Windows 11 Experimental Builds Add Cloud Rebuild Sanitization, Remote Reset and Magnifier Controls

A quick note on scope: these are test builds on two separate branches, not one update for every Windows 11 PC. Experimental builds can be unstable, Microsoft often turns features on gradually for some Insiders first, and a previewed feature may change or never ship widely.

Build 26340.9596: Unicode, a File Explorer shortcut and a Settings entry point​

Unicode 17.0 text shaping​

Microsoft has updated Windows text shaping to cover Unicode 17.0, so new characters and scripts should display correctly. According to the changelog, Unicode 17.0 added 4,803 characters, including four new scripts: Beria Erfe, Sidetic, Tai Yo and Tolong Siki.

This is about rendering text, not a promise of new fonts or keyboard layouts for every script. Most readers won't notice it. People working with minority writing systems, and developers who handle multilingual text, will.

File Explorer understands ~​

The File Explorer address bar now accepts ~ as a shortcut to your user profile folder. Microsoft's example is ~\AppData, which takes you straight into that folder. If you already use PowerShell or a Unix shell, this will feel familiar, and it saves typing %USERPROFILE%. It only changes how you get to the folder. Permissions and contents stay the same.

Settings home page loads faster, sometimes​

Microsoft says it has made performance changes to the Settings home page that should cut loading times "in certain scenarios." It gives no benchmarks and doesn't say which scenarios.

Cloud Rebuild gets a Settings entry point​

This build adds a Cloud Rebuild entry under Settings > System > Recovery. Microsoft's current preview documentation describes a longer route. You either land in WinRE after repeated boot failures, or launch it manually from Windows by going to Settings > System > Recovery and selecting Restart now next to Advanced startup. From there, on the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot, and then select Cloud rebuild. The new entry point should make the feature easier to find for anyone who doesn't know it sits under Troubleshoot.

Known issue: error 0x80073712​

Some Insiders can't install the latest updates and see error 0x80073712. Microsoft thinks Windows Sandbox is involved but hasn't confirmed the cause. Its suggested workaround:

• Open Turn Windows features on or off.
• Clear the Windows Sandbox checkbox, apply the change and restart.
• Retry Windows Update.
• Turn Sandbox back on afterwards if you need it, and send Feedback Hub reports if the error continues.

Section summary: 26340.9596 is a small build. The ~ shortcut and the Settings entry for Cloud Rebuild are the changes you can use straight away. If you rely on Sandbox, expect to switch it off temporarily to get updates installed.

Build 28120.3151 (26H1): Magnifier, Cloud Rebuild and File Explorer​

Magnifier zoom controls​

You can now type an exact zoom percentage in the Magnifier toolbar. The Settings dropdown also gains preset steps: 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 100%, 150%, 200% and 400%. For low-vision users, being able to set an exact level beats pressing zoom in repeatedly until it looks right.

Cloud Rebuild: sanitize and remote start​

Cloud Rebuild restores a PC to a clean state with a full reinstall of Windows. The release notes describe two additions:

• Drive sanitization. When you start a rebuild in WinRE, you now choose Remove files if you're keeping the PC, or Remove & sanitize files before recycling, returning, or reassigning it. The sanitize option uses the storage hardware's erase capability to securely erase data before Windows is reinstalled and is irreversible.
• Remote start for IT. IT administrators can now configure and start a Cloud rebuild remotely through the Recovery CSP, using either the currently installed build or a target build you specify.

These features aren't new to the Experimental channel. They first appeared on the other branch about two weeks ago. Neoteo reports they arrived in Insider Experimental Preview build 26340.9502, published on September 18, 2026. Neowin reported that build 28120.3032 had already brought Cloud rebuild to the 26H1 branch, letting users reinstall Windows from WinRE using a fresh Windows image and drivers downloaded from Windows Update. So 28120.3151 brings 26H1 up to the same feature level.

For administrators, Windows Latest reports that the controls are available under Recovery CSP, at ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Recovery/CloudRebuild. Windows Report adds that organizations can configure the build branch, OS version, edition, installation type, language, and unattend answer file.

