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Microsoft is bringing the Task Manager shortcut back to the Windows 11 taskbar

Microsoft is bringing the Task Manager shortcut back to the Windows 11 taskbar

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Microsoft’s latest opt-in update brings some cool new features and bug fixes to the OS, but it has an annoying catch

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A stock photo of the Windows 11 Desktop
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25211 went live on September 29th.
Image: Microsoft

Microsoft has finally returned the Task Manager back to its rightful home on the Windows Taskbar. Users that subscribe to the Dev Channel of Windows Insider updates will find a new option when they right-click the Taskbar after updating to Preview Build 25211, allowing them to quickly summon the Task Manager. This isn’t the only feature rolling out with the latest update, but it's definitely the most impressive. Bug fixes come with this build too, but there are some rougher spots users should be aware of. This particular update has only rolled out in the Dev Channel and shouldn’t affect Windows Insider subscribers who use the Beta Channel, or Release Preview builds of Windows.

Here are the more substantial updates rolled out in Preview Build 25211:

  • Behaviors on the Widgets board can now be adjusted. You can now choose whether the Widgets board opens when you hover over it, whether or not the taskbar displays notification badges for Widgets, or whether the taskbar displays rotating updates from your Widgets.
  • The Task Manager can now be summoned by right-clicking on the taskbar, be still my heart.
  • The Snipping Tool automatically saves screenshots now!

The new features come alongside a handful of bug fixes as well, but this all comes with a familiar caveat. Machines with this update installed won’t be able to uninstall or repair Win32 apps with interdependencies. In short, this means you won’t be able to uninstall many of the games that run off the Steam client or Steam itself. However, this bug is fairly common among Windows Insider builds, so there’s no need to panic just yet.

Since the Microsoft Store began supporting native Win32 apps, it’s become increasingly popular with developers who want more customization and control over their applications and not just game developers. The list of games and applications that are reliant on Win32 is only getting bigger, making the limitations of this build a nuisance.

Microsoft has always cautioned that its Dev Channel updates are often very rough and aren’t very stable. While the ability to summon the taskbar without ctrl+alt+deleting your way there is tempting, we wouldn’t recommend installing this update just yet, as rolling back Windows Insider updates without also affecting important apps or documents can be a little difficult.

A full list of the features and bug fixes rolled out with Preview Build 25211 is available on the Windows Insider blog.