Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26010 (Canary Channel)

UPDATE 12/12: We are starting to roll out Cumulative Update Build 26010.1010 (KB5034015). This update does not include anything new and is designed to test our servicing pipeline for builds in the Canary Channel.

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26010 to the Canary Channel.

REMINDER: As builds released to the Canary Channel are “hot off the presses,” we will offer limited documentation for builds flighted to the Canary Channel including documenting only the most significant and highly impactful known issues. Please note that we will not publish a blog post for every flight – only when new features are available in a build.

New widgets board settings

We’ve updated the widget settings experience, providing more ways for users to customize their widgets board experience.  One of the new settings enables you to just show widgets on your widgets board and another makes it easier for you to discover how to personalize your feed content.

The new settings experience also allows you to select the account you want to use for your Microsoft Start powered widgets and feeds. This means you are no longer limited to using the account you used to sign into Windows to drive those experiences, just like your other app powered widgets. You can easily manage the account used by Microsoft Start by navigating to ‘Microsoft Start’ settings under the ‘Personalize your content’ section in your widgets board settings. This change allows you to further personalize the experience to your preferences. The new settings experience is not limited by region.

[We are beginning to roll this out to Windows Insiders in the Canary, Dev, and Beta Channels this week, so the experience isn’t available to all Insiders just yet as we plan to monitor feedback before pushing it out to everyone.]

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

Changes and Improvements

[General]

• The Tips app is removed after updating to Build 26002 and higher. The Tips app is deprecated.

[Copilot in Windows*]

• We are trying out the ability to “undock” Copilot in Windows with Windows Insiders. Just click the new icon to unpin the Copilot panel at the top right in the header. While undocked, Copilot can appear above or below other apps in Windows while maintaining its fixed position on the desktop. This allows users to access Copilot while minimizing disruption to other user activities. Additionally, can resize the Copilot window for a more comfortable experience. Simply click-and-drag the edge of the Copilot window to adjust the width to your needs.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• After trying out a scrollable view of quick settings with some Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel starting with Build 25967, we’re beginning to roll this out again with some slight refinements. This new scrolling view of quick actions allows you to rearrange the set of quick settings and provides better usability and discoverability for the user.

[Task Manager]

• The Task Manager settings page now has Mica material.

[Settings]

• Optional features previously listed under Settings > Apps has moved to its own page under Settings > System.

Fixes for known issues

• Fixed an issue which was causing the restart button to be missing in Settings > Windows Update, or for that settings page to not load at all with the previous flight. If you are on Build 26002 and encounter this trying to upgrade to Build 26010, you can reboot by clicking the Windows Update icon in the system tray or open Start and reboot from the power button there.
• Fixed an issue where attempting to rebooting into safe mode would hang on the boot logo.
• Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to experience an increase in bugchecks in the last two flights.
• Fixed a high hitting taskhostw.exe crash in the last flight which some Insiders were seeing on their PCs.
• Made some improvements to help address an issue where the background could be seen jumping when switching between desktops.
• Fixed an issue which was causing File Explorer to revert to the previous design and opening the context menu to crash explorer.exe for some Insiders.

Known issues

[General]

• [REMINDER] Some popular games may not work correctly on the most recent Insider Preview builds in the Canary Channel. Please be sure to submit feedback in Feedback Hub on any issues you see with playing games on these builds.
• [NEW] We’re investigating an issue where keyboard shortcuts are not working on the desktop – including using the delete key to delete files off of your desktop, CTRL key combos to take action on desktop icons, or using ALT + F4 on the desktop to open the shutdown dialog. As a workaround for the former, please use the Desktop folder within File Explorer.
• [NEW] We’re investigating an issue where opening the print queue is showing a messaging saying it can’t find the app.
• [ADDED] We’re aware of issues with WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment) not rendering correctly. A fix is coming in a future flight.

[Widgets]

• [NEW] The Microsoft 365, Outlook Calendar, and To Do widgets get stuck in an error state when the Microsoft Start feed is disabled. FIXED as of 12/8.
• [NEW] You may experience a loading delay when the Microsoft Start feed is reenabled.
• [NEW] Announcements from the Microsoft Start feed are still shown on the taskbar after the feed is hidden.
• [NEW] The Widgets Board should automatically close and reopen when enabling or disabling feeds.
• [NEW] Keyboard navigation from settings subpages back to the top-level Settings page is broken.
• [NEW] Incorrect spacing and fonts used in some settings pages.

