Today Microsoft pushed a new Release Preview build for Windows 11, version 24H2: Build 26100.5061 (KB5064081). At first glance this looks like another cumulative preview, but the blog post and supporting documentation show it carries a broad mix of items — from the continued staged rollout of large AI-driven features (Recall, Click to Do, AI Actions in File Explorer) to important platform changes that IT teams must plan for (the removal of PowerShell 2.0 and the general availability of Windows Backup for Organizations). This dispatch walks through what’s included, why it matters to both consumers and organizations, and concrete steps you should take to test and deploy the update safely. (blogs.windows.com)
What this release is (and what it isn’t)
- What Microsoft shipped: Build 26100.5061 (KB5064081) was released to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel for Windows 11, version 24H2. The official Windows Insider post lists the change notes and separates items into “gradual rollout” (features that will appear for some devices over time) and “normal rollout” (fixes and improvements being broadly applied). (blogs.windows.com)
- What to expect: Because many of the headline features are still rolling out gradually and some require specific hardware or licenses (for example, Copilot/Copilot+ licensing and Copilot+ PC hardware), not every Insider — and certainly not every production device — will see the new functionality immediately. The Release Preview Channel is the last stop before wider release, so this build is a good preview of what will reach general consumers soon. (blogs.windows.com)
Microsoft’s blog breaks new capabilities into “gradual rollout” items. Those are intentionally gated — often by device type, subscription/licensing, or staged server-side flags. The most important items to note:
Recall — personalized, searchable snapshots (Copilot+ PC feature, privacy implications)
- What it is: Recall opens to a personalized homepage showing recent snapshots and “Top apps and websites” so you can “pick up where you left off.” After enabling snapshot collection, Recall provides Recent Snapshots, a timeline, and quick access to snapshots and search. Microsoft also added UI elements such as a left-hand nav bar with Home, Timeline, Feedback, and Settings. (blogs.windows.com)
- Controls & privacy: Recall is opt‑in for saved snapshots and includes per‑site and per‑app filtering plus a “sensitive information” filter; Microsoft’s documentation explains how to add websites or apps to the filter and how the default protections work. However, independent reporting and browser vendor responses show privacy remains contentious: some tests have still found sensitive data captured in snapshots, and at least one privacy-focused browser (Brave) has announced it will treat tabs as private to block Recall by default. Put simply: Recall is powerful — and because it captures screen snapshots it deserves careful review before you enable it, especially on devices used for banking, healthcare, or other sensitive work. (blogs.windows.com, support.microsoft.com, tomsguide.com, windowscentral.com)
- Who can use it: Some Recall functionality is limited to Copilot+ PCs (Microsoft’s hardware/software experience tier tied to device capabilities and sometimes to NPU/SoC features). Enterprises can also manage Recall via policies; Microsoft’s support docs and the Windows Insider notes make clear Recall is opt‑in by default and subject to local encryption and Windows Hello authentication. (blogs.windows.com, support.microsoft.com)
- Overview: Click to Do provides contextual on‑screen overlays that let you apply actions to text or images — summarize text, remove image backgrounds, or use visual search. The build adds an initial interactive tutorial to guide first-time users through Click to Do’s capabilities. This feature continues Microsoft’s effort to integrate lightweight generative/assistive actions directly into the OS. (blogs.windows.com)
- Practical notes: Because Click to Do operates on screen content it behaves differently depending on what app is in the foreground. Expect it to be trialed on some devices before wider exposure, and to be linked with Microsoft’s privacy controls around generative AI and third‑party model usage. (blogs.windows.com)
- Quick summary: Build 26100.5061 brings “AI actions” directly into the File Explorer context menu: image actions (Visual Search, Blur Background, Erase Objects, Remove Background) for .jpg/.jpeg/.png files and a Summarize action (Copilot-backed) for files stored in OneDrive/SharePoint. The Summarize action requires an active Microsoft 365 subscription and a Copilot license; the feature is therefore gated for some users. (blogs.windows.com)
- Why this matters: Adding AI-based edit and summarization actions into right‑click workflows is a major step: it reduces friction (no need to open a separate app) but also centralizes processing that might depend on cloud services or tenant licensing. IT teams should note the dependencies (Microsoft 365, Copilot license, Entra ID when applicable). (blogs.windows.com)
- Taskbar: The notification center can now show a larger clock with seconds (an option saved under Settings > Time & language > Date & time). The build also fixes a couple of taskbar preview and File Explorer preview issues that previously created odd hover behavior. (blogs.windows.com)
