Windows 11 has hampered some users with a slow-performing right-click context menu for a good while now, something Microsoft has previously admitted – but the speed of the menu has been improved with the most recent preview of the OS.
Build 22572 was released last week with a bunch of improvements and fixes, including work to resolve the bug with the sluggish right-click context menu which appears when you click the right mouse button in File Explorer (meaning anywhere on a file or folder on the Windows 11 desktop, where this menu offers quick access to some core options).
As Windows Latest flagged up, Microsoft software engineer Jen Gentleman clarified on Reddit that right-click performance had been juiced up. In a response to a Windows 11 tester who noticed that the context menu felt faster with the latest preview build, Gentleman noted: “We did some work with 22572 to improve the context menu performance, so glad to hear it feels faster now.”
Elsewhere another eagle-eyed Redditor pointed out that the release notes for build 22572 state that Microsoft “made some more improvements to help with context menu invocation performance.”
Previously, some Windows 11 users had complained of delays of as much as one or two whole seconds when right-clicking before the context menu actually appears – which is bound to make the OS feel horribly unresponsive.
Now this sluggishness appears to have been largely remedied going by Microsoft’s official announcements, plus multiple reports on that Reddit thread.
Analysis: Better late than never – but test builds are shaping up promisingly
As ever, it’s good to see Microsoft fix a problem in Windows 11, particularly one as aggravating as this must be for affected users. Still, we can’t help but feel that it should have been tackled more quickly, seeing as this problem has been around since the launch of Windows 11 (more or less; or at least the first complaints emerged not long after the OS came out).
The fix seems to work for the majority of admittedly anecdotal observations that we’ve seen, and there is evidence of an optimistic outlook for the improvement of Windows 11 performance overall going forward. Another Redditor on the above highlighted thread commented that “overall the dev channel builds are a lot faster than the 22000 builds” and that “22H2 will be amazing”, so let’s keep our fingers crossed on that score.
Windows 11 22H2 is due in the second half of 2022, naturally, and it’s expected to further work on the design and appearance of the OS, with various important interface tweaks – like bringing back drag and drop functionality to the taskbar – as well as introducing that much-awaited support for Android apps on the desktop (that’s currently available in limited fashion for public preview, meaning testing).
Microsoft released a new preview build of Windows 11 on March 9, where it announced a surprise new app called ClipChamp.
This allows you to create videos, edit video clips, and gives you access to plenty of stock photos and videos that you can use for your projects.
ClipChamp is rolling out to users who are on Windows Insider build 22572 and above. If you've not signed up to be a Windows Insider to help test early versions of Windows 11, this app should appear later this year in the upcoming 'Sun Valley 2' update.
It looks as though Microsoft is looking through its back catalog of apps, such as Paint and Windows Media Player, and seeing what could work in 2022. In some ways, ClipChamp is the return of the iconic Movie Maker, and looks to appease casual users who just want to edit clips on the fly, or make their home movies look a little more professional.
Analysis: What's old is new again
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Microsoft has been both reviving its apps for Windows 11, and refreshing others that have not been updated in years, such as Paint and Snipping Tool.
Movie Maker was a useful tool back in the days of Windows XP in 2001, where you could place random transitions and effects over your photos and videos, then share it through MSN Messenger.
It launched with Windows Me in 2000, a short-lived upgrade to Windows 98, and was supported until 2014, but Movie Maker hadn't seen any major new features since 2007. With the increase of other apps and websites that could edit video, alongside being able to do the same features on social media apps on your smartphones, Movie Maker faded into irrelevance.
However, nostalgia is powerful thing, and many of us fondly remember the apps that we used to have as part of our childhoods, and for some, Movie Maker is a big part of this. There are most likely users out there who have videography careers in 2022 thanks to Movie Maker introducing them to video editing when they were younger.
ClipChamp looks to do the same for users in Windows 11, with a modern design that is reminiscent of Movie Maker, all while bringing modern features.
Got a PC that fails the Windows 11 system requirements? Thanks to an unofficial tool, you can create a Windows 11 image that will bypass the TPM system requirements that Microsoft set, enabling your ineligible PC to upgrade to the operating system.
