Windows 11 Insider Build 26120.5751 Beta: Click to Do enhancements, Copilot+ AI, UI polish

Today’s Beta‑Channel flight brings Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.5751 (KB5064071), a focused incremental update that continues Microsoft’s push to make AI features like Recall and Click to Do more useful and more reliable while tightening up a raft of UI and reliability fixes for Windows 11, version 24H2. The release is small in build delta but significant in scope: it adds new selection modes in Click to Do, continues the phased rollout of Copilot‑centric experiences for Copilot+ PCs, and patches several stability and UI regressions reported by Insiders over the last month. The update is being published to the Beta Channel and follows Microsoft’s controlled feature‑rollout model — some items are enabled only for Insiders who turn on the “get the latest updates” toggle while others are deployed broadly to the channel. (blogs.windows.com)

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Background / Overview​

Windows Insiders on the Beta Channel for Windows 11, version 24H2 are receiving this build as an enablement update in Microsoft’s 24H2 preview track. Microsoft continues to separate Beta updates into two buckets: (1) features/improvements that are gradually rolled out to Insiders who opt into the “get the latest updates” toggle, and (2) changes that are delivered to everyone in the Beta Channel. That rollout strategy remains core to how Microsoft tests Copilot‑driven experiences without exposing every Insider to experimental behavior at once. (blogs.windows.com)
Why this matters: controlled rollouts reduce blast radius for experimental AI actions, let Microsoft collect telemetry from a sub‑set of devices first, and allow quicker rollbacks when regressions or hardware‑specific problems appear. Several recent Beta builds (and parallel Dev builds) further confirm Microsoft’s approach of surfacing Copilot features gradually while continuing to iterate on accessibility and stability fixes. (windowscentral.com, techcommunity.microsoft.com)

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What’s new in Build 26120.5751​

Key headline: Click to Do — smarter selection controls​

The most visible change in this flight is a meaningful usability upgrade for Click to Do (the AI action bar integrated with Recall and other on‑screen contexts). Click to Do now supports three new selection modes:

• Freeform Selection — draw a freehand outline with finger or pen to capture irregularly shaped objects on screen.
• Rectangle Selection — drag a rectangle to capture everything inside (single gesture for mixed content).
• Ctrl + Click — multi‑select disparate entities (text, images, etc.) by holding Ctrl and clicking each one.

These additions make Click to Do significantly more flexible for touch and pen users and reduce friction when you want to perform multiple actions on mixed content (for example, select two images and a paragraph to copy or summarize together). The change is documented directly in Microsoft’s release notes for this build. (blogs.windows.com)
Practical effect: on Copilot+ PCs, Click to Do is becoming less of a single‑item “tap and act” utility and more of a mini‑editor/selection surface — closer to what users expect from productivity tools that blend selection and action.

File Explorer, Taskbar & Start menu polish​

This flight includes a mix of UI polish and bug fixes across core shell surfaces:

• File Explorer “Open with” context menu icons no longer show the colored backplate that made some icons hard to read; the icons are now visually larger and clearer. (blogs.windows.com)
• Taskbar animations when mousing over grouped apps are updated for smoother motion; several taskbar glitches and a duplicated date/time tooltip issue were fixed. (blogs.windows.com)
• Start menu fixes: mitigations for temporary smaller layouts after previous flights, safe‑mode opening issues, and context‑menu placement anomalies. (blogs.windows.com)

These aren’t headline features, but they matter for day‑to‑day usability and reduce the kinds of visual and reliability regressions that erode trust in preview builds.

Stability and system fixes​

Selected reliability items addressed in this flight include:

• Fixes for some DWM (Desktop Window Manager) crash increases seen in the prior flight.
• Improvements to lock screen reliability and fixes for blank icons on login options.
• Live captions crash when using live translation on Copilot+ PCs was addressed. (blogs.windows.com)

Community testers and forum coverage since July and August show this trend continues: Microsoft is balancing rapid AI feature iterations with ongoing churn to stability and accessibility across the Beta and Dev channels. (windowscentral.com, elevenforum.com)

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Known issues and installation caveats​

Microsoft publishes known issues with every Insider flight and this build is no exception. The most notable items Insiders should be aware of are:

• A subset of Insiders may see rollback failures when installing the update with error 0x80070005 in Windows Update. Microsoft is working on a fix; affected Insiders may try Settings > System > Recovery > “Fix issues using Windows update” as a workaround. (blogs.windows.com)
• Recall specific: Insiders in the EEA may find Recall broken after recent flights and Microsoft provides a “Reset Recall” path via Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots > Advanced settings > Reset Recall. Expect Microsoft to iterate quickly on region‑specific regressions. (blogs.windows.com)
• Xbox controller bugchecks via Bluetooth continue to be reported with an explicit Device Manager uninstall workaround for the offending oemXXX.inf (XboxGameControllerDriver.inf). (blogs.windows.com)

