- Windows 11 builds 26200.9267 and 26100.9267 (KB5120998) are rolling out to the Release Preview channel, with changes expected to arrive in the September 2026 Security Update for versions 24H2 and 25H2.
- The operating system gets major customization upgrades, including a movable and resizable Taskbar and new Start menu size options.
- Windows Search gets interface refinements and more control over web and Microsoft Store suggestions.
- Microsoft begins rolling out Administrator Protection, while File Explorer, Windows Share, Task Manager, networking, and other parts get smaller improvements.
Microsoft is rolling out Windows 11 builds 26200.9267 and 26100.9267 (KB5120998) as part of the upcoming September 2026 Security Update (B release) in the Release Preview channel, bringing a wave of non-security fixes and Windows K2 improvements. The rollout will be available starting September 8, 2026, and the company usually starts the deployment at 1PM Eastern Time.
According to the official changelog, the “2026-08 Preview Update (KB5120998) (26200.9267)” rolls out Taskbar positioning and the ability to change the Taskbar size, which is huge news.
The KB5120998 update also starts rolling out changes to the Start menu that let you change the menu size, choose exactly which sections appear, and hide your name and profile picture.
Furthremore, Microsoft is pushing interface and logic changes for Windows Search, including the ability to disable Bing and Microsoft Store results from the home interface.
The update doesn’t stop there, as the development team is also boosting the launch speed and responsiveness of File Explorer.
Microsoft is finally bringing Administrator Protection. You’ll also find interface updates across the operating system, and improvements for graphics, Task Manager, Setup, Windows Update, Network, input, and cryptography.
Finally, starting with this update, the operating system will no longer include the Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC).
If you want to keep up with every Windows release, including Insider Preview builds and cumulative updates, the Windows Build Tracker has the full timeline.
- What’s new on Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2 update KB5120998
- What’s new on Windows 11 23H2 update (TBD)
- Windows 11 September 2026 Patch Tuesday – Manual installation process
- Windows 11 September 2026 Patch Tuesday – Update history
- Pureinfotech’s Take
What’s new on Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2 update KB5120998
Microsoft is currently rolling out these improvements and fixes as part of the September 2026 Security Update for Windows 11 24H2 and version 25H2.
Taskbar positioning and resizing
The Taskbar is becoming much more flexible, with new options that let you move it to any edge of the screen or shrink it to reclaim valuable space.
You can now place the Taskbar at the bottom, top, left, or right, with tooltips, flyouts, animations, and most customization options, including never combining icons, working in all four positions.
The search box and smaller Taskbar are currently limited to the top and bottom positions. You can change its location under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors > Taskbar position.
Microsoft is also adding a smaller Taskbar option for devices where every pixel of screen space matters. It reduces both the icon size and Taskbar height while keeping Start, Search, and the system tray accessible.
The option is available under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors > Taskbar size. The Taskbar behaviors section is also expanded by default, making these controls easier to find.
Finally, Microsoft has improved the reliability of loading the system tray on non-touch devices.
Start menu new customization
The company is giving the Start menu more control, including new size options and cleaner ways to decide what appears. You can now choose “Small,” “Large,” or “Automatic” (the default) under Settings > Personalization > Start > Start menu size, giving you more control over how much space Start takes up.
The “Recommended” section is also being renamed “Recent,” while a new option lets you hide your name and profile picture from Start.
Microsoft has also redesigned the Start settings page with separate toggles for Pinned, Recent, and All, so you can show or hide each section independently.
Windows Search improvements
Windows Search is getting a useful cleanup that makes results easier to understand before you click anything. The home interface has been simplified to reduce clutter and make recent searches easier to revisit, while results now more clearly identify whether they come from an app, setting, file, web, or Microsoft Store.
Microsoft is also giving users more control over what Search shows. A new option under Settings > Privacy & security > Search lets you decide whether web results and Microsoft Store suggestions appear alongside local results.
The operating system will also automatically index your most-used folders so their files appear faster in future searches. You can control this behavior under Settings > Privacy & security > Search > Automatically find additional relevant locations.
File Explorer speed boost
File Explorer is getting a small but welcome performance boost. The Home page now launches faster and feels more responsive, while the “Recommended” section gains support for touch scrolling, making it easier to swipe through files in its carousel on touch-enabled devices.
Spinner redesign
Windows 11 gets another small visual polish with updated progress indicators that bring a more consistent, modern look to the operating system.
You’ll see the refreshed indicators during startup, sign-in, restart, shutdown, and update installation, replacing some older-looking experiences that have lingered across the desktop.
Windows Share improvements
The Windows Share experience is becoming more useful for work and school accounts, with the ability to discover and install relevant apps directly from the share window. This could make sharing files and content less of a hassle when you need an app that isn’t already installed.
You can control the feature under Settings > System > Share > Show suggested apps in share surfaces.
Administrator Protection finally arrives
Microsoft is beginning to roll out Administrator Protection, a security feature designed to reduce the risk of elevation-of-privilege attacks by keeping administrator rights from remaining freely available. It uses just-in-time privileges for administrative tasks and introduces profile separation to harden the system, although the company notes that it’s not a formal security boundary.
