Microsoft is rolling out the first major update for Windows 11 and it has finally hit my PC. There have been cumulative updates since October 2021 when the new OS came but the 2022 update, version 22H2, is a big one.
With this update, you can expect some UI improvements, new features, bug fixes and more. Microsoft even promises to roll out new features more frequently with version 22H2. This time around we won’t have to wait for a major update next year to get new features.
So what’s new with the update?
Start menu
You can now create folders for your apps in Start. I just threw all the Office apps into one folder and the Start menu makes more sense now.
Speaking of those pinned apps. You know how the Start menu has Pinned apps and Recommended apps/files sections? Now, you can choose whether you want more pinned apps or more recommendations.
Live captions
I have been in situations where I needed to find out what was being said in a video but was in a noisy environment with no headphones. That’s where live captions come in handy.
With the 22H2 update you will be able to get live captions even on locally stored videos or audios.
I tried it on a Kid Cudi song and it struggled with the slang and the humming but it is spot on in formal English, even when the speaker has a thick African accent like mine.
Efficiency mode
I can’t be the only one who lives in Task Manager when on battery power. I have to make sure no greedy app hogs all the resources.
With the 22H2 update, from the Task Manager you can right-click on an app and select Efficiency mode to limit the resources it uses. They will warn you that efficiency mode may cause instability for certain processes.
On the appearance front, the Task Manager will now use whatever accent colour you have chosen for the system rather than the orange hues we were used to.
Snap layouts improvements
If you drag a window to the top of the screen the snap layouts menu will pop up and you can drop the window on a zone and it will be snapped. This is faster than dragging the cursor all the way over to the maximise button.
However, in my experience, dragging the window to the position you want to snap it to is the fastest way.
Now, when you have snapped widows they are easier to spot on the window preview screen. The snaps will now appear in front of the desktop wallpaper in the visual.
More features
We can’t go through them all. The above are what caught my eye but here is a list of some of what’s new:
- Improvements to Clipchamp, the video editor. Looks good enough for the casual edit now.
- Turn on do not disturb automatically
- New gestures and animations for touch users
- New “spotlight” wallpaper feature
- Tabs in File Explorer (not yet available for everyone)
- Find out more here
Should you upgrade?
Windows updates can be hit or miss at times. For the most part I’m good with the 22H2 update but here are some known and listed issues with it:
- Some installed printers might only allow default settings
- Signing in using Windows Hello might not work after the upgrade
- KB5012170 might fail to install, and you might receive a 0x800f0922 error
There are a few more known issues and you can check them out here. There are some other unlisted issues that some are facing and some of these may have you holding back on getting the update.
- Some AMD Ryzen 7000 processors are losing performance when gaming
- Nvidia GeForce Experience (GFE) causing low frame rates, stuttering, and low processor usage after upgrade
- Copying large files causes performance throughput issues
If you can stomach that you’ll enjoy the update. Microsoft worked to reduce the download size this time around but we’re talking about gigabytes.
The actual size will depend on your current installation. The ISO file is around 5.2GB but you won’t need that much if you are on Windows 11 already and updating from Settings.
Your old computer can get this
When Windows 11 was released Microsoft made the unpopular decision to exclude pretty much all pre-2017 PCs. In the time since launch Microsoft has softened its stance a bit. They still don’t recommend installing Windows 11 on old PCs but they won’t actively stop you from doing that.
You won’t be officially supported if you go that route and should expect no updates. You will have to install future updates manually.RAM plus an SSD could saving you from buying a brand new laptop
Some Redditor installed Windows 11 on an Acer laptop manufactured in 2010 that has a first-gen Intel i5-580m. What do you know? The guy says it runs perfectly. So your old laptop can join in on the Windows 11 fun.
This should not be surprising. Microsoft did not exclude older PCs for performance reasons, they said it was more about security than anything else.
If you want to give your old PC the Windows 11 treatment you will need a tool like Rufus that will allow you to bypass the TPM/RAM/CPU requirements that Microsoft uses to discriminate.
The process involves installing an ISO file and while not as easy as just clicking update in Settings, it’s not that difficult. This would be at your own risk though.
Using the Media Creation Tool method:
I imagine most will prefer this method because it involves putting the installer on a boot drive rather than the direct ISO method.
- Simply visit the Microsoft Software download page here
- Go to ‘Create Windows 11 Installation Media’ and hit Download Now
- Open the Media Creation tool and go through accepting terms and conditions etc.
- Tap on ‘Create installation media for another PC’
- Select the language, edition, and architecture
- Insert your flash drive and the installer will be placed there
Now edit the Registry:
- Open the Registry Editor
- Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > Setup > MoSetup
- Right click on an empty space and click ‘New’
- Click on DWORD (32 Bit) Value
- Write “AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU” as the name and put “1” as the value
- Click OK and then reboot your computer
- After that it’s up to you whether to open the Setup from the flash drive or to boot into the flash drive and access the Windows Installer from there
That is all there is to it and with that, you will be running on Windows 11.
Also read:
Cool new things in Windows 11 beta Build 22593.1
If you install Windows 11 on an unsupported PC, you will not get updates
RAM plus an SSD could saving you from buying a brand new laptop
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