Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.5015 (Beta Channel)

Note: This build will only be provided to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who did not upgrade to receiving updates based on Windows 11, version 24H2. For those who opted to upgrade to receiving updates based on version 24H2, see the latest DEV Channel post.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[Input]

• We are trying out a new experience to improve the discoverability of the emoji and more panel in Windows 11 with the introduction of a new system tray icon on the taskbar. With this new system tray icon, you can easily express yourself by using emojis, GIFs, Kaomoji etc. across all apps and surfaces in Windows in addition to using the WIN + . keyboard shortcut which is also now shown on the emoji and more panel. This new system tray icon for the emoji and more panel shows can be changed by right-clicking on the icon to go to taskbar settings page.
  

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on

[File Explorer]

• Building on our commitment to improve File Explorer accessibility, this release adds more text scaling support in various warning and error message dialogs for text scaling (via Settings > Accessibility > Text size).
• Fixed an issue which was causing File Explorer Home to crash for some Insiders in the previous flight.

[Windowing]

• Fixed an issue where the Snap Bar at the top of the screen was unexpectedly showing corners on the side closest to the screen.

[Settings]

• Fixed an issue where the storage count in Settings > System > About wasn't correct in some cases.

[Other]

• Fixed an issue for Insiders using the ability to resume OneDrive files, which could result in your mouse frequently showing a spinning icon.
  

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3360 (Dev and Beta Channels)

As a reminder – we're also offering the same Dev Channel updates based on Windows 11, version 24H2 to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel. These updates will be optional at first, so if you are in the Beta Channel today, you can upgrade when you are ready to do so. We plan to make these updates recommended later this year, which means you will eventually get upgraded to 24H2-based updates automatically in the Beta Channel.

If you are an Insider in the Dev Channel, the window is open to switch from the Dev Channel to the Beta Channel if you would like. This window will only be open for as long as we're releasing the same 24H2-based updates (same build numbers) across both the Dev and Beta Channels. When the Dev Channel jumps ahead (higher build numbers), the window to switch will close. Please note that switching from the Dev Channel to the Beta Channel may result in the loss of some features temporarily.

IMPORTANT: This window is closing soon, so we highly encourage you to evaluate which channel you would like to be in during this time in which the window to switch is still open.

New features gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

Choose what Lock screen widgets appear
We're beginning to roll out support for lock screen widgets (previously referred to as "Weather and more") to Windows Insiders in the European Economic Area (EEA). You can add, remove, and rearrange lock screen widgets such as Weather, Watchlist, Sports, Traffic, and more. Any widget that supports the small sizing option can be added here. To customize your lock screen widgets, navigate to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen. We are starting this rollout first with Insiders in the EEA and plan to expand to Insiders in other regions in the future. Insiders outside the EEA will continue to see the "Weather and more" experience.

As part of this, we're also adding support for a new group policy called "Disable Widgets On Lock Screen" that will allow IT administrators to disable lock screen widgets without disabling widgets elsewhere on PCs they manage. To edit this policy, please launch the Local Group Policy Editor app and navigate to Computer Configurations > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Widgets. This policy is only supported in EEA regions at this time but will expand to include other regions in the future as well.

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

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

• We are beginning to roll out a change to the way Task Manager calculates CPU utilization for the Processes, Performance, and Users pages. Task Manager will now use the standard metrics to display CPU workload consistently across all pages and aligning with industry standards and third-party tools. For backward compatibility, a new optional column called CPU Utility is available (hidden by default) on the Details tab showing the previous CPU value used on the Processes page.

New CPU utility column option for Details page in Task Manager.
[Windows Share]

• We are adding the ability to share directly to apps that support sharing in Windows when right-clicking on local files in File Explorer or the desktop.

Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue where File Explorer Home might not load correctly and just show random floating text saying "Name".

[Taskbar]

• Fixed an issue where the underlines under app icons in the taskbar may get stuck showing even if the app had been closed.

[Remote Desktop]

• Fixed an issue which was leading to some people experiencing Remote Desktop freezes on login, or frequent disconnects.

[Settings]

• Fixed an issue where an underlying crash was causing Settings to show an error message on launch ("The instruction at 0x00007FFEDEBDC003 referenced memory at 0x0000000000000010. The memory could not be read,"). If impacted, you might also have seen a similar error message with RuntimeBroker.exe.

[Other]

• Fixed an issue where if you were upgrading to a higher build number and it failed and rolled back, it could potentially result in a duplicate Windows entry in the boot menu.
• Fixed an issue for Insiders using the ability to resume OneDrive files, which could result in your mouse frequently showing a spinning icon.
  

Dev Channel update to 135.0.3154.3 is live.

Added Features:

• Added a feature to display the active tab in collapsed groups.

Improved Behavior:

• Resolved an issue where the browser would crash silently when attempting to leave a workspace.
• Resolved an issue where browser would crash when searching for any content to enter a webpage and long pressing the address bar on Android.

