Microsoft pushed two new Release Preview builds to Windows Insiders on September 12, 2025—Build 26100.6713 and 26200.6713, both delivered as cumulative update KB5065789. The update continues the annual feature update cycle for Windows 11 version 24H2 and beyond, but its headline isn’t another splashy Copilot integration. It’s the quiet removal of PowerShell 2.0 and WMIC, two decades-old administration tools that millions of enterprise scripts still depend on. For IT admins, this release preview window is the final call to modernize automation before the changes hit broad deployment.

These builds follow Microsoft’s enablement package model, where a small “eKB” flips feature flags already baked into monthly cumulative updates. Devices already current on servicing will see a fast, single-restart upgrade. The Release Preview channel is the last public validation ring before a phased rollout to all Windows 11 users, so the code is near-final but still subject to last-minute tweaks. Insiders and organizations piloting these builds are testing what most consumers will see in the coming months.

AI Features Inch Forward, Still Gated by Hardware and Licensing

The most visible consumer-facing changes revolve around on-device AI, but all come with strings attached. Recall, Microsoft’s snapshot-based activity resumption tool, gets a redesigned homepage with a left-hand navigation, timeline controls, and richer app and website suggestions. Snapshots remain opt-in and protected by Windows Hello when enabled. Click to Do receives an onboarding flow and new text and image actions—summarize, remove background, convert to table—though some only work with a Microsoft 365 or Copilot license. File Explorer gains AI-powered right-click actions for images and documents, like Blur Background, Erase Objects, and Visual Search. Again, licensing or specific Copilot+ NPU hardware may gate these features.

For many testers, these capabilities will simply not appear. Microsoft continues its aggressive use of feature flags and entitlement checks, meaning identical builds can behave radically differently across devices. A system with a Snapdragon X Elite and an active Copilot subscription might showcase all the new AI trimmings, while a standard Intel machine in the same update channel sees nothing beyond the clock tweaks.

Apart from AI, the update polishes a few small UI elements. The taskbar search box now shows photo results in a grid view, and the Notification Center optionally displays a larger clock with seconds. These are minor quality-of-life additions that round out the release.

Enterprise Housekeeping: Deprecations That Will Break Legacy Automation

The most operationally significant part of KB5065789 isn’t a feature—it’s a subtraction. Microsoft confirms that PowerShell 2.0 and WMIC (Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line) are being removed or deprecated from shipping images. PowerShell 2.0, released with Windows 7, is a separate engine that some organizations have kept enabled for backward compatibility with ancient scripts. WMIC, the command-line wrapper for WMI, has been deprecated since Windows 10 but still present in images. Now both are gone.

Admins who haven’t already migrated scripts to PowerShell 5.1, PowerShell 7, or modern CIM/WMI cmdlets face looming breakage. WMIC commands like wmic bios get serialnumber must be rewritten as Get-WmiObject or Get-CimInstance. PowerShell 2.0 sessions and modules that rely on the old engine will fail. Microsoft’s move is security-driven: stripping legacy components reduces attack surface. But the operational cost is immediate for shops that neglected prior deprecation warnings.

Alongside the removals, new Group Policy and MDM controls let Enterprise and Education editions strip unwanted inbox apps during provisioning. Admins can now prevent specific Microsoft Store packages from being preinstalled, cutting bloat and reducing image preparation steps. The controls are applied early in imaging flows for maximum effect.

The update also bundles a Servicing Stack Update (SSU) with the cumulative payload. SSUs modify the update pipeline itself and become permanently installed, which complicates rollbacks. If a pilot goes wrong, a simple uninstall of the cumulative update may not fully revert system state. Administrators must plan image-based recovery or system restore accordingly.

