Build 22623.875

[Tablet-optimized taskbar]

• Tablet-optimized taskbar which began rolling out with Build 22623.730 is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel. The System Tray improvements that began rolling out with Build 22623.746 that include drag and drop is still rolling out so not all Insiders in the Beta Channel will see this right away.
  

[Taskbar]

• The change that adds Task Manager to the context menu when right-clicking on the taskbar is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel.

Fixes in Build 22623.875

[Taskbar]

• You can now swipe up from within the taskbar with a pen to expand the tablet-optimized taskbar.

[System Tray Updates]

NOTE: These fixes for System Tray are still rolling out to Windows Insiders and not yet available for everyone.

• The show hidden icons panel in the system tray should no longer block context menus opened after it.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.875 & Build 22623.875

• New! We enhanced the backup experience when using your Microsoft Account (MSA). Some devices might notice visual treatments for this enhancement. This is available to a small audience initially and deploys more broadly in the months that follow.
  
• We fixed an issue that might affect some types of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) connections. These connections might have handshake failures. For developers, the affected connections are likely to send multiple frames followed by a partial frame with a size of less than 5 bytes within a single input buffer. If the connection fails, your app will receive the error, "SEC_E_ILLEGAL_MESSAGE".
• We stopped the start of daylight saving time in Jordan at the end of October 2022. The Jordan time zone will permanently shift to the UTC + 3 time zone.
• We fixed an issue that affects transparency in layered windows. This occurs when you are in High-Definition remote applications integrated locally (RAIL) mode.

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.885 and 22623.885

• Build 22623.885= New features rolling out.
  
• Build 22621.885 = New features off by default.
  

What's new in Build 22623.885

Access Windows Studio Effects from Quick Settings
Windows Studio effects can now be accessed directly from Quick Settings on the taskbar, for devices that have a supported Neural Processing Unit (NPU). This makes it quick and easy to enable and configure camera effects (Background Blur, Eye Contact, and automatic framing) and audio effects (Voice Focus). You can still access these effects in the Settings pages if desired.

Energy Recommendations
We are beginning to roll out Energy Recommendations under Settings > System > Power & Battery > Energy Recommendations. Review and apply these recommendations to improve the energy efficiency of your PC and reduce your carbon footprint.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Power and Battery > Energy Recommendations.

What's new in Build 22621.885 & 22623.885

Expanded View in Widgets
Need more space in your widgets board? Can't quite see everything at a glance? We're trying out some changes that will allow you to expand the size of your widgets board.

Use the expand and collapse button in the top right corner of the board, next to the add widgets button, to expand or collapse the size of your widgets board.

The size of your board is remembered, so if you prefer your widgets board to always show you more content and leave it expanded then that's how it will be the next time you open it.

[We are beginning to roll this out, so the experience isn't available to all Insiders just yet as we plan to monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing it out to everyone.]

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Widgets.

Changes and Improvements in Build 22623.885

[System Tray]

• This build includes support to rearrange icons in the hidden icons flyout in the system tray that began rolling out with Build 22623.746.
  

[Input]

• We are introducing the new Tamil Anjal keyboard for the Tamil language. To add it, make sure Tamil (Singapore), Tamil (Malaysia), Tamil (Sri Lanka), or Tamil (India) is listed under Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region, and then click the "..." next to the language, select Language Options, and add Tamil Anjal (QWERTY) to the list of keyboards.
  
• This build includes support for the use of clipboard history (WIN + V) on password fields.
• Switched the touch keyboard icon option under Settings > Personalization > Taskbarfrom being a toggle to now being a dropdown where you can select Never, Always, or When no keyboard attached.
  

Fixes in Build 22623.885

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Fixed a few explorer.exe crashes related to the recent taskbar and system tray work.
• The pin/unpin visual will now display when dragging system tray icons to any position along the system tray, and not only when hovering over the show hidden icons button.
• Fixed the issue where certain chat apps (that supported it) weren't flashing with new messages or opening a preview on hover in the system tray.
• The show hidden icons flyout in the system tray should now responsively resize with changes again to prevent empty spaces and columns.
• Fixed an issue that could result in the show hidden icons flyout appearing disconnected from the taskbar in certain cases.
• Fixed an issue that was causing the volume icon in the system tray to incorrectly show as muted.
• Fixed an issue where invoking the context menu for items in the system tray might not put the context menu in the foreground and it would get stuck behind the taskbar.

