Windows 11 build 22000.120 out with new features

Windows 11 gets a new update with visual improvements and a slew of fixes – here's all you need to know.

Windows 11 build 22000.120
Windows 11 build 22000.120
  • Windows 11 build 22000.120 is now available in the Dev and Beta Channels.
  • The update brings a new Family widget and tweaks for File Explorer, taskbar, and settings.

Microsoft is now rolling out Windows 11 build 22000.120 (KB5005188) for compatible devices enrolled in the Dev and Beta Channels of the Windows Insider Program. This is the fourth release since the announcement of the new version, and it is a small update with some visual changes and a slew of fixes. (See also this YouTube video review of the latest flight of Windows 11.)

According to the announcement, Windows 11 build 22000.120 introduces a new Family widget, brings badge notification for Chat, and adds tweaks to the taskbar, Desktops, Settings, and File Explorer. Also, there are a bunch of fixes for many of the system components.

Windows 10 build 22000.120 changes

As part of the build 2200.120, this Windows 11 preview adds a new Family widget for Microsoft accounts that allows you to view recent activity from members of your family group in the Widgets interface (Windows key + W keyboard shortcut).

Family widget
Family widget

In the taskbar experience, the Chat icon now supports badge notifications. When hovering over an app, the preview will show an improved close button. And when using “ALT + Tab,” “Task view,” and snap assist, the preview makes better use of the space.

When changing backgrounds for “Desktops,” even if Settings is already open, if you use the “Choose Background” option through the Task view experience will now force Settings to move to the Desktop you are on.

The Settings app’s “Identify” button on the Display page is now located under the area to arrange the monitors.

File Explorer is also getting a few tweaks, including a more compact context menu when using the experience with the mouse.

File Explorer new menu
File Explorer new menu

You will now find a “New” button in the command bar that allows you to more easily view and select the items you have to create, like Folder, Shortcut, Text Document, and more.

Windows 11 build 22000.120 fixes

These are all the fixes rolling out the update KB5005188 for devices in the Dev Channel:

Fixes for taskbar:

  • The virtual touchpad is now available again to be enabled in Taskbar Settings.
  • The Task View flyout will no longer dismiss when you start typing when attempting to rename your Desktops.
  • The Task View flyout should now display in the correct direction for Insiders using the Arabic or Hebrew display language.
  • When Cortana is set up for voice activation, hovering over the microphone icon in the Taskbar corner will now say “Your assistant is ready to respond” instead of “Host process for Windows Services”.
  • DPI changes should no longer cause icon duplication and overlapping in the Taskbar corner.
  • Adjusted the calendar flyout header spacing to give a bit more room in response to feedback that the days of the week were wrapping in some languages.
  • Fixed an issue where if you updated your preferred first day of the week, it wouldn’t be reflected in the calendar flyout until you signed out and back in.
  • Your preferred calendar flyout state (expanded or collapsed) should now persist a reboot.
  • Fixed a race condition for Insiders will multiple monitors related to the Taskbar that was causing the Start menu to fly up into the corner of the screen, and explorer.exe to crash when you tried hovering over the Task View button on secondary monitors.
  • Mitigated an issue that could trigger an explorer.exe crash loop for Insiders running Windows with multiple monitors.
  • Fixed the explorer.exe crash loop for Turkish Insiders.
  • Clicking the Widgets icon on your secondary monitor should now open widgets on that monitor instead of your primary one.
  • Right-clicking on the Taskbar with a pen should no longer cause a crash.
  • Addressed an issue that was making app icons in the Taskbar blurry for some Insiders.
  • Fixed an issue where app icons in the Taskbar could become stuck in a blank state when loading.
  • Fixed an issue that was making explorer.exe crash when clicking the Task View button.
  • Fixed an issue where the Chat window was getting stuck on the screen.
  • Clicking Chat on a secondary monitor should now launch it in the correct position and DPI.
  • Addressed a problem where the Taskbar preview windows were getting stuck on the screen and not dismissing when you clicked something else.
  • Fixed an issue where pressing F7 with focus set to the Taskbar would lock up the taskbar.
  • If you press “Windows key + B” followed by the arrow keys, you will now be able to navigate to all the elements in the taskbar corner without needing to press Tab first.
  • Badges on the app icons on secondary monitors should now be in sync with what’s showing on the primary monitor.

