KB5095088

Update KB5095088 (build 26300.8758) for Windows 11 version 26H2 has become available to insiders on the Experimental channel. In this cumulative package, special attention is paid to refining the taskbar: the company has not only simplified changing its appearance, but also made the animations smoother. In addition, the developers fixed several annoying bugs in File Explorer, including incorrect behavior of the OneDrive shortcut when elevating privileges, and adapted system sounds for the dark theme so that they sound more natural.

• Taskbar size setting. A separate Taskbar size item has been added to the taskbar settings, which makes it easier to choose the optimal appearance without having to use hidden settings.
• Smooth taskbar transitions. The animation when switching between different taskbar sizes has been refined — now the change occurs more smoothly and is visually pleasing.
• Reorganization of the details pane in File Explorer. The file properties pane has been reworked so that the necessary information can be found and viewed at a glance. The reliability of displaying preview thumbnails for cloud files has also been improved.
• Improvement of system sounds for the dark theme. System sound signals have been refined for a more harmonious perception when using Windows in the dark theme.

Fixes.

• OneDrive shortcut in File Explorer. Fixed a bug where the OneDrive shortcut in the File Explorer sidebar would stop responding to clicks if File Explorer was launched with administrator privileges.
• File name during permanent deletion. Fixed an issue where the confirmation dialog for permanent deletion displayed not the original file name, but its internal system name from the Recycle Bin.

How to install the update. Open the Settings menu, go to Windows Update, and click Check for updates. A computer restart is required to complete the installation.

How the new features work:

Taskbar Size Setting. A dedicated taskbar size control has been introduced into the taskbar settings, directly adjusting layout and height parameters through the registry and the ITaskbarSettings API, eliminating the need to manually edit hidden scaling values within the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced key.

Smooth Taskbar Transitions. The animation mechanism responsible for rendering taskbar size changes has been refined. Recalculation of coordinates and element rendering now occur with frame interpolation via the desktop composition engine, ensuring a visually continuous and anti-aliased geometry transition without abrupt redraw jumps when switching between different size states.

Reorganization of the Details Pane in File Explorer. The file properties pane has been reworked to optimize metadata presentation, with controls grouped into logical blocks prioritizing the most sought-after information. Reliability of preview thumbnail display for cloud files has also been improved by enhancing asynchronous request handling for the ThumbnailProvider attribute and stabilizing placeholder operations.

Improvement of System Sounds for the Dark Theme. System audio cues have been acoustically redesigned using equalization and dynamic processing to harmonize better with interface perception when the dark theme is active. The changes apply to the sound scheme resources within the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes\Apps.Default branch, providing softer and more restrained notification sounds without sharp tonal peaks.

Fix: OneDrive Shortcut in File Explorer. Addressed a bug where the OneDrive root node in the navigation sidebar would stop responding to clicks if explorer.exe was launched with elevated administrator privileges. The issue stemmed from a security boundary and integration context mismatch between the Explorer shell and the OneDrive sync process operating in user mode.

Fix: File Name During Permanent Deletion. Fixed an issue in the permanent deletion confirmation dialog where the original file name was replaced by its internal system name from the Recycle Bin. The fix ensures correct path resolution and retrieval of the DisplayName attribute from the shell item before deletion, utilizing the IShellItem interface instead of directly reading the file name within the hidden Recycle Bin directory.

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