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Today Microsoft is beginning to roll out updates to Paint to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels on Windows 11.

Paint (version 11.2402.32.0)

With this update to Paint, we are improving the brush size selection experience with a new size slider for pencil, brushes, and eraser tools. With the new size slider, you can choose from a wider range of size options and preview the selected size on the canvas as you drag the slider.

Paint open with new size slider and size representation active.

To get started, click on any of the pencil, brushes, or eraser tools, and a size slider will appear on the left side of the canvas. Click and drag along the slider to view different sizes and select the desired size to start drawing!

[We are beginning to roll out the new size slider mentioned above, so it may not be available to all Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels just yet as we plan to monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing it out to everyone.]

We are also improving layers by adding a new background option to the Layers panel. With this option, you can set the Background color for the canvas. Open the Layers panel and click the “Background” tile at the bottom or use Ctrl + Shift + B to try this out yourself. This will open the color picker dialog where you can set any color as the background. You can also use the “Hide background” option to make the background completely transparent or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + H to quickly show/hide the background.

We are also adding a new way to copy with “Copy visible layers”. This enables you to copy all visible content across layers. To use this option, select an area using the selection tool and invoke the context menu or use the Ctrl + Shift + C keyboard shortcut. “Copy” (Ctrl + C) will copy the visible content from the current layer only.

Paint layers panel open showing new background option.

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

Today Microsoft is releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26080 to Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels. ISOs are availllable for this build. Details as follows:

Insiders in the Canary Channel will receive Build 26080.1 while Insiders in the Dev Channel will receive Build 26080.1100 (KB5037133) as we test delivery of a full build and a servicing update at the same time. There is no difference between the two of these as Build 26068.1100 does not include any additional code.

Two important notes:

• If you’re experiencing an issue with Settings crashing or not loading the Windows Update settings page to download and install Build 26080 – you may have to reboot to correct the issue.
• Insiders on Build 26080 and higher who have Dev Drives should no longer see their Dev Drives breaking when rolling back as long as you roll back to Build 26063 and higher. (Insiders in the Dev Channel will need to wait for another new build to get released to ensure rollback happens to build that has this issue fixed.)

The Canary and Dev Channels receiving the same builds is only temporary. During the times in which the Canary and Dev Channels are on the same builds (e.g. Build 26080), the window is open for Insiders in the Canary Channel to switch to the Dev Channel. At some point in the future, the Canary Channel will jump to higher build numbers and the window will be closed.

NOTE: Some features may begin rolling out to the Canary Channel first before the Dev Channel even if the two channels have the same build.

What’s new in Build 26080

Updates to Microsoft Teams in Windows 11

Starting with Windows 11, version 24H2, Teams users will get access to a preview experience of the new, unified Microsoft Teams experience on Windows. In this preview, Microsoft Teams will be available as a single application, enabling users to seamlessly switch between multiple cloud environments, tenants, and account types across personal and work. This new, unified application will soon be rolled out to commercial customers as well, through the normal update process. To add or access additional accounts, select your profile picture at the upper right corner of Teams when you sign into Teams.

Teams work user interface showing the Me control open with both work and personal account.

We received consistent feedback from personal and work users: you prefer a single Teams app that allows you to easily access and switch between personal and work accounts. This update lets you use one app for all kinds of Teams accounts.

Teams personal account user interface over Teams work user interface.

You can join any Teams meeting with ease. In upcoming builds, when you are joining a meeting, you can select the account you want to use. You will also be able to join a meeting without signing in.

Teams user selecting which account to use to join a meeting.

Notifications have been improved, showing which Teams account they belong to. In addition, personal notifications have more details, giving clear and easy actions from the notification banner.

A Teams notification that someone is calling.

You can now launch personal and work accounts simultaneously with separate icons on the taskbar. We listened to users about their communication needs in various aspects of their lives and how they want to use Teams. The feedback was clear that a multi-window experience is preferred.

