Windows 11 Build 22000.120 fixes the Taskbar and File Explorer

If you have been following Windows 10, you may have noticed that some of the original functionality of the taskbar and the explorer has been removed, replaced with the more modern design elements of the new Windows. As you can see in the screenshot above, you cannot access the Start menu or taskbar by drilling in the left pane, and the taskbar in the Start menu is not functioning properly.

Ever since Windows 10 was first released, many users have been requesting fixes to Windows’ new File Explorer and Taskbar. This is because many apps are using a feature called “snap” which prevents Windows’ taskbar from being hidden. This feature has been causing a lot of confusion and frustration for Windows users, and Microsoft has now released a new build of Windows 10 that solves this problem.

Windows 10 has been a success. It’s familiar, it’s easy to use, and it’s free. But just like all good things, it has to come to an end. As Windows 10 approaches its one-year anniversary, Microsoft has released a new build of the OS. Some of you may have already seen it, but the new build is primarily a bug-fixing build. Some of the changes made are listed below.

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• The KB5005188 update brings a slew of repairs and enhancements to the Windows 11 experience.
• One of the places where Microsoft made some helpful changes was File Explorer.
• With fresh PDP content, the Store has got some significant upgrades.
• The taskbar and Start Menu may be broken as a result of the upgrade, according to Microsoft.

Have you had enough of the latest Windows 11 Insider build? You don’t have to be concerned about that anymore, since build 22000.120 is now available for Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels.

The fifth cumulative update for Windows 11 RTM Build 22000 is now out, and it includes a number of quality improvements but no new features or major improvements.

A new patch named Cumulative Update for Windows 11 (10.0.22000.120) (KB5005188) will become available for download if you check for updates today.

When you click the check for updates button, a new Defender security update will also download and install immediately.

Build 22000.120 adds a slew of new features and fixes.

For desktop users, KB5005188 includes a number of enhancements. Microsoft, for example, has redesigned File Explorer’s right-click context menus with a mouse-friendly layout.

On desktops, Windows 11’s right-click context menu was a little too large, but Microsoft has finally fixed the issue with today’s update.

In addition, the Redmond firm added a dropdown menu to the New button in the File Explorer command.

Other updates and enhancements made possible by version 22000.120 in Windows 11 include:

• For MSA accounts, there’s a new Family widget! It’s accessible in every language and location supported by Windows. It enables you to view what your Microsoft family group members have been up to recently.
• On the Taskbar, there is a notification badge for the Chat icon. Not everyone will see it straight away.
• Changes to the how the close button appears in the Taskbar preview windows.
• Changing Desktop backgrounds using Choose Background through Task View will now cause Settings to switch to the Desktop you’re currently on, even if Settings is already open.
• To make it simpler to locate, we moved the Identify button in Display Settings to directly next to the option for organizing your displays (if you have several monitors attached).
• Within ALT + Tab, Task View, and snap assist, various tweaks were made to enhance the utilization of space and thumbnail sizes.

Important bug fixes have been included to Insider build 22000.120.

Of course, like with any new version, Microsoft also addressed some of the issues that were preventing people from fully enjoying the new OS.

The business adopted an even more hands-on approach and decided to eliminate the problems that plagued our system in earlier versions, resulting in a long list.

The following are the fixes promised by Google for build 22000.120:

