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The end of another week, which means it’s time to recap everything important in the world of Microsoft over the past few days. While this week has been relatively slow in terms of Microsoft newsflow, that doesn’t mean we have nothing to discuss. In fact, this edition of Microsoft Weekly will be more focused on Windows, since that’s what most recent news has been about. That said, let’s dive into our weekly recap for September 3rd – September 9th!
Windows 8 Command Center
You may remember the name Jensen Harris in our news feed for the past few weeks. He is Microsoft’s ex-director of user experience who spent five years in this role out of 16 years spent in total with the company. He left in 2014, shortly after the release of Windows 8.1. The former design chief of the tech giant from Redmond recently shared some tidbits about Windows, including the deprecated Windows 8 startup sound and criticism of Windows 11’s Start menu.
This time, Harris has revealed details about a Windows 8 Command Center, also canceled. This actually referred to the context menu (right-click menu) on the Start button. It was supposed to display a list of functionalities, but the idea was to cater to power users by allowing third-party applications and registry edits to modify it. You can view a prototype below:
Here was the original menu as I drew it.
It’s over a decade later, so it certainly makes sense that some things have changed (and possibly need a lot more) as the Windows world progresses.
Most of these items were about warping straight to a Windows 7-era experience. pic.twitter.com/5TfECzbhlE
— Jensen Harris (@jensenharris) September 1, 2022
According to Harris, the project was scrapped due to the lack of time it took to complete it. As such, while the Start context menu still exists, it’s not quite as customization-friendly as Harris originally envisioned.
Since we are talking about Windows design, it is also worth mentioning that Microsoft has added a new Mica Alt design material to Windows 11. This is next to Acrylic, Mica, and Smoke, but is intended to be used for tabbed instances.
And speaking of a design flaw, Microsoft has noted that Windows Server and client users in Chile may experience issues related to timestamps, server connectivity to some applications, and scheduled activities such as meetings. This is because the country is switching to daylight saving time today and Windows is unable to accommodate this change. If you’re one of those affected, check out Microsoft’s interesting solution here.
Windows 11 build 25197
There was only one Insider release for Windows 11 this week, which came in the form of build 25197 for the Dev Channel – Microsoft has also rolled out ISO files for this build. This is a relatively important build with a lot of features, including the tablet-optimized taskbar, updates to the notification area, and new icons for the Settings app, among many other things.
It is now also possible to use the “live kernel dump” capability in the Task Manager. This allows you to quickly export a dump file for problem analysis and debugging without having to reboot the system.
Speaking of Windows 11, Microsoft has brought up another recent issue where the operating system won’t allow you to login after adding a Microsoft account. Only those using client versions of Windows 11 version 21H2 were affected. The Redmond-based technology company has now resolved the issue through Known Issue Rollback (KIR).
Finally, we would like to draw your attention to references to the Windows 11 “Moment” update that has recently appeared. Build 22940 has been mentioned in a PowerShell issue on GitHub and is believed to be a Moment release for Windows 11 version 22H2 – itself expected later this month. It’s unclear at this point what new capabilities this rumored update will introduce.
Windows Autopatch
Earlier this week, Microsoft detailed some of the new features it added to Windows Autopatch. For those who don’t know, this is a managed business service that hands over the reins of update deployments to Microsoft to reduce the burden on IT teams. The company then uses tools such as Windows Update for Business to ensure that Windows 10, Windows 11, Microsoft Edge, Teams, and other Microsoft 365 services are automatically updated in an organization. This includes creating test rings, monitoring health, and rolling back updates if necessary.
The latest capabilities in tow include application-only authentication through the Modern Workplace Management app, streamlined device readiness status after registration, and quality update reporting.
In addition, Windows Server vNext build 25197 is now live in 18 languages. It fixes a known issue related to the taskbar that was present in the previous build.
Organizations using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint will also be pleased to hear that the security solution scored full marks in AV-Comparatives’ latest Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) credential dump test.
Well done
There are a lot of interesting gaming news items. For starters, Microsoft has announced that it is revamping the Xbox homepage to give it a more personalized feel while also meeting gamers’ feature requests. Testing of the new dashboard has already begun in Xbox Insider rings, but Microsoft has noted that this will be a multi-month “series of experiments” leading up to its general release in 2023.
Meanwhile, those on non-Insider rings can take advantage of the latest 10.0.22621.1836 update which brings party chat noise reduction and the ability to jump into games from your friends’ shared recordings.
The Redmond tech company has finally unveiled the Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller “Core in White”. It has a two-tone black and white design. It’s also $50 cheaper because it doesn’t include a charging dock, four extra paddles, extra thumbsticks, a spare D-Pad, or a carrying case. However, you can still get these items through the “Complete Component Pack” for $59.99. Xbox Design Lab will also support the Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 soon.
On the gaming side, check out this week’s Deals with Gold headlined: Just cause and red death franchises. Don’t forget to try and / or buy Conan Exiles, Madden NFL 23, Hunt: Showdownand Riders Republic at hugely discounted rates through the latest Xbox Free Play Days promotion. Then there’s also the reveal of the latest Xbox Game Pass titles, including: Grid Legends, Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation, You suck at parking, Metal: Hellsingerand more.
And last, but certainly not least, don’t miss this weekend’s PC game deals, personally curated by our news editor Pulasthi Ariyasinghe.
Developer Channel
In the spotlight
This week, news reporter Taras Buria wrote a very helpful guide on how to enable the new Spotlight UI in the latest Windows 11 Dev Channel build 25197.
Meanwhile, forum member Adam Bottjen – better known as “Warwagon” – has written a very important piece on how to set up your Medical ID on iOS, be sure to check it out here.
Log out
We close this week’s edition of Microsoft Weekly with some food for thought about the new reforms planned by the White House for major tech companies. With principles such as youth safety, privacy, transparency and fair competition, they sound excellent on paper. However, as with any legislative reform, the real challenge is how it will be implemented and enforced. Read our coverage on this topic here.
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