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It’s that time of the week again, when we recap what’s important in the world of Microsoft over the past few days. This has been a pretty eventful week in the Redmond camp due to the rollout of the Windows 11 2022 update, a major build from the Dev Channel, and some news about upcoming Surface devices. Without further ado, let’s dive into our weekly recap for September 17 – September 23.
Windows 11 2022 update
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Our biggest news category this week is undoubtedly related to the rollout of the Windows 11 2022 Update (aka version 22H2) that’s kicking off – after ISO links leaked a day earlier. The first major update to Windows 11 rolled out on September 20 and is currently being made available to searchers. As with all major Windows updates, you may not see these right away either. For those curious, it gets two years of support.
The update brings many new features, including those related to gaming, security, accessibility, and more. But it doesn’t stop here. Microsoft also announced plans to bring more features to Windows 11 next month, including the tabbed file explorer, a revamp of the Photos app, suggested actions, taskbar overflow, and the ability to share content with more devices via nearby sharing. However, if for some reason you can’t wait, here’s how to get these opportunities now (at your own risk).
The Redmond-based tech company also had some updates to share regarding the app situation on Windows 11. Android apps are coming to 31 countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. States. The Amazon Appstore will offer more than 20,000 Android apps. The Microsoft Store itself now has more than 900 million customers and the Microsoft Store Ads pilot has also been launched.
Microsoft has revealed that it is also making significant improvements to the Windows Update process. Updates now have a smaller footprint and Windows Update is carbon aware. The company boasted that adopting Windows 11 itself will save enterprise customers millions of dollars over the next three years, backed by data from Forrester. But for business customers and consumers who can’t upgrade to Windows 11, rest assured that Windows 10 version 22H2 comes out next month.
However, things have not been smooth sailing for Windows 11 version 22H2. Those with Nvidia graphics cards experience random stutters and screen cracks in games, and this is an issue Nvidia is still investigating. Meanwhile, some have been unable to install the update itself as it fails with the error code 0x800f0806. A Neowin reader may have come up with a solution that you might want to check out.
Of course, this section is just a summary of all the announcements Microsoft has made regarding the Windows 11 2022 update, you can check out our detailed coverage on the subject here.
Windows 11 Dev Channel build 25206
Just because Microsoft announced the rollout of the Windows 11 2022 update this week doesn’t mean the company has taken a break from releasing Insider builds.
Microsoft even released Dev Channel build 25206 for Windows 11 Insiders a few days ago. It is a relatively large build with Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) support on external displays, an updated “Open With” dialog box, significant improvements to the SMB authentication speed limitation, and fixes for OneDrive and Windows Sandbox, among others. We have the same build number 25206 for Windows Server vNext, but as usual there is no proper changelog.
On the same day, Microsoft also released beta versions 22621.601 and 22622.601 (KB5017384) for Windows 11 Insiders. There are no new features in the update, but there are some bug fixes and a known issue in two. In a similar vein, build 22621.607 (KB5017389) was also made available for the Release Preview Channel, and it has a very long list of bug fixes that you can check out at your leisure here.
Speaking of bug fixes, Microsoft recently rolled out an optional update for Windows 10 and Windows 11 customers ahead of next month’s Patch Tuesday. We’re highlighting it again because it addresses a daylight saving time (DST) issue plaguing some Windows customers.
Finally, Microsoft has released the new Photos app for Insiders. It has better OneDrive integration, Memories, and it removes the old video editor. It will be available to users of Windows 11 version 22H2 next month.
Surface on the horizon
Amid all the excitement for the Windows 11 2022 update this week, Microsoft also announced that the next Surface event will be on October 12, just under three weeks from today.
This time around, we expect the company to show off the 9th Gen Surface Pro with Intel and ARM processors, the 5th Gen Surface Laptop, a highly anticipated Surface Studio refresh, and new accessories. There is also speculation about Microsoft preparing a gaming-focused Surface laptop with 12th-generation Intel processors and Nvidia 3000 series graphics cards.
A recent report has also claimed that the upcoming Surface Laptop “5” will ditch AMD processors in favor of Intel’s 12th generation offering. However, this has not yet been confirmed by other reputable sources, so take this rumor with a grain of salt.
In terms of what we have at hand today, Microsoft has finally fixed the “No Bootable Device” bug that bricked (soft) Surface Go and Go 2 devices a few months ago. More details about the patch can be found here.
Well done
On the gaming front, we’ve already mentioned that the Windows 11 2022 update includes a few improvements, but it’s also pertinent to highlight the Windows HDR Calibration app now available to all Windows 11 users who want to upgrade their HDR. want to calibrate screens for the optimal viewing experience.
Additionally, the September 2022 Xbox Update introduced many new features, including customizable RGB lighting on the second-generation Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, a revamped library UX, better store management, and more. Microsoft is also testing the ability to mute the Xbox startup sound in the Alpha ring.
When we come to games in general, Frozen Plant II content is now available in Minecraft and that of Arkane death loop has finally ditched the exclusivity of the PlayStation console and has arrived on Xbox Series X|S. It is also available on Xbox Game Pass, and other new additions are grounded, Slime Rancher 2and Valheimamong other things.
Finally, in terms of discounts, we have: Dead Island Definitive Edition and Hunting Simulator 2 in the latest Xbox Free Play Days promotion from Microsoft. Meanwhile, the Deals with Gold promotion is crowned by: Halo and mafia franchises. But if you’re a PC purist, you might want to check out this weekend’s PC game deals featuring titles hand-picked by our news editor Pulasthi Ariyasinghe.
Developer Channel
In the spotlight
This week, news reporter Taras Buria wrote a helpful guide on how to disable the search button floating above the dock in iOS 16. the functionality in any case through the swipe gesture.
Meanwhile, Adam Bottjen — better known as “Warwagon” on the Neowin forums — explained how you can easily reboot your display driver in Windows the next time you run into a problem with it. Check out his latest Tech Tip Tuesday issue here.
Log out
The most interesting news item this week involves Mozilla claiming that tech giants such as Apple, Google and Microsoft are unfairly limiting consumer choice and driving people to their own browser. The latest report is titled “Five Walled Gardens: Why Browsers Are Essential to the Web and How Operating Systems Hold Them Back” and it tells how the three most popular browsers (Chrome, Edge, Safari) have a larger user base because of their respective parent companies. Such claims are not new, but they have not yet provoked a response from the firms involved.
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