KB5095094

Microsoft has released cumulative update KB5095094 (build 26220.8754) for Windows 11 version 25H2 insiders on the Beta channel. This build includes a number of improvements, fixes, and a new security policy for enterprise users working with remote sessions and smart cards.

• Smart card removal policy. Administrators can now configure Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 sessions with Microsoft Entra ID authentication to automatically disconnect when a redirected smart card is removed. This extends the existing smart card removal policy to remote sessions with Microsoft Entra authentication, helping organizations meet security requirements and regulatory compliance.
• File Explorer. Fixed an issue where the OneDrive shortcut would stop working when File Explorer was launched with administrator privileges.
• Taskbar. Improved the loading reliability of the system tray area to prevent icon display failures.
• System sounds. Improved the playback quality of system sounds when using the dark theme.

To install the update, go to Settings > Windows Update and click the Check for updates button. If your computer is compatible and you are enrolled in the Windows Insider Program on the Beta channel, build KB5095094 will be downloaded automatically. A mandatory system restart is required to complete the installation process.

How the new features work:

Smart card removal policy. Administrators can now configure Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 sessions with Microsoft Entra ID authentication to automatically disconnect when a redirected smart card is removed. The mechanism extends the existing Group Policy by monitoring the device redirection channel state in the remote session. When the physical reader connection is lost, the authentication service triggers a forced logout, blocking further interactive input until the token is reinserted, which is essential for meeting security standards.

File Explorer. Fixed an issue where the OneDrive shortcut would stop working when File Explorer was launched with administrator privileges. The problem involved a shell security context disruption: when elevating privileges, the explorer.exe process lost access to the shell namespace synchronization interfaces running in user mode. The namespace filter now correctly restores the connection to the OneDrive service via RPC call redirection even within a high-integrity session context.

Taskbar. Improved the loading reliability of the system tray area to prevent icon display failures. Engineers optimized the asynchronous initialization of SysTray within the explorer.exe process by adding retry attempts for tray icon registration through the Shell_NotifyIcon callback mechanism with increased timeouts. This prevents the race condition where child UI threads failed to complete the procedure of placing icons into the notification area before the primary user interface rendering.

System sounds. Improved the playback quality of system sounds when using the dark theme. Previously, the sound engine incorrectly calculated the volume due to a spatial sound policy conflict when applying the dark mode visual set. The fix implements proper handling of WASAPI audio sessions, excluding the unintended application of audio effects such as volume ducking, thereby ensuring clean playback of system events without artifacts.

The last 10 Windows updates: