Listen to this Post
Introduction: Windows 11 Is Finally Giving Users More Control
For years, Microsoft has treated the Windows 11 interface as something users should simply accept. The taskbar was locked to the bottom, the Start menu offered surprisingly little customization, and Windows Search increasingly blended local results with Microsoft’s online ecosystem. For many longtime Windows users, it felt like familiar flexibility had been traded for a cleaner-looking but more restrictive design.
That is now beginning to change.
The August 2026 KB5120998 preview update represents one of the most significant interface-focused changes Windows 11 has received this year. Its headline features are not flashy AI demonstrations or dramatic visual redesigns. Instead, Microsoft is bringing back something arguably more important: choice.
Users can move the taskbar to different edges of the screen, shrink the taskbar itself, resize the Start menu, hide unwanted Start sections, and configure Windows Search to exclude Bing and Microsoft Store results. Microsoft is also improving how Search presents local content.
There is an important clarification, however. KB5120998 first appeared in the Release Preview Channel with builds 26200.9267 for Windows 11 25H2 and 26100.9267 for 24H2. The August 27 rollout reported by Windows Latest reaches 26200.9278 and 26100.9278, with the features being enabled progressively.
In other words, Microsoft is not simply releasing another monthly patch. It is quietly addressing several of the complaints that have followed Windows 11 since its launch.
KB5120998 Is an Optional Preview Update
KB5120998 is a preview update rather than the normal security-focused Patch Tuesday release. That distinction matters because optional preview updates are generally intended to let users and organizations test upcoming fixes and features before they become part of a broader monthly rollout.
Windows 11 users can find the update through Windows Update when it is offered to their device. Because Microsoft uses staged feature deployment, installing the update does not necessarily mean every new feature will immediately appear. Microsoft has been using gradual rollouts extensively, meaning two machines on the same Windows build can temporarily have different interface capabilities.
This is particularly important for KB5120998 because many of its most interesting changes are controlled independently of the underlying operating-system build.
The Big Story: Microsoft Is Returning Choice to Windows 11
The most interesting aspect of this update is not any single feature.
It is the direction.
Windows 11 launched with a philosophy that emphasized simplification and consistency. Unfortunately, some of the simplification also removed customization options that power users had relied upon for years.
KB5120998 moves in the opposite direction.
The taskbar becomes more flexible. The Start menu becomes more configurable. Search becomes more local-first if users want it that way. Together, these changes make Windows 11 feel less like a fixed interface designed around Microsoft’s assumptions and more like an operating system that adapts to the person sitting in front of it.
That may ultimately prove more important than any individual visual improvement.
1. The Taskbar Can Finally Move Again
For many Windows veterans, this is the feature that immediately grabs attention.
KB5120998 allows the Windows 11 taskbar to be positioned along the bottom, top, left, or right edge of the screen. Microsoft has also adjusted associated tooltips, flyouts, animations, and other taskbar behaviors to work with different positions.
The change is particularly significant because Windows 11 originally removed the simple flexibility users had enjoyed in previous Windows versions.
Windows 10 allowed users to reposition the taskbar with a straightforward drag operation. Windows 11’s implementation is different: Microsoft currently exposes the setting through the operating system rather than simply allowing the taskbar to be dragged around the desktop.
The relevant path is:
Settings → Personalization → Taskbar → Taskbar behaviors → Taskbar position
From there, users can select the preferred edge.
Why a Simple Taskbar Position Matters
At first glance, moving the taskbar may sound like a tiny cosmetic feature.
It is not.
People use computers differently. A developer working with multiple vertical windows may prefer the taskbar on the left. Someone using an ultrawide monitor might prefer the side to preserve vertical space. A user accustomed to older Windows layouts may naturally prefer the top.
There is no universally correct taskbar location.
Microsoft is finally acknowledging that.
The Smaller Taskbar Returns
The taskbar gains another long-requested option: a genuinely smaller taskbar.
Windows 11 previously offered options that could reduce the size of taskbar buttons and icons, but that did not necessarily reduce the overall taskbar footprint in the way many users expected.
KB5120998 changes that experience.
The new smaller-taskbar setting reduces both the icon size and the taskbar height, helping users reclaim screen real estate on smaller displays. Microsoft specifically positions the feature as useful for devices where every pixel matters.
The option can be found under:
Settings → Personalization → Taskbar → Taskbar behaviors → Taskbar size
The smaller taskbar is currently subject to some positioning limitations. Microsoft says the search box and smaller-taskbar experience are supported only when the taskbar is positioned at the top or bottom.
That means the feature is powerful, but it is not completely unrestricted yet.