Be careful with the sanitize option. Neoteo points out that it asks supported storage to erase itself, but Windows does not independently verify the hardware result. If your organisation needs proof of erasure for compliance, check your own process rather than relying on this button alone.

File Explorer fixes​

• Folder views stay consistent. Sorting and icon-size preferences now carry across different access paths and apps.
• Address bar handles messier paths. It now accepts paths with doubled backslashes or quotation marks, such as "C:\Users\user" copied from a script or terminal.
• Suggestions close properly. The address bar suggestion dropdown now reliably closes after you pick an item.
• Renaming fixes. Text no longer gets selected over and over while you rename items. Case-only name changes, like "report" to "Report", now show up immediately in folder views on both local and cloud storage.

Section summary: 28120.3151 has more in it than 26340.9596. It brings Magnifier zoom controls, catches 26H1 up on Cloud Rebuild's sanitize and remote features, and fixes several long-standing File Explorer annoyances.

Before you try Cloud Rebuild​

Microsoft's preview documentation lists these requirements:

• The device is running Windows 11 and has a healthy Windows Recovery Environment. You can check with reagentc /info from an elevated command prompt.
• The device manufacturer has included a compatible networking driver in the Windows Recovery Environment, and the device can reach the internet from WinRE.
• The device meets Windows 11 minimum hardware requirements.

The rebuild wipes the system. Techzine notes that Cloud Rebuild deletes all locally stored files, accounts, applications, and settings. Back up anything you need first. Windows Report adds that Microsoft recommends testing the feature only on non-production devices while it remains in preview.

Analysis​

This is a fairly modest pair of releases. The ~ shortcut, the quoted-path fix and the renaming fixes are small, but they remove some everyday irritations.

Cloud Rebuild is the bigger story. It now has a Settings entry point, a secure-erase option and remote start through Intune-style device management. That moves it from a hidden recovery option towards something IT teams could use to reset or repurpose laptops without a USB stick or a site visit. The open questions are when it will reach general release, and how well it works on PCs whose WinRE lacks working network drivers. Neither build answers them yet.

Update: Cloud Rebuild changes also reach Beta builds (October 2, 2026)​

The rollout extends beyond the two Experimental builds covered above. According to Thurrott.com’s October 2 reporting, Microsoft has also released Beta (26H1) build 28020.3142 with Cloud Rebuild, expanding access to the recovery feature on that branch.

Separately, Beta build 26220.9587 reportedly adds the Cloud Rebuild shortcut under Settings > System > Recovery, according to Thurrott.com. For testers on that Beta branch, the practical change is easier discovery of the recovery option without first navigating through Advanced startup. These are distinct releases: the report does not establish that every Cloud Rebuild improvement is available across both Beta branches.

The accompanying accessibility and text-rendering changes are also reaching Beta testers, according to Thurrott.com: Unicode 17.0 text shaping is arriving on the Beta channel, while Beta (26H1) gains Magnifier’s exact zoom-percentage entry and additional preset increments. This broadens the preview audience for those changes beyond Experimental testers; it does not announce general availability for ordinary Windows 11 installations.

Update: Follow-up Experimental build reportedly fixes Sandbox update failure (October 7, 2026)​

Microsoft has reportedly fixed the Windows Sandbox-related installation failure highlighted above in Experimental build 26340.9616, according to Windows Report’s October 7 coverage. The outlet says the new build resolves error 0x80073712, which prevented some Insiders with Sandbox enabled from installing recent updates.

That changes the earlier position from a suspected cause and temporary workaround to a reported fix in a subsequent build. For affected testers, the practical benefit should be installing later updates without repeatedly disabling Sandbox. However, Windows Report does not establish whether a PC already blocked from updating can install 26340.9616 without first using the earlier workaround. The report also does not establish that this fix has reached the separate 26H1 branch.

The follow-up build reportedly adds font preview and installation controls to File Explorer and desktop context menus, according to Windows Report. These provide additional Explorer actions beyond the navigation improvements covered above. The outlet also reports a fix for taskbar window previews becoming progressively slower over time. These remain Experimental-build changes, not an announcement of availability for all Windows 11 PCs.