Windows 11 25H2, 26H2 KB5127936 Preview Update Released With Multiple New Features & Fixes

In addition to the Windows 11 26H1 KB5127653 preview update, Microsoft has also released KB5127936 for Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 26H2, which bumps the system builds to 26200.9818 and 26300.9818, respectively. Similar to the Windows 11 26H1 preview update, the one released for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2 also includes a long list of changes and improvements. For starters, the update introduces a customizable File Explorer context menu, improved accessibility tools, and a new Cloud rebuild option. It also fixes several problems affecting Remote Desktop, audio, VPN connections, and more. Here’s everything in detail.

File Explorer gets a major context menu upgrade with the KB5127936 preview

The biggest visible change in Windows 11 KB5127936 is the redesigned File Explorer context menu. It opens faster, reduces clutter, and lets users choose which commands and app extensions appear. You can enable or disable built-in commands, add options such as Print, and move extensions into submenus. The menu also lets you display Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename, Delete, and Share directly. Properties moves to the bottom, while a new Customize menu option opens its settings page.

File Explorer search results now display file names, locations, and dates in a consistent layout. The address bar also supports the ~ shortcut for navigating to your user profile folders. Dark mode support is finally arriving in the Folder Options dialog.

Windows 11 KB5127936 improves accessibility and everyday controls

Magnifier receives several useful upgrades, including a contrast theme that reduces glare without changing original image colors. It also supports separate zoom levels for individual monitors and lets users lock magnified views to specific displays.

Live Captions gains an option to include screen reader audio, although it remains disabled by default. Narrator can now read and navigate mathematical equations in supported Microsoft 365 apps, Edge, and Chrome. The update also improves taskbar preview animations and preserves multi-monitor taskbar settings more reliably.

Phone Link users can preview recent messages and notifications directly from Start by hovering over them. Meanwhile, Xbox mode gets a refreshed Gaming Task View with quicker access to desktop and power options.

Cloud rebuild makes Windows recovery more flexible

Windows 11 KB5127936 introduces Cloud rebuild, which reinstalls Windows using an image and drivers downloaded from Windows Update. It works even when Windows cannot start, removing the need for USB installation media or custom images.

Users can choose to remove personal files or securely erase data before reinstalling Windows. The secure sanitization option is irreversible, so review the warning carefully. Administrators can also initiate Cloud rebuild remotely through the Recovery CSP.

Windows Recovery can now reuse eligible saved Wi-Fi profiles, including supported certificate-based networks. This helps devices connect during recovery without requiring separately configured Wi-Fi credentials. The update also adds a Restore Summary after restoring Windows settings and Microsoft Store apps to a new device.

More security, networking, and battery improvements

Microsoft is expanding memory integrity protection across eligible devices during updates, while respecting existing user and administrator choices. Adaptive hibernation also changes its behavior, reducing hibernation above 80% battery and triggering it sooner below 10%.

The update adds IPv6 CLAT support for Wi-Fi and Ethernet, helping IPv4-only applications work on IPv6-only networks. However, it requires SLAAC-based IPv6 addressing and does not currently support DHCPv6 Prefix Delegation or WSL.

Windows 11 KB5127936 also introduces Unicode 17.0 text-shaping support, covering 4,803 new characters and four scripts. Windows Spotlight receives underlying reliability improvements, while Family Safety messaging becomes clearer when parental controls block age-restricted applications.

Microsoft also warns that prompt-based DPAPI protection and unprotection will retire in April 2027. Developers should migrate existing prompt-protected data before retirement. Non-interactive DPAPI operations remain unaffected.

Faster Edge and a long list of fixes

Microsoft Edge now supports Accelerated App Launch on Windows 11 versions 25H2, 26H2, and 26H1. Edge version 150 or later is required, with improvements particularly noticeable when the device is under heavy load. The latest KB5127936 update also fixes Remote Desktop failures involving non-admin users and Administrator protection. It resolves an Intune policy configuration issue and restores the ability to enable Smart App Control after disabling it.

Other fixes address HDMI and DisplayPort audio failures on certain AMD graphics cards, Windows Sandbox crashes showing error 0x80370106, and TPM attestation certificate enrollment failures. BitLocker pre-boot PIN handling also improves to prevent unintended retries from triggering TPM lockouts.

The update fixes Always On VPN connections that remain stuck connecting or report that a port is already in use. It also restores WSL2 nested virtualization support on AMD processors and addresses a startup issue involving Application Control policies. Finally, Windows PowerShell and its ISE now include version 5.1 in their names, although some existing shortcuts may retain their previous labels. Supported PIV smart cards gain RSA-3072 key support.