Windows 11 Preview Update Brings 35 Changes, Including a Movable Taskbar
Microsoft's optional August 2026 update lets users dock the taskbar to any screen edge and starts rolling out a new admin protection feature.
Key points
- Microsoft released the KB5120998 preview update for Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2 with 35 changes.
- The update lets users move the taskbar to the top, bottom, left, or right of the screen.
- A new administrator protection feature begins rolling out, granting admin rights only when a task needs them.
- The update contains no security fixes; it is a preview of what ships in September's Patch Tuesday.
- Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 24H2 stop getting updates in two months.
Microsoft has pushed out an optional Windows 11 update that carries 35 tweaks and fixes, most of them aimed at giving users more say over how the desktop looks and behaves.
The update, catalogued as KB5120998, applies to Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2. It is a preview release, meaning it is a dress rehearsal for the mandatory update coming on the second Tuesday of next month. Preview updates carry only quality fixes, not security patches.
Once installed, PCs running 25H2 move to build 26200.9278. Machines on 24H2 go to 26100.9278.
What actually changes on screen?
The headline change is that the taskbar, the strip of icons along the bottom of your screen, no longer has to sit at the bottom. You can now drag it to the top, left, or right, a feature long-time Windows users have asked for since Microsoft removed the option in Windows 11.
The setting lives under Settings, Personalization, Taskbar, Taskbar behaviors, Taskbar position. Most existing customisations, such as never combining icons, work in any position.
There is also a new smaller taskbar mode that shrinks the bar and its icons, useful on laptops with limited screen space. The Start menu gets small and large size options, plus the ability to hide individual sections like Pinned, Recommended, or your account name and photo.
What is administrator protection?
Administrator protection is a new security feature that only hands out admin rights when a task genuinely needs them, then takes them back. Microsoft calls this "just-in-time privileges."
The idea is straightforward. If malware, meaning malicious software, sneaks onto a machine where the user is logged in as an administrator, it usually inherits those admin powers automatically. Administrator protection breaks that link by keeping the user in a standard profile most of the time and only elevating when prompted.
Microsoft is careful to note the feature is not a formal security boundary. It hardens Windows against elevation-of-privilege attacks, where an attacker who is already on the machine tries to gain higher access, but it is not a wall. It is off by default and has to be turned on through Microsoft Intune or Group Policy, tools that IT departments use to manage company PCs.
What else is in the update?
A handful of quieter changes matter more than they sound.
Windows will now automatically index your most-used folders so files inside them show up in search results faster. You can switch this off under Settings, Privacy and Security, Search.
Sleep behaviour has been fixed so a PC you manually put to sleep goes back to sleep after an update finishes, rather than staying awake. VPN reliability has been improved to recover from background processes that stop responding.
One removal is worth flagging. Starting this month, Windows 11 no longer ships with WMIC, an old command-line tool used by administrators and, increasingly, by attackers to run commands stealthily. It is already gone from fresh installs and is now being pulled from upgraded machines too. First reported by BleepingComputer, the change closes off a technique often abused in ransomware intrusions.
Should ordinary users install it?
Probably not yet. Preview updates are optional and, as the name suggests, they are the version IT teams test before the polished release. Regular users can safely wait for next month's Patch Tuesday, when the same fixes ship as a mandatory update with any security patches folded in.
One more thing to know: Microsoft has warned that some PCs may reboot one extra time during installation, part of a Secure Boot certificate update rolling out over the coming months.
And if you are still on Windows 11 24H2 Home or Pro, updates stop in two months. Enterprise and Education editions get support until October 2027.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Update ID | KB5120998 |
| Affected versions | Windows 11 25H2, 24H2 |
| New build (25H2) | 26200.9278 |
| New build (24H2) | 26100.9278 |
| Total changes | 35 |
| Security fixes | None |
Common questions
Do I have to install this update now?
No. It is optional. If you do nothing, the fixes will arrive automatically in next month's regular Patch Tuesday update.
Will moving the taskbar break my apps?
No. Windows adjusts the layout for you, and most taskbar settings work regardless of which edge you dock it to.
What happens if I ignore the Windows 11 24H2 deadline?
Home and Pro machines will stop receiving updates in about two months, including security patches. Upgrading to 25H2 keeps you protected.