[File Explorer]

• Did some work to help improve the performance of deleting files via File Explorer (when emptying the recycle bin or using Shift + Delete) in the case where there are a large number of files being deleted at once.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.885 & Build 22623.885

• We fixed an issue that affects some modern applications. It stops them from opening.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Quick Settings.

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.891 and 22623.891

• Build 22623.891= New features rolling out.
  
• Build 22621.891 = New features off by default.
  

Insiders who landed in the group with new features turned off by default (Build 22621.xxxx) can check for updates and choose to install the update that will have features rolling out (Build 22623.xxx).

What's new in Build 22623.891

Task Manager Improvements
We have a set of Task Manager improvements rolling out with this build. 

Filter processes: We are bringing process filtering to Task Manager. This is the top feature request from our users to filter/search for processes. You can filter either using the binary name, PID or publisher name. The filter algorithm matches the context keyword with all possible matches and displays them on the current page. The filter is also applied as you switch between pages. You can also use the keyboard shortcut ALT + F to focus on the filter box. This is a helpful feature if you want to single out a process or a group of processes and want to take action or just monitor the performance of the filtered processes.

Better theme support: We have added the ability to use your preferred theme in Task Manager regardless of the active theme in Windows. You can set it in the setting page in Task Manager.  Task Manager now also supports themes for in-app dialogs. All dialog except for "Run new task" and Properties dialog now support themes and will adhere to either app specific theme or Windows theme. 

Improved Efficiency mode dialog: We are making it easy for you to apply Efficiency mode and offering the ability to opt-out of the confirmation dialog. You can make changes on the Efficiency mode dialog box by unchecking "Don't ask me again" or you can enable/disable it the settings for Task Manager.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Task Manager.

Changes and Improvements in Build 22623.891

[Input]

• We have made improvements to Emoji search for Japanese and Simplified Chinese by handling Kana/Kanji and Pinyin properly in the emoji panel.

Fixes in Build 22623.891

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• When using the bottom right edge gesture to see Quick Settings, the taskbar should no longer get stuck in the expanded state (instead of dismissing to collapsed state).
• Fixed an issue causing the do not disturb icon to disappear while in do not disturb mode.
• The new show hidden icons flyout's animation should now be consistent with other taskbar flyouts.
• The show hidden icons flyout background color should now align with your accent color if "Show accent color on Start and taskbar" is enabled in Settings > Personalization > Colors.
• Fixed multiple explorer.exe crashes impacting taskbar performance.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.891 & Build 22623.891

• New! You can back up applicable settings to your Microsoft account. You can also sync these settings on any Windows device and in Microsoft Office.
  
• We fixed an issue that affected File Explorer. It failed to localize folders.
• We fixed an issue that affected the CopyFile function. It might have sometimes returned error 317: ERROR_MR_MID_NOT_FOUND. 
  
• We fixed an issue that affected process creation. It failed to create security audits for it and other related audit events.
• We fixed an issue that affected printing in landscape mode in Microsoft Edge. The print output was incorrect. This issue occurred when you used Microsoft Defender Application Guard.
• We fixed an issue that affected Microsoft Defender when it was not the primary antivirus. Microsoft Defender failed to turn off passive mode. This issue occurred when you turn off Smart App Control (SAC).
• We added .wcx to the list of Dangerous Extensions that some app control policies do not allow.
• We fixed an issue that affected a computer account. Use of non-standard characters can stop the cleanup of the Out of Box Experience (OOBE) accounts.
• We fixed an issue that affected the Windows Firewall service. It did not start when you turned on the Override block rules option. 
• We fixed an issue that might have affected applications that run on the Windows Lock Down Policy (WLDP). They might have stopped working.

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1020 and 22623.1020

• Build 22623.1020= New features rolling out.
  
• Build 22621.1020 = New features off by default.
  

REMINDER: Insiders who were previously on Build 22622 will automatically get moved to Build 22623 via an enablement package. The enablement package artificially increments the build number for the update with new features getting rolled out and turned on to make it easier to differentiate from devices with the update with features off by default. This approach is being used for the Beta Channel only and is not indicative of any changes or plans for final feature rollouts.

