Windows 11 Dev Channel 26220.6772: Click to Do AI, ESS Peripheral Fingerprint, OOBE Updates

Microsoft has pushed Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6772 (KB5065797) to the Dev Channel, delivering a compact but consequential set of feature rollouts, UI refinements, and stability fixes aimed primarily at Copilot+ hardware and early adopters. The flight couples new on-screen AI tooling — notably an enhanced Click to Do experience with object extraction and inline unit conversion — with security and setup changes that tighten the Out‑Of‑Box Experience (OOBE) and expand Windows Hello’s Enhanced Sign‑in Security to selected external fingerprint devices. For IT pros, power users, and Insiders, this build is a practical mix: quality‑of‑life dark‑mode polish in File Explorer, targeted bug fixes (Hyper‑V on ARM64, camera previews), and a conspicuous push toward account‑first setup that will alter how some users install and provision Windows going forward.

Background​

Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel receive early feature previews and platform changes that may later propagate to Beta and Release Preview rings. Build 26220.6772 arrives as an enablement‑style update for the 25H2 development track and is distributed in two buckets: features and fixes gradually rolling out to Insiders who enable the “get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” toggle, and those rolling out to all Dev Channel devices. That rollout model means not every Insider will see every item immediately — many enhancements are gated and will ramp up over time.
This release foregrounds Microsoft’s continuing blending of system UX and on‑device AI (Click to Do and Copilot surface interactions), while also reinforcing platform security and setup consistency through Windows Hello and OOBE changes. The combination is notable: it nudges mainstream user flows (setup and sign‑in) while iterating on advanced AI-assisted features targeted at machines with NPUs and other Copilot+ hardware capabilities.

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What’s new in Build 26220.6772 (KB5065797)​

Click to Do (Preview): Image Object select and unit conversion​

Click to Do, the on‑screen AI assistant layer tied to Copilot, receives two practical features designed to speed everyday workflows on supported Copilot+ PCs.

• Image Object select: Hover to preview selectable regions inside an image, then isolate an object for copy/paste or to seed a Copilot chat for editing or contextual tasks. The UI is lightweight — an overlay preview that lets you extract visual elements without launching a full image editor.
• Unit conversion: Click to Do will now detect number + unit patterns on screen (examples: “2 km”, “5 lb”, “22 °C”) and show a floating conversion tooltip on hover. Selecting the unit pairing opens a context menu with additional conversion options and Copilot handoff for deeper actions or more unit types. Primary conversions supported initially include length, area, volume, weight, temperature, and speed.

Key implementation notes:

• These capabilities are being prioritized for Copilot+ PCs where on‑device inference is available; they are gradually rolled out under a feature toggle.
• The unit conversion functionality is tied to Copilot integration for extended conversions and currently has regional restrictions (not yet available in some jurisdictions during preview).
• The Click to Do layer is designed to keep local interactions local unless a user chooses to invoke Copilot; this helps maintain privacy while offering AI assistance.

Practical impact: quick extraction of a photo subject (for drag‑drop into a document or message) and fast, inline conversions reduce friction in everyday tasks, from shopping sites to documents and screenshots.

Windows Hello: Enhanced Sign‑in Security now accepts certain peripheral fingerprint sensors​

Windows Hello’s Enhanced Sign‑in Security (ESS) — the model that isolates biometric matching inside Virtualization‑Based Security (VBS) and ties template handling to the TPM — now expands support to certain peripheral fingerprint readers on compatible systems.
What changed:

• ESS was long available only for built‑in, factory‑configured biometric sensors. This build extends ESS support to some external fingerprint sensors that implement the required match‑on‑sensor hardware model and certificates.
• Eligible devices must be ESS‑capable (match‑on‑chip, manufacturing certificate burned into sensor) and supported by the device driver and firmware.
• The Settings path to enroll remains Settings > Accounts > Sign‑in options; the ESS controls let administrators and users verify and toggle related options.

Security nuance:

• ESS enforces a stronger trust boundary: fingerprint matching and template storage are isolated from the main OS and secured by VBS and TPM‑mediated keys. Peripheral support requires specific hardware features and driver compliance to maintain that isolation.
• Microsoft’s platform documentation emphasizes the certificate and firmware/driver requirements and warns that peripherals without ESS capabilities may be blocked while ESS is enabled. A toggle exists to disable ESS temporarily if an external device must be used, though that weakens the ESS protection model.

Why it matters: this expands practical biometric options for desktop and modular PC owners (who may not have built‑in sensors) while keeping the ESS security posture intact for qualifying peripherals — but only if the peripheral follows the match‑on‑sensor model and shipping driver/firmware requirements.

Windows Setup (OOBE): name your default user folder; removal of local account bypasses​

This build introduces two important OOBE‑level changes that will be immediately felt by installers, deployment engineers, and power users.