Other things to know:

• This unified preview app experience is labeled “Microsoft Teams (work or school)”. The app name will be automatically updated to “Microsoft Teams” in future releases.
• This is a preview release, and you will notice some changes from your current experience using Microsoft Teams (free) and Microsoft Teams (work or school). These changes and more updates will continue until we reach general availability. Notably in this release, Teams will launch into a separate icon for single accounts.
• We will remove the standalone consumer app, “Microsoft Teams (free)”, in future releases.
• If you lose access to either Teams applications through use of the Windows Insiders Program, you can access your preferred Teams application from this download page.
• For Enterprise Admins, the ability to sign in with Microsoft accounts will be part of a normal monthly update, there is no new app to install if you have new Teams. The functionality is targeted for preview in April and general availability in May. The ability for users to sign in with Microsoft accounts will follow all sign in restriction polices as it has for all versions of Teams. Admins can learn more in Message Center (MC719659).

Improvements to Copilot in Windows now rolling out to more Windows Insiders

We have been trying out a new runtime for Copilot in Windows that allows you to manage more settings via Copilot, including accessibility-focused settings, and use Power Automate Desktop through Copilot! We are now rolling out these Copilot in Windows improvements to more Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel (which first began rolling out on 2/20) and beginning to roll these improvements out to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel.

More built-in capabilities via Copilot in Windows

Try asking Copilot to turn on Narrator or Live Captions, turn on battery saver, show you available networks, even empty your recycle bin or clean up your storage. Here’s the full list of things you can ask Copilot to do!

New with this update:

• Ask for available wireless networks.
• Ask for system or device information.
• Ask for battery information.
• Ask to clean storage.
• Ask to empty recycle bin.
• Ask to toggle battery saver.
• Ask to show startup apps.
• Ask for your IP address.
• Ask for system, device, or storage information.

Try accessibility features:

• Ask to turn on narrator.
• Ask to open voice access.
• Ask to turn on magnifier.
• Ask to change text size.
• Ask to start live captions.
• Ask to turn on high-contrast.
• Ask to start voice typing.

Already live, now on the new runtime:

• Ask to toggle dark/light theme.
• Ask to toggle Bluetooth.
• Ask to toggle do not disturb.
• Ask to add a device.
• Ask to take a screenshot.
• Ask to cast your screen to another monitor.
• Ask to change your background image.
• Ask to set volume, change volume, or mute/unmute volume.
• Ask to launch an application.
• State that certain parts of your PC aren’t working: Audio, Windows Update, Camera, Bluetooth, Printer, Network, others.
• Ask to snap a window.
• Ask to start a focus session.

Introducing Power Automate via Copilot in Windows

Power Automate is a low-code automation solution that is part of the Power Platform. We’re excited to introduce the Power Automate plugin in Copilot in Windows. This first release of the plugin offers automation features for Excel, PDF manipulation and file management.

To use the plugin, download or update Power Automate Desktop to the latest version from the Microsoft Store. Currently plugins are only accessible if you are signed in to Copilot in Windows with a Microsoft account.

After you have Power Automate installed and you activate the plugin in the plugins section in Copilot in Windows, you can ask for tasks such as:

• Write an email to my team wishing everyone a happy weekend.
• List the top 5 highest mountains in the world in an Excel file.
• Rename all PDF files in a folder to add the word final at the end.
• Move all word documents to another folder.
• I need to split a PDF by the first page. Can you help?

Do you want to share your feedback on the Power Automate plugin or do you have other automation scenarios that you would like us to support? Feel free to contact us: [email protected].

[The rollout continues for these Copilot in Windows improvements to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels today, so the experience isn’t available to all Insiders just yet.]

FEEDBACK: Because of an issue with our feedback pipeline, please do not use the in-line feedback form that opens from thumbs up/down for these actions right now, and instead file feedback about using these in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Copilot in Windows.

Changes and Improvements

[Copilot in Windows]

• We are beginning to roll-out an updated Copilot in Windows experience that adds the ability to switch between the existing “docked” behavior that attaches Copilot to the side of your desktop, and a new mode where it acts like a normal application window which you can resize and move around your screen. As part of this change, we’re also introducing some under-the-hood improvements as well. This experience is beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel As always, please report any issues you experience to us via Feedback Hub.

Copilot in Windows undocked and shown next to Notepad like a normal application window.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• You can turn on live captions more quickly by using the new quick setting. Just open quick settings from the system tray, scroll down, then select the live captions quick setting.