Insiders who landed in the group with new features turned off by default (Build 22621.xxxx) can check for updates and choose to install the update that will have features rolling out (Build 22623.xxx).

What's new in Build 22623.1020

Support for new Braille displays in Narrator
We are excited to announce support for new Braille displays and new Braille input and output languages in Narrator. Some of the new braille displays we support include: the APH Chameleon, the APH Mantis Q40, the NLS eReader and many more. Refer to the detailed documentation to learn more about the new displays and languages that we support.

Prerequisites:

You must remove Narrator's current braille support if it is already installed by following the steps below:

• Open Settings.
• Go to Apps > Optional features > Installed features.
• Search for Accessibility – Braille support.
• Expand Accessibility – Braille support and uninstall the feature.

Install new narrator braille support:

• Go to Settings > Accessibility > Narrator > Braille.
• Select the more button.
• Download braille from this new window by selecting the Download and install braille button.
• After braille is installed, restart your computer and return to Settings > Accessibility > Narrator > Braille.
• For Braille display to continue working seamlessly while switching between Narrator and third-party screen readers, select the braille display driver used by your third-party screen reader from the "Braille display driver" option. See the note below for customers that use the JAWS for Windows screen reader. This only needs to be done once. Refer to the detailed documentationto learn more about the braille driver solution.
  

Note: If you have the JAWS for Windows screen reader installed from Freedom Scientific and are using a version released in April 2022 or later along with a Focus braille display then there is no need to select the braille display as noted above.

Additional Resources:
Please refer to the Narrator User Guide for additional information on braille functionality in Narrator.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Narrator.

Fixes in Build 22623.1020

[General]

• The spelling dictionary now uses a language-neutral word list and syncs across all devices that use the same Windows account (Microsoft accounts and AAD) is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. Users can toggle this feature via Settings > Accounts > Windows backup > Remember my preferences > Language preferences.
  

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Fixed a high hitting explorer.exe crash in the previous Beta Channel flight related to the system tray. This crash is also believed to be the cause of some Insiders experiencing a repeated explorer.exe crash when entering safe mode on that flight.
• Fixed an issue which was causing certain third-party app icons in the system tray to be unresponsive after the latest system tray changes.
• The Windows Update icon in the system tray should no longer look pixelated after changing between light and dark mode.

[Windowing]

• If you have two monitors on top of each other, the Desktops list in Task View should no longer appear to be floating in the middle of Task View.

[Task Manager]

• Moved the open navigation pane button to be under the title bar when Task Manager is wide enough to expand it inline – in doing so, addressed an issue where you couldn't drag Task Manager from the area in the title bar above the navigation pane if the navigate pane was expanded.
• The Delete key should work in the search box now.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1020 & Build 22623.1020

• New! We combined Windows Spotlight with Themes on the Personalization page. This made it easier for you to discover and turn on the Windows Spotlight feature.
  
• New! We provided the full amount of storage capacity of all your Microsoft OneDrive subscriptions. We also displayed the total storage on the Accounts page in the Settings app.
  
• New! We gave Microsoft OneDrive subscribers storage alerts on the Systems page in the Settings app. The alerts appeared when you were close to your storage limit. You could also manage your storage and purchase additional storage, if needed.
  
• New! We added the organizational messages feature. With it, third-party companies could provide content to their employees. They did not need to use the default behavior of Windows.
  
• We fixed an issue that affected protocol activation of the Settings app. The app failed to open a page under the Accounts category.
• We fixed an issue that affected certain applications. They stopped working. This occurred when you used keyboard shortcuts to change the input mode for the Japanese Input Method Editor (IME).
• We fixed an issue that affected cluster name objects (CNO) or virtual computer objects (VCO). Password reset failed. The error message was, " There was an error resetting the AD password... // 0x80070005".
• We fixed an issue that might have caused certain apps to stop responding. This occurred when you opened the Open File dialog.
• We fixed an issue that sometimes affected File Explorer when you opened a file. Because of that, there was high CPU usage.
• We fixed an issue that affected Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Automated investigation blocked live response investigations.
• We fixed an issue that affected Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) authentication hardening. We would automatically raise the authentication level for all non-anonymous activation requests from DCOM clients to RPC_C_AUTHN_LEVEL_PKT_INTEGRITY. This occurred if the authentication level was below Packet Integrity.
• We fixed an issue that affected microphone streams that used the Listen To feature to route to the speaker endpoint. The microphone stopped working after you restarted the device.
• We fixed an issue that caused File Explorer to stop working. This occurred when you closed context menus and menu items.