- Search: Search from the taskbar gets an image grid view to help identify image search results visually, plus clearer status information when file indexing or background organization is in progress (including cloud vs local status indicators). Windows Central and several hands‑on previews have been noting a similar image‑grid idea in recent preview builds. (blogs.windows.com, windowscentral.com)
- Lock screen widgets: After initial rollout in the EEA, Microsoft is beginning to expose more lock screen widgets and personalization options broadly to Insiders so users can add widgets like Weather, Watchlist, Sports, and Traffic to the lock screen. (blogs.windows.com)
- Settings: The build moves more time/language and input options from Control Panel into Settings, adds a Device Card on the Settings home (U.S. only / Microsoft account required), and introduces an “agent in Settings” (Copilot‑style assistant) for Copilot+ devices that helps find and change settings. (blogs.windows.com)
- Advanced Settings page: An updated Advanced page replaces the For Developers page and adds controls such as Enable long paths (removes MAX_PATH limits), Virtual workspaces toggles, and File Explorer + version control (Git metadata in Explorer). (blogs.windows.com)
- Task Manager: The app now reports CPU workload using “standard metrics” consistent across pages and aligned with industry tools — Microsoft also added an optional “CPU Utility” column to show the legacy value for admins who prefer the old figure. This change was highlighted in recent Windows Insider previews and has been covered in technical roundups. (blogs.windows.com, windowscentral.com)
Alongside the staged feature rollouts, this build contains several important fixes that can directly affect stability and manageability in enterprise environments. Notable fixes include:
- Device management: A fix for a temporary file‑sharing conflict that prevented some system recovery features from working properly — a meaningful improvement for device management tooling. (blogs.windows.com)
- File system / ReFS: A resolution for an issue where backup apps working with very large files on ReFS could exhaust system memory. If you use ReFS in your environment, this is a practical stability patch. (blogs.windows.com)
- Input and IME fixes: Specific fixes for Chinese IME, touch keyboard behavior for certain IMEs, and an underlying DLL crash (textinputframework.dll) that could affect apps such as Sticky Notes and Notepad. These fixes improve day‑to‑day usability for multilingual users. (blogs.windows.com)
- ARM64 performance: A fix addressing slower installer behavior on ARM64 devices, which should reduce installation time for some apps on ARM‑based systems. (blogs.windows.com)
Two items in this build are platform decisions that require admin attention.
1) Windows Backup for Organizations — generally available
- What Microsoft said: Windows Backup for Organizations is now generally available (GA) per the Release Preview notes. This feature is designed to provide backup/restore for user state and settings to make migrations, refreshes, and device replacements smoother for enterprises. (blogs.windows.com)
- Microsoft’s IT blog and documentation describe the feature as enabling faster device transitions and improving “mean time to productivity” for users. The capability is tied to Entra‑joined devices and Intune configuration for full restore workflows. If your organization is evaluating faster device refresh or reimage scenarios, this is worth testing in your tenant. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)
- The change: Windows PowerShell 2.0 — a legacy engine first introduced with Windows 7 and deprecated in 2017 — will no longer be included in Windows 11, version 24H2 starting in August 2025. Microsoft’s support documentation spells out the removal timeline and mitigation guidance. If you have scripts or installers that explicitly require PowerShell 2.0 (for example, they call powershell.exe -Version 2), those operations may no longer work as expected. (blogs.windows.com, support.microsoft.com)
- Action items: Inventory your environment for scripts, scheduled tasks, or legacy installers that invoke PowerShell 2.0. Update them to target PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell 7.x, or rework installers to avoid requiring the old engine. Microsoft’s guidance and the deprecated‑features documentation offer migration advice and suggested mitigations. (learn.microsoft.com, support.microsoft.com)
- Recall privacy: Microsoft provides local filtering and a sensitive‑information filter, and snapshots are encrypted and gated behind Windows Hello, but independent testing and vendor decisions (Brave, others) show that privacy concerns remain a non‑trivial issue. If your organization handles regulated data (financial, healthcare, government), treat Recall as a potential data capture vector until you can validate filters and policies in a controlled test. You may also need to disallow Recall by policy on managed devices until you are comfortable with the behavior. (support.microsoft.com, tomsguide.com)
- Data residency and exports: Some Recall export features and data handling may vary by region (Microsoft’s announcements show staged rollout and export options in EEA for some features); follow your legal/compliance team’s advice regarding enabling snapshot exports or any feature that persists or exports user content. (pureinfotech.com, blogs.windows.com)
