The Windows 11 26H2 update has started rolling out to the Windows Insider program, giving an early look at what’s coming when it reaches everyone this fall. It’s a significant release, and it brings a batch of Windows 11 new features worth knowing about ahead of time.
Microsoft says the goal with this release is “a predictable, low disruption update experience for organizations and IT professionals” — a notable promise after a few rocky annual updates in recent years. Whether that holds up remains to be seen, but even for everyday users, the Windows 11 26H2 update includes several genuinely useful changes. There’s also one setting that will be turned on by default that’s worth knowing about before it catches you off guard.
Here’s a breakdown of every new feature coming in this update.
1. Point-in-Time Restore: A Real Safety Net
The standout feature in the Windows 11 26H2 update is a new recovery tool called Point-in-Time Restore. Think of it as a save point for your entire PC — it automatically creates restore points that capture your settings, files, and applications, not just system files like the old System Restore did.
This will be on by default in both Home and Pro editions once 26H2 rolls out. The one requirement: your PC needs at least 200GB of free storage for it to activate. If your drive is nearly full, you’ll need to free up space first.
It’s worth being clear about what this is — and isn’t. It’s not a long-term backup strategy. It’s a short-term fallback that lets you roll your PC back to a previous state after something goes wrong: a crash, a ransomware attack, or an accidental deletion.
Where to find it: Settings → System → Recovery → Point in time restore. From there you can adjust how often snapshots are taken and how long they’re kept.
2. Pause Windows Updates Indefinitely
This one’s been a long time coming. Previously, Windows capped pausing updates at five weeks — after that, updates installed whether you wanted them to or not.
With the Windows 11 26H2 update, there’s a new calendar-based control. You can initially delay updates for up to 35 days, and once that period ends, you can manually extend it again — as many times as you like. Effectively, you can now pause updates indefinitely.
Where to find it: Settings → Windows Update.
3. Administrator Protection
This feature works quietly in the background, but it matters. When something on your PC needs administrator rights, Windows will now create a temporary elevated account, complete the task, and then automatically delete that account.
The effect is that it closes a door malware commonly uses to install itself with lasting permissions. You won’t see it running, but it makes it harder for bad actors to gain permanent control of your system.
4. Windows 11 Cloud Rebuild
If your PC is hacked, corrupted, or won’t start for any reason, Cloud Rebuild lets you do a fresh Windows install straight from the web — no functioning recovery partition and no USB install media required.
Just boot into the Windows Recovery Environment, select Troubleshoot → Cloud Rebuild, and Windows installs a fresh copy along with your necessary device drivers, pulled directly from Microsoft’s servers. It’s a major improvement over the old recovery process and one of the more practical Windows 11 new features in this release.
5. Taskbar Position and Emoji Picker
On the visual side, you’ll be able to move the taskbar to the bottom, top, left, or right of your screen, and choose between the default size or a smaller, space-saving version. This feature is still in development in the preview build, so it’s not guaranteed to make the final fall release.
Where to find it (if it ships): Settings → Personalization → Taskbar → Taskbar behaviors.
There’s also a new emoji and GIF picker accessible from the taskbar, handy for quickly dropping one into a text or email.
Where to find it: Settings → Personalization → Taskbar → Emoji and more. You can set it to show always, never, or only while typing.
6. The Setting to Watch: Windows Ready Print (On by Default)
This is the one change worth flagging before it catches you off guard. Starting with the Windows 11 26H2 update, Windows will install printers — local or networked — using its own built-in system, Windows Ready Print, built on the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP), instead of the manufacturer’s drivers. And it’s on by default.
For most people, this will work fine and go unnoticed. But if you have an older printer that isn’t IPP-compatible, a more specialized model, or you simply prefer a third-party driver, it could cause issues.
The good news: it’s easy to turn off.
Where to find it: Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → turn off “Default install printer using Windows Ready Print.”
If your printing suddenly behaves differently after updating, this setting is the first place to check.
Should You Install the Windows 11 26H2 Update?
Overall, yes. Nothing in this update looks particularly risky, and the safety net alone — Point-in-Time Restore plus Cloud Rebuild — makes it worthwhile. Just keep an eye on that printer setting if you use an older or specialized printer.
One important note: right now, this build is an experimental pre-release in the Dev Channel. It’s not intended for daily use on a machine with important data on it. The Windows 11 26H2 update is expected to officially release in the fall — that’s the version to wait for on your main PC, once Microsoft has had time to iron out the rest of these Windows 11 new features.
Get all the details and my commentary in the video at the top of this post!
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