The new live captions quick setting highlighted with a red box in the quick settings flyout from the system on the taskbar.

• Updated the design of the progress bar under app icons to help make it easier to see. This will appear on the taskbar as well as the Start menu.

Design of progress bar under app icons has been updated to show a thin line under the colored progress bar to make it easier to see.

[File Explorer]

• When extracting files, if there is a file name conflict you can now choose to apply your selected action (skip, replace) for all conflicts.

New option highlighted for choosing to apply your selected action (skip, replace) for all conflicts when extracting files in File Explorer.

[Windows Update]

• Removed the What’s New link in Windows Update history for Windows Insiders – it will only show now for retail (released) versions of Windows. To check what’s new in Insider builds, please follow this blog.

[Printing]

• [ADDED] Building off the printer improvements first introduced with Build 26020, we have added the ability to rename your printer directly from Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanner.

Fixes for known issues

[General]

• IMPORTANT NOTE FOR DEV DRIVE USERS: Insiders on Build 26068 and higher who have Dev Drives should no longer see their Dev Drives breaking when rolling back as long as you roll back to Build 26063 and higher. Rolling back to earlier builds may still result in issues with Dev Drives.
• IMPORTANT NOTE: Fixed an issue causing Windows Update in Settings to not load or crash in Build 26063. If you are still on Build 26063 and encounter this, rebooting may resolve the issue. If it doesn’t, the update should still eventually download on its own – appreciate your patience.
• Fixed an issue for Narrator not working when setting up a device or in Advanced Startup.

[Copilot in Windows]

• Fixed an issue where if you turned the Copilot icon off and back on in Settings never showed it on your taskbar again.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Fixed a memory leak related to showing the tooltip for the date and time in the taskbar when you had enabled additional clocks.

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an underlying issue believed to be the cause of some Insiders finding File Explorer had started freezing and using unexpectedly high CPU in the last couple builds. Please file feedback in the Feedback Hub if you continue experiencing this after upgrading.
• Fixed an issue where your preference for “Show extracted files when complete” when extracting files in File Explorer wasn’t persisting across upgrades.
• Fixed a timing issue where when you start a search from Home in File Explorer, it might unexpectedly show no results the first time you tried.
• Fixed an issue causing the Details view in File Explorer to be unexpectedly cramped in recent builds when using compact mode.
• Made a change to help address an issue where after a DWM crash, when you opened File Explorer it could just show a blank area on top instead of rendering the area correctly.
• Fixed an issue where the 7zip and ZIP compression options weren’t displaying correctly for Insiders with the English (United Kingdom) display language.

[Task Manager]

• Fixed an issue which could lead to your GPU showing as -1 in Task Manager.
• Fixed an issue where Task Manager may unexpectedly show no GPU % used (when that was not the case).
• Fixed an issue impacting Task Manager reliability.

[Audio]

• Fixed an issue causing HDMI connected devices to not have audio in the last few builds.

[Input]

• Fixed an issue causing the input switcher (WIN + Space) design to revert to an older style and draw in the wrong location.
• Fixed an issue where DWM could hang when writing with pen in Snipping Tool.
• Fixed a high hitting ctfmon.exe crash, which could impact the ability to input text.
• Fixed an issue where magnifier wasn’t following the mouse cursor when centered on screen in recent builds.
• Fixed an issue where mouse cursor shadows (if enabled) were not rendered correctly with large cursors.
• Fixed an issue where the mouse cursor was unexpectedly leaving a trail of mice on the screen.
• Fixed an issue which could lead to some mice and keyboards not working in safe mode.
• Fixed an issue where when waking your PC from sleep in Build 26063 the touchpad might be banged out in Device Manager, resulting in the mouse cursor not showing when you tried to use it.

[Settings]

• Fixed an issue where a Display Connection section was incorrectly showing up under Settings > System > Display > Graphics that when clicked, would crash Settings.
• Fixed an issue where a brightness slider might not show in Settings > System > Display in recent builds even though a brightness slider was available for you to use in Quick Settings.

