- Windows 11 build 25201 is now available in the Dev Channel.
- The preview introduces an updated version of the Widgets board with full-screen mode.
- Also, this build includes a slew of fixes and improvements.
Microsoft is now rolling out Windows 11 build 25201 for devices enrolled in the Dev Channel of the Windows Insider Program. The preview brings updates for existing features and several fixes and improvements.
Build 25201 for Windows 11, according to the official changes, updates the Widgets board with a new full-screen mode. Also, the Game Pass widget revises some improvements. Furthermore, File Explorer shows results as you type in the search box, and this rollout brings several fixes for Taskbar, Input, Widgets, Task Manager, and more.
Although the official ISO file isn’t available, you can still download the latest image for build 25201 using the UUP Dump tool.
Windows 11 build 25201
Here are all the new features and improvements for the latest release of Windows 11 in the Dev Channel:
Full-screen Widgets board
On build 25201, Windows 11 introduces a new option to expand the Widgets board across the desktop to get access to more content. The option is located next to the profile menu, and you can use it to expand and collapse the board.
If you expand the Widgets board, the system will remember the settings, which means that if you want the traditional flyout, you will need to click the button again to collapse the interface.
In addition, Microsoft is updating the Game Pass widget with a new option to sign in with your Xbox account to view content based on your preferences. The widget will also show the most recent set of Game Pass titles you have played on your computer.
File Explorer
This update also updates File Explorer with the ability to show results as you type. The full search results page will update live without needing to press the Enter key. Also, the file manager is testing adding more cloud files to search results from “Home.”
As for fixes, as a one-time change to help people find their folders with the navigation pane updates, if the default folders pinned to the navigation pane had been unpinned, they will be re-pinned after upgrading.
Also, Microsoft has fixed a memory leak that was happening when closing the app.
Fixes and improvements
In addition, this flight includes various fixes for File Explorer, Taskbar, Settings, Task Manager, and more.
Taskbar
The apps in the taskbar overflow flyout should now be in the correct order when using an Arabic or Hebrew display language.
Input
- Fixed an issue where if you hadn’t already opened OneNote once, using the pen click to invoke OneNote wouldn’t work.
- Made a change to help address an issue where it wasn’t possible to use the Pinyin IME to type in the chat box of certain games.
Widgets
Fixed the issue where in some cases, the notification banner for some badging would not appear in the widgets board.
Windowing
- Fixed an issue where explorer.exe was crashing if you dragged a snap group in Task View and dropped it into another Desktop.
- Fixed an issue related to interacting with the Desktops flyout in the taskbar which was causing periodic explorer.exe crashes.
- Fixed a DWM crash in the last few flights which could lead to a brief black screen when rotating a tablet.
- Fixed a rare issue which could cause a DWM crash when watching videos in certain UWP apps in recent builds.
Task Manager
- Fixed an issue impacting Task Manager reliability.
Settings
- Fixed an issue which was causing sporadic Settings app crashes.
- Removed an erroneous white pixel in the icon animation when clicking the Apps category in Settings.
Other changes
- Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to unexpectedly get the message “it is not possible to connect to this network” when connecting to certain Wi-Fi networks recently, although the network was working with other devices.
- Fixed an issue which could lead to Windows Sandbox opening to just a black window on certain PCs.
- Fixed the issue in the last few flights causing a bugcheck when moving your mouse in certain games.
In this release, there are also a bunch of known issues with File Explorer, Tablet-optimized Taskbar, Settings, Widgets, and more.
Install build 25201
If you want to download and install the Windows 11 build 25201, enroll your device in the Dev Channel using the “Windows Insider Program” settings from the “Windows Update” section.
Once you enroll the computer in the program, you can download build 25201 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.
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].