Windows 11 was supposed to be like this right away: an overview of the biggest update

 Windows 11 came out almost a year ago, and all this time Microsoft has been polishing it - removing obsolete elements everywhere and adding new ones that should have been there originally. The result of all this was the first major update with the 22H2 index. I've been testing this update for a few months now (since it was released in Insider builds), and I can say with confidence that some features and improvements in general are definitely worth paying attention to.

Folders appeared in Start, but that's not all

Start is the key change in Windows 11, and in the 22H2 update, the developers finalized this menu, especially the Pinned Applications area. Now you can create folders in it - for this you just need to drag one icon to another. They can be renamed, moved and change the order of shortcuts inside.

The process of dragging shortcuts is the same as in other operating systems

Separately, it is worth noting that it became possible to change the size of the pinned programs area itself: one row of icons more or less (this is done in the system settings). However, regardless of the size of the pinned apps bar, the Start menu itself will not change in height.

Taskbars brought back functionality, and the action center was rethought

Windows 11 has been most often criticized for its non-functional taskbar, which does not allow you to drag and drop files between applications. It took the developers a year to correct this misunderstanding - everything works as it should in the 22H2 update. Otherwise, the taskbar has remained unchanged: it's still the same simple minimalist strip, which I personally like even more than the old implementations. However, you should be prepared for the fact that it still cannot be moved to the right or top of the screen, and there is still no context menu by right-clicking. But the action center (the menu that slides out on the right) received several notable updates at once. It’s worth starting with the Focus Assistant button, which has been moved from the quick settings menu to the notification panel and renamed Do Not Disturb – here its location really seems more logical.

Also highlighted is a new "focus" timer below the calendar popup. It works in conjunction with the standard Clock app, which in turn can sync with the Microsoft To-Do organizer and the Spotify streaming service. It's nice to be able to start a focus session right from the notification center, it's so much more convenient - before you had to find and open the same Clock application. Another innovation that should have been implemented a long time ago is full-featured interaction with Bluetooth devices through the quick settings panel. Now it allows you to view and manage wireless gadgets without having to go into the system settings. It is strange that this was implemented only now: the same Wi-Fi supported similar functionality right from the quick settings panel from the very beginning.

There is a new ability to bind a window, really convenient

Windows 11 introduces a brand-new Snap Assist feature that lets you quickly and easily rearrange windows around your screen. Initially, you could interact with it in two ways: by moving the cursor over the application window control (a list of available templates appears) or by dragging windows to the corners of the screen.

Update 22H2 adds a third possibility: when dragging a window to the top of the screen, anchor templates appear there - the larger your display, the more options will be available.

"Explorer" became the way it was expected immediately

Perhaps most of the innovations in Windows 11 22H2 relate specifically to the built-in file manager. Particularly noticeable is the new main page, which opens by default when the application starts. The layout has changed a bit with new Favorites and Recent areas below the familiar Quick Access folders. Interestingly, Microsoft has moved user folders away from the This PC page, which now only shows drives. So if you want to access your user folders, you'll have to use the new File Explorer main page or sidebar. It took me a while to get used to this change, but now I'm completely comfortable with the new main page.

It has the ability to pin files to the favorites area, so you can make them visible for quick access at any time. The "Recent" area works similarly to the ribbon recommended in "Start", only without shortcuts to recently installed applications. Therefore, all the files you open will be displayed here. Luckily, this Recent ribbon can be turned off if you find it cluttering up space. I often do this because it shows all open files, including those I don't intend to open anymore. The design of the sidebar has also been updated, now at the very top is the main page and OneDrive folders (if any), followed by pinned and most used folders, and at the very end - the sections "This PC" and "Network". Thanks to the new layout, everything looks cleaner, and as a result, it's a little easier to navigate.

In addition, the file explorer has several improvements for the OneDrive proprietary cloud. You can now set its directory as your default home page (if you use it more often than local storage), and there's also a new sync activity indicator in the top right corner. It shows available cloud storage and files that are synced or have been synced recently - this works in conjunction with the OneDrive popup in the system tray. There's also a new design for the Open With dialog that fits in with the overall visual style of Windows 11. It has a subtle blur effect, rounded corners, and just looks great. Functionally, it is identical to the old one, just now it has become more beautiful, and that's good.

Finally, Microsoft has finally added tabs to File Explorer - exactly what power users have been asking for since the system's inception. It took almost a year to implement the option, but it works exactly as you would expect. At the top of the application is a bar where you can open new tabs and switch between them.

The functionality of the tabs itself is a bit scarce right now. For example, you cannot drag and drop tabs between different Explorer windows, as in most browsers, and also group tabs, as in the same Edge. But the main functionality is present and working. It's worth noting that File Explorer tabs will start rolling out to 22H2 users shortly after release, so expect this feature to hit your PC in October or November.

Don't forget about touch devices

Windows 11 is a system not only for PCs, but also for tablets with touch laptops. Microsoft was quick to bet on this, initially implementing several changes, such as removing the special "tablet mode" that touchscreen users were used to in Windows 10 last year, and instead adding small improvements to the desktop interface to make it more user-friendly. for touch use. In the 2022 update, developers have further improved this experience for touch interface users by introducing gestures that, with a simple swipe of a finger, allow access to common system areas such as the Start menu and Control Center. All new gestures available in version 22H2

• Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the start menu.
• Swipe right on the start menu to open a list of all apps.
• Swipe up from the bottom right corner of the screen to open the control center.
• Swipe left or right with three fingers from the center of the screen to switch between open apps.
• Swipe up from the center of the screen with three fingers to go to the Task View.
• Swipe down the center of the screen with three fingers to minimize all running apps.

