Insider KB5055640 Windows 11 Insider Beta build 26120.3872 (24H2) - April 21


UPDATE 4/25:


 Windows Blogs:

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3872 (KB5055640) to the Beta Channel for Windows Insiders on Windows 11, version 24H2.

Changes in Beta Channel builds and updates are documented in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available (via Settings > Windows Update*) and then new features, improvements, and fixes rolling out to everyone in the Beta Channel. For more information, see the Reminders section at the bottom of this blog post.


New Copilot+ PC experiences

New text actions in Click to Do

We are beginning to roll out two new text actions in Click to Do!


New reading text actions in Click to Do highlighted in a red box.
New reading text actions in Click to Do highlighted in a red box.

Practice in Reading Coach: Improve your reading fluency and pronunciation with the “Practice in Reading Coach” Click to Do action. Simply select the text recognized by Click to Do on your screen, choose the Practice in Reading Coach action, and read the text out loud. The Reading Coach provides feedback and guides you on where to make improvements. To use this feature, install the free Microsoft Reading Coach application from the Microsoft Store.

Read with Immersive Reader: Enhance your reading experience with the “Read with Immersive Reader” Click to Do action. This feature displays recognized text in a distraction-free environment, allowing you to focus on reading. Originally designed to meet the needs of readers with dyslexia and dysgraphia, Immersive Reader helps readers of all ages and abilities improve their reading and writing skills using proven techniques. Customize the text by changing its size, spacing, font, or background theme. You can also have the text read out loud, use syllable break to split words, and highlight nouns, verbs, and adjectives to aid grammar learning. The picture dictionary option provides visual representations of unfamiliar words for instant understanding. Install the free Microsoft Reading Coach application from the Microsoft Store to access this feature

Text actions in Click to Do are rolling out to Windows Insiders on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, with support for AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs coming soon. You can learn more about using Click to Do here.

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

Finding photos saved in the cloud via the Windows search box, now available for Windows Insiders in the EEA

Windows Insiders in the European Economic Area can now find photos saved in the cloud with improved Windows Search to the Windows search box on the taskbar. Just use your own words to find photos stored and saved in the cloud by describing what they are about like “European castles” or “summer picnics” in the search box on your taskbar. In addition to photos stored locally on your Copilot+ PC, photos from the cloud will now show up in the search results together. In addition to searching for photos, exact matches for your keywords within the text of your cloud files will show in the search results.


wsb-cloud-semantic-small.webp
Results including dog on beach photos from the cloud in the Windows search box on the taskbar with improved Windows Search.

Improved Windows Search experiences in the Windows search box on the taskbar continue to gradually roll out to Windows Insiders on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, including finding photos saved in the cloud, so you may not see these experiences right away. Support for AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs is coming soon. See here for more details.

You can learn more about semantic search on Copilot + PCs here.

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

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

Improvements for voice access

We’re beginning to roll out several improvements for voice access in this build.

Add custom words to the dictionary: We are introducing the ability for you to add your own words to the dictionary in voice access. Adding your own words, including difficult to pronounce words, to the dictionary in voice access will help improve dictation accuracy. It increases the probability of recognizing these words more accurately by creating a bias that helps voice access become more context aware and proactively understanding your specific vocabulary. The feature will be available in all the currently supported voice access languages i.e. English, French, German, Spanish and Chinese.


You can add your own words to the dictionary in voice access in a few ways:
  1. After spelling a word using “Spell that” command or making a correction using “Correct that”
  2. Anywhere when you want to manually add a word by using “Add to Vocabulary” command.

    Voice access vocabulary builder dialog for adding your own words to the dictionary.
    Voice access vocabulary builder dialog for adding your own words to the dictionary.
  3. Directly through the settings menu in voice access.

    Add to vocabulary option in voice access settings menu highlighted in a red box.
    Add to vocabulary option in voice access settings menu highlighted in a red box.
Discoverability voice access features: Voice access will now support an immersive in-product experience to announce new features and improvements. It will help you quickly discover and learn more about new features in voice access to try out. You can launch or dismiss this new experience from the settings menu.

New voice access in-product experience for highlighting new features and improvements in voice access.
New voice access in-product experience for highlighting new features and improvements in voice access.

And we are also including voice access under the Accessibility flyout via quick settings in the system tray of the taskbar.