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1028 and 22623.1028

Build 22623.1028 (KB5021866) to the Beta Channel.

• Build 22623.1028= New features rolling out.
  
• Build 22621.1028 = New features off by default.
  

December 2022 Bug Bash: Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels will have seen quests light up in the Feedback Hub covering various scenarios we're looking for feedback on. Take the opportunity to try out some new features and let us know how things are going! The Bug Bash will be running from now through to 11:59pm PST December 12th. Insiders who participate (by filing feedback or completing quests on the latest builds for their channel) will receive a badge in the Feedback Hub once the Bug Bash is over.

REMINDER: Insiders who were previously on Build 22622 will automatically get moved to Build 22623 via an enablement package. The enablement package artificially increments the build number for the update with new features getting rolled out and turned on to make it easier to differentiate from devices with the update with features off by default. This approach is being used for the Beta Channel only and is not indicative of any changes or plans for final feature rollouts.

Insiders who landed in the group with new features turned off by default (Build 22621.xxxx) can check for updates and choose to install the update that will have features rolling out (Build 22623.xxx).

Fixes in Build 22623.1028

[General]

• Made another fix to address explorer.exe crashing repeatedly in safe mode.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Fixed an issue where, with the system tray design updates, auto-hiding the taskbar would stop working after you had interacted with the hidden icons flyout.
• Made a small refinement for tablet-optimized taskbar users to make it a bit easier to expand the taskbar without invoking the Start menu.
• Fixed an issue which could lead to the taskbar jump lists and preview thumbnails not appearing in the correct position for Insiders with 2-in-1 PCs.
• Improved the transition animation when switching between collapsed and expanded views of the tablet-optimized taskbar.
• The tablet-optimized taskbar should collapse more reliably now after launching an app from the Start menu.
• Fixed an explorer.exe crash when using Alt + F4 with the show hidden icons flyout in the system tray open.
• Updated the battery icon's tooltip to let you know if your device is charging slowly.
• Fixed an issue causing the top half of the media controls in Quick Settings to be missing sometimes.
• Fixed a GDI handle leak in recent builds related to receiving certain types of notifications. This could cause UI issues or explorer.exe crashes for Insiders who receive a lot of notifications.
• Fixed an issue that was causing the NVIDIA icon in the system tray to show empty notifications.

[Search]

• Fixed an issue causing search to not work in the previous flight for Insiders with Arm64 PCs.

[Settings]

• Fixed an issue where the sleep recommendation on the Energy Recommendations page and Battery & Power page were sometimes inconsistent.

[Task Manager]

• Task Manager colors in light and dark should display correctly now for people with their mode set to Custom.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1028 & Build 22623.1028

• We fixed an issue that affected some games and applications. This issue was related to GPU performance debugging features. This lowered the expected game performance.

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1037 and 22623.1037

Releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1037 and Build 22623.1037 (KB5021304) to the Beta Channel. This will be the last Beta Channel flight for the holidays.

• Build 22623.1037= New features rolling out.
  
• Build 22621.1037 = New features off by default.
  

REMINDER: Insiders who were previously on Build 22622 will automatically get moved to Build 22623 via an enablement package. The enablement package artificially increments the build number for the update with new features getting rolled out and turned on to make it easier to differentiate from devices with the update with features off by default. This approach is being used for the Beta Channel only and is not indicative of any changes or plans for final feature rollouts.

Insiders who landed in the group with new features turned off by default (Build 22621.xxxx) can check for updates and choose to install the update that will have features rolling out (Build 22623.xxx).

What's new in Build 22623.1037

Voice Access Improvements
Voice access is now more flexible and supports interaction with UI controls having different names such as:

• Names which contain numbers in them, for example the Calculator app where you can now directly say "Click 5".
• Names without any whitespaces between them, for example in Excel, under the Insert tab, you can interact with UI controls like "PivotTable" and "PivotChart" directly by saying "click pivot table" or "click pivot chart".
• Names with special characters in them, for example items like "Bluetooth & devices" or "Dial – up". You can now say "click Bluetooth and devices" or "click dial hyphen up" and interact with these UI controls.

