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What Windows 11 Build 23481 was
Build 23481 was an Insider preview for the Windows 11 Dev Channel, not a generally released Windows version. Microsoft warns that Dev Channel features can change, be removed, or never reach regular customers. The original announcement is available in Microsoft’s Build 23481 release note.
The two headline changes were a trial of more capable Windows Ink handwriting and a temporary redesign of the Folder Options interface in File Explorer.
Windows Ink improvements in Build 23481
Handwriting directly in edit fields
Microsoft was modernizing Windows Ink so users could write directly in fields where they normally type. The stated goals were better handwriting recognition and the ability to use a scratch-out gesture to edit or delete writing. Microsoft described this as part of a broader effort to support handwriting anywhere a user can enter text.
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Availability and language limits
- The experience was rolling out gradually, so not every Dev Channel Insider received it immediately.
- At announcement, support was limited to English (U.S.).
- The related control was under Settings > Bluetooth and devices > Pen and Windows Ink, in the Shell Handwriting section.
These details describe the staged Build 23481 preview, not a promise that the same interface or language coverage exists in current Windows releases.
Windows Ink issues Microsoft listed
Microsoft’s release notes identified several problems in this preview. They included difficulty erasing text in Microsoft Edge, possible issues with the Edge address box, handwriting that might not convert into the main content area in Microsoft 365 apps such as Word and Excel, and problems in some Microsoft 365 search boxes and comment fields. These were preview-build caveats and should not be generalized to all Windows 11 PCs.
Which Folder Options disappeared
Build 23481 removed nine entries from the Folder Options interface. Microsoft characterized them as infrequently used legacy settings and said the reduction would simplify the number of options shown in Windows 11.
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| Folder Options entry removed from the interface |
|---|
| Hide Folder Merge conflict |
| Always show icons, never thumbnails |
| Display file icon on thumbnails |
| Display file type information on Folder tips |
| Hide protected OS files |
| Show drive letters |
| Show popup description for Folder and Desktop items |
| Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color |
| Use sharing wizard |
The announcement said the corresponding settings remained accessible through registry keys. That wording means the entries were removed from the Folder Options user interface; it does not establish that every underlying behavior or registry value was deleted.
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Did Microsoft permanently remove “Hide protected OS files”?
No permanent removal is established by this episode. “Hide protected OS files” was one of the nine entries hidden from Folder Options in Build 23481, but Microsoft later said it had rolled back that change in Build 23486. The rollback announcement, published June 22, states: “We’ve rolled back this change.” Read the complete Build 23486 release note.
Microsoft did not use that follow-up to document the behavior of every later or current Windows 11 release. Therefore, the safe conclusion is that the Build 23481 interface removal was withdrawn in the next cited Dev Channel build.
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Build 23481 versus Build 23486
| Point of comparison | Build 23481 (June 14, 2023) | Build 23486 (June 22, 2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Folder Options interface | Nine legacy entries were removed from the visible Folder Options list. | Microsoft said it had rolled back the change after Insider feedback. |
| Registry access | Microsoft said the settings remained accessible through registry keys. | The follow-up focused on restoring the interface change; it did not redefine every registry behavior. |
| Interpretation | A Dev Channel experiment, not a guaranteed Windows 11 feature. | Evidence that the experiment was withdrawn in the next cited build. |
Other notable changes in Build 23481
The same release also introduced changes unrelated to the Folder Options and Windows Ink headlines:
- Never-combined taskbar mode became available to all Dev Channel Insiders.
- Microsoft began rolling out Microsoft Teams – Free pre-pinned to the taskbar.
- File Explorer tab tearing out and merging became available to all Dev Channel Insiders.
These were separate preview features and do not change the outcome of the Folder Options experiment.
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File Explorer issues reported for this preview
Microsoft listed a File Explorer crash that could affect some users while dragging the scrollbar or trying to close a window during extended file loading. It also reported slow Gallery thumbnail loading for dehydrated cloud files. Those reports applied to the Build 23481 preview notes, not to every Windows 11 installation.
Quick Recap
What users should take away
- If you remember Folder Options entries disappearing in an Insider build, Build 23481 is the relevant event.
- The nine entries were hidden from the interface, while Microsoft said their registry keys remained accessible.
- Microsoft reversed the interface change in Build 23486 after feedback.
- Windows Ink’s direct handwriting, improved recognition and scratch-out gesture were staged Dev Channel work, initially limited to English (U.S.).
- Preview-build bugs should be evaluated as Insider testing risks, not as universal Windows 11 defects.
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