Windows 11 Insider Experimental 26H1 Build Makes Cloud Rebuild Safer

Windows 11 Insider Experimental (26H1) Preview Build 28120.3151 is now available with major Cloud Rebuild improvements, Magnifier upgrades, and several File Explorer fixes.

Microsoft released the new Windows 11 Insider Experimental (26H1) Preview Build 28120.3151 alongside the latest Windows 11 Insider Beta (26H1) Build.

The Experimental build shares some improvements with the Beta release, including changes to Magnifier, but it also expands Microsoft’s new Cloud Rebuild recovery system with features aimed at both regular users and IT administrators.

Cloud Rebuild can now sanitize drives before reinstalling Windows

The biggest addition in Build 28120.3151 affects Cloud Rebuild, Microsoft’s recovery option that performs a complete Windows reinstall.

Microsoft now gives users two options when preparing a system for a rebuild: Remove files and Remove & sanitize files.

The second option uses the storage hardware’s built-in erase capabilities to securely sanitize the drive before Windows gets reinstalled. Microsoft designed this option for situations where a PC will be recycled, returned, transferred to another user, or reassigned inside an organization.

Cloud Rebuild still restores the system to a clean Windows state by performing a complete operating system reinstall.

Microsoft is also expanding the feature for managed PCs. IT administrators can now configure and launch Cloud Rebuild remotely through the Recovery CSP.

Administrators can choose either the current Windows version or specify another supported Windows build when starting the recovery process.

Magnifier gets more precise zoom controls

Microsoft has also improved Windows Magnifier in Experimental Build 28120.3151.

Users can now enter an exact zoom percentage rather than relying only on fixed zoom steps.

Magnifier also includes preset increments ranging from 5% to 400%, making it easier to quickly switch between different magnification levels.

File Explorer remembers more of your preferences

File Explorer receives several usability and reliability improvements in this release.

Microsoft says Explorer now keeps sorting preferences and icon-size settings more consistently when users access folders through different paths or applications.

The address bar also handles paths containing double backslashes and quotation marks, which should help with certain file paths and commands.

Microsoft fixed additional address bar suggestion problems and several rename-related bugs. These include issues involving filename changes where users only modify the capitalization of letters.

Microsoft includes additional reliability fixes

Build 28120.3151 also includes general fixes and reliability improvements across Windows 11.

The Experimental channel gives Microsoft a place to test features that may change significantly before they reach wider Insider audiences, so some of these additions could evolve before reaching production versions of Windows 11.

Users still running Windows 11 25H2 can check the latest Windows 11 Insider Experimental Build available for that version.

Microsoft has also released a separate Windows 11 Insider Beta build with its own recovery and usability improvements.