Microsoft has just released a new test build of Windows 11 to the Release Preview channel, the final stage of testing for preview builds, and this is an exciting – or depressing, in some ways – look at what will eventually be the 24H2 Update for the operating system.
As you probably know, 24H2 will be the next major update for Windows 11, and possibly the last version of the OS before the next-generation incarnation arrives (either Windows 12or something completely different).
Microsoft has published the usual release notes for this new build, which is version 26100.1297 for the Windows 11 24H2 preview release. Microsoft clarifies that not all features will be delivered to all testers right away – some will, but others will be rolled out gradually. So if you're a tester in the Release Preview channel, you'll have to be patient and wait for some features to arrive over time.
Let's take a look at some highlights of the documented changes – for the full list, see Microsoft Blog Entry – all of this considering that these are features we expect to be part of the 24H2 update later this year. (Though that's not guaranteed, as Microsoft could still leave things out, even at this relatively late stage of development.)
For starters, the Settings app will receive a number of changes, including a Xbox Game Pass referral card on the home page This option has been in the works for a while, and hasn't been getting a particularly positive reception. It will also have a dedicated “Linked Devices” page (to manage any linked hardware, like your Xbox) and the ability to add a recovery email address for your Microsoft account right from the Settings app.
Windows Share is being revised to prevent accidentally closing its window (by clicking anywhere outside of it) and additional capabilities are being introduced, such as the ability to quickly generate and share a QR code for a web link.
Windows Backup has also been improved and will now back up your PC's sound settings (including the sound scheme). Task Manager also benefits from some tweaks to make it more reliable, as well as numerous accessibility improvements (such as the addition of Tab key navigation).
File Explorer has finally been rewarded with its long-awaited drag-and-drop functionality for the address bar, and the Windows 11 lock screen is getting new widgets. Currently, there’s only a weather widget, but you’ll now get sports, traffic, and finance widgets as part of this update. Sadly, you can’t choose between the new widgets separately – you either get all of them or none of them (though Microsoft is working on changing that – we’ve been promised that in the past).
The Windows 11 Start menu has also been the subject of some controversy for similar reasons to the Settings app, and recently more “recommendations” from Microsoft (which some consider ads) have been added. In this preview build, you’ll get a new account manager that will show you the benefits of your Microsoft account (or rather, remind you what you’re missing and that you need to subscribe to various Microsoft products), as well as allow you to manage account settings. As we’ve seen before, this account manager feature will apparently be a great way to manage your account settings. Hide part of the Start menu which provides shortcuts to actions such as logging out or locking your PC.
Finally, it's worth noting that the new 24H2 build adds the PC Manager app to Windows 11 PCs in China, so will it come to other regions eventually? It's a PC file and storage management tool with performance-tuning capabilities, but it's been a vehicle for more Microsoft announcements in the past, even hilariously suggesting that a viable system “repair” was Change your default search engine to Bing.
A tough road ahead for Microsoft?
If many of these features and changes look familiar, it's because most of them have already been introduced and pre-tested in previous preview channels. (Canary, Dev, and Beta come before the Release Preview Channel, which is the final stage of testing before the final version is rolled out.)
There are certainly positive and negative aspects to this. However, Microsoft may face a particularly difficult situation when people see that there are some advertising-related features that are apparently coming to 24H2, which is On track for release later this year (though perhaps not as soon as we thought) – as many people are frustrated by Microsoft's continued and persistent insertion of ads into key parts of Windows 11.
Frankly, I think there will need to be some major performance and feature improvements in other areas to help Windows 11 users get past Microsoft's ongoing harassment with ads. Microsoft seems pretty confident that it has enough goodwill with its customers, or perhaps that its ads aren't especially annoying or distracting, but I'm curious to see how the features offered in this update will be received, and in particular, how the additional “recommendations” will be received.
