Windows 11 Beta Update Improves Smart Card Security and File Explorer

Microsoft has rolled out a new Windows 11 Insider Preview build for Beta Channel testers, bringing a handful of security improvements and bug fixes. While this release doesn’t introduce major new user-facing features, it includes an important enhancement for enterprise customers using Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365, along with several quality improvements across File Explorer, the taskbar, and system sounds.

The latest update, Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.8754, focuses on improving reliability while also strengthening security for organizations that rely on Microsoft Entra ID authentication.

Smarter smart card security for remote Windows sessions

The biggest addition in Build 26220.8754 is a new smart card removal policy for enterprise environments.

Administrators can now configure Microsoft Entra ID-authenticated remote desktop sessions to automatically disconnect when a redirected smart card is removed. The feature applies to Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 sessions that use RDS AAD Auth authentication.

According to Microsoft, the change helps organizations better meet security and compliance requirements by ensuring authenticated remote sessions do not remain active after a user’s smart card has been removed.

File Explorer and taskbar fixes

File Explorer now correctly handles the OneDrive shortcut when the application is running with administrator privileges. Previously, some users found that the OneDrive shortcut stopped working under those conditions.

The company also improved the reliability of loading the system tray area on the taskbar, reducing cases where tray icons or related elements failed to appear correctly.

Better system sounds in dark mode

Another small but noticeable improvement affects Windows audio.

Microsoft says it has refined system sounds when Windows is running in dark mode. While the company did not provide technical details about the changes, the update is intended to deliver a more polished overall experience.

Although the update is relatively small, it continues Microsoft’s focus on polishing Windows 11 while introducing incremental improvements for enterprise deployments.

In other news, Windows 11 26H2 may be much smaller than expected for users already running recent Windows 11 releases. Microsoft has also updated PowerPoint with new features designed to make creating brand presentations easier.