Windows 11 - Insider Program - Master Thread

[GoodBytes]

Windows 11 Insider Preview

 

 

 

The focus of this thread is to be a master thread for Windows 11 in development builds. It is there as a central location to talk about new features, bugs, and issues that one is facing. The goal is having fun, be informed of changes, and try and help each other. It also features release notes of newly released builds posted by Microsoft when new features are presented.

 

About & Warnings

Spoiler

Insider Preview, for whom?

If you are passionate about Windows, like to live on the edge of what is coming up for Windows, and feel like you are savvy enough to fix potential problems, or fine to live with a week or two with an issue, then this program is one that you might be interested in.

 

Warnings

Windows Insider Preview is a program from Microsoft which allows one to use builds of Windows that are still in development. 

In development builds means bugs, issues and living with broken stuff. Being an OS, which, as the names implies... a piece of software which operates your system (without one, your PC is a door stop, essentially), sever issues can arise such as: data loss. It is important that you want to join the program and use these beta builds, you don't do it on your main PC, or at the very least you have a good backup solution.

 

Also, you must be ready to reinstall Windows at any time and expect roll backs of versions.

 

Normally, this is not a typical situation. It rarely has happened that something bad has occurred, and usually affects some people only. But that could be you. So it is important to be prepared for when bad luck strikes.

 

Once you join the Insider Preview, you CANNOT leave at any time. just like that.

To leave:

• You'll need to wait for Windows 11 to be officially released, then you can leave at that point (before you are getting a new build, as the Insider program will continue)
• Clean install Windows.

 

Feedback

Microsoft isn't checking this forum. It is ok and helpful for others to share programs you are having or share your opinion on things. But keep in mind that if you want Microsoft to hear you, you have to use the Feedback Hub app in Windows. Detail feedbacks helps Microsoft solve your issues, or better understand your suggestions. Feel free to post here links to your feedback so that we can help up vote them, for those who faces the same problem as you, or like the ideas you have.

 

PC Requirements & More Warnings

Spoiler

 Windows 11 has the following minimum specs:

• UEFI capable system, with UEFI mode enabled (UEFI can emulate the old BIOS for legacy OSs, but some motherboard manufacture thinks you'll install Windows XP or something, so enable this legacy mode by default)
• CSM (Compatibility Support Module) disabled
• Drive must be formatted as GPT. If it is MBR then what happens if your UEFI switches to legacy mode without telling you.
• TPM or fTPM (firmware TPM) and is enabled
• Secure Boot is enabled
• GPU that support WDDM 2.0 or later driver model
• GPU capable of DirectX 12
• CPU is part of the compatible list or is newer:
  • Intel: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/supported/windows-11-supported-intel-processors
  • AMD: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/supported/windows-11-supported-amd-processors
• 4GB of RAM or more
• 64GB of storage space or more
• Display that is greater than 9inch with a resolution of 720p or higher
• Dual Core CPU or more
• 1GHz or more CPU
• 64-bit CPU (no more 32-bit love)

For those who don't meet the minimum specs, Microsoft issue this table for understanding on what you can get, and what to expect:

 

'Wait, which one I'll fall?', you ask:

In the Settings apps, under Update & Security > Windows Insider Program.

• If you see a big block of text in red (for light theme) or yellow (if you are on dark theme), then you'll fall under the red column in the table above.
• If you see a big block of text above in black (or white for dark theme), then you'll fall under the yellow column.

Example:
 

You fall in the red column. That mean you can enjoy Windows 11 Insider Program. But assuming you really want Windows 11 as soon as possible, you should consider planning for a new build in the next 6 month or so for a proper supported experience. Of course, you depending on your specs you will get a notable degraded experience and some feature may not work for you due to the CPU lack of security hardware which Windows 11 uses, and has to do it at a software level, if you will. Microsoft recommends to install Windows 10 back once Windows 11 is released. It may force you out of Windows 11, this is not clear yet.

 

 

You fall in the yellow column. You can enjoy Windows 11, but Microsoft is informing you that your experience may be degraded, and some features might not work with you.

 

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

 

NOTE:

If you join the Insider program now, and do not have the supported hardware, Microsoft says that it may still work for you! BUT you need to join NOW. Microsoft will issue an exception for current Insiders. If you'll need to re-install your system due to an issue of Windows 11, you will not be able to join back in.

 

Quote

• If at any point something goes wrong on one of these PCs that requires having to go back to Windows 10, you can use the media creation tool here to go back to the Windows 10. These PCs will not be given another exception and not allowed to upgrade to Windows 11 Insider Preview builds again. They will be treated as a new PC and the minimum hardware requirements will be enforced as highlighted above.