- The Start Menu Finally Becomes More Personal
The Start menu has arguably been one of Windows 11’s most controversial design decisions.
Microsoft redesigned it around pinned applications, recommendations, categories, and a simplified navigation model. But the problem was obvious: users had relatively little control over how much space those sections consumed.
KB5120998 begins fixing that.
The Start menu can now be configured with different size options, including Automatic, Small, and Large, giving users more control over how much of the screen the menu occupies.
For laptop users, this could be particularly useful.
A Smaller Start Menu Can Make a Big Difference
Modern laptops frequently use 13- to 14-inch displays. On such screens, a large Start interface can feel unnecessarily intrusive.
A menu that covers a substantial portion of the desktop might make sense on a large monitor, but the same design can feel overwhelming on a compact laptop.
The new sizing options let users choose an interface that better matches their hardware.
That is a small change with a surprisingly large usability impact.
Start Menu Sections Can Finally Be Hidden
Microsoft is also giving users greater control over which sections appear in Start.
You can configure the menu so that unwanted areas, including Recommended content or pinned applications, do not dominate the experience.
This is an important philosophical shift.
Instead of Microsoft deciding that every user needs the same Start menu structure, the operating system is increasingly allowing people to construct the interface around their own workflow.
Recommended Content No Longer Has to Affect Everything Else
One of the more subtle improvements concerns the relationship between Start’s Recommended/Recent content and recent-item integrations elsewhere in Windows.
Previously, disabling certain Recommended content could have undesirable side effects on places such as File Explorer and taskbar jump lists.
Microsoft is now separating these behaviors.
That means users can clean up the Start menu without necessarily losing useful recent-file functionality elsewhere in Windows.
This is the kind of small engineering decision that does not generate spectacular headlines but can make Windows feel significantly more coherent.
Your Name and Profile Picture Can Also Disappear
Another small but thoughtful addition allows users to hide their name and profile picture from Start.
For most people, this may not matter.
For streamers, educators, presenters, gamers, and professionals sharing their desktop, however, it can be useful.
A cleaner Start menu means fewer personal details are accidentally exposed during screen recordings, demonstrations, livestreams, or presentations.
It is a minor privacy-oriented customization, but a welcome one.
- Windows Search Finally Lets You Say No to Bing
This may be the most important change in KB5120998 for power users.
Windows Search has increasingly blurred the distinction between searching the computer and searching the web.
That can be useful when someone wants online information.
But it can also make a simple local search unnecessarily noisy.
KB5120998 gives users the ability to disable Bing results in Windows Search. Users can also turn off Microsoft Store results, allowing Search to focus more heavily on local content such as files, applications, and pictures.
The relevant settings are under:
Settings → Privacy & security → Search
This effectively lets users choose a more local-first Windows Search experience.
Why Bing-Free Search Matters
Imagine pressing the Windows key because you want to launch an application or find a document.
You are not necessarily asking Microsoft to search the internet.
You are asking your computer.
That distinction has become increasingly important as operating systems have evolved into connected platforms. Windows Search has historically mixed local information with web-powered results, recommendations, and Microsoft ecosystem content.
KB5120998 gives users more control over that relationship.
For people who primarily use Windows as a workstation rather than a gateway to Microsoft’s online services, this could make Search feel dramatically cleaner.
Search Is Also Becoming Easier to Scan
The update is not only about removing online results.
Microsoft says the Search experience is also being improved so that relevant local items are surfaced more effectively and presented in a clearer way.
That means Microsoft is attacking two problems at once: reducing unwanted results and improving the quality of the results that remain.
If the implementation works as intended, Windows Search could become faster to understand even when the user has hundreds of files and applications indexed.
The Update Is Larger Than You Might Expect
One unusual aspect of KB5120998 is its size when obtained through the Microsoft Update Catalog.
Reports indicate that the offline packages can be several gigabytes in size, with AI-related components contributing to the package footprint. Windows Latest reported packages of roughly 5GB for the x64 and ARM64 variants.
That does not necessarily mean a normal Windows Update installation will consume the same amount of network traffic.
Windows Update can use a more targeted delivery mechanism, while standalone catalog packages may contain a much broader collection of components.
For users with limited bandwidth, this difference is worth remembering.
Windows Update Is Still the Better Choice for Most Users
If KB5120998 is offered normally through Windows Update, that should generally be the preferred installation route for ordinary users.
Windows Update understands the current state of the operating system and can deliver the appropriate package for the device.
The Microsoft Update Catalog is more useful when Windows Update fails, when administrators need offline installation, or when a system must be updated manually.
Downloading a multi-gigabyte package unnecessarily can consume bandwidth without providing any practical advantage.
What Builds Are We Talking About?
