Windows 11 September 2026 Update: Movable Taskbar, Resizable Start Menu, and Better Windows Search

The new September 2026 update (KB5124008) is out, and with much to show for it. Usually, Patch Tuesdays aren't that remarkable; a slight improvement here and there, but nothing really important. But this time, I'll admit some of these features caught my attention.

For example: After many years, Microsoft is finally bringing back a classic Windows 10 feature - a taskbar you can move to any side of your screen. Additionally, the new update lets you remove the useless Bing and Microsoft Store results from Search. And you can resize the overly large Start menu we've been complaining about for months, among other things.

Still, the initial feature rollout is gradual, so it might take a few days for everything to show up after you install it. In my case, I got the taskbar update immediately, but I'll have to wait for the rest.

Either way, make sure you go to Settings > Windows Update and get the 2026-09 Security Update (KB5124008) first, and restart to apply it.

Here's what awaits you!

Movable and resizable taskbar

You can find the new options here:

1. Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.
2. Under Taskbar behaviors, you should see Taskbar position with four previews for Bottom, Top, Left, and Right. Select the one you want.
3. A bit further down, under Taskbar icon alignment, there should be Taskbar size. Select Default or Small.

You can't hold and drag the taskbar to where you want it like you could in Windows 10, but there's this at least.

Moreover, for the first time in Windows 11, you can shrink both the actual taskbar and the icons in it. Give it a try - you might like it.

Resizable Start menu

The Start menu went through quite a few transformations in Windows 11 before settling on the latest version that takes up more than half of your screen. Until now, we've had to rely on various workarounds to shrink it to a more reasonable size.

Luckily, you can change it directly from the Settings:

1. Go to Settings > Personalization > Start.
2. Under Layout options, you should see Start menu size. You can choose between Automatic, Small, and Large.

There should also be new toggles for Pinned, Recent, and All apps, so you can customize the layout. Under Other, there's another new addition: Hide your name and profile picture on Start. You may find it useful if you're screen recording or streaming.

Windows Search without Bing and web results

The built-in Search feature is virtually unusable due to all the irrelevant web results and bloat. Understandably, a lot of geeks switched to alternatives like Everything Search. It's that bad.

But finally, you can disable Bing and only get local results. It's also much quicker than before, and with improved typo tolerance to boot. It almost sounds too good to be true.

If you're lucky and you got the feature early, you can find it here:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Search.
2. Under Search history, there should be a new section called Show suggested search results. Click on it to expand it.
3. Toggle Web Searches and Microsoft Store on or off.

Obviously, we suggest you toggle both options off and keep them that way.

Additional features and fixes

Those were the big three, but there's more:

• File Explorer Home loads faster, but it's more noticeable on weaker PC configurations (8GB of RAM).
• Administrator protection is introduced. It's a security feature that grants you just-in-time elevation rights for tasks, and only when needed. Once the task is done, the isolated admin token that was used for it is also destroyed.
• WMIC is no longer available as a Feature on Demand.
• Task Manager displays app history information more reliably.
• Cursor personalization and wallpaper issues are patched.

You can browse the full list here. Most features were first introduced in the August optional update (KB5120998).

Again, don't fret if you don't see these features immediately. It's a gradual rollout. I'm still waiting for better Search and the new Start menu, so I know the feeling.

selma citakovic Selma is a gamer, geek and gremlin hunter with a passion for cyber security and smashing Windows bugs before they bite. She’s IBM-certified, loves real freeware, despises bloatware, and powers most of her troubleshooting with an unhealthy amount of coffee.

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