We have improved the horizontal scroll experience where we now support scrolling to the extreme left and right ends of a page, and you can do a continuous scroll left/right similar to what is already present in vertical scroll experience.

We have also added support for UI controls such as spin controls, thumb control and split buttons which enables you to interact with these controls with "click" command or by using number overlays. Commands that move the cursor in a text box now execute instantly and issues with snapping commands that snap a window left or right are fixed.

In addition, we have added support for the following commands:

To do this	Say this
Close the voice access application	"Close voice access", "Exit voice access", "Quit voice access"
Open a new application	"Show [application name]" , e.g., "Show Edge"
Close an application	"Exit/Quit [application name]", e.g., "Exit Word", "Quit Edge"
Show grid overlay on your screen	"Show window grid"
Pull up the command help list	"Show command list", "Show commands"
Release a held down key	"Release"
Move cursor in a text box	"Move forward 5 characters", "Go back 2 lines", "Go to start of document", "Move to beginning of line"
Select the desired no. of characters/lines	"Select forward/backward [count] characters/lines", e.g., "Select forward 5 characters"
Delete selected text or last dictated text	"Strike that"
Paste text in a text box	"Paste here", "paste that"
Apply bold formatting to specific text	"Boldface [text]", e.g., "boldface hello world"
Capitalize selected text or last dictated text	"Cap that"

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Voice Access.

Changes and Improvements for BOTH Build 22621.1037 & 22623.1037

[Search on the Taskbar]

• In this build, we are continuing to try out different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar. We are excited to learn from your feedback on this, so please let us know what you think via Feedback Hub if you see the different treatments on your PC. Insiders who get this experience will have the ability to change the treatment of search on taskbar in settings under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Items.

Fixes in Build 22623.1037

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Updated the Quick Settings icons in the taskbar when using a screen reader so if you set focus to each of the icons it no longer includes the words system state and instead just says what the icon is (for example instead of "system volume state" it just says "volume").
• Fixed a few more explorer.exe crashes relating to recent taskbar changes.

[Task Manager]

• We fixed the issue causing Task Manager to become unresponsive when using the search box at the top of Task Manager.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1037 & Build 22623.1037

• We fixed a known issue that might have affected Task Manager. It might have displayed certain elements in the user interface (UI) in unexpected colors. Some parts of the UI might not have been readable. This issue might have occurred if you had "Choose your mode" set to "Custom" in the Personalization > Colors section of Settings.
• We fixed an issue that might have affected Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) decryption. The decryption of a certificate private key might have failed. Because of that, virtual private network (VPN) and other 802.1 certificate-based authentication might have failed. This issue might have occurred when you encrypted the DPAPI master key with a wrong value.

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1095 and 22623.1095

Releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1095 and Build 22623.1095 (KB5022364) to the Beta Channel.

• Build 22623.1095 = New features rolling out.
  
• Build 22621.1095 = New features off by default.
  

REMINDER: Insiders who were previously on Build 22622 will automatically get moved to Build 22623 via an enablement package. The enablement package artificially increments the build number for the update with new features getting rolled out and turned on to make it easier to differentiate from devices with the update with features off by default. This approach is being used for the Beta Channel only and is not indicative of any changes or plans for final feature rollouts.

Insiders who landed in the group with new features turned off by default (Build 22621.xxxx) can check for updates and choose to install the update that will have features rolling out (Build 22623.xxx).

Changes and Improvements in Build 22621.1095 & 22623.1095

[Start]

• The search box design in the Start menu has been updated with more rounded corners to reflect the design of the search box on the taskbar.

Changes and Improvements in Build 22623.1095

[General]

• Moved Quick Assist out of Windows Tools so it displays directly in the Start menu's All apps list and is easier to find.

Fixes in Build 22623.1095

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Fixed a couple issues which could result in the top half of the taskbar getting clipped.

[Start]

• Fixed an issue where the uninstall app dialog might not display correctly in the Start menu in certain cases, making the buttons inaccessible.