• Set the default user folder name during OOBE: Insiders can now name the default profile folder (C:\Users\<name>) during OOBE using a console helper. From the Microsoft Account sign‑in page press Shift+F10, run:
• cd oobe
• SetDefaultUserFolder.cmd <YourFolderName>

Constraints: the name is limited to 16 characters, supports Unicode, and special characters will be removed. If the name is invalid or not supplied, the system falls back to generating the folder name from the Microsoft account email.

• Removal of known local‑account bypasses: Microsoft is actively removing known in‑OOBE mechanisms that permitted creating a local account or bypassing Microsoft Account and internet requirements during setup. These mechanisms were widely used to sidestep an MSA requirement but sometimes caused setups to skip critical screens and produce incomplete device configurations.

Implications:

• End users will have a supported workaround for the long‑running annoyance of email‑derived long profile folder names.
• Administrators and advanced users relying on local‑account workarounds (or unattend/automation tied to old behaviors) will need to update processes — OOBE is being steered toward an account‑first flow by default in these preview builds.

File Explorer: improved dark mode consistency in dialogs​

File Explorer gets a focused polish: dialogs and key file operation UI elements now present a consistent dark‑mode experience. Affected areas include:

• Copy, move, and delete dialogs (default and expanded states)
• Progress bars and chart views within file operations
• Confirm/skip/override dialogs and error dialogs

This is a practical visual refinement that reduces abrupt theme switches during file operations.

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Fixes and stability improvements​

This build contains a number of practical bug fixes that address user pain points across components:

• General: fixed an underlying issue that caused some rolling‑out features to unexpectedly disappear on certain Insider devices.
• Taskbar & system tray: fixed issues around auto‑hide behavior and focus problems when interacting with app preview thumbnails.
• File Explorer: corrected issues with Encrypted File System (EFS) dialogs and text scaling.
• Windows Studio Effects: resolved a camera preview failure affecting some external webcams when Windows Studio Effects was enabled.
• Settings: repaired an incorrect link speed being shown for certain network adapters.
• Other: fixed the Hyper‑V/TPM startup issue on ARM64 devices and a playback problem affecting protected content in some Blu‑ray, DVD, and digital TV apps that used Enhanced Video Renderer with HDCP enforcement.

These fixes address a mix of usability and platform compatibility problems reported by Insiders and highlight steady engineering attention to both UI and lower‑level platform stacks.

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Known issues you should watch for​

This preview flight comes with several known issues — some potentially disruptive depending on your setup.

• Click to Do: launching via a right‑edge gesture on the primary display can cause the swipe visuals to appear on the wrong monitor.
• Lock/login screens: the touch keyboard may fail to launch on the login screen; the on‑screen keyboard in the accessibility menu is a workaround.
• Taskbar & system tray: new taskbar preview animations have been temporarily disabled while Microsoft resolves interference with window sharing from previews.
• Search: some searches may display unexpected text instead of the expected results and images.
• Xbox Controllers: a Bluetooth Xbox controller driver can sometimes cause a system crash; Microsoft has posted a Device Manager workaround that involves uninstalling a problematic oem*.inf driver.

Because this is a Dev Channel flight, expect these issues to be iterated rapidly across subsequent Insider updates.

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Technical verification and rollout realities​

The high‑level claims in this flight are validated against the platform’s official Insider release notes and platform documentation:

• The build and KB metadata (Build 26220.6772, KB5065797) and the granular feature list are part of Microsoft’s official Insider release notes for Dev and Beta channel flights.
• Windows Hello ESS technical requirements (match‑on‑sensor fingerprint devices, certificate requirements, VBS + TPM integration) are documented in Windows platform guidance and confirm that peripheral ESS support requires specific hardware and driver/firmware capabilities.
• The OOBE SetDefaultUserFolder.cmd helper behavior and the removal of known local‑account bypasses are described in the official release notes and have been reproduced and discussed across community testing channels.

Two important rollout realities to keep in mind:

• Gated rollout model: many features in this build are controlled via a toggle and will only arrive on consenting devices in waves. Turning on the “get the latest updates” toggle increases the chance of receiving these gated features earlier.
• Hardware and regional constraints: several AI features are targeted at Copilot+ PCs and have region or hardware constraints. Unit conversion and Copilot handoffs, for example, may not be immediately available in certain geographies or on non‑NPU hardware.

