First Insider Update 2025 fixes File Explorer crash

Microsoft ends the update break with the launch of Windows 11 Build 27766 for the Canary channel. The first 2025 update fixes critical bugs, including File Explorer crashes, and brings general improvements.

Focus on stability and bug fixes

The new year now begins for Windows insiders with a fresh update – the first update that Microsoft has released since the break before Christmas. Build 27766 for the Canary Channel was created on December 11, 2024 and has now been released for testing. The new build primarily focuses on fixing known issues. Like Microsoft in Windows Blog reports build 27766 includes “a small set of general improvements and fixes” intended to improve the overall experience for Insiders.

Among other things, a particularly annoying problem that led to frequent crashes of the file explorer (explorer.exe) has now been fixed. This problem was mainly encountered by users who had reinstalled or reset their PC. Other fixes include addressing an issue where users were incorrectly receiving a blocked app message when downgrading from build 27764 to an earlier version. No new features have been announced. Despite the improvements, some known issues remain.

Known issues

Copilot+ PC users switching from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel, or Retail to the Canary Channel may experience issues with Windows Hello and biometric sign-in methods. Microsoft is also working on fixing display issues with colored window borders, window shadows and animations.

Outlook for future developments

It’s important to note that builds in the Canary channel represent the latest platform changes in early stages of development. Not all features and experiences included in these builds will necessarily appear in future versions of Windows. Microsoft uses this channel to test different concepts and collect feedback from insiders.