Changed Behavior:

• Resolved an issue where the 'Show Vision experience from Copilot Labs' option was not appearing on the Copilot page in the settings web UI.
• Resolved an issue where some toolbar icons were hidden after taking actions in the 'More Options' menu in split screen.
• Resolved an issue where custom colors did not persist on browser relaunch under the tab groups color picker.
• iOS:
• Resolved an issue where top sites with custom letter icons on the 'Replace' panel did not load immediately on iOS.
• Resolved an issue where top sites would flash when switching from Focus/Inspirational mode to Custom mode on iOS.
• Resolved an issue where, after switching wallpapers, the NTP wallpaper would not change on iOS.
• Mac:
• Resolved an issue where, after selecting Firefox to import data, the data displayed was that of Safari on Mac.
• Android:
• Resolved an issue where preset top sites' images were not displayed on the 'Replace' panel when there was no internet connection on Android.
• Resolved an issue where most extensions were unable to display the full panel in a normal tab on Android.
• Resolved an issue where a line was visible between the PDF toolbar and the address bar on Android.
• Resolved an issue where a download pop-up box would appear when clicking on an offline PDF from the download hub on Android.

See an issue that you think might be a bug? Remember to send that directly through the in-app feedback by heading to the ... menu > Help and feedback > Send feedback and include diagnostics so the team can investigate.

Personally, I never cared for Skype.  I never needed it for work and, as I recall, only used it once.  Before the Windows Insider MVP program was eliminated, it was used for all of our online sessions and worked well.

Microsoft Corp. is signaling the end of the line for Skype in May.  Users will have the option of migrating to Teams.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/skype-to-shut-14-years-after-microsoft-s-8-5-billion-purchase/ar-AA1zZmpp

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27802 (Canary Channel)

What's new with Build 27802

Improving the battery iconography in Windows 11
Introducing new and improved battery icons in Windows 11! These icons have been designed to communicate the battery status of your PC with just a quick glance. Key changes include colored icons to indicate charging states, simplified overlays that don't block the progress bar, and an option to turn on battery percentage.

When your battery icon is green, this shows that your PC is charging and in a good state. A yellow battery icon will let you know that your PC using battery in energy saving mode – this automatically happens when your battery is less than or equal to 20% to preserve power. When the battery icon is red, you have a critically low battery and should plug in your PC as soon as possible. You will see these new battery icons on the taskbar in the system tray, in the quick settings flyout, and in Settings. The new battery icons will begin showing on the Lock screen in a future flight.

As always, your PC's battery status and more will also be available to you when you hover over the battery icon in the system tray and under Settings > System > Power & battery where you can also adjust the battery level percentage in which energy saver mode kicks on for your PC.

Along with the updates to the battery icon, we are also introducing the ability to show your battery percentage next to the battery icon in the system tray – a highly requested feature by Insiders and customers. To enable this, go to Settings > Power & battery and toggle on the "Battery Percentage" setting.

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

Changes and Improvements

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• We are rolling out the ability to share files directly from the jump lists on the taskbar, which appears when you right-click on an app with a jump list like Notepad the taskbar.

[Spotlight on the desktop]

• We're beginning to roll out some changes to the Desktop Spotlight icon interaction model for Windows Insiders. You can now quickly and easily discover more information about your background image by simply hovering over or clicking on the "Learn about this picture" icon on your desktop.

Fixes

[General]

• We fixed the issue causing Insiders to see an error trying to install Build 27788 (0x8007000d) along with a failed .NET update (0x80073712). This issue should not occur with Build 27798.

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue where if you opened a File Explorer window and minimized it, it might not be rendered correctly when you restore it.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Fixed an issue when using multiple monitors, where the distance between the date and time and edge of the screen wasn't consistent.

[Input]

• Fixed an issue where if you were using a non-default mouse color (enabled in Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch), it may unexpectedly revert back to white when you encountered a UAC dialog.

[Lock Screen]

• Fixed an issue which was causing the login screen to crash when clicking the "sign-in options" link for some Insiders.

[Administrator Protection]

• Fixed a rare issue when Administrator Protection was enabled, which could cause you to see a resource loader cache error loading the MUI file on sign in.
• Removed extraneous space between Dynamic Lock and Administrator Protection under Account Protection in Windows Security.
• Fixed an issue where Administrator Protection wasn't showing in the results if you searched from the taskbar.

[Audio]

• Fixed an issue causing a small percentage of Insiders to not be able to hear audio in the last couple builds due to a background audio crash.

[Remote Desktop]

• Fixed an issue in the last two Canary Channel builds where if you used remote desktop to connect to your PC and then tried to sign into the computer locally, it would sit at a black screen.

[Other]

• Fixed an underlying issue causing some Insiders to see a bugcheck with WIN32K_CRITICAL_FAILURE in recent builds.
• Fixed an underlying issue causing some Insiders to see a bugcheck with KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE in recent builds.
• Fixed an issue where SFC /scannow is showing errors every time it was run.

Microsoft released KB5052093 (OS Build 26100.3323) for Windows 11 24H2.

Gradual rollout

These might not be available to all users because they will roll out gradually.

• [Task Manager] Fixed: It might identify an HDD as an SSD.
• [Taskbar] New! You can now share files directly from a jump list on the taskbar. Jump lists appear when you right-click an app that has a jump list
  
• [Windows Spotlight]
• New! There's a quick and easy way to find out more information about a background image. Simply hover over the image or click the "Learn about this picture" icon.
  
