Microsoft has released preliminary update KB5120996 (Build 28000.2796) for Windows 11 version 26H1. This package is intended for devices based on ARM64 architecture processors (Snapdragon). This cumulative update includes many improvements aimed at increasing stability, usability, and expanding system functionality. Many changes were previously presented to users of versions 24H2 and 25H2 as part of update KB5101684, but now they are becoming available for the 26H1 branch. Key innovations and fixes are listed below.
- File Explorer. File sizes in the Details view are now displayed in appropriate units of measurement (KB, MB, and GB), not just KB, which simplifies the perception of information at a glance.
- File Explorer. Middle-clicking now opens a folder in a new tab also in the address bar and on the Home page for more consistent and convenient tab navigation.
- File Explorer. Fixed a gray flash during loading and unexpected scrolling to the top of the Home page in some cases.
- File Explorer. Improved the appearance of file thumbnails in the Recommended section on Home — they have become clearer and more readable.
- Windows Search. Improved app search: typos and partial names of installed applications are handled better.
- Windows Search. Improved relevance of settings — more useful settings are displayed higher in search results.
- Voice Access. Added Voice Isolation, which helps to recognize the user's voice more accurately by reducing interference from other speakers and background noise. All processing is performed locally on the device.
- Voice Access. Three speech recognition modes are now available in Voice Access Settings > Speech recognition enhancement: Voice isolation, Background noise removal only, and No filtering. A one-time voice setup is required to configure isolation.
- Voice Access. Added support for the Korean language.
- Voice Access. Improved launch reliability.
- Widgets. Notification icons on the taskbar now use the Windows contrast color instead of red, which reduces the number of overly attention-grabbing alerts.
- Widgets. Simplified lock screen widgets: for new users, only Weather is displayed by default.
- Touchpad. New gesture settings for precision touchpads have appeared in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad, including configuration of scrolling and zoom speed, as well as an accelerated scrolling feature.
- Start menu. Improved reliability of saving Start menu view settings — the selected view is now preserved.
- Start menu. Improved keyboard navigation when focus is set on the app list in the Start menu.
- Voice Typing. The Fluid dictation feature is now disabled by default for new users. A training tooltip is displayed the first time the feature is used.
- Input. Improved saving of the selected mouse pointer size.
- Windowing. System dialog boxes now open in an appropriate size on small tablets.
- Accessibility. Improved Magnifier performance on touchscreen devices. The horizontal and vertical touch bars used for panning the magnified area are now disabled by default and no longer overlap the magnified content. They can be re-enabled in Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier.
- Windows Hello. Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) now supports external fingerprint scanners. Secure sign-in becomes available not only on devices with built-in scanners but also on desktop computers and other Windows 11 PCs, including Copilot+ PCs. To set it up, you need to connect a supported fingerprint scanner with ESS and follow the instructions in Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
- Fonts. Restored support for Unicode variation sequences in the Myanmar Text font.
- Fonts. Improved the formation and rendering of Mongolian Baiti font characters for more accurate and consistent text display.
- Account management. Updated the design of the account management element in the Start menu, added an icon with subscription status. The element is available to users signed in with a Microsoft account when clicking on the account picture in the lower-left corner of the Start menu.
- Taskbar. Improved reliability of loading the taskbar notification area on touch devices in tablet mode.
- AI component. It is now possible to remove the Image Generation AI component on supported Copilot+ PCs where this component is installed.
- Windows Setup. During Windows installation, a parental control notification has been added with information about available family safety features.
- Power & battery. Improved reliability of power settings: changes made in Settings are applied to all power plans. This applies to display off time, sleep and hibernation transition, power and sleep button actions, and lid close action.
- Power & battery. Restored the ability to set the charge threshold at which battery saver turns on in Settings > System > Power & battery.
- Windows Update. Improved calculation of update progress in Windows Update settings.
- Windows Update. Changed post-update cleanup logic to improve system performance immediately after installing the update.
- Sounds. Improved system sounds when using Windows in dark mode.
- Date & time. Improved determination of conditions for showing time zone change notifications.
- Date & time. Improved accuracy of daylight saving time (DST) data for the Middle East Standard Time (Beirut), Morocco Standard Time (Casablanca), Israel Standard Time (Jerusalem), and Greenland Standard Time (Nuuk) time zones.