Deployment Guidance for IT Teams

Release Preview is the dress rehearsal before general availability. Organizations should now execute targeted pilots on representative hardware. Microsoft’s recommended steps are practical and urgent:

  • Confirm exact build and KB number on test devices via winver or Update History before documenting rollout steps. The minor build number (26100.6713 or 26200.6713) may differ from what hits GA; feature availability depends on flags.
  • Inventory all automation that touches the deprecated tools. Scan for powershell -version 2, wmic.exe, or any script using the Microsoft.PowerShell.PSWorkflow module. Prioritize remediation.
  • Test endpoint protection and EDR compatibility with the new servicing stack. Run representative agent and telemetry checks.
  • Validate backup and restore with Windows Backup for Organizations or third-party tools. Ensure user settings, profiles, and Store apps survive a recovery.
  • Use Release Preview ISOs for clean-image validation when available. Don’t rely solely on in-place upgrades—imaging workflows demand fresh installs for driver and provisioning verification.
  • Stage rollouts via Windows Update for Business rings or WSUS and rehearse rollback strategies before pushing to broader groups.

For enthusiasts and home testers, the Release Preview channel remains the safest Insider ring for trying near-final features on non-critical machines. Make a full backup, understand that not all features will appear, and use Feedback Hub to report reproducible issues.

Known Issues and Mitigations

Microsoft’s gated feature rollout can confuse testers who see no changes post-update. If AI actions or Recall don’t appear, confirm hardware eligibility (Copilot+ NPU) and licensing (Microsoft 365/Copilot). Missing features are often by design, not a bug.

Update failures like error 0x80070005 or spontaneous rollbacks can occur. Standard fixes apply: check the Windows Update log via Event Viewer or Get-WindowsUpdateLog, free disk space, and update third-party drivers. Repeated failures may necessitate an in-place upgrade using the Release Preview ISO.

Legacy script breakage will surface immediately in environments that still call PowerShell 2.0 or WMIC. Use PowerShell compatibility modules as a temporary bandage, but rewrite scripts to pure CIM/WMI cmdlets for long-term stability.

Security and Compliance Considerations

The removal of PowerShell 2.0 and WMIC hardens Windows by eliminating outdated attack vectors. However, organizations must weigh that benefit against the disruption to operational automation. For regulated industries, validating the privacy posture of on-device AI features is equally critical. Recall snapshots are encrypted and locked behind Windows Hello, and Click to Do actions rely on local models, but IT should confirm these controls align with internal policies before wide deployment.

Analysis: A Methodical, Enterprise-First Update

KB5065789 encapsulates Microsoft’s modern servicing philosophy: incremental polish, staged AI activation, and deliberate platform housekeeping. The enablement package model has made version upgrades nearly trivial for patched devices, and this release reinforces that stability. The strengths are clear:

  • Operational efficiency: Small, fast updates that minimize user impact and bandwidth.
  • Manageability gains: New policies to control inbox apps reduce administrative overhead and default attack surface.
  • Controlled AI rollout: Surface-level integrations like Explorer actions and Click to Do add productivity without a radical UI overhaul.

But the limitations demand attention:

  • Legacy friction: The deprecations will break real-world automation. Organizations that ignored years of warnings now face a hard deadline.
  • Feature fragmentation: Gating by hardware and license makes support and testing unpredictable. A user may see a feature one day and lose it the next due to entitlement changes.
  • SSU complexity: Bundled servicing stack updates complicate rollback planning, requiring image-based recovery more often than admins would like.

A note of caution: at the time of this writing, the KB5065789 support article was not consistently visible in Microsoft’s public catalog. IT admins should verify the KB number on the Windows Release Health dashboard or Update Catalog before finalizing documentation. Insider preview identifiers can shift before GA.

Practical Next Steps

For IT teams: schedule a two-week pilot now. Prioritize script validation and agent compatibility, and document a clear rollback path using ISOs. Coordinate with third-party vendors early.

For OEM and imaging professionals: obtain Release Preview ISOs and test driver signing and provisioning with the new inbox app removal policies. Apply those policies at Provisioning to maximize effect.

For Insiders: install on a VM or spare PC, test AI features (if eligible), and file Feedback Hub reports for any defects. Keep expectations in check—this is a near-final build, not a feature showcase.

Ultimately, Builds 26100.6713 and 26200.6713 are less about what’s new and more about what’s being removed and refined. For millions of Windows users, the update will be a quiet afternoon reboot. For IT pros, it’s a race against time to modernize before the old tools vanish for good.