Voice access as an option under the Accessibility flyout via quick settings highlighted in a red box.
Voice access as an option under the Accessibility flyout via quick settings highlighted in a red box.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Voice access.

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

[Improved Windows Search]

Improved Windows Search is currently available in preview for Windows Insiders on Windows 11, version 24H2 in the Dev and Beta Channels on Copilot+ PCs.
  • You can now turn off searching for content saved in the cloud on your Copilot+ PC via Settings > Privacy and Security > Search permissions to access this setting. Please note this currently works only for the Windows search box on the taskbar. However, in a future update this setting will also apply to search in File Explorer.

[File Explorer]

  • We’re starting to roll out the change so that when you launch File Explorer folders from outside of File Explorer (for example, from an app or from the desktop), by default they will now open in a new tab if you have an existing File Explorer window. If you’d prefer that they continue opening in a new window, you can change this in File Explorer folder options, under General > Browse Folders.

[Widgets]

  • We are trying out improvements to the notification settings page in widgets on Windows 11 by introducing the ability to control the notifications per feed or dashboard. This change is currently rolling out to Windows Insiders in the European Economic Area (EEA).

[Windows Security]

  • We are beginning to roll out a change in the Windows Security app where will show more details such as manufacturer and manufacturer version for Pluton TPM chips if your PC has one under Device security > Security processor details.

[Settings]

  • We’ve updated the dialog when renaming your printer under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners to match the Windows 11 visuals.


    Updated dialog for renaming your printer.
    Updated dialog for renaming your printer.

[Other]

  • When running the pnputil /enum-drivers command, we’re adding a new field that enumerates driver package catalog attributes, indicating the driver type and if the driver is attestation-signed.

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

[Start menu]

  • Fixed an issue which was causing Start menu to crash when creating folders recently for some Insiders.
  • Mitigated an issue after the last flight, where if you press the Windows key to open Start and start typing to search, focus was not transferred to search and so your search wouldn’t work.

[Windowing]

  • Fixed an issue where the colors used for the snap layouts at the top of the screen weren’t displayed correctly for some Insiders, making some text unreadable.

[Search on the Taskbar]

  • Mitigated an issue causing search to load very slowly, sitting at a blank screen for 15 – 20 seconds, for some people recently.

[Input]

  • Fixed an issue where voice typing wouldn’t start from the touch keyboard when using the Chinese (Simplified) narrow layout.

[Task Manager]

  • Fixed an issue causing search and other options such as filtering in Task Manager to not work in the previous flight.

[Voice Access]

  • Fixed an issue which could voice access to freeze with error “working on it” when dictating.

[Other]

  • Mitigated an underlying issue which was leading to third party screen readers not working in certain scenarios (such as navigating browsers) for some Insiders after the last flight.
  • We did some work to improve the performance of loading early boot UI including the BitLocker PIN, BitLocker Recovery key, and boot menu screens.

Fixes for everyone in the Beta Channel

[General]

  • We have mitigated the issue causing some apps like Spotify to not install from the Microsoft Store with an 0x80070032 error.

Known issues

[General]

  • [REMINDER] When joining the Beta Channels on Windows 11, version 24H2 – you will be offered Build 26120.3360 After installing that update, you will be offered the most recent update available. This 2-hop experience to get onto the latest 24H2-based flight in the Beta Channel is just temporary.
  • After you do a PC reset under Settings > System > Recovery, your build version may incorrectly show as Build 26100 instead of Build 26120. This will not prevent you from getting future Beta Channel updates, which will resolve this issue.
  • Quick Assist will not work for non-administrator users.
  • After installing this update, Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) may not work, and you may not be able to use the “Fix problems using Windows Update” option under Settings > Recovery. These issues will be fixed in another update soon.
  • Some apps may appear blank after installing this update. Closing and re-launching the app may correct the issue.
  • [NEW] Windows Sandbox may fail to launch with a 0x800705b4 error. If you hit this, you can try reinstalling Sandbox by unchecking Sandbox under “Turn Windows features on or off” to uninstall it then reboot, go back to “Turn Windows features on or off” and check Sandbox to reinstall it and reboot again.

[Login and Lock]

  • [NEW] We’re working on the fix for an issue causing Windows Hello facial recognition to not work for login for some Insiders after the previous flight.