• New! This update makes Windows Spotlight easier to find. You'll notice changes to the icon color and background. Also, the icon will show at the lower right area on your desktop.
  
• [Lock screen] New! This update makes it easier to learn more about the image on your lock screen when you select the "Like" button.
  
• [Narrator] New! There are new functions for Narrator scan mode. Skip past links (n) allows you to go to the text after a link. Use the comma (,) to jump to the start of an item (large table, long list, or another item.) Use the period (.) to jump to the end of an item. This is most helpful when you read long emails, news articles, and wiki pages. Jump to lists (l) allows you to quickly access a list on a web page or in a document. To use these new functions, turn on Narrator first (Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter). Then turn scan mode on by pressing Caps lock + Spacebar. Note that scan mode is on by default on most web pages (like news articles, wiki page, and so on).
  
• [Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers] New! Some of you might see a new referral card for a PC Game Pass subscription on the Settings home page. With it, you can invite friends and family to try a PC Game Pass for free. If you qualify, the card only appears when you sign in to your PC using your Microsoft account.
  
• [File Explorer]

See the KB article for improvements included.

Update: To get the update, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. The link to download and install the update can be found in the Optional updates available area.

References: Windows 11 update history

Microsoft released KB5052094 (OS Builds 22621.4974 and 22631.4974) for Windows 11 23H3 and Windows 11 22H2.

Highlights

Gradual rollout
A gradual rollout releases updates over a period of time, so users receive them at different times. To see the status of this feature, go to Windows release health dashboard.

• [Taskbar] New! You can now share files directly from a jump list on the taskbar. Jump lists appear when you right-click an app that has a jump list.
  
• [Windows Spotlight]
• New! There's a quick and easy way to find out more information about a background image. Simply hover over the image or click the "Learn about this picture" icon.
  
• New! This update makes Windows Spotlight easier to find. You'll notice changes to the icon color and background. Also, the icon will show at the lower right area on your desktop.
  
• [Lock screen] New! This update makes it easier tolearn more about the image on your lock screen when you click the "Like" icon.
  
• [Narrator] New! There are new functions for Narrator scan mode. Skip past links (n) allows you to go to the text after a link. Use the comma (,) to jump to the start of an item (large table, long list, or another item.) Use the period (.) to jump to the end of an item. This is most helpful when you read long emails, news articles, and wiki pages. Jump to lists (l) allows you to quickly access a list on a web page or in a document. To use these new functions, turn on Narrator first (Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter). Then turn scan mode on by pressing Caps lock + Spacebar. Note that scan mode is on by default on most web pages (like news articles, wiki page, and so on).
  
• [Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers] New! Some of you might see a new referral card for a PC Game Pass subscription on the Settings home page. With it, you can invite friends and family to try a PC Game Pass for free. If you qualify, the card only appears when you sign in to your PC using your Microsoft account.
  
• [File Explorer]
• New! You can now snooze or turn off the "Start backup" reminder in the File Explorer address bar. This only applies if you are not already backing up your files and folder. To view this new option, right-click Start backup.
  
• Fixed: When you enter a URL in the address bar, it might not go to the location.
• Fixed: The address bar overlaps files when you use the F11 full-screen mode.
• Fixed: The context menu opens slowly when you right-click cloud files.
• Thumbnails for cloud files display more consistently in search results.
• [Start menu] Fixed: The colors are wrong when you open the account manager flyout menu. This occurs when you use a mixed dark and light custom mode in Settings > Personalization > Colors.
• [Mouse] Fixed: In Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch, you can choose a color for the mouse that is not the default. When you chose a color, it reverts to white after the User Account Control (UAC) dialog appears.

Update: To get the update, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. The link to download and install the update can be found in the Optional updates available area.

References: Windows 11 update history

Microsoft released KB5052077 for Windows 10 version 22H2 optional non-security release preview (Windows monthly updates explained).

Highlights

• [Daylight saving time (DST)] This update supports DST changes in Paraguay.
  
• [Narrator]
  
  
  • Fixed: It fails to say the Chinese IME candidate window quick action buttons right.
  • Fixed: It does not say the control type for the Chinese IME suggestion opt-in item.
  • Fixed: It does not say the heading of the Chinese IME suggestion opt-in panel.

This update makes quality improvements to the servicing stack, which is the component that installs Windows updates. Servicing stack updates (SSU) ensure that you have a robust and reliable servicing stack so that your devices can receive and install Microsoft updates. For general information about SSUs, see Servicing stack updates and Servicing Stack Updates (SSU): Frequently Asked Questions.

Update:  To get the update, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. The link to download and install the update can be found in the Optional updates available area. 

Windows 10 update history

The Federal Trade Commission is sending claim forms to consumers who bought deceptively marketed antivirus software from Avast between August 2014 and January 2020.  Eligible consumers can file a claim online at www.ftc.gov/Avast by June 5, 2025

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/02/ftc-announces-refund-claims-process-avast-customers-impacted-deceptive-privacy-claims