- Network. Improved reliability of DHCP lease renewal in a number of scenarios, particularly when receiving a NACK from the DHCP server and on devices with Modern Standby.
- Printing. Improved printing speed (pages per minute) for IPPS (Internet Printing Protocol Secure) printers.
- Clipboard. Improved clipboard reliability in some Remote Desktop and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) scenarios.
- General stability. Improved reliability of explorer.exe, including when opening jump lists and recent files, when sending files and folders, and when using Task View and multiple desktops.
- General stability. Improved reliability of Windows sign-in and lock screens, especially when running low on RAM. Reliability of the Start menu and taskbar at system startup has also been improved.
No known issues have been recorded in this update. To install update KB5120996, you need to go to the Settings menu, select Windows Update, and click the Check for updates button. The system will automatically detect the available package and offer to install it.
The update can also be downloaded manually from the links above. It is recommended to create a system restore point before installation so that changes can be rolled back in case of unforeseen situations. A computer restart will be required after the installation is complete.
If the update does not appear immediately, its deployment may be happening gradually, and it will become available for your device within a few days.
| Feature / Change | Performance Increase | Performance Decrease | Optimization | PC Speed | Gaming Optimization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File Explorer: file sizes now shown in KB, MB, GB, not just KB | ⚪ No direct impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 High — faster visual parsing of large files | 🟡 Low — quicker file size comprehension | ⚪ No impact |
| File Explorer: middle-click opens folder in new tab | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Medium — fewer steps for tab navigation | 🟡 Low — faster workflow | ⚪ No impact |
| File Explorer: fixed gray flash and unexpected scroll to top on Home | 🟢 Medium — less UI stutter | ⚪ Fixed regression | 🟢 High — smoother navigation | 🟡 Low — fewer interruptions | ⚪ No impact |
| File Explorer: clearer thumbnails in Recommended section | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Medium — better visual recognition | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Windows Search: better handling of typos and partial app names | 🟢 Medium — faster app launching | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 High — reduced search friction | 🟡 Low — quicker access | ⚪ No impact |
| Windows Search: more relevant settings shown higher | 🟢 Low — fewer search refinements | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Medium — improved result ranking | 🟡 Low — faster settings access | ⚪ No impact |
| Voice Access: Voice Isolation reduces background noise | 🟢 Medium — more accurate voice commands | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 High — better input reliability | 🟡 Low — less repeated commands | 🟡 Low — possible hands-free control |
| Voice Access: three speech recognition modes | 🟢 Low — user choice for noise filtering | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Medium — adaptable to environment | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Voice Access: Korean language support | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — wider accessibility | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Voice Access: improved launch reliability | 🟢 Low — faster startup of feature | ⚪ Fixed crash/stall | 🟡 Medium — more consistent availability | 🟡 Low — less waiting | ⚪ No impact |
| Widgets: notification icons use Windows contrast color instead of red | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — reduced visual distraction | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Widgets: simplified lock screen — only Weather by default | 🟢 Low — less background widget loading | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — reduced clutter | 🟡 Very low — slightly lighter lock screen | ⚪ No impact |
| Touchpad: new gesture settings incl. scroll/zoom speed | 🟢 Low — adjustable input responsiveness | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Medium — user customization | 🟡 Low — faster cursor/scroll control | 🟡 Low — better precision for some games |
| Start menu: improved reliability of view settings saving | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Medium — personalized layout sticks | 🟡 Low — less reconfiguration | ⚪ No impact |
| Start menu: improved keyboard navigation in app list | 🟢 Low — faster keyboard-only use | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Medium — better accessibility | 🟡 Low — fewer input errors | ⚪ No impact |
| Voice Typing: Fluid dictation disabled by default | 🟡 Low — less background processing for new users | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — opt-in feature reduces overhead | 🟡 Low — slightly lighter input stack | ⚪ No impact |
| Input: improved saving of mouse pointer size | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — setting persistence | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Windowing: system dialogs proper size on small tablets | 🟢 Low — fewer resize operations | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Medium — better window management | 🟡 Low — less manual adjustment | ⚪ No impact |