[Task Manager]

• Fixed an issue causing filtering by publisher name to not match correctly on the Processes page.
• Fixed an issue causing some services to not show in the Services page after filtering is applied.
• Fixed an issue which resulted in new processes appearing in a filtered list if launched while a filter is set.
• We fixed the issue where some dialogs were not rendering in the correct theme when applied from Task Manager Settings page.
• The issue causing the data content area of the Processes page to flash once when theme changes are applied in the Task Manager Settings page is fixed.
• The Startup apps page in Task manager will now list apps as expected.
• Fixed an issue which could cause a black flash when opening Task Manager.
• If there are no matching search results, Task Manager will now explicitly say that.
• Fixed a Task Manager crash that could happen when attempting to end certain processes.
• You can now set focus to the search box by pressing CTRL + F.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1095 & Build 22623.1095

[Search on the Taskbar]

The following known issues only apply for Windows Insiders who received one of the different treatments for how search looks on the taskbar as mentioned here this blog post:

• We've made improvements to reliability to fix some crashes and the performance of animations and transitions.
• We fixed the issue causing the search box on taskbar to not render correctly and display visual artifacts.
• We fixed the issue causing layout issues with right-to-left display languages like Arabic.

[Other fixes]

• New! We changed the experience for preview .NET Framework updates. After you installed this update, all future preview (optional) .NET Framework updates would display on the Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates On that page, you could control which optional updates you wanted to install.
  
• We fixed an issue that affected Windows Server 2022 domain controllers (DC). They stopped responding when they handled Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) requests.
• We fixed an issue that might have occurred when the Input Method Editor (IME) was active. Applications might have stopped responding when you used the mouse and keyboard at the same time.
• We fixed an issue that affected exe. It stopped responding.
  
• We fixed an issue that affected how fast you could copy items from a network to a local computer. For some users, the copy speed was slower than expected.
• We fixed an issue that affected certain systems that had firmware Trusted Platform Modules. (TPM). This issue stopped you from using AutoPilot to set up those systems.
• We fixed a resource conflict issue between two or more threads (known as a deadlock). This deadlock affected COM+ applications.
• We fixed an issue that affected devices that were subject to Microsoft Exploit Protection Export Address Filtering (EAF). Some applications stopped responding or did not open. These included Microsoft Office and Adobe Reader.
  
• We fixed an issue that affected exe. It randomly stopped you from signing in or signing out.
  
• We fixed an issue that might have occurred when you converted or reconverted Japanese Kanji using a multibyte character set (MBCS) app. The cursor might have moved to the wrong location when you typed.
• We fixed an issue that affected exe. It stopped responding while connecting to a RemoteApp and Desktop Connection.
  
• We fixed an issue that might have affected FindWindow() or FindWindowEx(). They might have returned the wrong window handle.
  
• We fixed an issue that affected picture files you found using search on the taskbar. This issue stopped you from opening those pictures.

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1180 and 22623.1180

Releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1180 and Build 22623.1180 (KB5022363) to the Beta Channel.

• Build 22623.1180 = New features rolling out.
  
• Build 22621.1180 = New features off by default.
  

REMINDER: Insiders who were previously on Build 22622 will automatically get moved to Build 22623 via an enablement package. The enablement package artificially increments the build number for the update with new features getting rolled out and turned on to make it easier to differentiate from devices with the update with features off by default. This approach is being used for the Beta Channel only and is not indicative of any changes or plans for final feature rollouts.

Insiders who landed in the group with new features turned off by default (Build 22621.xxxx) can check for updates and choose to install the update that will have features rolling out (Build 22623.xxx).

What's new in Build 22621.1180 & 22623.1180

Updates to your cloud storage in settings for Windows 11

With today's build, the Settings app supports new visuals on your Accounts page to provide a visual overview of your cloud storage usage across Microsoft products. The new visuals include a consolidated cloud storage bar that shows your storage usage for each product and notifies you if you're running low on storage. We removed the quota bar from our subscriptions card to eliminate duplication on these visuals. Outlook attachment data will be included in your cloud storage as displayed on the visual with today's build. This change will gradually roll out starting with a small number of insiders, so not everyone will see it right away. You may see an alert regarding your storage usage; however, it does not impact your storage amount until as early as February 1st, 2023. Learn more about cloud storage here.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Settings > User Profile Account Settings.

Widgets Improvements

In the most recent update for Widgets, we are removing the sign-in requirement for the widgets board and making it available for all users. Now, you can now get weather updates on the taskbar, pin widgets from your favorite apps or access personalized dynamic feed without an account.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Widgets.

