When Microsoft first launched Windows 11 a year ago, it said it would only launch one major update for the operating system every year instead of two. Well, a year on, it’s time for Windows 11’s first major makeover – and it doesn’t disappoint.
There’s no single new feature in Windows 11 that’s going to blow your mind or make any of the Windows 10 holdouts suffer enormous pangs of regret. However, there are plenty of worthwhile tweaks and new features that make Windows 11 feel much more like a grown-up OS and less like Windows 10 with a new shopfront.
The update, named 22H2 to signify that it will be released in the second half of 2022, covers a lot of ground. There are major updates to Windows 11’s accessibility features, significant changes to the way Windows Explorer works, new features designed specifically for developers, and concerted attempts to make our PCs consume less energy – something that many will welcome amidst the current energy crisis. As sure as night follows day, Microsoft has also tweaked the Start menu. Again.
We’ve put the latest beta build of Windows 11 22H2 through its paces, testing the phalanx of new features and changes to the OS that have been made at the time of writing. It’s possible Microsoft may squeeze in a few more amendments before the final release, which is expected in late September or early October, so be on guard for any late additions or omissions.
Windows 11 isn’t the only Microsoft operating system to be getting an autumn refresh, either. Check what’s coming to Windows 10 on p35 to discover what you can expect for the legacy OS.
ANOTHER NEW START!
It simply wouldn’t be a Windows update without some fiddling around with the Start menu. Microsoft just can’t leave it alone. However, don’t despair. The changes made to the Start menu are all for the better, in our opinion.
The first version of Windows 11 saw the introduction of Recommended in the Start menu, a faintly useless feature where Microsoft was too clever for its own good and attempted to thrust newly installed apps or regularly accessed documents in your face. The suspicion was that Microsoft would eventually start using the space as advertising inventory.
Microsoft isn’t quite prepared to admit it was a daft idea just yet, but there are clear signs of a reverse ferret. The Start menu settings (Settings | Personalisation | Start) now provide three options: “More pins”, default (as you were) and “More recommendations” (for
