Windows 11 Build 26040 - New Install UI, Mobile Devices, Archive Options + MORE

We've got a new Windows 11 preview build to dive into, and there's quite a few new additions in this week's build.

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[markusTegelane]

One reason they delayed the setup experience update so much is that they really wanted unattended installations to work properly. That shouldn't really take a decade, but it's probably more of a situation of "we didn't have time to update and test it properly for this version, we'll do it in the next release" going on during the past years. Setup is one of those components of Windows that should never ever break no matter what, so thorough testing was necessary.
Edit: why is everyone replying trashing on Windows?

[SouravSatvaya]

Despite having a dedicated Weather app and it comes pre-installed with Windows 11, the lock screen weather is opening MSN when clicked. Damn man MS devs are really high.

[alexswak]

Me: the task manager is slow and laggy every time I open it
Microsoft: yeah but what about a new logo :)?

[Nizzon.]

Zac is using the Lofree Flow keyboard. :) Cool! Waiting for v2 of that.

[BebebnyaHuTao]

Honestly, the new Windows Setup UI is more like Windows 7 UI, for me I prefer the default (Windows 8 era) setup UI

[NopWorks]

Great.
It's been just 4 months since Panos left, and now they've split access-your-phone stuff into *_Phone Link_* and *_"Mobile Devices"/"Cross Device Experience Host"_*
And a brand-new OS feature that uses legacy UI design.

Windows 11 was slowly getting more unified and consistent. With Win11 they were wrangling older parts of the OS that everyday people use & modernizing them into something that feels more coherent. (Whether or not that "coherent experience" is good is a different topic.)

Just 4 months in without Panos, we can now see that they're allowed to make Windows messy again.
Who knows, maybe with vNext they might bump the number of Right-click/Context menu styles back to a few dozens again like in the Windows 10 days.
Or maybe they're just trying Google's model of launching duplicate services.
Microsoft letting Panos go was a big mistake. Windows needs a design & user experience focused person in power.

[steadfastwhiplash]

Another small issue with animations is if you right click a taskbar icon and it has more than 2 options the menu just kind of vanishes instead of smoothly dropping down/rising up. Also for some reason transparency effects break when said menu drops down too. More noticeable in dark mode

[drozcan]

It should've looked like the OOBE screen

[KennyKenJm]

can you now drag and drop files to a window that is minimized via dragging the file to the minimized window on the taskbar to restore it?

[aabidfaiyaz]

I’ve Q: Does it requires both devices to be on BT to run the Phone link App smoothly, or I can just off BT from the phone after it’s connected to my Laptop?

[bradavon]

Does the Photo Notification download the original photo? Photos in Phone Link massively lowers the resolution making its pretty useless in reality. I only use it as kind of wallpaper to look at my photos. You can't actually rely on it though.

[JynxedKoma]

Zac's face in that photo though. 🤣🤣🤣

[nonetrix]

I wonder if they will ever replace the Windows 7 basic theme in the installer? Would go a long way

[fe.w]

Mikrosoft: *updates task manager icon
Windows users: wow, big changes. Awesome!

[condoriris]

A smartphone with full windows OS is what we are waiting.

[ENNEN]

Wow! This is so cool! I can't wait to keep blocking updates so my Wi-Fi or keyboard doesn't stop working when I keep refusing the update!

[DizzyDooDar]

On my currrent version of Windows 11 (non insider version) I already have the thumbnail previews when hovering over an open app in the taskbar

[dight_]

the reason why you see the windows 7 basic theme during setup is because of the setup not using DWM (the compositor). even windows 11’s theme still has assets from windows 7 so you can at least y’know, see all the window elements

[graigmellon]

Windows Server also got a new build, the same day as client and same build number - and it features many of the changes that are included in the client build. But it also finalizes the Windows Server branding to Windows Server 2025, indicating that it will be released sometime this year. Perhaps it could be released the same time as Windows 11 24H2, which would make sense for LTSC purposes.

And Microsoft accidentally pushed Windows Server 2025 Build 26047 on Monday before being pulled the next day, and has a few minor new features which will likely go to the client at some point.

[alexsoundstuff]

its almost like they try to make their UIs so inconsistent. its impressive at this point.