[Other]

• Fixed an underlying issue which could lead to Snipping Tool hanging.
• Fixed an underlying dxgi.dll issue which led to some app and game crashes in Build 26058+.
• Fixed an underlying issue with winmmbase.dll which could lead to app crashes in Build 26058+.
• Fixed an issue related to tcpip.sys which was causing some Insiders to see bugchecks with UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP in the last few builds.
• Fixed an issue which was causing some Insiders to see bugchecks with SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION in the last few builds.
• Fixed an issue which was causing some Insiders to see bugchecks with DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION in the last few builds.
• Fixed an issue where if you attempted to use the Windows Update troubleshooter, it would show error 0x803C010A.

Known issues

[General]

• [IMPORTANT NOTE FOR GAMERS – UPDATED!] Most popular games should work correctly again in the most recent Insider Preview builds in the Canary and Dev Channels. Please be sure to submit feedback in Feedback Hub on any issues you see with playing games on the latest builds.
• [UPDATED] We’ve made some more changes to help reduce the number of rollbacks (with error code 0xC1900101) when installing the latest builds and are continuing to investigate reports. If your PC rolls back trying to install this build, please file feedback in Feedback Hub.
• In some cases, the File Explorer context menu no longer has the acrylic effect. This will be fixed in a future flight.
• We’re investigating reports of mouse cursor issues after installing Build 26058+, including that the cursor is disappearing in some apps. If you’re experiencing issues, please file feedback describing exactly what you’re seeing under Input and Language > Mouse in the Feedback Hub. This build includes a number of fixes to help with recent reports.
• When opening the context menu in File Explorer, the icons may appear out of place and overlapping text.
• [NEW] Running the command “sudo pwsh” won’t work properly in this build.

[Copilot in Windows]

• [NEW] Voice access does not work reliably with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window noted in the above blog post.
• [NEW] Using Windows Ink to write in Copilot will not work with the updated Copilot in Windows experience that introduces the ability for Copilot to act like a normal application window noted in the above blog post.
• [NEW] When Copilot in Windows is docked and resized to a large width, Copilot does not always fill the width of the panel. Resizing Copilot to less than half of the width of your screen usually fixes this issue.

Today Microsoft is releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3350 (KB5035955) to Insiders in the Beta Channel. Details as follows:

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

[Taskbar]

• Fixed an issue where uncombined taskbar icons were cutting off the title instead of adjusting 0with the title length.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to everyone in the Beta Channel

[Start menu]

• We are beginning to try out a change where we will show your most frequently used app under the Recommended section in the Start menu. This will apply for most frequently used apps that are not already pinned to the Start menu (or taskbar).

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel

• Fixed an issue in File Explorer where hovering over the first picture in Gallery would make a tooltip appear that would never dismiss.

The Surface Duo community is keeping the Surface Duo going, even if Microsoft wants to leave it behind.

The March 2024 security update is now available for Windows 11.

Windows 11 release notes:

• Version 22H2 & 23H2 (KB5035853): https://support.microsoft.com/help/5035853
• Version 21H2 (KB5035854): https://support.microsoft.com/help/5035854

Highlights for Windows 11, version 22H2:

• Addresses a known issue that might affect the February 2024 security and preview updates to fail to install with error code "0x800F0922.”

Highlights for Windows 11, version 21H2:

• Addresses an issue that makes the troubleshooting process fail. This occurs when using the Get Help app.
• Addresses an issue affecting Remote Desktop Web Authentication. You might not be able to connect to sovereign cloud endpoints.

Today Microsoft is releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3286 (KB5035950) to Insiders in the Beta Channel. Details as follows:

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

[Copilot in Windows]

We are beginning to try out a new experience for Copilot in Windows that helps showcase the ways that Copilot can accelerate and enhance your work. This experience will show when you copy text – since Copilot supports helpful actions that you can take with text content. In this scenario, the Copilot icon will change appearance and animate to indicate that Copilot can help (there are several different treatments so you may notice a different visual effect). When you hover your mouse over the Copilot icon, it will provide a menu of actions that you can take, such as summarizing or explaining the copied text. If you select an action on the menu, it will launch Copilot with the action ready-to-go. We will also support the ability to launch Copilot if you start dragging an image – just drag the image file onto the Copilot icon in the taskbar, and Copilot will open. You can then drop the image into the text box in Copilot and type an action that you would like to take on the image content.