[Recall (Preview)]

  • [REMINDER] You are always in control and can always choose to remove Recall anytime via “Turn Windows features on or off”. Removing Recall will delete entry points and binaries. Like any feature, Windows sometimes keeps temporary copies of binaries for serviceability. These Recall binaries are not executable and are eventually removed over time.
  • [REMINDER] Make sure you update Microsoft 365 apps to the latest version so you can jump back into specific documents.
The following known issues will be fixed in future updates to Windows Insiders:
  • Some Insiders may experience an issue where Recall is unable to automatically save snapshots, and the setting can’t be turned on in Settings. We’re working on a fix for this issue.

[Click to Do (Preview)]

  • [REMINDER] The intelligent text actions are now locally moderated to ensure the safety of prompts and responses and has replaced the cloud endpoint. Now that these intelligent text actions are fully local, they are also available in Click to Do in Recall.
  • [REMINDER] If any of your actions on image entities are no longer appearing, please ensure you have the latest updates for the Photos and Paint app from the Microsoft Store.
The following known issues will be fixed in future updates to Windows Insiders:
  • In small cases, Click to Do may fail to launch. Trying again should get Click to Do to launch.
  • There is an issue where images that are used with Click to Do image actions are stuck in your temp folder on your PC. This issue will be fixed in the next flight. You can manually clear your temp folder under C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Temp.
  • We’re investigating reports that the Click to Do icon is incorrectly showing up on non-Copilot+ PCs. If you happen to see this on your non-Copilot+ PC, please file feedback in Feedback Hub and let us know.

[Improved Windows Search]

  • [REMINDER] For improved Windows Search on Copilot+ PCs, it is recommended that you plug in your Copilot+ PC for the initial search indexing to get completed. You can check your search indexing status under Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows.

[Start menu]

  • [NEW] We’re investigating reports that clicking your profile picture isn’t opening the Account Manager for some Insiders after the last flight.

[Task Manager]

  • After adding the new CPU Utility column, you may notice that System Idle Process always shows as 0.
  • The CPU graphs in the Performance page are still using the old CPU utility calculations.

Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel

  • Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel on Windows 11, version 24H2 will receive updates based on Windows 11, version 24H2 via an enablement package (Build 26120.xxxx).
  • Updates delivered to the Beta Channel are in a format that offers a preview of enhancements to servicing technology on Windows 11, version 24H2. To learn more, see Introducing Windows 11 checkpoint cumulative updates | Windows IT Pro Blog.
  • Many features in the Beta Channel are rolled out using Controlled Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel.
  • For Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update*. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your PC over time once they are ready.
  • Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.
  • Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub.
  • Please note that some accessibility features may not work with features like Recall and Click to Do while in preview with Windows Insiders.
  • Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first.
  • Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.
Thanks,
Amanda & Brandon


 Source:



Check Windows Updates


UUP Dump:

64-bit ISO download:

ARM64 ISO download:

 
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It is not fixed at all if MS does not enable the specific CFR.
I have machines with the same Builds, some failing and others not failing. 🤣🤣😵‍💫🤷‍♂️
What is a CFR exactly? Am I correct it's basically a range of keys?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP/7/8/8.1/10/11, Linux, Android, FreeBSD Unix
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-8750H 8th Gen 2.2Ghz up to 4.1Ghz
    Motherboard
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Memory
    64GB using 2x32GB CL16 Mushkin redLine modules
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD 630 & NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB DDR5
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC3266-CG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" 4K Touch UltraHD 3840x2160 made by Sharp
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba KXG60ZNV1T02 NVMe 1TB SSD
    PSU
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Case
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Cooling
    Stock
    Keyboard
    Stock
    Mouse
    SwitftPoint ProPoint
    Internet Speed
    Comcast/XFinity 1.44Gbps/42.5Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft EDGE (Chromium based) & Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender that came with Windows
What is a CFR exactly? Am I correct it's basically a range of keys?
CFR stands for Controlled Feature Rollout, MS does that by enabling or disabling Register Keys. The CFR Keys are stored in the location showing below.