| Accessibility: Magnifier performance on touch improved, touch bars off by default | 🟢 Medium — smoother magnification on touch | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 High — reduced UI overlap | 🟡 Low — less accidental activation | ⚪ No impact |
| Windows Hello: Enhanced Sign-in Security supports external fingerprint scanners | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Medium — faster secure login on desktop | 🟡 Low — quicker authentication | ⚪ No impact |
| Fonts: restored Unicode variation sequences in Myanmar Text | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — correct glyph rendering | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Fonts: improved Mongolian Baiti rendering | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — accurate text display | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Account management: updated design with subscription status icon | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — quicker status check | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Taskbar: improved reliability of notification area on touch in tablet mode | 🟢 Low — fewer reloads | ⚪ Fixed crash/stutter | 🟡 Medium — stable touch UI | 🟡 Low — less waiting | ⚪ No impact |
| AI component: Image Generation removable on Copilot+ PCs | 🟢 Low — frees disk and memory if removed | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Medium — user control over AI features | 🟡 Low — less background load | ⚪ No impact |
| Windows Setup: parental control notification added | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — informed setup choice | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Power & battery: settings applied to all power plans | 🟢 Low — consistent power behavior | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Medium — predictable sleep/display timing | 🟡 Low — avoids conflicting plans | 🟡 Very low — more stable performance profile |
| Power & battery: restored battery saver charge threshold setting | 🟢 Low — better battery health management | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Medium — user-defined saver trigger | 🟡 Low — extends battery lifespan | ⚪ No impact |
| Windows Update: improved calculation of update progress | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — accurate progress display | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Windows Update: changed post-update cleanup logic | 🟢 Medium — immediate post-update performance gain | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 High — reduced stale file impact | 🟡 Low — less temporary slowdown | 🟡 Low — may reduce background stutter |
| Sounds: improved system sounds in dark mode | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Very low — cosmetic polish | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Date & time: improved time zone change notification conditions | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — fewer unnecessary alerts | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Date & time: improved DST data for Middle East, Morocco, Israel, Greenland | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact | 🟡 Low — correct time transitions | ⚪ No impact | ⚪ No impact |
| Network: improved DHCP lease renewal reliability | 🟢 Medium — fewer network dropouts | ⚪ Fixed connectivity loss | 🟢 High — stable IP renewal | 🟡 Low — less interruption | 🟡 Low — fewer lag spikes from DHCP |
| Printing: improved IPPS printing speed (pages per minute) | 🟢 Medium — faster print jobs | ⚪ No impact | 🟢 High — efficient secure printing | 🟡 Low — quicker output | ⚪ No impact |
| Clipboard: improved reliability in Remote Desktop and AVD | 🟢 Low — fewer copy/paste failures | ⚪ Fixed intermittent issues | 🟡 Medium — dependable clipboard sync | 🟡 Low — less repeated actions | ⚪ No impact |
| General stability: explorer.exe reliability (jump lists, recent files, Task View) | 🟢 Medium — fewer freezes/crashes | ⚪ Fixed hangs | 🟢 High — smoother file operations | 🟡 Low — less waiting for UI | ⚪ No impact |
| General stability: sign-in/lock screen reliability under low RAM, Start/taskbar at startup | 🟢 High — faster login and boot responsiveness | ⚪ Fixed crashes | 🟢 High — better resource handling | 🟡 Low — quicker to desktop | 🟡 Low — more stable background during launch |
Official announcement on the Microsoft website.
The last 10 Windows updates:
| Update | Build | Version | Windows | Channel | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KB5127757 | 28120.3181 | 26H1 | Windows 11 | Experimental | 2026-10-07 |
| KB5127758 | 26220.9606 | 25H2 | Windows 11 | Beta | 2026-10-07 |
| KB5127754 | 28020.3172 | 26H1 | Windows 11 | Beta | 2026-10-07 |
| KB5127753 | 26340.9616 | 26H2 | Windows 11 | Experimental | 2026-10-07 |
| KB5124192 | 28120.3151 | 26H1 | Windows 11 | Experimental | 2026-10-02 |
| KB5124196 | 28020.3142 | 26H1 | Windows 11 | Beta | 2026-10-02 |
| KB5124197 | 26220.9587 | 25H2 | Windows 11 | Beta | 2026-10-02 |
| KB5124193 | 26340.9596 | 26H2 | Windows 11 | Experimental | 2026-10-02 |
| KB5124166 | 26220.9568 | 25H2 | Windows 11 | Beta | 2026-09-25 |
| KB5124163 | 28020.3112 | 26H1 | Windows 11 | Beta | 2026-09-25 |