Microsoft has announced Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22572 for users who have participated in the Dev Channel. It adds some new apps, changes a couple of options, and introduces a new shortcut to use File Explorer's old menu.
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Shift + Right-click in File Explorer to open the Show More Options menu
Windows 11's context menus have been criticized for being slow, and Explorer's shell menu has been particularly difficult to use because it moved most of the useful shortcuts to the Show More Options sub-menu. The extra-click and browsing a second menu makes the task a bit tedious.
Microsoft has provided a faster way to access this menu in Windows 11 Build 22572. When you right-click on a file, hold the Shift key down, and Explorer will display the Show More Options menu directly.
Other improvements in Windows 11 Build 22572
Microsoft has renamed the Windows Terminal app, it is now called Terminal. Narrator now supports natural voices for all English language packs. Print Queue has a new interface that follows the Windows 11 design standards. Focus Assist will display a snoozing bell icon to indicate that Do Not Disturb is on. WMIC (Windows Management Interface Command-line) is now available as an optional Windows feature.
The Touch Keyboard icon's toggle in the Settings app has been replaced with a drop-down menu. It can be set to Never show, Always show, or appear When no keyboard is attached.
Microsoft is bundling more stock apps in Windows 11
The Microsoft Family app is now an inbox app (bundled program) in Windows 11 Home Edition. It lets you manage family safety features such as location tracking, set up parental controls to block inappropriate websites, apps, games, set the screen time activity for Kids, and monitor their digital activity on Windows, Xbox and Android. Windows 11 Pro Edition users can download the Microsoft Family app from the Store.
Clipchamp is also a pre-installed app in the latest build of Windows 11. You will need to sign in to your Microsoft account to use it, since it is a web-based service. I'm using Windows 11 Pro Edition in my virtual machine, and Clipchamp was bundled in it.
Microsoft acquired the video editor program last year, but it is not free to use, unless you are okay with 480p SD videos. Clipchamp's subscription is quite pricey at $72/year for exporting videos in 720p HD, and costs a whopping $150/year for saving the media in Full HD 1080p. You might as well uninstall the Clipchamp app and use OBS, it is open-source, free, and works offline.
Microsoft Defender Preview is now available in the U.S
Microsoft Defender Preview has been officially unveiled for Windows, iOS and Android. It is available for testing for users in the U.S. region. Head over to the app's listing from the links below, to download it.
If you are not located in the U.S., and really want to try it, feel free to side-load the security tool on Windows, by following our guide.
The company describes Microsoft Defender as an "online security app that helps families and individuals stay safer online with malware protection". It is a dashboard from which you can monitor and manage the security of your devices. Interestingly, the security app's web page mentions that it Microsoft Defender Preview is also coming soon to macOS.
The FAQ mentions that the app will be free during the Preview period, after which it will require a Microsoft 365 Family or Personal subscription. For those unaware, the antivirus that Windows 10 and 11 ships with is called Windows Security, not Windows Defender or Microsoft Defender. So, don't worry, the free antivirus is not going premium.
Coming Soon to Windows 11 and 10 - Search Highlights
Microsoft says it will roll out a new update for Search in Windows 11 next week. The updated version will highlight interesting moments like holidays, anniversaries, etc. It will also display trending searches, etc. The search box will update the web content automatically on a regular basis. The highlights experience can be turned off from the Settings > Privacy & security > Search settings page > “Show search highlights”.
The left panel of the Search interface will list your recent apps, files, Settings, and websites. Users who sign in with their Work or School account can access their files and contacts via Microsoft Search.
Search Highlight is also coming to Windows 10 soon.
Fixes in Windows 11 Build 22572
Accessing network shares in File Explorer, opening Outlook or logging on to Windows should no longer cause bug check with a CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED error. Touchpad issues and audio stutters that were reported in the previous version, Windows 11 Build 22567, have been mitigated. An issue that was preventing the startup sound from playing has been patched.
Explorer.exe should not crash when Windows Mixed Reality is accessed. Scroll bars should render properly in Win32 programs. Right-clicking the Start button or using Win + X no longer crashes Explorer.
Known issues in Windows 11 Build 22572
Clicking the File Explorer's suggested results while typing, may not display the items. Microsoft says it is working to fix issues related to icon sizing, visual bugs, and text clipping in OneDrive's flyout panel. The new Task Manager's Dark Mode has an issue where tooltips are not displayed correctly.
The tablet-optimized taskbar does not collapse when an app is launched, or after you tap outside the expanded taskbar. The bar may overlap on some areas of the OS, such as Widgets.
Please read the official announcement on the Windows Insider Blog, for a full list of fixes, and known issues in Build 22572.
Do you think that Windows 11 is becoming bloated with more apps and features like Search Highlights, Widgets feed?
Summary
Article Name
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22572 brings a couple of new stock apps, lets you access the Show More Options directly
Description
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22572 lets you access the Show More Options directly with a new keyboard shortcut. The new version brings a couple of new stock apps.
How about adding the option to permanently switch to the old context menu? The new context menu is useless as its missing important items, ugly as hell, important commonly used actions are icons only, and its slow. Terrible design.
Clipchamp is webview bloatware/subscription trash.
Print queue is now useless as half of the list will be filled with one print job, no compact list view?
Search Highlights is just another dark pattern to trick you into clicking on MSN clickbait trash.
Microsoft Defender Preview? Who asked for this data gobbling spyware on their other devices? Just leave Defender for Windows. Stop trying to force it on every platform.
I’d love to know what Microsoft’s motivations are for some of the changes they’ve implemented in recent years, in times gone by they’d do (and publish) usability studies that set-out how people used Windows, what they changed, and typical user actions that weren’t obvious but made them reassess a design that seemed logical to them but wasn’t to the end user.