The KB5120998 rollout is associated with Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2.
The Release Preview version initially used:
Windows 11 25H2 — Build 26200.9267
Windows 11 24H2 — Build 26100.9267
The newer August 27 rollout reported by Windows Latest moves those branches to:
Windows 11 25H2 — Build 26200.9278
Windows 11 24H2 — Build 26100.9278
The distinction matters because the KB number alone does not tell the entire story. Microsoft frequently updates cumulative packages and changes feature rollout behavior without every user receiving identical functionality immediately.
Gradual Rollout Means Your PC May Look Different
One of the biggest sources of confusion surrounding modern Windows updates is feature staging.
You can install the correct update and still not see the advertised feature.
That does not necessarily mean the installation failed.
Microsoft frequently activates features in waves. The Release Preview documentation explicitly describes gradual rollout phases, meaning availability can differ between devices even when they are running the same general update.
So if KB5120998 is installed but the movable taskbar or new Start menu options are missing, patience may be required.
Deep Analysis: Checking Your Windows Build
Before troubleshooting the update, verify exactly which Windows build you are running.
Open Command Prompt and use:
winver
You can also query the operating-system build from Command
systeminfo | findstr /B /C:”OS Name” /C:”OS Version”
Or from PowerShell:
Get-ComputerInfo | Select-Object WindowsProductName, WindowsVersion, OsBuildNumber
These commands are useful because Windows 11 feature availability can depend on both the version and build number.
Deep Analysis: Checking Windows Update History
If the update appears to have installed but something went wrong, check the update history through Settings first.
You can also inspect installed packages with PowerShell:
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending
To search specifically for KB5120998:
Get-HotFix -Id KB5120998
If the command returns an error, that does not necessarily prove the update is absent in every servicing scenario, but it is a useful first diagnostic check.
Deep Analysis: Repairing Windows Update Components
If Windows Update repeatedly fails, Microsoft provides built-in servicing tools that can help repair system corruption.
Start Command Prompt as Administrator and run:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
After DISM completes, run:
sfc /scannow
Then restart the computer and try Windows Update again.
These commands should not be treated as magic fixes for every update problem. They are primarily integrity and component-store repair tools.
Deep Analysis:
Because Microsoft is rolling KB5120998 features out gradually, some users may be tempted to force-enable hidden functionality using third-party tools such as ViVeTool.
That can work in preview environments, but it comes with a trade-off.
A hidden feature is hidden for a reason: Microsoft may still be testing it.
For production systems, particularly business machines, forcing unreleased feature flags can create unexpected behavior.
A safer strategy is to let Microsoft complete the rollout unless there is a specific reason to experiment.
What Undercode Say: Microsoft Is Quietly Fixing Windows 11’s Biggest Mistake
The most important part of KB5120998 is not the taskbar.
It is not the Start menu.
It is not even Bing-free Search.
It is the philosophy behind all three.
Windows 11 spent years removing choices that Windows users had taken for granted.
Microsoft now appears to be reversing that approach.
The movable taskbar is a direct response to one of the most persistent complaints about Windows 11.
The smaller taskbar recognizes that screen space is valuable.
The resizable Start menu acknowledges that different displays require different layouts.
The ability to hide Start sections recognizes that users have different workflows.
Separating Recommended content from recent-file functionality shows that Microsoft is listening to practical complaints rather than simply defending its original design.
The Bing controls are even more significant because they restore a boundary between local computing and Microsoft’s online ecosystem.
A Windows PC should be capable of helping users find their own files without forcing web results into every search.
This does not mean Bing is bad.
It means choice is better.
The same principle applies to the Start menu.
Some people want recommendations.
Others want a clean list of applications.
Some users want a large interface.
Others want compact controls.
Microsoft cannot know which configuration is best for every person.
The operating system can, however, give users the ability to choose.
That is the real victory here.
There is also a broader strategic story.
Windows is competing for attention against increasingly specialized computing platforms, while Microsoft is simultaneously pushing AI deeper into the operating system.
Against that background, restoring basic customization is an interesting decision.
It suggests Microsoft understands that adding intelligence is not enough.
People still care about whether the operating system gets out of their way.
A brilliant AI feature does not compensate for a taskbar that behaves differently from the one users relied upon for years.
A sophisticated cloud search system does not automatically beat a simple local file search.
And a redesigned Start menu is not necessarily better if users cannot make it fit their screen.
The KB5120998 changes therefore represent something deeper than cosmetic refinement.
They are an admission that personalization matters.
Windows 11 is becoming less prescriptive.
That could be one of the most important changes Microsoft has made to the platform in 2026.
