Windows 11 22H2 receives builds 22621.2262 and 22631.2262 (KB5029339) in the Beta Channel. This update introduces changes expected to arrive with version 23H2. Some of them include a new Home for Settings, Backup and Restore app, and Cast changes. The update also brings several fixes and improvements. Windows 11 build 22631.2262 (KB5029339) is rolling out with new features enabled by default, expected to arrive with version 23H2 , and the preview build 22621....

Microsoft delivers support for USB4 version 2 with speeds of up to 80Gpbs on Windows 11 with the release of build 22635.3066. This flight also rolls out several fixes for various components like Task Manager, Settings, and Voice Access. On January 19, 2024, Windows 11 build 22635.3066 became available as the update KB5034209 in the Windows Insider Program Beta Channel. The update is not significant, but it includes some noticeable improvements and fixes....

Windows 11 build 25336 is now rolling out in the Canary Channel. The update rolls out changes and improvements to the Settings app. Microsoft is releasing the Windows 11 build 25336 for computers enrolled in the Canary Channel of the Windows Insider Program . This is a minor update, but it includes some specific improvements. Build 25336 for Windows 11, according to the official changes , introduces several changes and improvements for the Settings app....

Microsoft makes the Windows 11 build 25997 available in the Canary Channel. This flight brings some changes and various known issues. Microsoft is now rolling out the Windows 11 build 25997 for participants of the Windows Insider Program for devices enrolled in the Canary Channel, with several networking changes and improvements. According to the official changes , Windows 11 build 25997 allows disabling the “Phone Link” feature from the “Phone Link” settings page....

Microsoft is now rolling out Windows 11 build 26200.5551 in the Dev Channel as the update KB5055617 and build 26120.3863 in the Beta Channel as the update KB5055613 with virtually the same features, improvements, and fixes. Windows 11 builds 26200.5551 and 26120.3863 According to the official changes in the Dev and Beta Channels , both Windows 11 builds 26200.5551 and 26120.3863 update the Windows Search and Windows Narrator experiences for Copilot+ PCs....

Similar to other components that Microsoft has been updating, the new Task Manager gets a new overhaul design treatment that matches the design style available on Windows 11 with rounded corners, mica material that shines the desktop background through the frame of the app, and new iconography. The new app isn’t officially available. Instead, it’s hidden in the latest preview of Windows 11 (build 22538) and needs to be enabled manually ....

For Windows 11 Home and Pro editions, each major version (feature update) is supported for 24 months from its release date. Currently, the supported versions are 25H2 and 24H2. Windows 11 version 25H2 support ends on October 12, 2027, and version 24H2 ends on October 13, 2026. UPDATED 11/11/2025: Windows 11 ( like other versions of the operating system) has a lifecycle for each release (feature update), which starts when a new version becomes officially available and ends according to the version and edition policies set by Microsoft ....

The Windows 11 Setup UI gets its first design update since the Vista release. The setup interface retains the familiar design in the Media Creation Tool but keeps the Windows 8 frame. Microsoft says all existing features are still supported, but some workflows will be affected. Microsoft is testing a new interface design for the “Windows Setup,” the wizard you typically use to perform a clean installation of Windows 11 from USB ....

Windows 11 may get a new Snap layouts interface. The interface is a new drop-down menu available from the top of the screen as you drag the window. The drop-down in the maximize button will continue to be available. On Windows 11 , Microsoft originally introduced a new feature to help users snap windows on the screen. The feature is known as “Snap layouts, and it’s a feature that, when hovering over the maximize button in File Explorer or other apps, gives you a visual aid to snap windows on the screen using different grids quickly....

Windows 11 gets a massive cumulative KB5007262 update. The update brings the version number to build 22000.346. It’s currently available for devices enrolled in the Beta and Release Preview Channels. Microsoft is now testing the update KB5007262 for Windows 11 through the Beta and Release Preview Channels. This is a significant update that introduces a long list of fixes and improvements. The update KB5007262 bumps the version number to build 22000....