• Taskbar:
  • The virtual touchpad may now be activated in Taskbar Settings once again.
  • When trying to rename your Desktops, the Task View flyout will no longer dismiss when you start typing.
  • Insiders who use the Arabic or Hebrew display languages should now see the Task View flyout in the proper direction.
  • Hovering over the microphone icon in the Taskbar corner now says Your assistant is ready to answer instead of Host process for Windows Services when Cortana is set up for voice activation.
  • Icon duplication and overlapping in the Taskbar corner should no longer be a problem as a result of DPI adjustments.
  • In response to comments that the days of the week were wrapping in certain languages, the calendar flyout header space was adjusted to provide a little more room.
  • Fixed a bug where changing your chosen beginning day of the week didn’t show up in the calendar flyout until you logged out and back in.
  • After rebooting, your chosen calendar flyout state (expanded or compressed) should remain.
  • Insiders using multiple monitors with the Taskbar had a race situation that caused the Start menu to fly up into the corner of the screen and explorer.exe to crash while lingering over the Task View button on secondary displays.
  • For Insiders using Windows with multiple monitors, a bug that may cause an explorer.exe crash loop has been fixed.
  • Based on our investigation of the previous flight, we think the explorer.exe crash loop seen by Turkish Insiders while their laptops were fully charged has been resolved, and this problem has been removed from the known issues list.
  • Widgets should now open on your secondary monitor instead of your main one when you click the widgets icon on your primary display.
  • A crash should no longer occur when right-clicking on the Taskbar with a pen.
  • For certain Insiders, a problem was causing app icons in the Taskbar to become fuzzy.
  • We’ve worked to fix a problem where app icons in the Taskbar may get stuck in a blank state while loading.
  • Fixed an issue that caused explorer.exe to crash when the Task View button was pressed.
  • The Chat window was becoming stuck on the screen, which was fixed.
  • On a secondary monitor, clicking Chat should now start it in the proper location and DPI.
  • I fixed an issue where the Taskbar preview windows would get trapped on the screen and would not dismiss when you clicked anything else.
  • To fix a problem where hitting F7 while the taskbar was focused would lock up the taskbar, the caret browsing prompt will no longer display if F7 is clicked anywhere where there is no text block.
  • You may now browse to all the items in the taskbar corner without having to click Tab first by pressing WIN + B followed by the arrow keys.
  • The badges on the app icons on secondary displays should now match what is shown on the main monitor.
• Settings:
  • When Windows Hello is already set up, selecting Facial recognition (Windows Hello) under Sign-in Settings will no longer crash the settings.
  • Fixed an issue where in navigating to Settings > Network & Internet > Ethernet could unexpectedly change the network profile type. If you are an ethernet user, please check your settings after upgrading to this build to ensure your desired network profile type is selected and change it if it isn’t.
  • In certain instances, setting your IP address in Network Settings didn’t function. This has been fixed.
  • Settings should no longer crash when you change your VPN proxy settings.
  • Fixed another issue causing Power & Battery Settings to crash.
  • Also fixed an issue that could make Settings crash specifically if you went to look at the 7-day battery usage graph in Power & Battery Settings.
  • In Settings, the progress bars are now correctly accent colored.
  • It should now be possible to save custom themes under Personalization Settings.
  • After the Settings changes released in Windows 11, certain Get Help URLs stopped leading to particular advice.
  • The toggle switches in Settings will no longer vanish if you hover over them.
  • Fixed an issue that may have left Settings’ search permanently broken, with No result for every search.
  • I worked on a fix for an issue where enlarging the Settings window would result in a large solid accent color region.
  • On startup, the settings should no longer glow green.
  • Fixed a bug that was causing random crashes on Settings pages with lists, as well as a bug that was causing random crashes on Settings pages with radio buttons.
  • When a link to a particular Settings page is clicked, it now takes you to the right page in Settings if it isn’t already open.
  • When transparency is set, your profile image in Settings should no longer have an unexpected square backplate.
  • Added in the missing progress bar when uninstalling apps under Apps & Features in Settings.
  • In Sound Settings, icons in the volume mixer should no longer overlap.
  • In-bound Bluetooth PIN pairing should now function again in Settings.
  • While going through Windows Update Settings, clicking Advanced Options at the top of the screen should now open Advanced Options.
  • Another adjustment was made to prevent the volume and brightness sliders from becoming unreasonably small when all other Quick Options settings were deleted.
  • A crash should no longer occur when switching from one of the Quick Settings subpages to the input flyout.
  • The toggles in the Accessibility section of Quick Settings should now display the proper status of each function if you use it.
  • The arrow keys now function to move up and down the list if you click WIN + P to go straight to Project under Quick Settings.
  • Fixed an issue where certain thumbnails in the media control above Quick Settings were being squashed at random.
  • Another change was made to prevent Focus Assist from going on while viewing the desktop.
• Using the File Explorer:
  • When File Explorer was in dark mode, it didn’t display an updated scroll bar, which was fixed.
  • Fix for a GDI handle leak caused by context menu use, which caused sluggishness in File Explorer after extended use.
  • A modification was made to remedy a memory leak in File Explorer that was becoming worse when more File Explorer windows were opened.
  • Also made a modification to File Explorer’s command bar, which was causing an increase in thread count every time a new File Explorer window was created, which was wasting resources.
  • The usage of Acrylic in File Explorer’s context menus caused a high-impact explorer.exe crash.