Fixes in Build 22623.1180

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Fixed an issue where right clicking on certain icons in the hidden icons flyout would make the flyout dismiss rather than bringing up the context menu for that icon.
• Fixed an explorer.exe crash which could happen when attempting to load certain app icons.
• Task view should no longer show behind the taskbar when using tablet-optimized taskbar options.
• Fixed an issue that was preventing taskbar from showing in Safe Mode when using the new search box option.

[Task Manager]

• When the Task Manager window size is small and the search box collapses to an icon, hovering over the icon will now show a tooltip.
• Fixed a few issues with how icons and labels were displayed when a contrast mode is enabled.

[Other]

• Fixed an issue where Braille devices were incorrectly saying there was no screen on the latest version of Braille.

Get Help app: Troubleshoot network issues
Getting disconnected from the internet hurts productivity at work and relaxation at home. To help you get back online we're replacing the Network Troubleshooter in the OS with a modern Get Help based experience. With new APIs that diagnose problems and offer specific recommendations to get online, the app targets the 30 most common connectivity issues. To use the new experience, you will need Get Help app version 10.2208.2551.0 or greater.

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1245 and 22623.1245

Releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1245 and Build 22623.1245 (KB5022358) to the Beta Channel.

• Build 22623.1245 = New features rolling out.
  
• Build 22621.1245 = New features off by default.
  

Screen recording in Snipping Tool

We are beginning to roll out screen recording in Snipping Tool to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel (version 11.2212.24.0). And as part of the most recent Snipping Tool update, we have also added the ability to pause while recording and you should notice improved performance and reliability.

Fixes in Build 22623.1245

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Fixed a high hitting ShellExperienceHost crash related to interacting with Quick Settings.

[Task Manager]

• Fixed a few issues causing Task Manager crashes.
• You now shouldn't have to make Task Manager be as wide before the navigation pane appears.
• If text scaling has been increased, the search box shouldn't overlap with the title bar text anymore.
• Made some tweaks to address cases where text in dialogs was getting cut off when text scaling was increased.
• Fixes an issue where certain parts of the title bar couldn't be used to drag the window.

Fixes for BOTH Build 22621.1245 & Build 22623.1245

• New! This update changed the experience for preview .NET Framework updates. After you installed this update, all future preview (optional) .NET Framework updates would be displayed on the Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates On that page, you could control which optional updates you wanted to install.
  
• We fixed an issue that affected the ReFS. The issue caused high nonpaged pool usage, which depleted system memory.
• We fixed an issue that affected copying from a network to a local drive. Copying was slower than expected for some users.
• We fixed an issue that caused Windows Server 2022 domain controllers (DC) to stop responding. This occurred when they processed Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) requests.
• We fixed an issue that affected a Group Policy for Expanded Toasts.
• We fixed an issue that might have occurred when the Input Method Editor (IME) was active. Applications might have stopped responding when you used the mouse and keyboard at the same time.
• We fixed an issue that affected conhost.exe. It stopped responding.
  
• We fixed a resource conflict issue between two or more threads (known as a deadlock). This deadlock affected COM+ applications.
• We fixed an issue that affected devices that are subject to Microsoft Exploit Protection Export Address Filtering (EAF). Some applications stopped responding or did not open. These included Microsoft Office and Adobe Reader.
  
• We fixed an issue that stopped you from searching for a file based on the file's contents.
• We fixed an issue that affected searchindexer.exe. It randomly stopped you from signing in or signing out.
  
• We fixed an issue that might have occurred when you converted or reconverted Japanese Kanji using a multibyte character set (MBCS) app. The cursor might have moved to the wrong location when you typed.
• We changed how you enabled the Windows diagnostic data processor configuration in preparation for EU Data Boundary To learn more, see Enable Windows diagnostic data processor configuration.
  
• We fixed an issue that affected mstsc.exe. It stopped responding while connecting to a RemoteApp and Desktop Connection.
  
• We fixed an issue that might have affected FindWindow() or FindWindowEx(). They might have returned the wrong window handle.
  
• We fixed an issue that affected picture files you found using search on the taskbar. This issue stopped you from opening those pictures.
• We fixed an issue that might have affected applications that used Microsoft Edge WebView2 to display content. Applications that used WebView2 included Microsoft Office and the Widgets app. The content might have appeared blank or greyed out.