If you’re responsible for a lab, a set of test endpoints, or an enterprise rollout, use these steps to evaluate the build and its features safely:
- Lab validation checklist (recommended)
- Baseline: Take full system backups (image + user data) for any device you use to validate a preview build. Treat Release Preview as close to production — but still a preview. (blogs.windows.com)
- PowerShell compatibility scan: Search for scripts and installers that call PowerShell with -Version 2 or explicitly target PowerShell 2.0. Update or sandbox these before upgrading. (support.microsoft.com)
- Recall privacy test: On test devices, enable Recall intentionally and validate that filtering, sensitive information filters, and export options behave according to your policy. Test with sample documents and web pages your users commonly handle to ensure filters react as you expect. If the environment is regulated, consider blocking Recall until compliance signoff. (support.microsoft.com)
- M365/Copilot checks: If you plan to use File Explorer AI actions or Copilot-integrated Summarize features, confirm licensing (Microsoft 365 + Copilot license) and Entra ID configuration for accounts you’ll test. (blogs.windows.com)
- ReFS & backup tests: If you rely on ReFS and backup apps, verify the ReFS memory exhaustion fix resolves previously observed failures by performing large-file backup/restore tasks in the lab. (blogs.windows.com)
- Pilot rollout (small production slice)
- Pilot group: Choose a controlled pilot group that matches your most critical usage patterns (ticketing/Helpdesk apps, finance, developers, etc.). Document behavior and rollback procedures. (blogs.windows.com)
- Monitoring: Watch for regressions in login flows, Windows Hello behavior (facial/fingerprint sign‑in), and audio hang issues fixed in this build. Monitor app crash reports and device responsiveness closely. (blogs.windows.com)
- Communication: Inform pilot users about Recall and Click to Do (what data they may see captured) and require explicit opt‑in for Recall snapshots. Provide guidance about how to enable filters and how to delete snapshots if a user discovers sensitive content. (support.microsoft.com)
- Broader deployment decisions
- Blocking policies: If after piloting you decide Recall is not appropriate for your organization, use MDM/GPO controls to disable or remove the feature from managed devices. For PowerShell 2.0, ensure all legacy automation is migrated before broad deployment. (support.microsoft.com)
- Backup adoption: Evaluate Windows Backup for Organizations in a staged manner; the GA announcement indicates Microsoft considers it production‑ready, but verify restore workflows in your tenant and test device reimage scenarios end‑to‑end. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)
- Insiders: Members of the Release Preview Channel should receive the build via Settings > Windows Update (as with other preview builds); feature availability is staged. (blogs.windows.com)
- Production timelines: Release Preview is the last gating stage before general distribution; assume the fixes and gradual feature rollouts in 26100.5061 will reach general consumers in the coming weeks or months, often bundled into monthly cumulative/feature updates. Exact timelines depend on telemetry and staging decisions from Microsoft. (blogs.windows.com, windowscentral.com)
Build 26100.5061 is a classic Release Preview build: it mixes feature gates (the more visible AI integrations) with important stability and platform changes. For end users the new File Explorer AI actions, taskbar updates, and Search improvements will be welcome once they arrive — but for IT teams the removal of PowerShell 2.0 and the emergence of Recall and Windows Backup for Organizations are the top items that require planning.
Action summary (top 5):
- Inventory and remediate any dependencies on PowerShell 2.0 now — change scripts to run on PowerShell 5.1/7.x or update installers. (support.microsoft.com)
- Pilot Windows Backup for Organizations in your tenant if quicker device refresh/restore is valuable; validate restores thoroughly. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)
- Test Recall in a controlled environment; validate filters, encryption, and export controls and consult compliance/legal before enabling it on regulated devices. (support.microsoft.com)
- Confirm Copilot/M365 licensing for File Explorer AI Actions if you plan to expose Summarize in production. (blogs.windows.com)
- Run standard pilot/rollback procedures: image backups, controlled pilot groups, telemetry collection, and staged deployment to minimize end‑user disruption. (blogs.windows.com)
- Produce a one‑page checklist (printable PDF) tailored to your environment (enterprise/education/small business) to validate PowerShell, Recall, Copilot licensing, and backup workflows; or
- Build a short GPO/Intune policy template to disable Recall until you’re ready to approve it; or
- Summarize the specific UI steps and screenshots for enabling/disabling Recall filters and the File Explorer AI actions for a user‑facing knowledge base article.
Source: Microsoft - Windows Insiders Blog Releasing Windows 11 Build 26100.5061 to the Release Preview Channel
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