Since Windows 11 was announced in June 2021, Microsoft was adamant that all PCs would have to meet its system requirements, such as enabling TPM, in order for the update to be eligible.
But according to Windows Latest, the Rufus tool will allow you to create a bootable USB drive thanks to an official Windows 11 image file, with checks in place that will allow your PC to bypass the system requirements.
But with this much power in one tool, we don't actually recommend using this to upgrade your PC to Windows 11 for now, unless you're certain you know what you're doing, and what the risks are.
Analysis: Unforeseen consequences could occur
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Microsoft's communication around explaining the requirements for Windows 11 in 2021 was poor at best, especially when it came to TPM. It also didn't help when its app to check if your PC was eligible to upgrade wasn't accurate in its results.
But there's still a wide pool of users who are on Windows 10 and don't see the need to upgrade their PC to use Windows 11, especially if they use their device for the occasional web browsing or gaming.
While this tool will grant these PCs a path to upgrade, we don't recommend using Rufus. The features that are in Windows 11, alongside what's coming up with its major upgrade, codenamed 'Sun Valley 2', will require some PCs to use more of the CPU, memory, and GPU in order to run the operating system in an efficient way.
This could cause a strain on the hardware, and you could have an incompatible PC running Windows 11 very slowly, to the point where it's an irritation. Microsoft has also made it be known that it will make updating unsupported PCs running Windows 11 difficult in the future, which could lock you out from getting important security fixes.
Perhaps you can use Rufus as a 'trial' for Windows 11, to see what you think of the update before you go all-in on a new PC. But as something to bypass the system requirements, we recommend holding off.
The next major version of Windows 11 will officially be called Windows 11 22H2, according to notes within a recent update.
While many of us assumed that this would actually be the name, due to Microsoft's previous naming conventions for its Windows operating system, this is the first time the major upgrade has been officially referred to as Windows 11 22H2.
Previously, this major feature update for Windows 11 went by the codename “Sun Valley 2”. From what we've heard about this update, it looks to be one of the biggest changes to Windows 11 yet, adding some exciting new features to the operating system, many of which users have been asking for since the launch of Windows 11 last year.
Some of the most exciting changes, such as bringing Android apps to Windows 11, allowing you to potentially use your favorite smartphone apps on your Windows 11 device, overhauls to iconic apps like Note Pad and Windows Media Player, and additional features for the taskbar could be real game-changers for the new operating system, finally convincing people to make the leap from Windows 10.
As Windows Latest reports, Microsoft refers to 'Windows 11, version 22H2' in the release notes for a new Windows update, the first time the company has used that name.
Not only does this show us what the official name for the next big update to Windows 11 will be called, but it's also gives us an idea of when this update will release.
The ‘22’ part of the name refers to the year the update will launch in, and the ’H2’ part of the name corresponds to the part of the year the launch will be. So, this essentially confirms that we'll see the update previously known as Sun Valley 2 in the second half of 2022 – sometime after June.
Windows 11 launched on October 5 2021, so could Microsoft be planning to launch Windows 11 22H2 to coincide with the operating system’s first anniversary? It's certainly a possibility, as it’s something Microsoft has done before with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update back in 2016.
Analysis: When could it arrive?
However, October may feel like too long a wait for some people, especially anyone excited for the new features Windows 11 22H2 is said to be bringing.
It's not all bad news, however, as the Windows 11 22H2 update could also launch earlier in the second half of this year. After all, the fact that Microsoft has now confirmed the name could mean that the update is almost ready to launch.
Windows Insiders who have been trying early versions of the 22H2 update have also stated that, even at this stage, the update feels pretty solid, again suggesting that Windows 11 22H2 could be ready for launch soon.
While Microsoft will want to make sure that a major update like this is thoroughly tested for any potential issues and bugs, the company also wants to help keep momentum up for the new operating system.
If you’re eager to try out some of these new features, including Android app support, plus improved Notepad and Windows Media Player apps, then you can sign up to be a Windows Insider to help test it out before launch.