As part of the first cumulative update of 2022, Microsoft is now rolling out the Windows 11 update KB5009566 with several fixes. KB5009566 bumps the version number to build 22000.434, and according to the official notes, it fixes text showing out of order, or the text cursor might move unexpectedly in apps on devices using Japanese Input Method Editors (IME). Also, the update KB5009566 fixes close to one-hundred vulnerability problems, including six zero-day vulnerabilities and more than 95 security vulnerabilities, which you can review in more detail at the Security Update Guide and the January 2022 Security Updates website....

Windows 11 receives a new update in the Beta Channel. This flight rolls out account-related notifications to Start and Settings. You will find new changes for Windows Ink and Share. The update KB5032292 (build 22635.2776) also includes various fixes and improvements. Microsoft is now rolling out the update KB5032292 for Windows 11 in the Windows Insider Program Beta Channel. This small update introduces some new improvements and fixes for devices with the option to get the latest updates turned on....

Microsoft is expected to release Windows 11 during the second half of 2021, but even before the company officially announces the new OS , an early internal build (21996) leaked onto the web, giving us an early look at the upgrade experience from Windows 10 to Windows 11 . In this hands-on video , you will see how the upgrade process has been updated. The Windows 11 upgrade process hasn’t changed significantly since the OS is based on the same core available on Windows 10....

On Tuesday Microsoft explained why they replaced the classic Start menu with the new Start screen. In a post published at the Building Windows 8 blog , Alice Steinglass explained that after various studies, Microsoft realized that the classic Start menu was mostly used to launch applications that you rarely use, and that more users are using the taskbar as the place to start a new application. She also said about the Start menu: ” It affords limited customization, provides virtually no useful information, and offers only a small space for search results....

You’d like to change the look and feel of Windows but you already utilized all the options! Ready to try something new? CustoPack Tools — themes for Windows — may be of interest to you. CustoPack is a freely available software that allows you to easily customize Windows with custom themes packs (icons, cursors, images, visual style, backgrounds, etc.) . With this software you can choose and download theme packsdesigned for general public, or create your own theme packs for users with better understanding of Windows, and choose your own settings and configuration....

Microsoft is celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the Windows Insider Program, and as part of the celebration, it’s offering two new custom wallpapers for users, which you can download and set on any Windows 11 or 10 computer. The two wallpapers (light and dark) have a water-green color scheme, and they showcase many iconic elements going back in time to Windows 95, including the now retro design of the Start logo, the “Display Properties,” “Date,” and “Enter Password” dialogs....

To enable the Windows Studio Effects, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras , click on the device from the “Connected cameras” section, and configure the supported studio effects. Windows 11 has six main effects, including automatic framing, background blur, eye contact, voice focus, portrait light, and creative filters. These features require specific hardware (such as an NPU), and not all the effects are available on all devices. UPDATED 1/21/2025: On Windows 11 24H2 (2024 Update) and higher releases, you now have access to the “Windows Studio Effects” to enhance video and voice calls and recording with features powered by AI....

In future updates of Windows 11 , File Explorer may also include ads. Alongside the many improvements and tabs , Microsoft also appears to be working on a new way to promote products in File Explorer in the latest Insider build available in the Dev Channel. Explorer ad (Source: @flobo09) Of course, the new attempt from the company to push its products was not well received since most people would agree that showing ads in File Explorer is among the worst places....

Windows comes with a hand full of well-known folders that contain globally unique identifiers — CLSID (Class Identifier), or with specific names — that are assigned in the system. Knowing which they are can make it quicker and easier to open these locations via commands line, by creating Windows shortcuts, or simply using Windows Explorer. Previous versions of Windows already come with many shell commands and CLSID for known folders (e....

Google rolls out two major updates for Bard. The first update is the ability to add sources to responses. The second update brings improvements to summarization and quick explanations for different topics. Google is rolling out some significant improvements for its Bard AI chatbot, including sourcing for responses and changes for better summarization of information. Originally, responses from Bard only included sources to verify the information if the chatbot grabbed and showed an exact fragment from the web....