Additional known problems have been documented across recent 26120.xxxx Beta flights — Click to Do sometimes experienced crashes after updating in prior builds and intelligent text actions on AMD/Intel Copilot+ hardware can be slow on first use after model updates. Those issues were partially fixed in previous flights but remain useful context for anyone relying on these features for productivity. (blogs.windows.com, elevenforum.com)

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Copilot+ PC considerations: hardware and licensing boundaries​

The 26120 track is heavily focused on Copilot and AI actions, but those features are not hardware‑agnostic. Key facts to keep in mind:

• Many of the AI experiences (such as Click to Do, Recall, and some Narrator image‑description features) are initially supported on Copilot+ PCs. Early availability favored Snapdragon (Qualcomm) Copilot+ devices and Microsoft has been expanding support to AMD and Intel Copilot+ PCs over the course of 2025. (blogs.windows.com, techcommunity.microsoft.com)
• Some server/cloud‑backed capabilities (document summarization that integrates Microsoft 365 Copilot, certain web searches) may require specific Microsoft 365 licensing or Copilot entitlements; on‑device NPU acceleration or other hardware accelerators can materially change responsiveness and capability. Community testing and Microsoft documentation both emphasize that features may be gated by hardware and licensing. (techcommunity.microsoft.com, windowscentral.com)

Implication: Insiders and enterprise pilots should not assume feature parity across all Windows 11 machines. The experience will vary depending on whether a device is Copilot+ certified, its CPU vendor, the NPU/accelerator available, and the signed‑in account’s licensing.

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Privacy, security and enterprise management​

Recall and Click to Do raise legitimate privacy and enterprise management questions. Microsoft’s public notes and subsequent community analysis clarify several important points:

• Snapshot storage and keys: Recall snapshots are saved locally and protected by Windows Hello authentication on Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft’s preview documentation emphasizes that snapshots are encrypted and—while Microsoft can supply guidance—users are responsible for their own keys and enrollment. Be cautious: if Windows Hello settings change, migrating snapshots across devices can be nontrivial until Microsoft delivers dedicated key‑backup flows. (blogs.windows.com, reddit.com)
• Enterprise controls: Recall is removable/disabled by default on managed (work or school) devices. IT administrators can control the availability of Recall within their organization through management tooling, and enterprises are explicitly prevented from accessing an individual user’s Recall data; only user‑side decryption via Windows Hello grants access. That said, an administrator can prevent the feature entirely on managed devices. (blogs.windows.com, techcommunity.microsoft.com)
• Sensitive content filtering: Early Recall previews include filters for sensitive content (credit card numbers, passwords, etc.). The filtering is a work in progress and Microsoft asks Insiders to file feedback when filters miss content or are over‑aggressive. Treat current filters as helpful but incomplete. (reddit.com)

Risk profile: For privacy‑sensitive environments, the safe route is to treat Recall and similar on‑device AI features as optional. Enforce policy controls via device management if the organization must limit local snapshot collection or exposure. The feature’s default disablement on managed devices is a prudent design choice for IT.

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What Beta Channel Insiders and admins should do before installing​

This flight is Beta Channel, but it introduces AI features and fixes that can affect user workflows. Recommended pre‑install checks:

• Verify you are on Windows 11, version 24H2 and in the Beta Channel via Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program. (blogs.windows.com)
• If you use Recall or Click to Do for work, confirm device state and backups:
• Ensure Secure Boot and BitLocker are configured if you plan to enable Recall (some Recall flows require these for Windows Hello key protection). (reddit.com)
• Review device drivers and peripherals:
• If you use Xbox controllers, have the Device Manager rollback/uninstall steps on hand; there are still reports of Bluetooth‑connected controller bugchecks on some builds. (blogs.windows.com)
• For enterprise pilots:
• Validate how your management stack (Intune, Group Policy, Configuration Service Provider) will control feature availability — Recall is disabled on managed devices by default and admins can manage the experience. (blogs.windows.com)
• Toggle choice:
• If you want to be among the first to see gradually rolled out features, enable the “get the latest updates” toggle in Settings > Windows Update; otherwise features will arrive later via Microsoft’s controlled rollout. (blogs.windows.com)

Taking these steps reduces the chance of surprise rollbacks or workflow interruptions and aligns with Microsoft’s own guidance for Insider testers.