Unfortunately, MS does not publish nor explain the function of each key. 😝🤬🤷‍♂️



1745792153257.webp



Here is one sample of one that is enabled. (EnableState = 2)

1745792270189.webp
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8930
    CPU
    Intel I9-9900K
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 2060
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4k Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe, ADATA SU 800, 2TB HDD
@fg2001gf11F - Thanks, so basically what ViveTool enables. When you mentioned CFR in the other threads, it is when things are broken, I thought it meant they are disabling or breaking systems based on the actual product keys, atleast one search on Google the other day did imply it was the actual product key. Couldn't find it now but thought the Dell Support Assist breaking in build(s) other than Beta for you was because of that. I initially thought it was Code for Federal Regulations which ofcourse would not even remotely apply to Windows. :p
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP/7/8/8.1/10/11, Linux, Android, FreeBSD Unix
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-8750H 8th Gen 2.2Ghz up to 4.1Ghz
    Motherboard
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Memory
    64GB using 2x32GB CL16 Mushkin redLine modules
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD 630 & NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB DDR5
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC3266-CG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" 4K Touch UltraHD 3840x2160 made by Sharp
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba KXG60ZNV1T02 NVMe 1TB SSD
    PSU
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Case
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Cooling
    Stock
    Keyboard
    Stock
    Mouse
    SwitftPoint ProPoint
    Internet Speed
    Comcast/XFinity 1.44Gbps/42.5Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft EDGE (Chromium based) & Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender that came with Windows
@fg2001gf11F - Thanks, so basically what ViveTool enables. When you mentioned CFR in the other threads, it is when things are broken, I thought it meant they are disabling or breaking systems based on the actual product keys, atleast one search on Google the other day did imply it was the actual product key. Couldn't find it now but thought the Dell Support Assist breaking in build(s) other than Beta for you was because of that. I initially thought it was Code for Federal Regulations which ofcourse would not even remotely apply to Windows. :p
Those CFRs are not always accessible with vivetool. Only in some cases.
 
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My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8930
    CPU
    Intel I9-9900K
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 2060
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4k Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe, ADATA SU 800, 2TB HDD
Vivetool feature IDs are 8 digits and they get converted to a CFR key.
CFR keys are usually longer. In the samples I showed earlier, they are 10 digits.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8930
    CPU
    Intel I9-9900K
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 2060
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4k Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe, ADATA SU 800, 2TB HDD
MS uses CFR technology to telemeter functional changes. Improvements marked "Gradual Rollout" require Internet access to activate. I note the updated status of the cumulative updates of CFR keys pushed every month, and use dism to enable these control functions offline. I don’t need to go through MS to enable these improvements.

This is my CFR notes (Spreadsheets), and contains Vivetool public ID and CFR real ID.
Windows 11 23H2 and 24H2 CFR Table
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Just got a comment from the MS Software Engineer: "Thanks - have a repro of the safe mode issue, investigating"
The Safe Mode problem was finally fixed on May 4, 2025, in both Dev and Beta Build 26200.5570 and 26120.3941.
Looks like MS rolled out a fix without any notification.
Safe Mode now works fine on all my machines; it was still failing a week ago right after the updates to the 2 Builds above.

MS blog still shows investigating. 😵‍💫🤷‍♂️
  • [NEW] We’re investigating an issue where core Windows surfaces are not able to load in safe mode (File Explorer, Start menu, and others) after the previous flight.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8930
    CPU
    Intel I9-9900K
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 2060
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4k Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe, ADATA SU 800, 2TB HDD
The Safe Mode problem was finally fixed on May 4, 2025, in both Dev and Beta Build 26200.5570 and 26120.3941.
Looks like MS rolled out a fix without any notification.
Safe Mode now works fine on all my machines; it was still failing a week ago right after the updates to the 2 Builds above.

MS blog still shows investigating. 😵‍💫🤷‍♂️
  • [NEW] We’re investigating an issue where core Windows surfaces are not able to load in safe mode (File Explorer, Start menu, and others) after the previous flight.
I tried Safe Mode in 26120.3941 within the last 2 hours. Safe Mode works but nothing happens with the Start Menu when I click. Had to right click on the start menu in order to restart.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP/7/8/8.1/10/11, Linux, Android, FreeBSD Unix
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-8750H 8th Gen 2.2Ghz up to 4.1Ghz
    Motherboard
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Memory
    64GB using 2x32GB CL16 Mushkin redLine modules
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD 630 & NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB DDR5
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC3266-CG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" 4K Touch UltraHD 3840x2160 made by Sharp
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba KXG60ZNV1T02 NVMe 1TB SSD
    PSU
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Case
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Cooling
    Stock
    Keyboard
    Stock
    Mouse
    SwitftPoint ProPoint
    Internet Speed
    Comcast/XFinity 1.44Gbps/42.5Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft EDGE (Chromium based) & Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender that came with Windows
I tried Safe Mode in 26120.3941 within the last 2 hours. Safe Mode works but nothing happens with the Start Menu when I click. Had to right click on the start menu in order to restart.
Weird. I guess you did not get the fix.
It was failing for me after the updates days ago. but works fine now on both Beta 26120.3941 and Dev 26200.5570. 😉👍🤷‍♂️

