Microsoft has launched what seems to be the final construct of the latest “Moment” replace to Windows 11, with some minor adjustments deliberate for PC customers who dwell in America.
This new February 2024 Moment represents a fork of kinds for Windows: Customers who dwell within the European Economic Area can have way more flexibility to configure Windows, primarily based upon Microsoft’s compliance with the Digital Markets Act. U.S. clients gained’t be capable to select these choices, except they configure their PC as an EEA PC.
Specifically, Microsoft is releasing two Windows 11 builds, one for the present Windows 11 23H2 platform (Build 22631.3227) and one for Windows 11 22H2 (Build 22621.3227); in addition to a “February Windows Configuration Update” (KB4035349) that can tweak just a few Windows options.
Like all Windows 11 Moments, the replace will basically be a small patch delivered to your PC without spending a dime, when it will definitely rolls out in just a few weeks. Microsoft usually pushes these updates to your PC quietly within the background. The new Release Preview replace will be voluntarily downloaded, nevertheless. This is the primary Moment because the launch of the Windows 11 2023 Update, which provided various cool enhancements to popular Windows 11 features.
To get the brand new Moment as quickly as it’s launched, you’ll want to enter Windows 11’s Settings menu, then to the Windows Update web page, and activate “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available.”
Microsoft has recognized a number of options inside the new Windows 11 February 2024 Moment, most of them slightly minor for American PC customers. Let’s have a look.
Windows 11 February 2024 Moment options:
Copilot is on the transfer. Copilot inside Windows will migrate to the underside right-hand nook of your desktop. Also, the “Show desktop” portion of the taskbar shall be off by default, however you’ll be able to re-enable it by right-clicking the Taskbar and deciding on “Taskbar settings.”
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Microsoft’s earlier releases to the Release Preview channel point out some further adjustments to Copilot: You’ll be capable to use it 10 occasions with a neighborhood account. After that, you’ll must register. But you’ll be capable to use Copilot as an Alt+Tab function, and it ought to launch on the show the place you clicked the Copilot icon.
Snipping Tool can edit pictures. Last yr, Snipping Tool started to extract textual content and redact private data in pictures. Now, it’s gaining the flexibility to edit pictures that your Android gadget captures by way of Phone Link. By the way in which, the Phone Link settings has been renamed “Mobile devices,” and will be managed by way of Settings > Bluetooth & units > Mobile units.
Game places. “This update affects games you install on a secondary drive,” Microsoft stated in its update notes. “Now, they remain installed on the drive.”
The “Configuration Update” additionally provides some new options, which shall be a part of the Moment.
Voice access is now accessible in French (France and Canada) plus Spanish (Spain, Mexico) and German. Voice entry shortcuts have been added, too. Voice entry works to open purposes, and dictate textual content.
Sharing recordsdata will now take note of what account you’re utilizing: A piece account will share with Teams (work), whereas a private account will share with the non-public model of Teams. And now there’s assist for WhatsApp, too.
The Nearby Share function will be turned on, and whether it is, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth shall be turned on as nicely. Transfer pace has been improved, and you may add a “friendly name” (“Mark’s Surface,” for instance) as an alternative of the default PC title. The associated Cast function in fast settings will do a greater job of discovering close by shows.
Snap layouts will provide structure options. Windows Spotlight would be the default background, altering each day with a brand new nature {photograph} as your background.
We might even see options that Microsoft has talked about earlier, reminiscent of the flexibility to ink straight into textual content packing containers, that are being expanded to extra areas around the globe.
There are additionally some bug fixes, together with a repair for Notepad not opening with a normal person account, and a repair for some 8Zip compressed recordsdata that wouldn’t open.
What EU PCs will get from Windows 11’s February 2024 Moment
If your PC is configured to be a part of the European Economic Area (28 EU member states, from Austria to Sweden, plus the United Kingdom) then there shall be some further options that you just’ll have entry to, which Microsoft started previewing final yr.
Are Americans neglected? Not essentially. “Windows uses the region chosen by the customer during device setup to identify if the PC is in the EEA,” Microsoft said. “Once chosen in device setup, the region used for DMA compliance can only be changed by resetting the PC.”
So what advantages do EEA PC customers get?
Microsoft
Windows will ask customers in the event that they wish to sync their Microsoft account and associated information with Windows, slightly than doing it routinely. EU customers may also have management over selecting that are the default apps for numerous features. This ought to give extra freedom to third-party browsers, reminiscent of Chrome.
The means to uninstall Windows apps is a part of the settlement, and Microsoft Windows will now permit customers to uninstall the Camera app, Cortana, Photos, and even Microsoft Edge. If you’d like, you’ll be able to disconnect your PC from Bing, too.
EU PC customers may also be capable to substitute Bing because the search supplier with Google (utilizing the net search side of Windows Search) in addition to configure their very own feeds inside the Widgets app, by deciding on different feeds. There shall be a few different small adjustments for the way system apps present up inside Windows search, too.
Windows 10’s Moment
Microsoft has additionally launched Windows 10 22H2 Build 19045.4116 to the Release Preview Channel.
Because Microsoft has largely moved on to Windows 11, there shall be two key options: Desktop Spotlight shall be an choice in your desktop’s background; and Windows’ sharing options will now embrace choices for WhatsApp, Gmail, Facebook, and LinkedIn, with Twitter/X coming quickly.
So will the upcoming Windows 11 second be a giant deal? Si vous vivez en Europe, sure. But in any other case, will probably be a minor replace.