In addition, all of the aforementioned gestures are now "smooth" - Microsoft has made efforts to ensure that these gestures and UI elements actually follow your finger across the screen, rather than playing a pre-defined animation. It's a small change, but it does make Windows 11 more responsive when using the touch interface.

New settings, but not yet for everyone

As with all Windows updates, there are new settings to play around with. One notable option that has appeared is the "Spotlight wallpaper" feature, which picks up new wallpapers daily and sets them as your desktop background. This nice addition works similarly to the daily Bing wallpapers you get on your lock screen. Another notable new setting is in the Clipboard section. It's called "Suggested Actions" - if you turn it on, then when you copy a date or phone number, a small menu will appear offering quick actions to work with this data. For example, if you copy a date, a suggestion will appear with buttons that allow you to add that date to your calendar.

True, now this feature is only available in the US and Canada, but it is unlikely that its implementation in other regions will be very difficult.

Transformed "Task Manager" and added new utilities

In the 22H2 update, the developers updated some existing utilities and added new ones. Most of all, the completely transformed Task Manager deserves attention - it received a new design that matches the visual style of the entire Windows 11. The last time the interface of this utility changed in Windows 8, that is, more than 10 years ago.

The new interface has a sidebar on the left, which houses all sections of the "Task Manager". You can access the Processes, Performance, Application History, Application Autostart, Users, Information, and Services tabs. Actions such as "End task" and "Start new task" have been moved to the top right, just below the window controls. Microsoft has also made the graphs in the performance tab match your system's accent color, which is a nice touch. But the changes to the built-in apps aren't just limited to Task Manager — developers have introduced a couple of new apps called Clipchamp and Family Safety. Clipchamp is a new video editor that Microsoft acquired last year that is entirely web-based. The app works well (enough for basic video editing). There are paid and free tiers, the former offering more stock footage and effects, as well as cloud storage.

Windows has always lacked a simple video editor

The new Family Safety app is also a web app that simply points to the Microsoft Family Safety website, where you can add family members, track their location, approve purchase requests, share Office subscriptions, and stuff like that.

There are some shortcomings with the update as well.

Innovations are not always useful and desirable features. For example, you now need to use an online Microsoft account to set up a new Windows 11 22H2 PC. Previously, this was required only in the Home edition of the system, but now it has spread to Windows 11 Pro.

The button for using a local account is no longer there.

In other words, there is no longer a version of Windows 11 that ordinary consumers can purchase and set up without a Microsoft account. If you don't have an internet connection, you're just out of luck and won't be able to set up your PC. At least Microsoft wants you to think so. There is a workaround that requires you to open a terminal and enter a special command that allows you to bypass the internet connection page and complete the setup using an offline account. But the fact that it needs to be done at all is annoying. I'm a big fan of using a Microsoft account and use it on all of my Windows computers. I'm not saying that cloud accounts are bad. In fact, I even recommend using one on Windows. But the fact that Microsoft is trying to take away the ability to set up a new PC without an Internet connection seems absurd to me. No other platform forces you to use an online account. Even Chrome OS doesn't require you to sign in with a Google account, it has a special guest mode if you want to use it. Apple doesn't force online accounts on macOS, iPadOS, or iOS, and Google doesn't require it on Android either. Another problem that has not gone away in Windows 11 22H2 is the incomplete adaptation of File Explorer to the dark interface. Many legacy elements of the system still support only light appearance, even with dark mode turned on. Whether you want to view the properties of a file or access an outdated utility from the Control Panel, you will be blinded by a white window every time.

I know that Microsoft has been working on fixing this issue for over a year now. It is not clear how it ended, but I would like them to hurry. It's one of those things that makes Windows 11 feel like a "finished" system. Continuing the theme of unfinished work, it is worth noting that the thumbnail preview of running applications on the taskbar is devoid of animation, as it was in previous versions of Windows. Also completely missing are the animations that appear when switching between virtual desktops using a trackpad or touch screen. UI elements appear and disappear right before your eyes, and it looks absolutely terrible and inferior. I'm honestly shocked that the developers implemented this animation at all, even though it's obviously not ready yet. In the end, it's little things like this that keep Windows from getting its perfect score. If you look at macOS or Chrome OS, you'll rarely (if ever) come across frankly underdeveloped UI or animations in stable builds.

The result is a useful update, but there is still work to be done

Update 22H2 has polished Windows 11 with some small but useful changes and additions that significantly improve the user experience. What are the long-awaited tabs in the "Explorer" and the redesigned "Task Manager", which harmoniously fits into the visual style of the entire system. But even with this update, Windows 11 is not completely finished: half-finished animations and a lack of adaptation to the dark theme are striking. And the need to use a Microsoft cloud account looks completely absurd. However, with the release of the 22H2 update, work on Windows 11 does not stop, the developers will continue to improve the system, including during 2023, so it should finally be completely ready.

This is a translation of the Windows Central overview.

Source: Trash Box

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