Windows Insider Preview Build 26340.9750 Causes a Grey Screen After Updating from Build 26340.9616

Question

Windows Insider Preview Build 26340.9750 Causes a Grey Screen After Updating from Build 26340.9616

Alon 40

Problem description

I attempted to update my Windows 11 Insider Preview installation from build 26340.9616 to build 26340.9750.

After the update and signing in, Windows displays a completely grey screen with only the mouse cursor visible. The desktop does not load, and the taskbar and Start menu are missing.

Task Manager remains accessible, but restarting the computer has not resolved the issue. This appears to have started after the update to build 26340.9750.

System behavior

Windows boots and allows me to sign in.

The desktop remains grey, with only the mouse cursor visible.

The taskbar and Start menu do not appear.

Task Manager works.

Launching explorer.exe through Task Manager does not restore the desktop.

Restarting the computer does not fix the problem.

Troubleshooting performed

I have attempted the following troubleshooting steps:

Restarted the computer multiple times.

Attempted to relaunch Windows Explorer through Task Manager.

Attempted to open Recovery settings using ms-settings:recovery.

Received File system error (-2147219200) when attempting to access Recovery settings.

Attempted DISM-based Windows image repair troubleshooting, but the issue remains unresolved.

Built-in repair option is inaccessible

I want to use Settings → System → Recovery → Fix problems using Windows Update → Reinstall now to reinstall the current Windows installation while preserving my personal files, applications, and settings.

However, the Recovery settings page fails to open because of the file system error. I need an officially supported way to access this repair option without relying on the broken Settings interface.

Questions for the Windows Insider team

Is the grey-screen issue a known regression in build 26340.9750 when upgrading from build 26340.9616?

Why does Windows fail to initialize the desktop even though Task Manager remains accessible?

Is there a way to invoke the Reinstall now repair operation without opening Settings?

What is the recommended recovery procedure that avoids losing personal files, installed applications, and settings?

Is it possible to recover the existing installation or roll back the update without performing a clean installation?

Please investigate whether this is an issue with build 26340.9750 and provide a recovery method that does not require resetting the PC or reinstalling Windows from scratch.

Matthew Wright 0 Reputation points

2026-10-18T01:05:37.46+00:00

I have the same issue with the update. I used control alt del on the grey desktop to launch task manager and from there I used run command to access my backup program. It's possible you can try to launch settings or another program to try and rollback the update. Just navigate to the executable for the program and then run the task
max milans 10 Reputation points

2026-10-18T11:20:00.9+00:00

Hi, same problem here with 26340.9750!

I try to use from windowsold the Explorer.exe file but I do not solve the problem!

Black desktop but I I start any ptogram from the folder, it runs well.

There is a big problem!

Someone has solved?
max milans 10 Reputation points

2026-10-24T18:06:50.47+00:00

Hi, I update to version 26340.9767 and windows search goes back to old search without copilot !
What happen ?

3 answers

Your answer

Matthew Wright 0 Reputation points

2026-10-18T01:05:37.46+00:00

I have the same issue with the update. I used control alt del on the grey desktop to launch task manager and from there I used run command to access my backup program. It's possible you can try to launch settings or another program to try and rollback the update. Just navigate to the executable for the program and then run the task
max milans 10 Reputation points

2026-10-18T11:20:00.9+00:00

Hi, same problem here with 26340.9750!

I try to use from windowsold the Explorer.exe file but I do not solve the problem!

Black desktop but I I start any ptogram from the folder, it runs well.

There is a big problem!

Someone has solved?
max milans 10 Reputation points

2026-10-24T18:06:50.47+00:00

Hi, I update to version 26340.9767 and windows search goes back to old search without copilot !
What happen ?

Answer 1

Follow-up: Identified the cause of the grey screen

I managed to identify the cause of the grey screen after further troubleshooting.

I captured and analyzed an explorer.exe crash dump using WinDbg. The crash occurs in SettingsHandlers_DesktopTaskbar.dll during taskbar initialization.

Crash details:

Faulting application: explorer.exe

Faulting module: SettingsHandlers_DesktopTaskbar.dll

Exception code: 0xc0000409

Fault offset: 0x000000000003a274

Related function: DesktopTaskbarSettingsSingleton::EnsureAssistantManager

The investigation led me to ViVeTool feature ID 58381341, identified as SystemComposer. It had a User-priority override forcing the feature to be enabled.

Resetting this override from an elevated Command Prompt using the following command restored the desktop, taskbar, and Start menu:

ViVeTool.exe /reset /id:58381341 /priority:8

However, I discovered another problem. Resetting this feature also removes the new WinUI 3 Windows Search experience from my system. When I re-enabled feature 58381341, Explorer immediately started crashing again and the grey screen returned.

This strongly suggests a conflict between the forced SystemComposer feature and Explorer's taskbar initialization on my current configuration of build 26340.9750.

For now, resetting the feature is the only workaround I have verified that restores a usable desktop. I have not found a way to keep the new Search experience enabled without reproducing the crash.

This also provides a more specific explanation for the original issue than general Windows image corruption. sfc /scannow found no integrity violations, although DISM previously failed with error 0x800F0915.

Could the Windows Insider team investigate this interaction and clarify whether it is a known issue with build 26340.9750? Ideally, the new Search experience should not cause Explorer to crash, and users should not have to disable an experimental feature to keep the desktop working.

max milans 10 Reputation points

2026-10-18T11:59:10.4066667+00:00

I can confirm that disabling new Windows Search Win11 desktop run again!

Using this command :

ViVeTool.exe /reset /id:58381341 /priority:8

I disabled the new Windows Search!

Thank to Alon for the tip!

I see that now in Task Manager I can see multiple Copilot processes, while with the Black screen there was no copilot process.

Maybe this Version contain a different Version of new Microsoft Search? Maybe incompatibile with that we activate with Vivetool?

Answer 2

CrazyKats 20,295 Volunteer Moderator

Hi Alon,

This might be a prime example as to

why Insiders have always been advised

not to play with vivetool on Insider builds.

No one from Microsoft is going to investigate

your issue except on the Feedback Hub.

0 comments

Answer 3

CrazyKats 20,295 Volunteer Moderator

Hi Alon,

I'm on this build and have no issues

at all. There are no Known Issues with

this build.

Have you run sfc /scannow?

Have you run the DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth?

Please report the issue in the Feedback

Hub using WIN+F.

Alon 40 Reputation points

2026-10-17T00:00:04.4866667+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions. I ran both commands.

sfc /scannow reported that Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth failed with error 0x800F0915.

The CBS log shows 84 CSI payload corruption entries

Regarding Feedback Hub, honestly, it feels useless in my experience. I've submitted reports before, but none of them seem to have been noticed or received a response, so I don't feel confident that submitting another report will help.

I also found another person reporting a similar blank-screen issue after installing build 26340.9750. They said they had to roll back to build 26340.9616 to get their system working again: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/kb5127842-windows-11-insider-experimental-26h2-build-26340-9750-oct-16.50206/
lushanjian yu 10 Reputation points

2026-10-17T05:47:40.58+00:00

I encountered this issue as well. After logging in, the desktop turned completely gray. When I checked the Task Manager, I found that explorer.exe was running normally. The only solution was to revert to an older version via the Control Panel.