Copilot actions you can take when you mouse over the Copilot icon on the taskbar after copying some text.

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

[Nearby Sharing]

• Fixed an issue causing Settings to crash for some Insiders when going to System > Nearby Sharing.

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel

[Search]

• Fixed the issue causing an increase of explorer.exe crashes for Insiders in the Beta Channel in the last two flights.

Microsoft's first AI PCs will be unveiled on March 21, ahead of next-gen Windows 11 AI features coming this fall.

Today Microsoft is releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3276 (KB5034857) to Insiders in the Beta Channel. Details as follows:

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

[Nearby Sharing]

• Fixed an issue where devices with long names weren’t shown in nearby sharing.
• Fixed an issue where device names may unexpectedly show “????” instead of the name.

[Task Manager]

• Fixed an issue impacting Task Manager reliability.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to everyone in the Beta Channel

[Copilot in Windows]

• We are trying out a new hover experience for Copilot in Windows. When you move your mouse cursor over the Copilot icon on the taskbar, it will open the Copilot pane. The Copilot pane will close unless interacted with after it opens. This will begin rolling out slowly over the next few weeks to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel.

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel

[Search]

• Fixed an issue where the search highlights icon in the taskbar could get out of sync with the search highlights for the day.

Known issues

• Microsoft Defender Application Guard (MDAG) for Microsoft Edge users may hit a no network connection issue when browsing inside MDAG. The workaround is to disable the MDAG enterprise policy or uninstall MDAG via “Turn Windows Features on and off” and reboot. As a reminder – MDAG for Edge is a deprecated feature.
• [NEW] We’re working on the fix for an issue causing an increase in explorer.exe crashes for Insiders in the Beta Channel after the last flight.

We are gradually rolling out the ability to use your Android phone or tablet camera in any video application on your Windows 11 PC to Windows Insiders across all Insider Channels. With this feature, you’ll be able to wirelessly enjoy the high quality of your mobile device’s camera on your PC with flexibility and ease. Some of the abilities include being able to switch between front and back camera, pausing the stream during interruptions, and enjoying effects provided by your mobile model.

A phone and a PC window showing connected camera controls that are available when you connect your phone with your PC.

Please ensure that your mobile device has Android 9.0+ and that your version of the Link to Windows phone application is 1.24012* or greater.

New settings window for managing mobile devices that are allowed to connect to your PC.

To enable this experience, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices and choose “Manage devices” and allow your PC to access your Android phone. Your PC will get a Cross Device Experience Host update in the Microsoft Store that is required for this experience to work.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Devices and Drivers > Linked devices.

New innovations in Windows 11 will be rolling out soon via Windows Update and Microsoft Store updates.

Copilot in OneDrive will begin to roll out in late-April and your new assistant will help you quickly retrieve information from files from across your OneDrive.

Today Microsoft is releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3212 (KB5034845) to Insiders in the Beta Channel. Details as follows:

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

[Taskbar]

• Fixed an issue which was causing the taskbar to sometimes be very slow to appear sometimes after booting up and logging in for the first time.

[Search]

• Fixed an issue where if your taskbar was close to being full of app icons, when you tried to open search it would just open and immediately close.

New features rolling out for everyone in the Beta Channel

New notification badging for Widgets

We’re beginning to roll out a new badging experience for Widgets. Widgets badges will notify you when you miss an important notification on your taskbar. Below is an example of a notification badge for Widgets that shows that there are three missed notifications.

Widget badging on the taskbar showing three missed notifications.

When you open the Widgets board you can see details for the notifications you missed in the top left corner of the board.

Missed notifications at the top left of the widgets board.

We are beginning to roll this out to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel today, so the experience isn’t available to all Insiders just yet.

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

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to everyone in the Beta Channel

[Widgets]

• We’ve made improvements to Widgets so that the icons on the taskbar no longer appear pixelated or fuzzy.

Known issues

• Microsoft Defender Application Guard (MDAG) for Microsoft Edge users may hit a no network connection issue when browsing inside MDAG. The workaround is to disable the MDAG enterprise policy or uninstall MDAG via “Turn Windows Features on and off” and reboot. As a reminder – MDAG for Edge is a deprecated feature.