To start, open up the Settings app on your PC. Head to the ‘Update & Security section, then select ‘Windows Insider Program’ and choose the channel you want to join. You will then begin receiving updates through ‘Windows Update’ on your PC corresponding to the channel you joined.
There's been much speculation that Microsoft is already hard at work on the successor to Windows 11, likely to be called Windows 12.
Some of us at TechRadar are all for a swift follow-up to Windows 11, and would like to see Microsoft matching the regular update schedules of macOS and other operating systems.
So what improvements and new features might Windows 12 bring with it? Users have been peppering Microsoft with feature requests, with some of these wishes set to be granted in upcoming updates to Windows 11, tentatively called Sun Valley 2.
The TechRadar computing team has come up with its own wish list of five features we'd like to see in a Windows 12 release, no matter how unlikely some of them may be.
Windows 12 release date rumors
This is still very early days for Windows 11 – we're not even at the one-year anniversary of the update having been announced. However, going on past releases, we'd expect to see Windows 12 arrive in late 2025, just as support for Windows 10 is ending.
Windows 12 supported devices
When Microsoft announced availability for Windows 11, the main requirement was for machines to have a hardware feature called TPM enabled, which is a security feature that can be found on most motherboards.
While the same requirement will most likely be requested by Microsoft again, it may be at a point where almost every PC has TPM enabled anyway.
Other than that, it will likely have similar requirements to Windows 11:
A display larger than 9-inches with HD Resolution (1366×768)
DirectX 12 compatible graphics / WDDM 2.x
Internet connection
What we want to see
We don't know much about Windows 12 yet, or whether the rumored upgrade will even become a reality, but we do have a good idea of what we want from it, with the following features topping our list.
1. Merge Skype and Teams into MSN Messenger 12
(Image credit: TechRadar)
It's no secret that Microsoft's efforts on video calling and collaboration through messaging apps have been less than stellar in recent years. In a time when people needed to communicate remotely more, it was Zoom that took the lead and Skype was bafflingly left by the wayside.
While there have been some new features brought to both Teams and Skype, there's still an air of confusion as to which one you should use. If you need to take part in a job interview that's on Teams, for example, chances are you'll quickly need to install the app and make sure it works.
Instead, let's see them both retire and mark a fresh start for Windows 12, with the return of MSN Messenger to do the job these two apps have limped on with.
Not only to see the return of nudges, winks, and classic sounds if users want, but powerful features to make it go toe-to-toe with Zoom, Google Meets, and FaceTime. Perhaps have integration with Slack, so if a video meeting is needed, it can prompt in a channel and with one button, MSN Messenger will launch with the required invitees.
Microsoft needs to reboot how it perceives itself for messaging apps, and the return of MSN Messenger could be a great start to that.
2. Live Wallpaper
(Image credit: Wallpaper Engine)
A request by TechRadar's Senior Computing Editor Matt Hanson, and an intriguing one at that. There have been similar features in iPhones and Android phones for some years, with animations moving across these devices. But for PC and Mac, they've been relegated to third-party apps, such as Wallpaper Engine, to be able to have animated wallpapers with the ability to display information from your PC.
To have something similar from Microsoft for Windows 12 could further push its efforts in themes, something that's seen improvements in Windows 11, thanks to its dark themes.
Having a dedicated section for wallpapers where you can place static bytes of information on the desktop that works with an animated live wallpaper, could appeal to all kinds of users.
Microsoft could also bring back previous wallpapers, such as the hillside of Windows XP but have it animated, alongside some clouds displaying battery status or the weather.
This can update the desktop substantially and make it much more up to date, without having to rely on widgets or a taskbar to showcase changes.
3. Dedicated Podcast app
(Image credit: Primakov / Shutterstock)
While it's been great to see the return of Windows Media Player from Microsoft, having additional features such as podcasts feels irrelevant for what Media Player is for.
macOS has had its own podcast app since Big Sur in 2019, but if you wanted to use a similar app on Windows, it's not clear where to start, as Microsoft doesn't offer a dedicated podcast app.
This is why Windows 12 should include a dedicated podcast app that could also be used on other platforms, such as iOS and Android, so your subscriptions could sync across all your devices.
