This page will be updated as and when there is news on changes or updates to Windows 11,
Windows 11 receives security updates and fixes monthly or as required, and once yearly it receives a major feature update (also known as a build update)
31/10/23 - Windows 11 2023 Update (23H2)
The second major update to Windows 11 (23H2) was released on the 31st October 2023.
Unlike early Windows 10 major updates this update won't be a huge download that takes ages to install as it will be delivered via what Microsoft call an enablement package meaning that most of the new features have already been rolled out to your computer during the last few month in the monthly cumulative updates and when the times comes for the release they will simply deliver an update which will "enable" the new features in Windows 11, so updating to the latest version will be a quick and painless process which won't have any effect on your existing apps or files.
Below is a brief summary of the new features that will be coming as part of this update:
•Windows Copilot - This is a new virtual assistant that uses the latest trend - AI (Artificial Intelligence) - to help you do almost anything on your computer, from asking it complex questions and getting detailed answers based on information from the web e.g. help with planning a trip or time differences between two countries, or asking it to summarize or rewrite documents. Because it will be fully integrated into Windows you will also be able to use it to help you use Windows such as changing settings. This completely replaces the now obsolete Cortana
•Modernized File Explorer - A visual refresh of the current File Explorer featuring an improved details pane and address bar, seamless OneDrive integration and a new gallery view for browsing your photos
•New easier to use Volume controls accessible from Taskbar or shortcut key (Windows + Ctrl + V)
•New backup and restore experience so you can easily backup apps, settings and credentials - very handy when moving to a new computer
•Built in support for extracting .7z and .RAR files - these are alternatives to .ZIP files which previously required a third-party app to open
•Improvements to the settings app including a new home page which will make your most relevant settings quickly available
11/07/23 - Windows 11 2022 Update (22H2) "Moment 3" Released
The third "Moment" update for Windows 11 (22H2) was released on 11th July 2023.
Some of the main changes in this update are:
•Taskbar and Notification improvements - improvements to the network icon to indicate active VPN connections - clock can now display seconds
•Improved Widgets - redesigned widget picker so you can preview a widget before adding it to your board
•Task Manager - now troubleshooting features (kernel memory dumping)
•Settings - improvements to Snap Assist, new section for OneDrive subscriptions
•Quick Copy for Two-Factor Authentication Codes
28/02/23 - Windows 11 2022 Update (22H2) "Moment 2" Released
The second "Moment" update for Windows 11 (22H2) was released on 28th February 2023.
18/10/22 - Windows 11 2022 Update (22H2) "Moment 1" Released
The first "Moment" update for Windows 11 (22H2) was released on 18th October 2022.
20/09/22 - Windows 11 2022 Update (22H2)
The Windows 11 2022 update was released on 20th September 2022.
This update is expected to be closely followed by two further updates later this year provisionally called "Moment 1" and "Moment 2", the first of which is set to arrive sometime in October.
For details of what will be changing in these updates to Windows 11 see the What's New in Windows 11 2022 Update (22H2) section.
This update will be free for all Windows 11 users and will automatically download and install – it is being released in waves so not everyone will receive it immediately but you will eventually get it in the days/weeks/months after release.
N.B. For the first few weeks it will appear as an 'optional' update which you can choose to install via Windows Settings, after a period of testing it will then start to install automatically on all devices.
If you are offered this new version in the first few weeks of release then my advice would be to postpone it for a while to allow for any initial problems to be resolved before you go ahead and upgrade, as with previous releases there were quite a few initial teething issues which caused some major problems to customers who had chosen to upgrade immediately. I will update this page and/or my news page when I am happy it is safe to install.
Once it has finished downloading in the background you will be prompted to restart your computer to complete the upgrade (or it will do it automatically the next time you shutdown/restart)
For those upgrading from an older build then during the installation / update process you will see the screen below which shows you how the update is progressing, you computer will also restart multiple times.
05/10/21 - Windows 11 Released
Windows 11 was released on 05/10/21.
The initial release was build 21H2.
24/06/21 - Windows 11 Launch Event
Today Microsoft announced that a brand new version of Windows will be arriving later this year.
Yes, you read that correctly, despite years of Microsoft telling consumers and partners like myself that they would not release a new version of Windows, and that Windows 10 would continue to evolve and be updated twice a year they have now changed their minds....
Windows 11 will be coming later this year......
It will be a free upgrade for existing Windows 10 users BUT it has different hardware requirements than Windows 10 so will not run on some older machines, I will provide more details of these requirements at a later date.
Below is the introduction video from the launch event.