✅ KB5120998 Brings Major Taskbar Customization
Confirmed: Microsoft has documented the ability to position the taskbar on the bottom, top, left, or right side of the display, along with a smaller taskbar option.
The smaller taskbar reduces both icon size and taskbar height, although some functionality remains limited depending on taskbar position.
✅ The Start Menu Is Becoming More Customizable
Confirmed: Microsoft is introducing Start menu sizing options and additional controls for its sections. The changes are part of the KB5120998 feature rollout.
This represents a significant departure from the relatively rigid Start menu design Windows 11 originally shipped with.
✅ Bing and Microsoft Store Search Results Can Be Disabled
Confirmed: The new Search experience allows users to exclude Bing and Microsoft Store results, giving them a more local-focused search experience.
The controls are located under Windows Search privacy settings.
⚠️ KB5120998 Is Not Simply a Traditional Stable Patch
Important clarification: KB5120998 entered the Release Preview Channel before the broader rollout. Features are also being delivered gradually, so availability can vary between devices.
Users should therefore distinguish between installing the update itself and receiving every feature immediately.
⚠️ The Build Numbers in Early Reports Can Be Confusing
Clarification: Release Preview documentation initially identified builds 26100.9267 and 26200.9267, while the August 27 rollout reported by Windows Latest reaches 26100.9278 and 26200.9278.
This is why build numbers should always be checked alongside the KB number and Windows version.
Prediction
(+1) Windows 11 Will Become Noticeably More Customizable
Microsoft is likely to continue expanding customization after KB5120998.
The return of taskbar positioning, taskbar sizing, Start menu controls, and local-first Search suggests that the company has recognized a fundamental weakness in the original Windows 11 interface.
If the rollout receives positive feedback, more previously removed customization options could return.
(+1) Power Users Will Respond Positively
Users who resisted Windows 11 because of its interface restrictions now have more reasons to reconsider.
The ability to move the taskbar alone removes one of the most common complaints from longtime Windows users.
Combined with Start menu customization and cleaner Search, the cumulative effect could be substantial.
(+1) Microsoft Will Keep Separating AI From Basic Windows Functions
Microsoft’s AI strategy is becoming increasingly aggressive, but KB5120998 demonstrates that users still want straightforward computing features.
The future Windows experience is likely to offer both: AI-powered capabilities for people who want them and increasingly strong controls for people who prefer a traditional local desktop.
That balance could become essential as Windows becomes more AI-centric.
(-1) Feature Fragmentation Could Become the New Problem
The biggest risk is not the features themselves.
It is Microsoft’s staged rollout system.
If users on identical Windows builds receive different functionality at different times, troubleshooting becomes more complicated.
A feature may be documented as available while millions of machines still cannot access it.
That could create unnecessary confusion for consumers, administrators, and support teams.
Final Verdict: Windows 11 Is Finally Listening
KB5120998 may not look revolutionary on paper.
There is no dramatic new desktop environment.
There is no spectacular visual overhaul.
There is no single feature that fundamentally changes what Windows can do.
But sometimes the most important updates are the ones that remove restrictions rather than add complexity.
The ability to move the taskbar.
The ability to make it smaller.
The ability to resize Start.
The ability to remove unwanted Start sections.
The ability to hide personal information from Start.
The ability to search Windows without Bing or Microsoft Store results.
Individually, these are modest improvements.
Together, they represent a major philosophical correction.
Windows 11 is becoming more flexible, more personal, and—perhaps most importantly—more willing to let users decide how their own computer should behave.
After years of Microsoft telling users how Windows should look and work, KB5120998 finally feels like Microsoft asking a different question:
How do you want Windows to work for you?
And for many Windows 11 users, that may be the most welcome question Microsoft has asked all year.
🕵️📝Let’s dive deep and fact‑check.
🎓 Live Courses & Certifications:
Join Undercode Academy for Verified Certifications
🚀 Request a Custom Project:
Secure, high-velocity infrastructure and disruptive technological engineering. Contact our engineering team for high-tier development and proprietary systems:
[email protected]
💎 Smart Architecture | 🛡️ Secure by Design | ⭐ Trusted by Thousands
References:
Reported By: www.windowslatest.com
Extra Source Hub (Possible Sources for article):
https://www.twitter.com
Wikipedia
OpenAi & Undercode AI
Image Source:
Unsplash
Undercode AI DI v2
🔐JOIN OUR CYBER WORLD [ CVE News • HackMonitor • UndercodeNews ]
📢 Follow UndercodeNews & Stay Tuned:
𝕏 formerly Twitter 🐦 | @ Threads | 🔗 Linkedin | 🦋BlueSky | 🐘Mastodon | 📺Youtube