Windows Server Preview

With Windows Server Preview Build 26010, we are introducing the ability to receive Server flights just like on client (desktop). To set up flighting on Server, just navigate to Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program to opt in your device. Flighting will only be available for the Canary Channel and flights for Server will begin in early 2024 so you won’t receive any new builds until then. Our intention is to flight the same builds as client (desktop) for Server flights but the schedule in which we release Server flights might differ slightly (for example – Server releases bi-weekly). Flighting for Server only applies to the Desktop Experience only. [UPDATE 12/8] Windows Server Preview Build 26010 is now live, please check out this post for all the details.

Notepad Update

We are rolling out an update for Notepad (version 11.2311.29.0) to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels that introduces the following improvements:

Edit with Notepad: Easily access Notepad for file modifications directly from File Explorer. Just right-click on any file or multiple files in File Explorer to find the [Edit with Notepad] option in the context menu, a quick and streamlined way to open and edit files in Notepad.

Character Count: Keep track of your document’s length with the new character count display in the status bar.  When text is selected, the status bar shows the character count for both the selected text and the entire document. If no text is selected, the character count for the entire document is displayed, ensuring you always have a clear view of your document’s length.

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

Microsoft Store Update

Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels running version 22311.xxxx.x of the Microsoft Store and higher will see the following improvement rolling out:

Install as you browse: Introducing another quick way to get your favorite products: you can now install directly while browsing. Simply browse through the Store’s Home, Apps, or Games pages and hover over a product and click the install button. There are now fewer clicks to dive into new apps.

Improving discoverability of instant games: A few months ago, the Microsoft Store introduced games that you can play without downloading. We’re making it easier to discover these games by having a dedicated page you can browse.

Performance while browsing: We’ve made performance improvements in the Microsoft Store that will make it smoother for you to browse and scroll through various pages.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Microsoft Store.

For developers

You can download the latest Windows Insider SDK at aka.ms/windowsinsidersdk.

SDK NuGet packages are now also flighting at NuGet Gallery | WindowsSDK which include:

• .NET TFM packages for use in .NET apps as described at aka.ms/windowsinsidersdk
• C++ packages for Win32 headers and libs per architecture
• BuildTools package when you just need tools like MakeAppx.exe, MakePri.exe, and SignTool.exe

These NuGet packages provide more granular access to the SDK and better integration in CI/CD pipelines.

SDK flights are now published for both the Canary and Dev Channels, so be sure to choose the right version for your Insider Channel.

Remember to use adaptive code when targeting new APIs to make sure your app runs on all customer machines, particularly when building against the Dev Channel SDK. Feature detection is recommended over OS version checks, as OS version checks are unreliable and will not work as expected in all cases.

About the Canary Channel

The Canary Channel is the place to preview platform changes that require longer-lead time before getting released to customers. Some examples of this include major changes to the Windows kernel, new APIs, etc. Builds that we release to the Canary Channel should not be seen as matched to any specific release of Windows and some of the changes we try out in the Canary Channel will never ship, and others could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.

The builds that will be flighted to the Canary Channel are “hot off the presses,” flighting very soon after they are built, which means very little validation and documentation will be done before they are offered to Insiders. These builds could include major issues that could result in not being able to use your PC correctly or even in some rare cases require you to reinstall Windows. We will offer limited documentation for the Canary Channel, but we will not publish a blog post for every flight – only when new features are available in a build.

Our Canary Channel won’t receive daily builds; however, we may ramp up releasing builds more frequently in the future.

The desktop watermark you see at the lower right corner of your desktop is normal for these pre-release builds.

*Availability of Copilot in Windows: Copilot in Windows in preview is being rolled out gradually to Windows Insiders in select global markets. The initial markets for the Copilot in Windows preview include North America, United Kingdom and parts of Asia and South America. It is our intention to add additional markets over time.

Important Insider Links

• You can check out our Windows Insider Program documentation here.
• Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.

Thanks,
Amanda & Brandon