1746422580869.webp
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8930
    CPU
    Intel I9-9900K
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 2060
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4k Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe, ADATA SU 800, 2TB HDD

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP/7/8/8.1/10/11, Linux, Android, FreeBSD Unix
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-8750H 8th Gen 2.2Ghz up to 4.1Ghz
    Motherboard
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Memory
    64GB using 2x32GB CL16 Mushkin redLine modules
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD 630 & NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB DDR5
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC3266-CG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" 4K Touch UltraHD 3840x2160 made by Sharp
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba KXG60ZNV1T02 NVMe 1TB SSD
    PSU
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Case
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Cooling
    Stock
    Keyboard
    Stock
    Mouse
    SwitftPoint ProPoint
    Internet Speed
    Comcast/XFinity 1.44Gbps/42.5Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft EDGE (Chromium based) & Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender that came with Windows
Is the start menu the only thing that was broken?
Not the only thing, could not open file explorer and some other functions were not working either.
Now these errors are gone on all my machines and safe mode works fine including MS EDGE. 👍🤷‍♂️

1746423131133.webp
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8930
    CPU
    Intel I9-9900K
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 2060
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4k Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe, ADATA SU 800, 2TB HDD
I tried Safe Mode in 26120.3941 within the last 2 hours. Safe Mode works but nothing happens with the Start Menu when I click.
Weird. I guess you did not get the fix.
Is the start menu the only thing that was broken?
Not the only thing, could not open file explorer and some other functions were not working either.
I have a Dev build 26200.5570 that I haven't used for a few days. I first confirmed that everything was still broken in safe mode. Start doesn't work, and trying to start anything from the taskbar or WinKey+R errors out.

dev - safe mode broken.webp

MS have issued what they call a 'server side' fix. You will (silently) get it when Windows next checks for updates, and it takes effect after a reboot. So I checked for updates then restarted. Safe mode now works correctly.
 
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My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, and 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Also running Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
I have a Dev build 26200.5570 that I haven't used for a few days. I first confirmed that everything was still broken in safe mode. Start doesn't work, and trying to start anything from the taskbar or WinKey+R errors out.


MS have issued what they call a 'server side' fix. You will (silently) get it when Windows next checks for updates, and it takes effect after a reboot. So I checked for updates then restarted. Safe mode now works correctly.
Typical MS, they did not give any notification about the fix, no update in the blog either. MS voodoo magic! 😵‍💫🤣🤷‍♂️


  • [NEW] We’re investigating an issue where core Windows surfaces are not able to load in safe mode (File Explorer, Start menu, and others) after the previous flight.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8930
    CPU
    Intel I9-9900K
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 2060
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4k Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe, ADATA SU 800, 2TB HDD
Typical MS, they did not give any notification about the fix, no update in the blog either. MS voodoo magic! 😵‍💫🤣🤷‍♂️
Having just fixed my Dev machine, I went to do the same on Beta - and got an unexpected surprise....


There's one for Dev too....
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, and 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Also running Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
Having just fixed my Dev machine, I went to do the same on Beta - and got an unexpected surprise....