Fixes for Settings:

  • Settings will no longer crash when clicking “Facial recognition (Windows Hello)” under Sign-in Settings when Windows Hello is already set up.
  • Fixed an issue wherein navigating to Settings > Network & Internet > Ethernet could unexpectedly change the network profile type.
  • Addressed a problem where setting your IP address in Network Settings wasn’t working in certain cases.
  • Editing your VPN proxy details in Settings should no longer cause Settings to crash.
  • Fixed another issue causing Power & Battery Settings to crash.
  • Fixed an issue that could make Settings crash specifically if you went to look at the 7-day battery usage graph in Power & Battery Settings.
  • The progress bars in Settings are now properly accent colored.
  • Saving custom themes in Personalization Settings should now work.
  • Hooked up some Get Help links that stopped pointing to specific guidance after the Settings updates introduced in Windows 11.
  • Hovering over the toggle switches in Settings will no longer make them disappear.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause search in Settings to be in a permanently broken state, saying “No result” for every search.
  • Fixed a problem where you would see a big solid accent color area while resizing the Settings window.
  • Settings should no longer flash green on launch.
  • Fixed an issue that was causing random crashes on Settings pages with lists, as well as an issue causing random crashes on Settings pages with radio buttons.
  • Links to specific Settings pages will now properly navigate to the correct page in Settings when Settings isn’t already open.
  • Your profile picture in Settings should no longer have an unexpected square backplate when transparency is enabled.
  • Added in the missing progress bar when uninstalling apps under Apps & Features in Settings.
  • Icons in the volume mixer in Sound Settings should no longer become overlapped.
  • In-bound Bluetooth PIN pairing in Settings should work again now.
  • If you click “Advanced Options” at the top of the page while navigating through Windows Update Settings, it should now actually open Advanced Options.
  • Addressed a problem for the volume and brightness sliders becoming unexpectedly tiny if all other settings were removed from Quick Settings.
  • Going from one of the subpages of Quick Settings over to the input flyout should no longer cause a crash.
  • If you use the Accessibility section of Quick Settings, the toggles should now show the correct state of each feature.
  • If you press Windows key + P to go directly to Project within Quick Settings, the arrow keys now work to navigate up and down the list.
  • Fixed an issue that was causing some thumbnails to be randomly squished in the media control above Quick Settings.
  • Addressed an issue with Focus Assist turning on unexpectedly when viewing the desktop.

Fixes for File Explorer:

  • Fixed an issue resulting in File Explorer unexpectedly not showing an updated scroll bar when in dark mode.
  • Addressed a GDI handle leak related to context menu usage resulting in sluggishness across File Explorer after prolonged usage.
  • Fixed a memory leak which was impacting File Explorer, increasing each time more File Explorer windows were opened.
  • Also made a change related to the command bar in File Explorer that was resulting in an increased thread count every time a new File Explorer window was opened that would continually grow, consuming resources.
  • Fixed a high-hitting explorer.exe crash related to the use of Acrylic in File Explorer’s context menus.
  • Fixed an issue making the focus rectangle unexpectedly appear when using the mouse to interact with File Explorer’s command bar.
  • The context menu shouldn’t flicker anymore if you hover over it when Contrast themes are enabled.
  • The context menu should no longer unexpectedly get clipped on the side, not rendering completely.
  • Right-clicking the bottom corner of the desktop shows no longer causes the context menu to open at the top of the screen.
  • Fixed a problem for a scrollbar appearing in the context menu and explorer.exe crashing when you tried to interact with it.
  • Made a change to help make the radio buttons in File Explorer’s File Options a little more obvious when they’re in the selected state.
  • Clicking the rename button in the command bar should no longer randomly show the Open With dialog sometimes.
  • Fixed an issue that was making some of the file operation dialogs have unreadable button text in dark mode (for example, “File in Use” and “Destination Folder Access Denied”).

Fixes for Start menu:

  • Rapidly pressing the Windows key multiple times should no longer crash Start.
  • Made a change to help improve Start menu launch performance.
  • Fixed an issue where if you clicked on one of the files in Recommended, it was opening the file in an unexpected app in some cases.
  • Made a change to address an issue where Search was sometimes randomly flashing on top of Start when opening Start.

Fixes for Search:

  • Hovering over the Search icon should no longer cause a crash when the recent searches have been updated.
  • When hovering over the Search icon the window should no longer become clipped.

Fixes for windows:

  • Connecting and disconnecting to a computer over Remote Desktop, and switching users should no longer make all your open apps unexpectedly minimize.
  • Addressed a high-hitting explorer.exe crash when snapping certain apps on a system with mixed DPI monitors.
  • When the snap layouts window is visible after hovering on the maximize button of an app it should now dismiss more reliably now when you move your mouse away.
  • Fixed an issue that was making explorer.exe crash sometimes if you docked or undocked your PC with snapped windows.
  • Window frames should no longer get stuck on the screen when closing windows.
  • Fixed an issue that was making windows unexpectedly open on the wrong Desktop when they shouldn’t.
  • Disabled animation when switching Desktops using the keyboard shortcuts as it was leading to flashes and hangs.
  • When maximizing certain windows, like File Explorer, the border should no longer low over to secondary monitors.
  • Addressed an issue that was causing screen readers to unexpectedly say “DesktopWindowXamlSource” when using ALT + Tab.
  • Improved the sensitivity when using the touchpad gesture to invoke ALT + Tab and switch apps.
  • Addressed a problem with snap assists not appearing on the previous flight.