  • When using the mouse to interact with File Explorer’s command bar, the focus rectangle appeared unexpectedly.
  • When Contrast themes are enabled, the context menu should no longer flicker when you hover over it.
  • The context menu should no longer be pinched on the side, preventing it from displaying fully.
  • When you right-click the bottom corner of the desktop display, the context menu no longer appears at the top of the screen.
  • We fixed an underlying problem that was causing explorer.exe to crash when you attempted to interact with a scrollbar that appeared in the context menu.
  • Changed the radio buttons in File Explorer’s File Options to make them a bit more visible when they’re chosen.
  • The Open With dialog should no longer appear randomly when clicking the rename button in the command bar.
  • Fixed an issue where some of the file operation dialogs’ button text was illegible in dark mode (for example, File in Use and Destination Folder Access Denied).
• Menu de démarrage:
  • Multiple rapid presses of the Windows key should no longer cause Start to crash.
  • A modification was made to assist enhance the performance of the Start menu startup.
  • Fixed an issue where, in certain instances, clicking on one of the Recommended files would open the file in an unexpected program.
  • A modification was made to solve an issue where Search would sometimes flash on top of Start when it was opened.
• Search:
  • When the recent searches have been updated, hovering over the Search icon should no longer trigger a crash.
  • The window should no longer get cropped while hovering over the Search icon.
• Windowing:
  • Connecting and detaching from a PC through Remote Desktop, as well as switching users, should no longer cause all active applications to be minimized abruptly.
  • When snapping specific applications on a system with varied DPI displays, an explorer.exe problem occurred often.
  • When you hover your mouse over an app’s maximize button, the snap layouts window should now disappear more consistently when you move your mouse away.
  • When you docked or undocked your PC with snapped windows, there was a problem that caused explorer.exe to crash.
  • When closing windows, window frames should no longer get trapped on the screen.
  • Fixed an issue that caused windows to launch on the incorrect Desktop when they shouldn’t have.
  • When switching Desktops using the keyboard shortcuts, the animation was turned off since it was causing flashes and hangs.
  • When some windows, like as File Explorer, are maximized, the border should no longer extend to additional displays.
  • When using ALT + Tab, a bug was fixed that caused screen readers to state DesktopWindowXamlSource unexpectedly.
  • I worked on improving the sensitivity of the touchpad gesture for ALT + Tab and switching applications.
  • If you had problems with Snap Assist not showing up on the previous flight, we think this will be fixed after upgrading to this one.
• Security and logging in on Windows:
  • After the upgrade, Windows Hello Face should be functioning again.
  • For Insiders who aren’t using EN-US, the button text in the UAC window should now say Yes and No.
  • In certain cases, the UAC dialog might start in the background for applications pinned to the Taskbar. This has been fixed.
  • Automatic sample submission was abruptly switched off when you rebooted your PC, and a Windows Defender patch is now going out.
  • Resolved an issue that caused logonui.exe to crash repeatedly for certain Insiders.
  • Also fixed a deadlock that caused some Insiders to see a black screen for a few seconds after signing in, as well as a secondary crash that caused some Insiders to see a black screen for a few seconds after logging in.
  • For certain Insiders, an issue causing explorer.exe to crash while signing in for the first time after starting their PC has been resolved.
  • When selecting high contrast, the components of the login screen are more visible.
  • Full screen white or accent colored flashes should no longer occur when logging in or locking your PC.
• Input:
  • Fixed a tooltip problem that caused clicks to occur in the incorrect location throughout the system, such as when interacting with icons on the desktop.
  • When docked, the touch keyboard should no longer be clipped when the screen orientation is rotated.
  • Fixed an issue that caused explorer.exe to crash sometimes while switching between applications when using a third-party IME.
  • Fixed a problem that caused certain hardware keys and buttons, including the function keys, to stop working on some devices.
  • When the touchpad was used to choose the Sleep option in Start, a race situation may occur, causing some devices to wake up abruptly.
• Other:
  • Fixed an issue that might cause PCs to scan for bugs while they were asleep.
  • When you attempted to play a game when the Xbox Game Bar performance monitor was pinned to the screen, it caused stuttering.
  • Insiders may experience stuttering or a decrease in frame rate while moving the mouse in some games. Thank you to Insiders who have taken the time to provide us with gaming performance feedback – if you continue to have problems after updating, please see our instructions for recording actionable feedback on this topic.
  • The boot menu no longer incorrectly identified Windows 11 as a result of a bug.
  • In the previous flight, a problem was suspected of creating a variety of unanticipated UI difficulties, such as semi-transparent and unreadable dialogs, z-ordering issues, and huge, shadowy areas being stuck on the screen. Arabic and Hebrew Insiders will see reversed text in context menus.
  • When transparency was disabled, windows created with transparency disabled remained locked in a solid color rather than becoming acrylic when transparency was activated.
  • When utilizing dark mode, some effort was done to eliminate the unexpected white artifacts in the corners of windows.
  • In certain applications, such as Task Manager, right clicking several times no longer causes the context menu frame to shift from rounded to square.
  • After hitting ALT + F4 on the desktop, the window would instantly dismiss due to a focus problem.
  • Fixed an issue that caused some connected devices to need to be re-paired unexpectedly after restarting.
  • When rearranging your desktops, you may encounter an explorer.exe stall.
  • Microsoft Store seemed to be downloading app updates that were previously installed on the PC, which was fixed.
  • Fixed an issue that was causing bugchecks for certain Insiders, particularly while playing games.

