Windows 11 Canary Build 27802: Comprehensive Overview of New Features and Fixes

Introduction

Microsoft continues to enhance Windows 11 with the release of Insider Preview Build 27802 to the Canary Channel. This build introduces significant updates aimed at improving user experience, including redesigned battery icons, taskbar enhancements, and various system fixes.

Enhanced Battery Iconography

One of the standout features in Build 27802 is the overhaul of the battery icon in the system tray. The new design employs color-coded indicators to provide users with immediate insight into their device's power status:

• Green Icon: Indicates that the device is charging and the battery is in good condition.
• Yellow Icon: Signifies that the device is running on battery power and has entered energy-saving mode, which automatically activates when the battery level drops to 20% or below.
• Red Icon: Warns of a critically low battery, prompting the user to connect to a power source immediately.

These icons are visible in the taskbar's system tray, the quick settings flyout, and the Settings menu. Additionally, Microsoft has introduced an option to display the battery percentage next to the icon—a feature highly requested by users. To enable this, navigate to Settings > System > Power & battery and toggle on the "Battery Percentage" setting.

Taskbar and System Tray Improvements

Build 27802 brings enhancements to the taskbar's functionality:

• File Sharing via Jump Lists: Users can now share files directly from the jump lists on the taskbar. By right-clicking on an app with a jump list (e.g., Notepad), a share icon appears next to recent files, facilitating quicker file sharing.
• Desktop Spotlight Interaction: Changes to the Desktop Spotlight icon interaction model allow users to discover more information about their background image by hovering over or clicking on the "Learn about this picture" icon on the desktop.

System Fixes and Improvements

This build addresses several issues to enhance system stability and performance:

• General Fixes: Resolved an error (0x8007000d) encountered when installing Build 27788, along with a failed .NET update (0x80073712).
• File Explorer: Fixed an issue where minimized File Explorer windows might not render correctly upon restoration.
• Taskbar & System Tray: Corrected inconsistencies in the spacing between the date and time and the edge of the screen when using multiple monitors.
• Input: Addressed an issue where non-default mouse pointer colors would revert to white upon encountering a User Account Control (UAC) dialog.
• Lock Screen: Fixed a crash occurring when clicking the "sign-in options" link on the login screen for some users.
• Administrator Protection: Resolved a rare issue causing a resource loader cache error when Administrator Protection was enabled.
• Audio: Fixed a background audio crash that prevented a small percentage of users from hearing audio in recent builds.
• Remote Desktop: Addressed an issue where connecting to a PC via Remote Desktop and then signing in locally resulted in a black screen.
• Other Fixes: Resolved underlying issues causing bugchecks with WIN32KCRITICALFAILURE and KERNELSECURITYCHECKFAILURE, and fixed errors encountered when running the INLINECODE_0 command.

Known Issues

While Build 27802 introduces numerous improvements, some known issues remain:

• Gaming: Some popular games like Roblox may cause a bugcheck (green screen) on this build. Microsoft is working on a fix for the next Canary Channel flight.
• Printing: Printing from certain apps may cause a bugcheck (green screen).
• Power and Battery: The colors in the new battery icon may not display correctly when the mode in Personalization > Colors is set to certain custom options.
• Search: The search window may appear blank for some users when searching from the taskbar due to a background crash.
• Hyper-V: Reports indicate that Hyper-V and other features relying on it (such as Windows Subsystem for Linux) may not function properly.

Implications and Impact

The updates in Build 27802 reflect Microsoft's commitment to refining the Windows 11 user experience. The enhanced battery iconography and taskbar improvements aim to provide users with more intuitive and efficient interactions. By addressing various system issues, Microsoft continues to enhance the stability and reliability of Windows 11, ensuring a smoother experience for users.

Conclusion

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27802 introduces meaningful enhancements and fixes that contribute to a more polished and user-friendly operating system. As Microsoft continues to gather feedback from Insiders, users can anticipate further refinements in future builds.

For more detailed information, refer to the official announcement on the Windows Insider Blog.