Fixes for Windows Security:

  • Windows Hello Face should work as expected.
  • The button text in the UAC dialog should now correctly say Yes and No again for Insiders not using EN-US.
  • Fixed an issue that was making the UAC dialog launch in the background for apps pinned to the Taskbar in certain scenarios.
  • Fixed a problem in Windows Security where the “Automatic sample submission” feature was unexpectedly turned off when you restarted your device is rolling out.
  • Mitigated an issue resulting in some Insiders seeing a repeated logonui.exe crash.
  • Mitigated a deadlock that could result in your PC getting stuck at a black screen when unlocking your PC, and a separate crash that was making some Insiders see a black screen for a few seconds after logging in.
  • Fixed an issue that was making explorer.exe crash for some Insiders when logging in for the first time after booting their PC.
  • Improved visibility of login screen elements when using high contrast.
  • Logging in or locking your PC should no longer cause full-screen white or accent-colored flashes.

Fixes for Input:

  • Fixed an issue related to tooltips that was making clicks happen in the wrong place across the system, for example when interacting with icons on the desktop.
  • The touch keyboard should no longer get clipped after rotating the screen orientation when docked.
  • Fixed an issue that was causing explorer.exe to crash sometimes when changing focus between apps while using a third-party IME.
  • Mitigated an issue that is believed to be causing certain hardware keys and buttons to not work on some devices, including the function keys.
  • Mitigated a race condition that could result in certain devices unexpectedly waking from sleep if the touchpad was used to click the Sleep option in Start.

General fixes:

  • Fixed an issue that could lead to PCs bug checking while sleeping.
  • Fixed an issue that was causing stuttering if you tried to play a game while the Xbox Game Bar performance monitor was pinned on the screen.
  • Mitigated an issue that could result in stutter or fps drop for Insiders when moving the mouse in certain games.
  • Fixed an issue where the boot menu wasn’t identifying Windows 11 correctly.
  • Addressed an issue believed to be causing a number of unexpected UI issues in the previous flight, including semi-transparent and unreadable dialogs, z-ordering issues, large, shadowed areas getting stuck on the screen. and backward text in context menus for Arabic and Hebrew Insiders.
  • Addressed an issue where windows created while transparency was disabled would become stuck in a solid color instead of becoming acrylic when transparency was enabled.
  • Remove the unexpected white artifacts in the corners of windows when using dark mode.
  • Right-clicking multiple times in certain apps like Task Manager will no longer make the context menu frame change from rounded to square.
  • Fixed a focus issue that was making the window immediately dismiss after pressing ALT + F4 on the desktop.
  • Mitigated an issue that was resulting in unexpectedly needing to re-pair certain connected devices after rebooting.
  • Mitigated an explorer.exe deadlock that could happen when reordering your Desktops.
  • Addressed an issue that was resulting in Microsoft Store appearing to download app updates that were already installed on the PC.
  • Fixed an issue that was resulting in some Insiders experiencing bugchecks, in particular when playing games.

Known issues found in build 22000.120

These are all the known issues for update KB5005188:

  • Start: You might be unable to enter text when using Search from Start or the Taskbar. System and Windows Terminal are missing when right-clicking on the Start button (Windows key + X).
  • Taskbar: The experience will sometimes flicker when switching input methods.
  • Search: After clicking the Search icon on the Taskbar, the Search panel may not open. When you hover your mouse over the Search icon on the Taskbar, recent searches may not be displayed. And the Search panel might appear black and not display any content below the search box.
  • Widgets: The widgets board may appear empty. Launching links from the widgets board may not invoke apps to the foreground. Widgets may be displayed in the wrong size on external monitors. For the new Family widget, some users may see a ‘connect a device to see screen time activity’ message even with screen time settings enable, and the location information may not be available for some users on iOS.
  • Windows Sandbox: The taskbar will crash continuously in Windows Sandbox.
  • Localization: There is an issue where some Insiders may be missing translations from their user experience for a small subset of languages running the latest Insider Preview builds. 

Installing Windows 11 build 22000.120

If you want to download and install the Windows 11 build 22000.120 (KB5005188), you need to enroll your device in the Dev Channel using the “Windows Insider Program” settings from the “Update & Security” section.

Once you enroll the computer in the program, you can download build 22000.120 from the “Windows Update” settings by clicking the Check for Updates button. However, you will need a device that meets the minimum system requirements to receive the update if you are new to the Windows Insider Program.

If you are an existing Insider, you can upgrade to the first preview of Windows 11 without restrictions. But, if your computer doesn’t meet the minimum requirements, you won’t be able to install the final version when the new OS releases.

In the case that your computer meets the minimum requirements, then you will continue to be able to test the preview of Windows 11.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].