Andrew Cunningham
Windows 11 has changed a lot since then The version we reviewed in October Released, Microsoft released a steady stream of redesigned app updates, bug fixes, and UI improvements.
But the company’s big annual Windows updates still matter. This is where Microsoft makes the biggest changes to the look and feel of Windows 11 and the features under the hood. this week, Suggested rumors Microsoft is finishing work on what will eventually be released as version 22H2 of Windows 11, the operating system’s first annual update. This build is currently available to the Windows Insider Beta channel as a file Building No. 22621.1It will serve as the basis for next year’s Windows updates.
We cover new Windows Insider builds frequently, depending on how relevant the changes are. But to save you from wading through months of articles, we’ve rounded up all the most important differences between the current public release of Windows 11 21H2 (for the record, 22000.675) and the latest 22H2 beta.
Annual updates are not what they used to be
First, a warning: Microsoft has intentionally changed the way it updates Windows over the past year; The company is now releasing app updates and UI changes When they are ready Instead of waiting for a major annual operating system update like Windows 10 days. This more flexible schedule has already allowed Microsoft to fix some of the early shortcomings in Windows 11, including missing taskbar functionality and apps that haven’t yet been updated with the new look.
This also means that this preview will not include all of the Windows features that will be part of update 22H2 when it launches. Likely to apps like new voice recorder, which is currently previewed on the Dev channel, will be published before the official release of the 22H2 update. Features are still being tested like Tabbed File Explorer It can also be done in time. These and other changes can be included in the 22H2 update, and they can be released before it’s released, or they can Start to be free.
So this preview is only a preview of Windows 11 22H2 as it currently exists. When it becomes public, we’ll take another look at it, note any other new features we see, and spend more time on subtle changes we won’t mention in this tour.
Mandatory Microsoft account sign-in
The Home edition of Windows 11 (and some later versions of Windows 10) required an Internet connection and sign in to a Microsoft account during setup, prompting users to immerse themselves more deeply into Microsoft’s ecosystem. This process has some advantages, including automated local disk encryption, recovery key backup, Login without password, quick access to Microsoft Store apps and services like Microsoft 365 and PC Game Pass, and data syncing for apps like OneDrive and Edge. But if you no Use these, want to sign in later or prefer to stick with a good old local account, there is no easy workaround unless you sign out or create a new local account once you get to the desktop.
This was not the case with the Pro versions of Windows, which still allow you to create a local account if you are not connected to the Internet during installation. But it ends with the 22H2 version of Windows 11, which A Microsoft account is required no matter what version of the operating system you’re using. (Setup also prompts you to sign up for PC Game Pass and Microsoft 365, which is I Think New in this version of Windows but may have been added recently).
The only officially permitted exception to this policy is if you choose the “work or school” option during setup instead of the “personal use” option. This allows you to sign in with your work or school Microsoft account, if you have one, rather than a personal one. But if you just want to create a local account or need to set up a PC without an internet connection, there is no easy way to do it.
This policy applies only to new installations of Windows and will not affect you if you are upgrading an already configured computer.