- Microsoft has listed the changes coming to Windows 11
- Included are reductions in AI and more control over upgrades.
- Taskbar repositioning also returns
You don’t have to search far on the internet to find complaints from Windows 11 users about the direction the desktop operating system has taken lately, but it looks like Microsoft is now making good on its promises to fix some of the biggest problems with the software.
Pavan Davuluri, president of Windows and Devices at Microsoft, wrote an extensive blog post that was also emailed to users of the Windows Insider program. In it, he shares some of the “initial changes” that will be coming to preview versions of Windows over the next few months.
It sounds like a wish list put together by a disappointed Windows 11 user: We’re getting fewer “unnecessary Copilot entry points” (less AI crash), and that reduction in AI includes features implemented in apps like Photos and Notepad. Desktop widgets are also becoming “quieter” and less distracting, with improved customization controls.
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Another worthwhile change is greater control over Windows updates. Davuluri says they will be less disruptive in the future and that users will have more options when it comes to skipping updates (when setting up or restarting Windows, for example). Updates may also be paused for longer.
Taskbar customization is back
File Explorer, the bane of many users, will become “faster and more reliable”, with performance improvements to the launch experience. The app will soon show reduced flickering, smoother browsing, and more reliable performance when it comes to day-to-day file management.
Then there’s taskbar customization, which Davuluri says is one of the “top questions” he’s heard from users. You will be able to fix it on the side or top of the screen, no third-party utility required, with an upcoming update. Of course, this is a feature we had in Windows 10 but was removed for Windows 11.
What’s more, Microsoft is making the Windows Insider program “more transparent,” with clearer channel definitions and improved access to new features, and it’s also updating the Feedback Hub, so you can more easily tell Microsoft how well (or how badly) you’re doing with upcoming changes.
Davuluri continues to emphasize Microsoft’s recent commitment to improving the performance, reliability, and “craftsmanship” (user experience) of Windows 11 in the coming months, and it looks like there’s a lot to look forward to. What the executive does not say is how many of these updates will be coded by AI; Maybe it’s better not to ask.
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