Windows Insiders today are treated to a couple of new builds of Windows 11, one for the Canary channel and one for the Dev channel. While there is no changelog for build 25387 in the Canary channel, Dev channel Insiders can look forward to the new File Explorer redesign, which was reported earlier this year and officially teased at the event for developers Builds. Microsoft is also adding a dynamic lighting page to the Settings app.
Microsoft modernizes Windows 11 File Explorer… again
The original release of Windows 11 already did a pretty extensive redesign of File Explorer, but with this build, Microsoft is going one step further to make its file manager even fresher and leaner. With build 23475, we have a new look that brings the address bar to the top of the window, near the tab row, and moves file and folder actions down, closer to the view pane. This new look also has streamlined integration with OneDrive, as you can now see your storage quota by clicking the OneDrive icon in the address bar.
XDA VIDEO OF THE DAYSCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH THE CONTENTS
For users signed in with an Azure Active Directory account, the home page in File Explorer now also shows recommended files in a carousel and will soon be able to show file previews.
Unfortunately, this experience is spreading gradually, so not everyone will see it right away.
Control your RGB lighting in the Settings app
Another big addition with this build is the dynamic lighting page in the Settings app, which Microsoft also announced during the build. This new page lets you customize lighting settings for supported peripherals using the Settings app, meaning you no longer need dedicated software. Of course, accessory makers need to build support for this, and Razer appears to be a big early adopter. Multiple Razer keyboards from the BlackWidow, DeathStalker, Huntsman, Ornata, and Turret lines support dynamic lighting through this page. The Asus ROG Scope II Wireless 96 keyboard will also add support soon.
In addition, select mice are supported, including Razer’s Naga, DeathAdder V2, and Turret series, as well as Microsoft Pro IntelliMouse. Support for Asus ROG Harpe Ace AimLab Edition is also coming soon.
New emoticon
Microsoft is starting to roll out support for the latest version of the Unicode Emoji standard, which is version 15. This comes with some new emoji, including new colors for hearts, new animals, and more.
Microsoft Store update
While not part of the build itself, Microsoft is also rolling out an update for the Microsoft Store for Insiders in the Dev and Canary channels. This update brings the ability to install free apps from search results to more Insiders, as it was previously only available to a small group of users. Additionally, this update redesigns the cards for movies and games in the Store, giving more room for graphics to shine.
Fixes and known issues
Aside from the major additions above, Windows 11 build 23475 also makes a previously announced feature fully available. This feature detects if you haven’t interacted with toast notifications from an app and prompts you to turn off notifications for that app. It was previously only available to select Insiders.
Otherwise, it has the usual set of fixes and known issues. Here are the fixes in this release:
[Taskbar & System Tray]
- Fixed an issue where the taskbar may not show the correct apps when using multiple desktops.
[Search on the Taskbar]
- Fixed an issue where Narrator clients were unable to navigate down the left sidepane of the search flyout.
[Start menu]
- Fixed an issue where, when using a Japanese display language, apps with names written in kanji would sometimes all show at the bottom of the all apps list, instead of appearing next to the hiragana and katakana app names.
[Notifications]
- Fixed an issue where some notifications caused explorer.exe to crash.
[Input]
- We’re rolling out the fix for an issue where the Korean touch keyboard sometimes finalizes characters unexpectedly in the taskbar search flyout.
[Backup and Restore]
- Backups from a PC that was set up using a restore will now show up in subsequent restores.
- Restoring solid color desktop wallpapers is now supported.
[Other]
- Fixed issues that caused voice access commands for moving settings sliders and selecting items on the taskbar to fail.
On the other hand, this build also has some known issues. Many of these are related to the new modernized File Explorer, which makes sense for something early in testing. Here’s what you should be aware of:
[Dev Drive]
- Upon reboot, your Dev Drive may have additional filters attached to it in addition to AV. To check which filters are connected, run “fsutil devdrv query:” in the windows terminal. If you see more than your AV filters, you can run ‘fsutil volume dismount:’ and then ‘fsutil devdrv query:’. After these steps, you should only see your AV filters.
- There may be variable performance on different hardware. If you notice slower performance on your machine, please send feedback!
[Search on the Taskbar]
- Navigating the taskbar search flyout with the keyboard arrow keys will not work as expected.
- Text scaling may not work in the search flyout.
[File Explorer]
- Insiders may experience File Explorer crashing when dragging the scroll bar or trying to close the window during an extended file upload process.
- Thumbnail loading performance in Gallery for dehydrated cloud files and memory usage in large collections are known issues that we are focused on improving. Capture performance traces in Feedback Hub for any performance issues. Rebuilding the indexer can help if thumbnails for cloud files are missing; Search for “Indexing Options” and look under Advanced Settings to find the rebuild tool.
Insiders who updated File Explorer Home which started rolling out with Build 23475:
- [NEW] File type icons appear in place of file thumbnails for the “Recommended” section (applicable to Enterprise users).
- [NEW] When switching from another group to the Recommended section using a keyboard, focus is not displayed correctly on the group header or files.
- [NEW] Files display file extensions with the Show file extensions setting disabled.
- [NEW] Sync status icons for files backed up to a storage provider are not displayed reliably.
- [NEW] If there is an authentication failure on File Explorer Home, the “Login” button appears, but clicking it does not bring up the authentication dialog.
Insiders who have the modernized File Explorer address bar that started rolling out with Build 23475:
- [NEW] Windows insiders might notice the lack of handcrafted polish with the modernized address bar and search box. The team really appreciates using Feedback Hub to help bring up important details to address.
- [NEW] Users may experience loss of keyboard focus and missing keyboard shortcuts. The team has implemented improved tabbing with keyboard shortcuts that will be available soon.
Insiders will have issues with the following recommended file commands in File Explorer that started rolling out with Build 23403:
- Clicking the Share command will currently bring up the Windows share sheet (not OneDrive).
[Notifications]
- The copy button to quickly copy two-factor authentication (2FA) codes in toasts (first introduced in build 23403) does not currently work in this build. A fix is on the way in a future flight.
[Dynamic Lighting]
- [NEW] On first launch after installing this build and plugging in a device, the “Use dynamic lighting on my devices” toggle is disabled in Settings. Your device’s LEDs may not turn on automatically. Activating this switch on the Settings page for all devices and on the per device pages should turn on the device LEDs. If that doesn’t work, try restarting your Windows PC again.
- [NEW] Changes to all device settings are not propagated to per-device settings.
- [NEW] Device icons are missing from device tabs in Settings.
- [NEW] Switching user accounts can turn off device LEDs.
As usual, you can download the latest build if you’re subscribed to the Dev Channel by simply going to the Windows Update section of the Settings app and checking for updates.