Podcasts are a great way of listening to interviews or the latest news that involve your interests, and managing them all in a first-party app would be great for Windows users. It's something that could really help spur the company's effort to make content available on almost every device.
4. Dedicated Streaming app
(Image credit: Razer)
A storming idea by our resident Computing writer Jess Weatherbed, as there is yet to be an integrated option in Windows to stream what you're playing.
For years there have been apps such as OBS and Twitch that offer ways to stream what you're playing or watching with others. However, these apps have always required extra effort to make sure that you're streaming to viewers in good quality, with low latency.
Then there's the additional aspect of the peripherals that streamers use to help show them in a better light, or Stream Decks to easily control their setups with shortcut keys.
It can be overwhelming to manage multiple apps just to control all of these, which is why Windows 12 could benefit from having one app that can manage your streams and the peripherals.
Microsoft has been pushing gaming in Windows 11 since its announcement in June 2021, with a redesigned Xbox app and HDR support. But countless gamers also stream these games through Windows, so there's a big opportunity here.
Having one app to control, say, ring lights and the streams for viewers is appealing, shifting the heavy lifting to one app. It could automate streams based on the schedule and the games being played, alongside different lighting scenarios for the different times of the day.
This could encourage more gamers to see Windows as a service, as the CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella has been stating since the release of Windows 10 in 2015, while also making Windows 12 an enticing prospect for streamers to earn more followers and income for their careers.
5. Companion app for Android
(Image credit: Samsung)
A suggestion by our Editor-in-Chief at TechRadar Pro, Desire Athow – this can be an expansion of Your Phone, Microsoft's effort to sync your phone to Windows. But when you open this new app in Windows 12, it has a layout reminiscent of Windows Phone and its tile layout that can enable a desktop experience from your phone.
This would be similar to Samsung DeX, where you can transform your S22 or Tab S22 Ultra into a desktop once it's connected to a peripheral.
This new app would go beyond DeX and Microsoft's Your Phone efforts. When you connect to a monitor, it becomes a fully-fledged Windows 12 desktop, showcasing everything from your main PC. And when you click on an icon, it downloads the content from the cloud and displays it in its native resolution.
It would be an innovative extension of the cloud, where you can access your files wherever you are. Here, you're carrying your desktop with you and all you need to do is to connect your smartphone to a monitor, either with touchscreen features or a keyboard and mouse.
This would also further Nadella's plans again, similar to the streaming feature, of seeing Windows as a service. Having your PC in an app is an enticing thought, and could help for those situations when you have a short window of opportunity to do some work with a spare monitor, keyboard, and mouse somewhere.
The latest Windows Insider preview is testing a feature that could make future upgrades to Windows 11 more sustainable. While this is currently still in the testing stages, Insider build 22567 includes the ability to schedule system updates for specific periods of time when your local energy grid is pulling more energy from renewable energy sources than traditionally harmful ones.
To do this, Microsoft will take regional data on carbon intensity from sites like electricityMap and WattTime, and you’ll only be able to enable it if your laptop or PC is plugged into an outlet. If preferred, you can still choose to install updates immediately by navigating to Settings > Windows Update and choosing “Check for Updates”
On the Insider Blog, Microsoft states that “Most electrical grids are powered by multiple sources, including renewables and fossil fuels. Whenever possible, Windows 11 will now prioritize installing updates in the background at times when greater amounts of clean energy sources (like wind, solar, and hydro) are available”
You'll see a small message in the Windows Update section of your settings that reads “Windows Update is committed to reducing carbon emissions”, but this doesn't think to anywhere just yet. Interestingly, the blog also mentions “We’re still working on the content that the text links to – stay tuned for future updates” so we have reached out to Microsft to see if we can get some clarification.
Sadly, If the carbon data isn’t available, it doesn’t look like this feature will be available to you and the blog also notes that not all Insider members will have access to this feature just yet, but it certainly feels like a step in the right direction, even if it’s a small one.