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How the industry and community are interpreting this release​

Independent coverage and community forums help place this build in context:

• Windows Central’s coverage highlights Microsoft’s steady expansion of Copilot features into mainstream surfaces (Search, Settings, Narrator) and underscores that many AI actions are gradually expanding beyond Qualcomm hardware to AMD and Intel Copilot+ PCs. Their reporting reinforces that Microsoft is balancing AI rollout with accessibility and privacy controls. (windowscentral.com)
• Windows IT Pro and other technical outlets call out the operational aspects: enablement packages for the 24H2 track, the controlled feature rollout mechanism, and the need for IT to plan for policy/footprint changes as Copilot and related services become more integrated with Windows. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)
• Forum threads and community summaries trace persistent pain points — first‑run slowness for AI actions after model updates, controller driver bugchecks, occasional File Explorer quirks — while also applauding improved selection controls and image/text action breadth. These community signals match Microsoft’s known‑issues notes and demonstrate iterative responsiveness.

Together, these independent sources corroborate Microsoft’s stated priorities (AI integration, accessibility, and stability) and show the typical preview cadence: feature expansion, followed by bug reports, followed by targeted fixes in subsequent flights.

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Strengths, opportunities, and risks — a critical appraisal​

Strengths​

• Practical UX improvements: The new Click to Do selection modes are meaningful and immediately improve usability for pen/touch users.
• Controlled rollout discipline: Microsoft’s two‑bucket approach and the “get the latest updates” toggle reduce risk and provide clear expectations for Insiders and admins.
• Enterprise safeguards: Disabling Recall by default on managed devices and offering admin controls demonstrates attention to enterprise operational needs. (blogs.windows.com)

Opportunities​

• Polish for first‑use performance: Prior reports of long first‑use delays on Copilot+ AMD/Intel hardware suggest Microsoft can optimize model warm‑up and caching behavior to improve responsiveness. (elevenforum.com)
• Key backup and migration flows: Recall’s local‑only key model is privacy‑respecting but needs a clear, user‑friendly key‑backup and device‑migration experience before broader consumer adoption. Community documentation and support pages should prioritize this. (reddit.com)

Risks and caveats​

• Rollout volatility: Insiders should expect features to be added, changed, or removed; this is explicit in Microsoft’s notes and is the reality of active preview channels. (blogs.windows.com)
• Hardware and licensing fragmentation: Copilot‑dependent experiences that require Copilot+ hardware or Microsoft 365 entitlements risk confusing consumers and enterprises if expectations aren’t clearly communicated.
• Residual stability issues: Xbox controller bugchecks, rollback installation errors (0x80070005), and occasional Click to Do crashes remain possible and can interrupt testing or workflows in preview scenarios. (blogs.windows.com, elevenforum.com)

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Quick reference: What changed (summary)​

• Build: Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.5751 (KB5064071). (blogs.windows.com)
• Channel: Beta Channel (Windows 11, version 24H2). (blogs.windows.com)
• Headline feature: Click to Do — new Freeform, Rectangle, and Ctrl + Click selection modes for multi‑entity selection. (blogs.windows.com)
• Notable fixes: DWM crash mitigation, lock screen/login fixes, Live Captions crash fix, taskbar and File Explorer visual fixes. (blogs.windows.com)
• Known issues: update rollback 0x80070005, Recall behavior in EEA (Reset Recall path), Xbox Bluetooth controller bugchecks. (blogs.windows.com)

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Final analysis and practical takeaway​

Build 26120.5751 is emblematic of Microsoft’s incremental strategy for Windows in 2025: tighten reliability and accessibility while pushing Copilot and AI surface area forward. The Click to Do selection improvements are immediately useful and signal a maturation of the on‑screen AI action model; the ongoing stabilization work across taskbar, Start, File Explorer, and Live Captions shows Microsoft is listening to Insider feedback and prioritizing regressions that affect broad usability.
For Insiders and IT teams, the practical approach is straightforward: test selectively, prioritize critical workflows, and use management controls to limit exposure on production devices. Keep an eye on subsequent flights — Microsoft’s controlled rollouts mean some functionality will appear slowly, but the cadence of small, targeted fixes suggests rapid iteration. If Recall or Click to Do will play a role in your productivity or deployment testing, validate hardware capability (Copilot+ certification), prepare for first‑run model warm‑ups, and be ready with rollback/workaround steps for known issues.
This build won’t radically change Windows overnight, but it nudges the platform steadily toward a future where AI actions are a normal part of desktop workflows — and that future will be determined as much by usability improvements like these selection modes as by the models and policies that underlie them. (blogs.windows.com, windowscentral.com, techcommunity.microsoft.com)

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Concluding note: Insiders interested in this flight should consult Settings > Windows Update for the optional toggle to receive gradually‑rolled features, follow the Windows Insider Blog for official release notes, and file feedback via Feedback Hub if you encounter issues or want to influence how features like Click to Do and Recall evolve. (blogs.windows.com)

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Source: Microsoft - Windows Insiders Blog Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.5751 (Beta Channel)