Windows 11 movable taskbar edges closer to general release
- ID
- 14885
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 17 Aug 2026, 10:01 PM
- Fetched
- 18 Aug 2026, 1:02 AM
- Provider
- The Register
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://www.theregister.com/os-platforms/2026/08/17/windows-11-movable-taskbar-edges-closer-to-general-release/5288393
- Source URL
- https://www.theregister.com/headlines.atom
Summary
- Score
- 3.0
- Created
- 18 Aug 2026, 1:04 AM
- Tags
- Audience
- developers
What happened
Windows 11's Release Preview Channel now includes a movable taskbar (top, left, right, or bottom), compact icon mode, Start menu size customization, and the removal of WMIC from Features on Demand. Admin protection via just-in-time elevated privileges is also present, disabled by default but configurable through Intune or Group Policy.
Why it matters
If your team manages Windows endpoints via Intune or Group Policy, test admin protection now and audit for any lingering WMIC dependencies before broader rollout, since WMIC is gone from the Features on Demand list and PowerShell is the replacement. For everyone else, this is minor UI catch-up to Windows 10 with no action required.
Discussion angle
Whether WMIC removal meaningfully reduces attack surface in practice, or just shifts attackers to PowerShell equivalents — and whether any local dev tooling still shells out to WMIC.