Windows Insiders, head"s up: Microsoft paused the rollout of new features in build 26120.961 from the Dev Channel. Quietly and without any notifications (spotted by @PhantomOfEarth on X), Microsoft posted the following update in the original blog post from June 28, 2024:
UPDATE 6/30: We have temporarily paused the enablement of these features to investigate a few issues reported by Windows Insiders. We plan to begin the enablement again shortly.
Sadly, there is no information on the specific issues Microsoft is talking about. At this point, we can only guess what forced Microsoft to halt the rollout.
As a reminder, the Windows 11 Dev Channel features in question are narrator improvements with voice access support, the new account manager in the Start menu, Windows Share upgrades, new emoji, Windows Backup improvements, a bunch of modernized UIs for the Settings app, and various fixes for Task Manager, graphics, virtual desktops, and more. You can check out the complete list of what you can no longer get in this post.
This is not the only update that has been recalled recently. Last week, Microsoft pulled the plug on KB5039302, the latest non-security update for Windows 11. It was breaking computers with virtualization software, causing infinite boot loops with no hope of getting to the desktop. Microsoft restored the update a couple of days later.
That is the nature of early updates, regardless of whether they are from the Windows Insider Program or a non-security update preview. If you want to keep your computer as stable as possible, stay away from those things and keep its Windows Update running as is. Microsoft also allows pausing Windows Update for up to seven days, which is a viable option for those who do not want their systems to install the latest updates as soon as possible.