Microsoft Releases November 2016 Patch Tuesday Updates

Microsoft has just released the November 2026 Patch Tuesday updates for Windows 11 version 26H2 and older versions of the OS. The new bits bring various improvements to File Explorer, Xbox Mode, and the Phone Link app, and there’s also a new Cloud Rebuild feature in the Windows Recovery Environment.

The following improvements were previously made available through the November Preview updates released in late October, and they will now roll out gradually to the versions 26H2, 25H2, and 24H2 of Windows 11:

Microsoft Edge performance: Microsoft’s web browser will now open faster from the Start Menu or the taskbar when it’s already running in the background. This is thanks to a new accelerated app launch capability on Windows 11, which is also available for other app developers.

File Explorer improvements: An updated context menu opens more quickly and is more customizable. Microsoft also added dark mode support for the Folder Options dialog

Xbox Mode improvements: A Gaming Task View experience makes key system actions easier to access while gaming.

Magnifier improvements: The app now lets users customize how content appears and behaves across displays. There’s also a new “Contrast theme” toggle and independent zoom levels for each monitor.

Phone Link improvements: It’s now possible to learn more about a recent message or notification when you mouse over it in the sidebar in Start.

Cloud Rebuild: This new recovery option reinstalls Windows 11 using a Windows image and device drivers downloaded from Windows Update, with no USB media or local recovery file required.

For owners of PCs powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 or Nvidia RTX Spark chipsets, the KB5132059 update for Windows 11 version 26H1 is available today. This update adds various File Explorer improvements, additional touchpad gestures, new key remappings for the Copilot key, and Emoji 17.0. support.