The newest Home windows 11 replace (KB5025239) is now out, and is coming to all PCs – whether or not you prefer it or not.
That’s as a result of this is a vital replace that’s necessary – so you possibly can both manually set up it by opening up Home windows Replace and downloading it from there, or straight downloading it from Microsoft’s web site (opens in new tab).
For those who don’t manually set up it, Home windows 11 will ultimately obtain and set up it mechanically, to make sure that your PC will get the advantage of the newest bug fixes and options.
Nonetheless, whereas most of the new options together with on this replace are welcome, there’s one addition which is proving to be very controversial. If you wish to know what Microsoft is including to your PC with Home windows 11’s KB5025239 replace, learn on for my three favourite new options – and one I completely hate.
The three finest new options in Home windows 11 KB5025239
General, Home windows 11 KB5025239 comes with 25 adjustments and fixes, and a few of them are fairly minor. Nonetheless, these are my three favourite new options:
1. The taskbar seems higher
Home windows 11 KB5025239 brings just a few refined adjustments to the taskbar which assist enhance its general look. The largest change is that when you’ve gotten set Home windows 11 to darkish mode in Settings > Personalization > Colours, and apps to gentle mode, the search field will seem lighter – making it simpler to see and use.
Some customers can even get a brand new button the lets them open up the brand new ChatGPT-powered Bing AI chat mode direct from the search field within the taskbar. Annoyingly (however not a shock), Bing chat opens up in Microsoft Edge, whatever the net browser you’ve set as default.
2. Accessibility enhancements
Microsoft has accomplished an admirable job in relation to including accessibility options to its merchandise, together with each software program and {hardware}, and whereas Home windows 11 KB5025239 doesn’t carry new accessibility options, it fixes and improves a number of current ones.
An necessary repair addresses a irritating bug which brought about PowerPoint, Microsoft’s presentation software program, to crash when utilizing accessibility instruments.
The replace additionally permits Microsoft Narrator, which is a text-to-speech instrument, to learn out dropdown lists in Microsoft Excel.
3. Home windows LAPS
The addition of Home windows LAPS (Native Administrator Password Resolution) is a little bit of a distinct segment characteristic, however it’s truly a much-requested one from system directors in IT departments.
It permits admins to handle the passwords of native accounts on Home windows gadgets and backs them as much as the cloud. It additionally permits for password encryption and automated password rotation for enhanced safety, and it’s now built-in natively into Home windows 11, making it a lot simpler to arrange and use.
When you have no real interest in Home windows LAPS (opens in new tab) then this may increasingly not look like a giant deal, however for individuals who do use it, it is a incredible replace that’s already been warmly welcomed.
The worst new characteristic in Home windows 11 KB5025239 award goes to…
…Advertisements within the Begin menu. Yep, as we reported just a few weeks in the past, Microsoft is ignoring the controversy and ploughing on with including adverts to the Home windows 11 Begin menu.
Within the change log of Home windows 11 KB5025239, Microsoft says it has added “notifications for Microsoft accounts within the Begin menu.” Initially noticed in an early construct, these notifications are basically adverts for Microsoft companies. For instance, one notification pops up reminding you to again up your recordsdata, and clicking the button takes you to Microsoft’s One Drive cloud backup service.
These could also be nice for people who find themselves already subscribed, however for many individuals that is simply one other invasive methodology Microsoft is utilizing to get extra individuals to enroll to its companies.
The excellent news is that you could be not see this characteristic simply but, as Microsoft has solely rolled it out to a ‘fortunate’ small viewers, although it threatens to roll it out “extra broadly within the coming months.” Nice.
Microsoft does say it’s gathering suggestions about this characteristic, and making an attempt just a few completely different visible approaches, so let’s hope that it takes on board individuals’s feedback.