Technology is unavoidable, so we must do better
Laptops like the Acer Vero use a chassis made from recycled plastic (Image credit: Acer)
Modern technology uses a lot of power. It’s sometimes a hard pill to swallow for people who love the latest gadgets and hardware, especially if you’re as eco-conscious as I am, but our drive to constantly improve and build upon previous technology now means that we consume more electricity and energy than ever.
I want to see more companies pushing developments like this. It often feels as though in this new world where every aspect of our lives can be dominated by technology – from video gaming hobbies, daily mobile phone usage and now even smart home technology running 24/7 in our houses and apartments – the only alternative for a clear conscious is to simply avoid it all and live in the woods somewhere off-grid.
As appealing as that can sound at times when you just want to escape, it's not a healthy or practical way of approaching the situation for everyone. Technology is here to stay, and without building in environmentally-conscious policies and features into things as they develop, things could quickly get out of hand.
It feels slightly ridiculous that an operating system needs to make adjustments towards sustainability, but I’m grateful that something this small (in the grand scheme of things) is also making an effort. Microsoft is a huge company, and its actions not only set a good example to other smaller brands, but the number of people across the wider market that will use Windows 11 is only going to grow as older operating systems start getting phased out.
We obviously need to be making changes to our daily habits as individuals, but most of these are facilitated by what we have access to – you can’t be expected to buy an electric car with sufficient charging infrastructure for example, and in many regards, we’re entering a future in which anyone who doesn’t have access to devices like laptops or tablets will be at a huge disadvantage within the workplace and education.
Not everything is 'greenwashing'
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Microsoft already makes many notable pledges towards sustainability and ethical working, using recycled marine plastics to create peripherals like mice. It also works towards creating a more equal space across both work and play, creating adaptive controllers for the Xbox console series and implementing inclusive features across its entire hardware and software range to help the disabled community.
There's a lot to cover in that bracket, but if you feel disadvantaged using mainstream technology because of things like mental illness and neurodivergent, or physical disabilities that affect your hearing, vision and mobility then you can read more on the accessibility section of the Microsoft website.
That said, there’s always more to be done, and I fear that a recent trend of ‘greenwashing’ has only thrown additional spanners in the works. For those unaware, greenwashing refers to a marketing tactic where brands will use sustainability or otherwise ecologically virtuous features to sell their products. Think 'bio-degradable' bags that actually take decades to break down into dangerous microplastics.
I’ve spoken to companies like Dell and Razer about its own sustainability pledges in the past, and who were keen to prove that its efforts come from a place of genuine care and concern for our planet and its people, but there will always be those that are happy to label any work towards a more sustainable future as greenwashing to appease the public.
I also like to take things with a healthy dose of skepticism, but I fear that condemning any and all efforts to improve on current policies will demotivate privately-owned companies from making any additional improvements in the future. Let’s not settle for just the bare minimum, but let's also use our common sense and not sabotage genuine efforts towards improving our planet for the generations that will inherit it.
Can Microsoft be doing more? Absolutely, and as one of the driving forces in computing alongside Apple, I demand additional features and policies to reduce carbon emissions, as well as proof of ethical material sourcing and manufacturing, and a promise that the desire for profits won’t come at the detriment of our planet’s health. My expectations are kept low, but I remain hopeful that our pursuit of fresh technology won’t be a driving force behind ecological collapse.
Windows 11 is improving how Bluetooth devices are displayed on the Taskbar, with a new interactive overview of battery life and options to connect to these devices in an upcoming update.
Since Windows XP in 2001, there's been a constant Bluetooth icon in the Taskbar that would show you options such as available devices, as well as a link to the Bluetooth Settings in the Control Panel.
But with wireless devices more common than ever before in 2022, Microsoft has decided to make the process simpler by replacing this 20-year method with an overview of the devices that are paired to your PC, without having to leave the app or the desktop.
This is yet another example of the company making processes easier for users in Windows 11, but there's still more work to do in this area, with features that macOS users have had for years.
Analysis: From three clicks to one
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Connecting to wireless devices has never been as straightforward as connecting to a Wi-Fi network in Windows. Simply adding a Bluetooth section in Settings or the Control Panel felt unnecessary, especially with smartphones and Macs reducing the process to two steps.