The feature is disabled by default and can be enabled through Microsoft Intune using OMA-URI or Group Policy.
Microsoft first disclosed Administrator Protection in October 2025, and the feature is now beginning to roll out.
Other fixes
This update includes a broad set of reliability improvements and small changes across Windows 11:
- Multiple desktops: Switching between virtual desktops is now smoother and more responsive.
- Graphics: Navigation and interaction to the “Display” settings page are more reliable, while your previous brightness setting now persists after Energy Saver turns off.
- Task Manager: Improved reliability when displaying app history information.
- Windows Setup: Selecting a secondary keyboard is now more streamlined, including an easier way to skip it when unnecessary.
- Get Started app: Gains new App install, Site pinning, and Theme pages.
- Windows Update: PCs manually put to sleep now return to sleep after completing an update, even when automatic sleep is set to Never.
- Network: Windows is more resilient against VPN-related background issues that can cause processes to stop responding, while netsh wlan show wlanreport now provides improved output for Japanese users.
- Input: Japanese IME typing is more reliable with fewer potential hangs, and voice typing settings for automatic punctuation and the launcher are now better preserved.
- Cryptography: ML-KEM post-quantum cryptography can now be used as a standalone algorithm for TLS key exchange, alongside the hybrid groups introduced previously.
Finally, Microsoft is now removing the Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) utility from Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 starting with this rollout. WMIC had already been removed by default from new installations and is no longer available as a Feature on Demand (FoD).
The important distinction is that this does not remove Windows Management Instrumentation itself. WMI remains fully supported, so apps and scripts that rely on WMI can continue to work. The change only removes the older WMIC command-line utility.
What’s new on Windows 11 23H2 update (TBD)
The company has also released security fixes and improvements for Windows 11 23H2:
- TBD
Also, this version of the operating system won’t receive any new features, as this release has reached the end of support.
Windows 11 September 2026 Patch Tuesday – Manual installation process
Since there’s always a chance of problems during and after applying a quality update, it’s recommended to prepare your computer by creating a restore point and a full backup before proceeding with the installation.
To download and install this Windows 11 update, open the “Windows Update” settings, and from the Windows Insider Program page, enroll your computer in the Release Preview channel, and then turn on the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” toggle switch from the main “Windows Update” page, and click the “Check for Updates” button.
Why the August preview becomes the September update
Microsoft develops system updates in stages, which can make the naming and release dates confusing. The changes for a specific month’s update typically begin appearing in the Release Preview channel during the previous month. The same update then moves to the Stable Channel as an optional non-security update, usually near the end of the month, before becoming the final security update on the following month’s Patch Tuesday.
For example, the changes previewed in August 2026 are part of the September 2026 update. Microsoft first tests them through the Release Preview Channel, then offers them as an optional update in the Stable Channel, and finally rolls them into the September 8 Patch Tuesday update. The final release includes the changes from those earlier stages, along with any additional fixes and security updates.
This means an update can appear in August without being the August update. In this case, the August Release Preview build is previewing what will become the September 2026 update.
Windows 11 September 2026 Patch Tuesday – Update history
- Initial Release – Release Preview Channel:
- Windows 11 25H2 build 26200.9267 release date: August 14, 2026. Official notes.
- Windows 11 24H2 build 26100.9267 release date: August 14, 2026. (same).
- Second Release – Optional Install (Stable Channel):
- Windows 11 25H2 build 26200.xxxx release date: TBD, 2026. Official notes.
- Windows 11 24H2 build 26100.xxxx release date: TBD, 2026. (same).
- Final Release – Patch Tuesday (Stable Channel):
- Windows 11 25H2 build 26200.xxxx release date: September 8, 2026. Official notes.
- Windows 11 24H2 build 26100.xxxx release date: September 8, 2026. (same).
- Windows 11 23H2 build 22631.xxxx release date: September 8, 2026. Official notes.
Pureinfotech’s Take
I’ve been waiting for Microsoft to loosen some of the restrictions around the Windows 11 interface, so the Taskbar changes are easily my favorite part of this update. Being able to put it where I want and make it smaller is the kind of basic control that shouldn’t have taken this long to return.
Which Windows 11 change are you most excited about?
Voting closes: September 15, 2026 1:00 pm
The rest of the update is more about refinement, which is just as important. Microsoft is improving several areas that I use regularly instead of adding another collection of features that most people will never touch. I also like seeing Administrator Protection finally move into rollout after being disclosed much earlier.
I wouldn’t rush to install the update before the final release, but once it’s available, I’ll be using several of these changes myself.
What do you think about the improvements coming in this Windows 11 update? Let me know in the comments.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert and founder of Pureinfotech in 2010. With over 23 years as a technology writer and IT Specialist, Mauro specializes in Windows, software, and cross-platform systems such as Linux, Android, and macOS.
Certifications: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), and CompTIA A+ and Network+.
Mauro is a recognized Microsoft MVP and has also been a long-time contributor to Windows Central.
You can follow him on YouTube, Threads, BlueSky, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].