There's one for Dev too....
I'm updating both. 😉
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8930
    CPU
    Intel I9-9900K
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 2060
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4k Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe, ADATA SU 800, 2TB HDD
Not the only thing, could not open file explorer and some other functions were not working either.
Now these errors are gone on all my machines and safe mode works fine including MS EDGE. 👍🤷‍♂️

View attachment 133015
I tried Safe Mode earlier today in 26120.3941 after enough uptime and Start Menu doesn't work but everything else works, no errors. Ofcourse if the fix is only pushed via Windows Update, I will never see it since I use WAU Manager. Other fixes including the one for Weather were not pushed via Windows Update.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP/7/8/8.1/10/11, Linux, Android, FreeBSD Unix
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-8750H 8th Gen 2.2Ghz up to 4.1Ghz
    Motherboard
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Memory
    64GB using 2x32GB CL16 Mushkin redLine modules
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD 630 & NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB DDR5
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC3266-CG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" 4K Touch UltraHD 3840x2160 made by Sharp
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba KXG60ZNV1T02 NVMe 1TB SSD
    PSU
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Case
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Cooling
    Stock
    Keyboard
    Stock
    Mouse
    SwitftPoint ProPoint
    Internet Speed
    Comcast/XFinity 1.44Gbps/42.5Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft EDGE (Chromium based) & Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender that came with Windows
I tried Safe Mode earlier today in 26120.3941 after enough uptime and Start Menu doesn't work but everything else works, no errors. Ofcourse if the fix is only pushed via Windows Update, I will never see it since I use WAU Manager. Other fixes including the one for Weather were not pushed via Windows Update.
I did not do anything special to get the fix a couple of days ago, I just checked for updates with W.U. and then rebooted. The problems disappeared. 🤷‍♂️
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8930
    CPU
    Intel I9-9900K
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 2060
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4k Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe, ADATA SU 800, 2TB HDD
It could also be I got the fix but it fixed everything else but the Start Menu as the last time I used Safe Mode was with 26120.3863 which was before the Safe Mode problems or maybe the fixes are sent out over time. Previous fixes never required Windows Update as I had not used WU for alteast 6 months, the reason is I don't want to have a current Intel GPU driver installed on top of an existing older version that is pushed by WU. So it's hard to know if checking for WU was how the fix was really recieved or not as a reboot even without checking for WU might have also fixed it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP/7/8/8.1/10/11, Linux, Android, FreeBSD Unix
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-8750H 8th Gen 2.2Ghz up to 4.1Ghz
    Motherboard
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Memory
    64GB using 2x32GB CL16 Mushkin redLine modules
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD 630 & NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB DDR5
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC3266-CG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" 4K Touch UltraHD 3840x2160 made by Sharp
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba KXG60ZNV1T02 NVMe 1TB SSD
    PSU
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Case
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Cooling
    Stock
    Keyboard
    Stock
    Mouse
    SwitftPoint ProPoint
    Internet Speed
    Comcast/XFinity 1.44Gbps/42.5Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft EDGE (Chromium based) & Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender that came with Windows
Also, I was using just the regular Safe Mode, which is option 4 and I turned off Internet in regular mode as I was launching Safe Mode more to use DDU so I was not online, not sure if that is one variable or it could even be that I vivetool enabled things and the start menu looks like this in normal mode:
1746572905256.webp
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP/7/8/8.1/10/11, Linux, Android, FreeBSD Unix
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-8750H 8th Gen 2.2Ghz up to 4.1Ghz
    Motherboard
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Memory
    64GB using 2x32GB CL16 Mushkin redLine modules
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD 630 & NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB DDR5
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC3266-CG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" 4K Touch UltraHD 3840x2160 made by Sharp
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba KXG60ZNV1T02 NVMe 1TB SSD
    PSU
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Case
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Cooling
    Stock
    Keyboard
    Stock
    Mouse
    SwitftPoint ProPoint
    Internet Speed
    Comcast/XFinity 1.44Gbps/42.5Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft EDGE (Chromium based) & Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender that came with Windows
It could also be I got the fix but it fixed everything else but the Start Menu as the last time I used Safe Mode was with 26120.3863 which was before the Safe Mode problems or maybe the fixes are sent out over time. Previous fixes never required Windows Update as I had not used WU for alteast 6 months, the reason is I don't want to have a current Intel GPU driver installed on top of an existing older version that is pushed by WU. So it's hard to know if checking for WU was how the fix was really recieved or not as a reboot even without checking for WU might have also fixed it.
I had the same results on 4 different machines with Build 26120 and Build 26200. That is not a coincidence.
Safe mode works fine on all my machines now. 👍🤷‍♂️
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8930
    CPU
    Intel I9-9900K
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 2060
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4k Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe, ADATA SU 800, 2TB HDD

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