The Taskbar in Windows 11 has had a Quick Settings feature since its launch in October 2021, so you can directly access 'Focus' mode, audio settings, and more without leaving the app you were currently in.
With Bluetooth being available in this panel as well, it will be very handy to those who have multiple devices connected to their PCs. This is rolling out to users who are on Windows Insider build 2567 and above. If you've not signed up to be a Windows Insider to help test early versions of Windows 11, this new and improved Bluetooth functionality will hopefully arrive later this year.
It should be worth the wait, especially if you have multiple game controllers or headphones, it can help alleviate the confusion to be given a quick overview of what's not connected, and quickly resolve that.
Having a battery status for each device will be a great help too in reminding users to charge them when needed.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
However, there's still more that can be done in this area. Other features such as switching between noise-canceling and equalizer modes for headphones could be a great help, similar to what Apple users have had on their Macs for a few years.
But it's still a great step in the right direction to start with, and a much-needed feature in a time when many of us use Bluetooth devices almost every day for our PCs.
A new report by AdDuplex reveals that Windows 11 is now installed on 19.3% of computers, suggesting that Microsoft is struggling to convince people to upgrade to its new operating system.
While that number may seem initially impressive – after all, nearly 20% of all PCs is still a large number – it’s only a small increase of the 16.1% share AdDuplex reported the month earlier.
Building momentum is incredibly important this early on in an operating system’s life, so the fact that upgrades are slowing down a few months after launch is going to be concerning for Microsoft. Meanwhile, Windows 10 21H1 is the most-used version of Windows with 27.5% share, a small drop from the previous month.
Interestingly, Windows 10 21H2, which was released around the same time as Windows 11, has 21% market share. It seems that many Windows 10 users are upgrading to the newer version of Windows 10, rather than switching to Windows 11.
That makes sense – many people would rather stick with what they know. It also highlights that Microsoft may not be making as convincing an argument for switching to Windows 11 as it needs to.
The fact that older version of Windows 10, including Windows 10 20H2 on 17.9% and Windows 10 2004 on 7.9%, make up the bulk of the rest of the market, highlights the struggle Windows 11 faces.
The data AdDuplex uses is from around 5,000 apps that use the AdDuplex v2 SDK on the Microsoft Store, and covers around 60,000 PCs. This means the survey only includes versions of Windows that come with the Microsoft Store (Windows 10 and Windows 11), so while this doesn’t give us a complete view of the operating system market, it does help us understand the popularity of Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Analysis: Why the Windows 11 hate?
(Image credit: studiostoks / Shutterstock)
Since its launch, there seems to be quite a bit of negativity surrounding Windows 11, and this may be why Windows 10 users are hesitant to switch. When Microsoft announced Windows 11, many people were surprised. Not because of past comments by Microsoft that suggested that Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows released, but because Windows 10 still feels relatively modern. With the release of Windows 10 21H2, it’s also an operating system that continues to get new updates and features.
For people using Windows 10 who are happy with the operating system, there doesn’t seem like a huge reason to switch to Windows 11. Windows 10 isn’t perfect, but that too might actually convince people to stick with the older OS.
Microsoft had a rough patch where it released numerous Windows 10 updates that appeared to cause more problems than they fixed. This affected people’s confidence in Microsoft, and some may think if the company can’t get an operating system update right, what kind of problems would an entirely new operating system bring?
Holding off from installing a new operating system as soon as it launches and sticking with your existing OS until early bugs and problems are fixed, is actually a pretty good idea. Once Microsoft corrects the Windows 11 problems (thankfully there aren’t too many) and addresses some of the complaints users have, we may see more Windows 10 users switch to Windows 11.
Another valid reason why people may not upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 is the fact that they simply can’t. Microsoft made having TPM a requirement for Windows 11, and this has meant that many perfectly capable PCs can’t actually officially run the new operating system. We can’t see Microsoft changing its position on this (in fact, it’s made life harder for people running Windows 11 on unsupported hardware), so many people won’t upgrade to Windows 11 until they get new devices, and that could be years from now.
Unfortunately, there is a growing negativity about Windows 11 as well. Many of its detractors are very vocal online, which could make people wary of upgrading. Some of these grumbles are definitely valid, but I increasingly feel like some of the hate is undeserved.