The Microsoft Store has also been updated with several important changes.

Microsoft Store will now enable auto-scrolling on the spotlight as part of this system upgrade, enabling customers to find their next favorite app, movie, or game without having to manually scroll through the list.

The Redmond-based software firm is also launching a gaming product detail page (PDP) design, which allows visitors to view more information and pictures about the game.

A new ratings and reviews dialog has been added, which is based on XAML rather than WebView.

Build 22000.120 has a number of known flaws.

Don’t fool yourself into believing that this Insider build is flawless and that there are no flaws. Because Windows 11 is still in beta, we’re likely to come across additional problems.

Microsoft, on the other hand, is bringing to our notice some of the issues with the latest release, as follows:

• [REMINDER] Some functions may be deprecated or deleted when upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 or after applying an update to Windows 11. Details may be found here.
• Still investigating an issue where on some devices, when going to Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program, only the “Stop getting preview builds” option is visible. This prevents Insiders from selecting a channel. We have posted a workaround on Answers.
• [BETA CHANNEL] Still investigating reports from Insiders in the Beta Channel where after upgrading to Windows 11, they are not seeing the new Taskbar and the Start menu doesn’t work. To workaround this if you are impacted, please try going to Windows Update > Update history, uninstalling the latest cumulative update for Windows, and the reinstall it by checking for updates.
• Start:
  • When using Search from Start or the Taskbar, you may be unable to input text in certain situations. If the problem persists, open the Run dialog box by pressing WIN + R on the keyboard, then shut it.
  • When right-clicking on the Start button (WIN + X), System and Windows Terminal are absent.
• Taskbar:
  • When switching input methods, the Taskbar will sometimes flicker.
• Search:
  • The Search panel may not open after clicking the Search button on the Taskbar. Restart the “Windows Explorer” process and reopen the search panel if this happens.
  • Recent searches may not appear when you hover your cursor over the Search button on the Taskbar. Restart your computer to get around the problem.
  • The search panel may look dark, with no information underneath the search field.
• Widgets:
  • It’s possible that the widgets board is empty. You can get around the problem by signing out and then back in again.
  • It’s possible that connections from the widgets board won’t bring applications to the forefront.
  • External displays may show widgets in the incorrect size. If this happens, open the widgets on your primary monitor first, then on your other displays, using touch or the WIN + W shortcut.
  • [Widget for the family] Even if screen time settings are enabled, some users may receive a notification that says “connect a device to view screen time activities.”
  • [Widget for the family] On iOS, certain users may not be able to get location information.
• Store:
  • We’re trying to enhance the Store’s search relevancy, including addressing an issue where the ordering of search results is sometimes incorrect.
  • In certain circumstances, the install button may not be available yet.
  • For certain applications, ratings and reviews are not accessible.
• Sandbox in Windows
  • In Windows Sandbox, the Taskbar will keep crashing. The team is working on a solution.
• Localization
  • Some Insiders may be missing translations from their user experience for a limited subset of languages using the newest Insider Preview builds due to an issue. To see whether you’ve been affected, go to this Answers forum post and follow the instructions for fixing it.

On a more serious note, if you’re in the Beta Channel, this upgrade may damage the taskbar and Start Menu.

What is the procedure for installing KB5005188?

1. Go to the Windows Update tab in the Settings menu.
2. The update should appear as a pending download, so click the Download button.
3. The fix will begin downloading on its own.
4. To complete the installation, click “Restart now.”

Have you tried out the latest Windows 11 Insider build yet? In the comments box below, tell us about your experience.

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After updating to Build 22000.120, I noticed that the file explorer in the taskbar was broken, so today I installed the latest Windows Insider preview build (22000.120) and I fixed the problem. This fix is permanent, so it will be in the next Windows Insider build.. Read more about windows 11 release date and let us know what you think.