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Critical analysis — strengths, costs, and risks​

Strengths​

• Practical AI tooling: Image Object select and inline unit conversion are useable, immediate improvements that remove friction from common tasks, especially for creators and knowledge workers. By making small actions available at the system overlay level, Microsoft lowers the barrier to AI‑assisted workflows.
• Security evolution: Extending ESS to peripherals is the right technical direction — it preserves the ESS model (match on sensor, certificate, VBS isolation) and makes secure biometrics available to a broader set of hardware form factors without weakening the trust model.
• OOBE hygiene: Removing unreliable local account bypasses helps prevent incompletely configured systems and potential support headaches. The SetDefaultUserFolder helper is a pragmatic concession to user feedback about unwieldy C:\Users folder names.
• Targeted quality fixes: The fixes to Hyper‑V on ARM64, camera preview failures, and EFS scaling issues address real pain points that impact developer and accessibility scenarios.

Costs and risks​

• Account‑first setup friction: Tightening OOBE to require internet connection and an MSA by default will frustrate privacy‑conscious users, offline installers, and some enterprise imaging scenarios. While the SetDefaultUserFolder helper helps with one pain point, it is not a substitute for fully supported offline account flows many admins rely on.
• Peripheral compatibility and fragmentation: Peripheral ESS support hinges on hardware vendors shipping match‑on‑sensor readers with the required certificates and drivers. Many existing USB fingerprint readers will not immediately qualify, potentially creating confusion or a two‑tier experience for customers.
• Privacy surface area with Click to Do and Copilot: Although Microsoft positions Click to Do as local by default, any Copilot handoff or cloud‑based extension raises questions about what data is shared and how. Controlled rollouts and regional restrictions help, but the integration of system overlays and cloud assistants will require careful disclosure and fine‑grained controls to satisfy privacy‑sensitive users and regulated organizations.
• Accessibility regressions risk: The release notes explicitly warn that some accessibility features may not work with preview AI features like Recall or Click to Do. The choice to prioritize rapid iteration in Dev Channel builds can produce regressions that disproportionately affect users who rely on assistive technologies.

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Practical guidance for Insiders, admins and power users​

If you run this build or manage devices that will see it, here’s a pragmatic checklist.

• For Insiders who want early Copilot/Click to Do features:
• Turn on Settings > Windows Update > Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available to receive gated rollouts faster.
• Test Click to Do features on a Copilot+ device where on‑device inference is supported; behavior will differ on non‑Copilot hardware.
• Report UX glitches and accessibility concerns through Feedback Hub under the relevant categories.
• For IT admins and deployment teams:
• Review imaging and deployment scripts that relied on local‑account OOBE workarounds. Update unattend.xml flows and provisioning methods to align with an account‑first default.
• If you rely on peripheral fingerprint readers for sign‑in, verify that your chosen hardware meets ESS requirements; test driver and firmware compatibility in a lab before mass deployment.
• Plan for scenarios where ESS must be toggled off to allow non‑ESS peripherals — document the security trade‑offs and operational procedures.
• For privacy‑conscious users:
• Treat Copilot and Click to Do features conservatively: verify the on‑device vs. cloud behavior for any feature before sending sensitive content to a cloud assistant.
• Use the Settings controls, privacy dashboards, and the Feedback Hub to clarify what’s stored locally and what is shared.
• For content creators and casual users:
• Try Image Object select for quick cut‑outs and paste into documents or chat windows. It’s a time saver for slides, chats, and simple edits.
• Use the unit conversion tooltip for rapid conversions when shopping, planning, or working with specifications.

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What to expect next​

Given Microsoft’s development cadence and the gated rollout model, expect the following trajectory:

• Incremental expansions of Click to Do features across more Insiders and broader regional availability for unit conversions and Copilot handoffs.
• Further documentation and hardware vendor guidance on peripheral ESS support as qualifying fingerprint readers arrive and driver vendors certify for the Enhanced Sign‑in Security model.
• Additional OOBE refinements and possibly a more graphical or user‑friendly way to set C:\Users folder names if community feedback makes that a high priority.
• Fast follow‑ups to address the logged known issues (touch keyboard on login, taskbar preview animations, Xbox controller driver crashes), since these are high‑visibility regressions.

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Conclusion​

Build 26220.6772 (KB5065797) represents a thoughtful set of targeted improvements that bring small but meaningful gains: more capable on‑screen AI with Click to Do, broader support for secure biometrics, OOBE niceties for user folder names, and sensible dark‑mode polish. The release also signals clear intent from Microsoft to close OOBE loopholes and favor an account‑first installation path, a change that will reduce incomplete setups but raise deployment and privacy considerations.
Insiders should treat this build as a laboratory: try the new features on test hardware, verify peripheral compatibility if you plan to use external fingerprint readers with ESS, and report issues. Administrators should audit deployment scripts and confirm that organizational imaging strategies align with the new OOBE behavior. For regular users, the visible gains — faster object extraction and on‑screen conversions — make this build immediately useful on compatible machines, but the broader platform changes underscore that Windows 11’s future UX will continue to blur local and AI‑enhanced workflows while tightening security expectations around hardware and setup.

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Source: WinCentral Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6772 (Dev Channel)