Microsoft has issued the KB5101684 preview cumulative update for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. This release contains 42 bug fixes and further feature improvements for the operating system.

The KB5101684 update forms part of the company's optional non-security preview update schedule. These updates appear at the end of each month to test new fixes and features ahead of the following month's Patch Tuesday.

Unlike standard Patch Tuesday cumulative updates, these monthly non-security preview releases exclude security updates and remain optional for users.

Users can install the KB5101684 update by opening Settings, selecting Windows Update, and then choosing Check for Updates.

As this is an optional update, a prompt will appear asking whether to proceed with installation via the Download and install link. If the option Get the latest updates as soon as they are available is enabled, the update installs automatically.

Users may also download and install the KB5101684 preview update manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Windows 11 KB5101684 Highlights

After installation, this optional cumulative release updates Windows 11 24H2 systems to build 26100.8973 and Windows 11 25H2 to build 26200.8973.

The July 2026 preview update includes numerous fixes and improvements. These address File History backups failing with false invalid credential errors, newly enrolled devices remaining in a noncompliant state, and files on DFS mapped drives being incorrectly marked as originating from the Internet.

Microsoft is gradually rolling out several new features. These include improved File Explorer navigation, more suitable file size indicators using KB, MB, and GB units, enhanced search results for misspelled or partial app names, and new precision touchpad controls for scrolling and zooming.

One notable addition is Voice Isolation support for Voice Access. This feature filters out other speakers and background noise to improve speech recognition. Users can select options to remove only non-speech background sounds or disable filtering entirely.

Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security is expanding to supported external fingerprint readers. This allows desktop and other Windows 11 users to employ compatible peripheral sensors for more secure authentication.

The following features are rolling out immediately to all Windows 11 users:

Secure Boot
- This update includes additional high-confidence device targeting data, increasing coverage of devices eligible to automatically receive new Secure Boot certificates. Certificate deployment via Windows updates continues across supported PCs and non-managed business devices in the coming months.
App
- This update improves the stability of Office applications used in virtualized environments. Users should experience a more reliable experience when working with and closing Office apps.
File Explorer
- This update addresses an issue where files stored on a DFS mapped drive could be incorrectly treated as originating from the Internet after the device started while disconnected from the network and later reconnected. This could cause File Explorer's Preview Pane to display the message The file you are attempting to preview could harm your computer or cause files copied from the DFS drive to receive an unexpected Mark of the Web.
Mobile device management (MDM)
- This update addresses an issue affecting newly provisioned or newly recovered Windows devices running versions of Windows released on or after July 14, 2026 (KB5101650). After enrollment in a mobile device management service such as Microsoft Intune, affected devices could remain in an incorrect noncompliant state and be unable to access corporate resources.
Storage
- This update fixes an issue that affects File History automatic backups to network shares using Server Message Block (SMB). Backups did not work because Windows showed a false invalid credentials error when connecting to SMB shares.

Microsoft is also gradually rolling out the following features to users after installing the update:

File Explorer
- File sizes in the Details view now display using appropriate units (KB, MB, GB) instead of KB-only, making them easier to understand at a glance.
- Middle-clicking to open a folder in a new tab is now supported in the Address Bar and the Home page for a more consistent and efficient tabbed navigation experience across File Explorer.
- This update eliminates a grey flash on load and unexpected scrolling to the top on the Home page in certain cases.
- This update improves the appearance of file thumbnails in the Recommended section on the Home page so they are crisper and easier to read.
Windows Search
- This update improves app search to better handle typos and partial app names when finding installed apps.
- This update improves Settings relevance to surface more useful settings higher in search results.
Voice Access
- New! This update adds Voice Isolation to Voice Access, helping it better recognize your voice by reducing interference from other speakers and background noise. Voice Access now offers three speech recognition modes under Voice Access settings, Improve speech recognition: Voice Isolation filters out other speakers and background noise (one-time voice setup required); Remove background noise only filters out non-speech sounds like typing or door slams (no additional setup needed); No filtering uses default microphone input with no additional processing. To set up Voice Isolation, go to Voice Access settings, Improve speech recognition, and select Voice Isolation.
- New! This update adds Korean language support for voice access.
- This update improves the reliability of starting Voice Access.
Widgets
- New! Taskbar notification badges now use your Windows accent color instead of appearing red, helping reduce unnecessary attention-grabbing alerts.
- New! This update also simplifies the Lock screen Widgets experience. For new users, Weather is now the only widget shown on the Lock screen by default.
Touchpad
- New! New gesture controls for precision touchpads are available in Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Touchpad: Scroll and zoom speed adjusts the baseline speed for scroll and zoom gestures; Accelerated scrolling allows faster movement the more you repeat the gesture, so you can move quickly through long documents.
Start menu
- The update improves the reliability of Start menu view preferences, ensuring your selected view is retained.
- This update improves keyboard navigation when keyboard focus was set to the apps list within Start menu.
Voice Typing
- Fluid dictation is now off by default for new users. A teaching tip is also available when the feature is used for the first time.
Input
- This update improves persistence of mouse cursor size.
Windowing
- This update ensures system dialogs open at the appropriate size on small tablets.
Accessibility
- This update improves the Magnifier experience on touch-enabled devices. The horizontal and vertical touch bars used to pan the magnified view are now off by default, so they no longer obstruct magnified content. If you use touch to pan, you can turn the bars back on in Settings, Accessibility, Magnifier.
Windows Hello
- New! Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) now supports peripheral fingerprint sensors. This update extends this secure sign-in option beyond devices with built-in fingerprint sensors to include desktops and other Windows 11 PCs, including Copilot+ PCs. To get started, plug in a supported ESS fingerprint reader, go to Settings, Accounts, Sign in options, and follow the prompts to enroll. This feature was previously disclosed in January 2026 (KB5074105) and is now beginning to roll out.
Fonts
- This update restores support for Unicode variation sequences in the Myanmar Text font.
- This update improves character shaping and rendering for Mongolian Baiti font, providing more accurate and consistent text display.
Account Control
- This update refreshes the design of the Start menu account control and adds a badge that displays your subscription status. To view your account control, open the Start menu and select your account picture in the lower-left corner. This experience is available for users signed in with a Microsoft account.
Taskbar
- This update improves the reliability of loading the system tray area of the taskbar when using the taskbar on touch devices in a tablet posture.
AI Component
- This update allows you to remove the Image Generation AI component from supported Copilot+ PCs where the component is installed.
Windows Setup
- This update adds a parental controls notice during Windows setup that highlights available family safety features.
Power and Battery
- This update improves the reliability of power settings by applying changes made in Settings to all power plans. This includes display, sleep, hibernate, power button, sleep button, and lid-close settings, helping ensure your preferences are consistently maintained.
- This update restores the ability to set a threshold for when energy saver should enable within Settings, System, Power and Battery.
Windows Update
- This update improves the calculation of update progress in Windows Update Settings.
- This update includes changes to update clean-up logic to improve system performance immediately following an update.
Sounds
- This update improves system sounds when using Windows in dark mode.
Date and Time
- This update improves detection for triggering time zone change notifications.
- This update improves daylight saving time (DST) data accuracy for Middle East Standard Time (Beirut), Morocco Standard Time (Casablanca), Israel Standard Time (Jerusalem), and Greenland Standard Time (Nuuk).
Network
- This update improves the reliability of DHCP renewals in a few scenarios, particularly in the case of NACKs received from the DHCP server, as well as on devices that use Modern Standby.
Print
- This update improves print time performance (page per minute) for IPPS (Internet Printing Protocol Secure) printers.
Clipboard
- This update improves clipboard reliability in some Remote Desktop and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) scenarios.
General Reliability
- This update improves explorer.exe reliability, including when opening Jump Lists and recent files, when sharing files and folders, and when using Task View and multiple desktops.
- This update improves the reliability of the Windows sign-in and lock screens, especially when system memory is low. It also improves the reliability of the Start menu and taskbar during startup.

Microsoft states that there are currently no known issues with this update.

The full release notes for KB5101684 can be found in the associated support bulletin.