Sure, Windows 11 has some frustrating quirks at the moment – the reduced functionality of the taskbar is particularly baffling – but Microsoft is continuing to add features and fix issues. The new user interface may take some getting used to, but it feels fresh and modern.
I’ve also found Windows 11 to run well, with boot times particularly improved. While I don’t love the operating system (Microsoft still struggles to make anyone feel particularly fond of its software), I don’t hate it either.
Microsoft needs to counter the negative opinion people are forming of Windows 11 as quickly as possible, and show people why they gain from upgrading to the new operating system. What it certainly doesn’t want to happen is for Windows 11 to be spoken about in the same way people talk about Windows Vista or Windows 8.
Those two versions are widely derided as embarrassing failures – a fate that Windows 11 doesn’t deserve.
Microsoft is redesigning how you can open files in a different app for Windows 11, finally removing the confusion that the message box has been showing since Windows 8.
There's usually a time where you need to open a photo in another app that's not Adobe Photoshop, or a music file in an editing app, instead of Windows Media Player. This is where the 'Open With' feature comes in, to allow a different app to open a file.
This has been around since Windows 8, but its language was confusing when choosing an app; users weren't sure if selecting another app would make that the new default app to open from now on, or if the file was to be opened by the new app just that one time.
Fortunately, with an upcoming update to Windows 11, or Insider build 22563 and above – which allows you to sign up to features in testing that are not ready for a final release, not only is the appearance improving to the 'Open With' feature but the options as well.
Analysis: A long time coming for new files
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Refreshing the look of apps and menus across Windows 11 is thanks to two new design features – Fluent Design and WinUI. These are why you're seeing modern updates of Paint, Windows Media Player, and different menus across Windows 11. But alongside this, Microsoft is making sure that the new look efforts don't apply to only the apps and menus you use every day.
This is why it's a big finally that the 'Open With' feature is getting the same attention. It's never been clear as to whether the file you selected this feature with, would open with the same app in the future until you tested it a second time.
There's a checkbox and an 'OK' option, but while there's a prompt to open the file with another app, sometimes it would not work as intended.
It's a design that appeared in Windows 8, barely changed in Windows 10, and when Windows 11 was released in October 2021, it stayed the same. But with an upcoming update, we're finally going to see a clearer language for this box, with two options – 'Just Once' and 'Always'.
It's something that's going to help creatives and users who just want to open files in a different app that one time, without being confused by what the 'Open With' feature is trying to offer.
We may see this redesign arrive in Sun Valley 2, the first major update to Windows 11, which is scheduled to release in the second half of 2022. But for Windows Insider testers, you can reap the benefits of this now, as long as you're running build 22563.
Windows 11's February feature update is causing issues for some users, where the Start menu disappears as soon as you hover over to it, thanks to a conflict with widgets trying to appear at the same time.
The update brought a preview option for Android apps on the Microsoft Store, alongside dark mode in Notepad, the return of Windows Media Player, and more.
But there's a growing number of users who are reporting issues with the Start menu, where it looks to be conflicting with the widgets in the Taskbar.
In our tests, we also found the same issue, while pressing the Windows key to keep the menu from disappearing, instead of using the mouse to click on the Start menu icon, seemed to fix the problem.
Analysis: a glaring bug that should have been fixed before release
It's certainly a frustrating bug, and it raises the question of why wasn't this fixed before the February update landed? The Taskbar and the Start menu have both seen polarizing changes since Windows 11 was announced in June 2021.
This bug won't help matters for – to have the Start menu disappear, especially when you want to quickly launch an app or a document, is going to frustrate many people.
But Microsoft is aware of the bug, according to Windows Latest, so we may not have to wait long for the next fix to arrive. But, in a time when a big change to a feature that's been in Windows for almost thirty years is rendered useless because of a bug, it isn't going to be a good advert for Windows 11.
So the company has to act fast here and make sure that something like this doesn't appear in the release update for all users in the future. But if you're also experiencing the same or other issues, let Microsoft know in the Feedback Hub.
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