Are people really using Windows that differently than what i learned back in the days of Win 3.1 and 95? Do people just expect an OS to come with loads of built-in apps nowadays?
I know a lot of people who’ve grown up with ‘smart’ phones don’t even know what a filesystem is so is it just how people use computers has changed and I’m an old fuddy-duddy.
Nope. I will not hold down any key. I’m holding my coffee mug and that’s the end that. When I rightclick I want all the options that have been there since the last 2500 years thank you. GEEEEZ! WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU REDMOND IDIOTS???????!!!!!!!!!
I have a question about the new “Shift+Right-Click” for accessing the full context menu. How do you use it on a touch screen where you won’t have a Shift Key handy?
Paying for Clipchamp seems pretty pointless when you can use a professional video editor like Davinci Resolve from Blackmagic Design for free – the free version of DaVinci Resolve exports at 4096?×?2160.
The problem with bloat is before Windows 8, there was never so many garbage “applets” bundled with the OS. They are 99% useless, ugly and inferior to 3rd party alternatives.
The only default programs that come with Windows that I’ve found use for were Paint, Calculator and Notepad, but as of a few years, I’ve found out that Notepad++ is much better than the default thingy.
Windows XP and Windows 7, which I’ve used the most never had so much bloat – they came with some stuff, but these stuff were never intrusive, let alone start themselves with the computer or run in the background stealing precious resources.
Since Windows 8, Windows has become a joke and Microsoft are trying to see how far they can push people before they lose their marbles.
Now they are going for the right way, old explorer style is the most useful choice for productivity. Anyway I expected more speed releasing such this minor fixed issues, because in W10 they don’t need to fix nothing because they didn’t screw it. This fixes should be released faster throught WSUS as optional update to get the benefits of its useful properties. And about the question, “Do you think that Windows 11 is becoming bloated with more apps and features like Search Highlights, Widgets feed?”, yes I think W11 is bloated with unuseful apps. One thing is to has a bloated OS with dozens of good features and other is to have one with nonsense ones preinstalled. However I think MS development team should fix bugs and performance issues before to offer more and more features, it’s like to build a house starting for the roof. Thanks @Ashwin for this article, good as always! :]
In Windows 10, the built-in antivirus *is* called Windows Defender. Windows Security is the umbrella term for the various components protecting the system (Windows Defender antivirus, exploit protection…).
How about adding the option to permanently switch to the old context menu? The new context menu is useless as its missing important items, ugly as hell, important commonly used actions are icons only, and its slow. Terrible design.
Clipchamp is webview bloatware/subscription trash.
Print queue is now useless as half of the list will be filled with one print job, no compact list view?
Search Highlights is just another dark pattern to trick you into clicking on MSN clickbait trash.
Microsoft Defender Preview? Who asked for this data gobbling spyware on their other devices? Just leave Defender for Windows. Stop trying to force it on every platform.
I’d love to know what Microsoft’s motivations are for some of the changes they’ve implemented in recent years, in times gone by they’d do (and publish) usability studies that set-out how people used Windows, what they changed, and typical user actions that weren’t obvious but made them reassess a design that seemed logical to them but wasn’t to the end user.
Are people really using Windows that differently than what i learned back in the days of Win 3.1 and 95? Do people just expect an OS to come with loads of built-in apps nowadays?
I know a lot of people who’ve grown up with ‘smart’ phones don’t even know what a filesystem is so is it just how people use computers has changed and I’m an old fuddy-duddy.
Nope. I will not hold down any key. I’m holding my coffee mug and that’s the end that. When I rightclick I want all the options that have been there since the last 2500 years thank you. GEEEEZ! WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU REDMOND IDIOTS???????!!!!!!!!!
Valinet’s Explorer Patcher, and it’s solved.
I have a question about the new “Shift+Right-Click” for accessing the full context menu. How do you use it on a touch screen where you won’t have a Shift Key handy?
Paying for Clipchamp seems pretty pointless when you can use a professional video editor like Davinci Resolve from Blackmagic Design for free – the free version of DaVinci Resolve exports at 4096?×?2160.
Climchamp is also online(?) editor, which means the user need to have very fast internet connection to up/down the video.
The problem with bloat is before Windows 8, there was never so many garbage “applets” bundled with the OS. They are 99% useless, ugly and inferior to 3rd party alternatives.
The only default programs that come with Windows that I’ve found use for were Paint, Calculator and Notepad, but as of a few years, I’ve found out that Notepad++ is much better than the default thingy.
Windows XP and Windows 7, which I’ve used the most never had so much bloat – they came with some stuff, but these stuff were never intrusive, let alone start themselves with the computer or run in the background stealing precious resources.
Since Windows 8, Windows has become a joke and Microsoft are trying to see how far they can push people before they lose their marbles.
Now they are going for the right way, old explorer style is the most useful choice for productivity. Anyway I expected more speed releasing such this minor fixed issues, because in W10 they don’t need to fix nothing because they didn’t screw it. This fixes should be released faster throught WSUS as optional update to get the benefits of its useful properties. And about the question, “Do you think that Windows 11 is becoming bloated with more apps and features like Search Highlights, Widgets feed?”, yes I think W11 is bloated with unuseful apps. One thing is to has a bloated OS with dozens of good features and other is to have one with nonsense ones preinstalled. However I think MS development team should fix bugs and performance issues before to offer more and more features, it’s like to build a house starting for the roof. Thanks @Ashwin for this article, good as always! :]
In Windows 10, the built-in antivirus *is* called Windows Defender. Windows Security is the umbrella term for the various components protecting the system (Windows Defender antivirus, exploit protection…).