Source: https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2021/06/24/preparing-for-insider-preview-builds-of-windows-11/

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

 

How to join

Spoiler

So, you decided you want to join into the party and play with builds of Windows 11. The process is easy.

1. It involves simply registering (Microsoft account required)
2. Download the latest build that showed up under Windows Update shortly after.

 

1) Registering:

Simply open the Settings app. Then go to Privacy > Diagnostic & Feedback, and make sure that "Optional diagnostic data" option is selected.

Then go to Updates & Security > Windows Insider Program

 

 

If all is good with you (see the table and explanation above if you have a warning, like above screenshot), then hit the "Get started" button!
 

If you don't have a linked account yet, you'll get this message:

 

Just click on the "+", pick or setup your icon on the following dialog box that will show, and finally, you'll be asked the big question:

Which channel you want:

 

You have 3 choices:

• Dev Channel: This is the latest and greatest releases of Windows 11! Expect most of the time, a new build every week!
  That said, this build is really, still in the oven as you eat it, sort of speak. Expect problems to live with, and highest chances that something goes wrong.
   
• Beta Channel: This is a build that Microsoft occasional releases, at about once a month. It passes through more QA testing, and you won't have every feature announced. You can see it as a balance between reliability and being on the cutting ed7ge.
   
• Release Preview Channel: You pretty get nothing until the very end, when Microsoft is reaching Release Candidates of Windows 11. At this stage, (at the moment of writing) you won't get Windows 11. As noted, you'll be on Windows 10, you'll get security and bug fixes for Windows 10 in advance of everyone else, as you'll be the tester for those, and once Windows 11 reaches Release Candidate stage, now you'll get to play with it (So, you'll need to wait until September or October)

To better understand the different channels, and major and minor "builds". Microsoft has a nice document which you can read here:

https://insider.windows.com/en-us/understand-flighting

It also includes a FAQ at the bottom.

 

Once you pick your channel, you'll be asked to restart your system.

 

Once Windows 11 build is released, you'll get it via Windows Update!

Newer builds of Windows 11 will also be delivered via Windows Update.

 

Enjoy! And welcome!

 

What's New (Updated: 1/7/2021)

Spoiler

All features listed are subject to change from now to the official release of Windows 11. Some features presented may come to Windows 10.

HDR support to color managed apps

For programs that uses ICC profiles, such as PhotoShop, Adobe Lightroom Classic, Corel Draw and more. These programs where limited to sRGB color gamut. Windows 11 introduces a feature to allow applications get accurate color and access the full gamut of the user HDR display. Simply turn on "Use legacy display ICC color management" option under the executable Properties panel > Compatibility

 

Device Manager - Direct Managing of Drivers

Device Manager now features new views option to allow a power user to manage their drivers. This is part of a new set of views called “Devices by drivers”, “Drivers by type”, and “Drivers by devices”

 

New System Font

Segoe UI is updated with a new version of the font called Segoe UI Variable. This font was designed to better scale with different display sizes, it also improved legibility at small sizes. Microsoft says:

 

Segoe MDL2 also gets updated. The "icon font" if you want to call it that, has been updated to feature the new updated Windows 11 design language, with its rounded corners and simplified look.

Sample:

 

 

Improved Bluetooth audio experience

• Unified audio endpoint: Bluetooth headsets used to feature multiple end points to manual switch between headset mode and audio mode. Headset mode would drastically reduce the audio of the headset (telephone quality) but gave you mic support. Audio mode, you got the best audio quality your headset could produce, and Windows allowed with its Bluetooth stack. Now, Windows 11 has a single endpoint, which the Bluetooth Stack of Windows will auto switch. So, you can listen to your music, and switch directly to meeting without having to adjust your settings.
   
• Support for AAC codec: Windows 11 finally support AAC codec for audio. AAC is a lossy codec that delivers high quality audio streaming via Bluetooth to your headset. Most headsets support AAC due to Android and iOS, but Windows never did support it until now.

 

New Touch keyboard

Microsoft has completely reworked the touch keyboard. It is now more responsive, feature improved layouts, and many other quality of life improvements, including scaling the keyboard larger or smaller. In addition, it is now customizable. The background can be change, the key colors, key text size, suggested text color, and keys background color. It also features direct paste of last copied text in the suggestion box, like most mobile phone keyboards

Additional Improvements:

• Japanese 50-on touch keyboard
•  

 

Task Manager

• Supports Microsoft Edge process classification (beta version of Edge is required to see it in action)
  
   
• 

Content adaptive brightness control

Settings panels now has a new option for embedded displays device (laptops/tablets) which helps improving the device battery life at the exchange of image quality. In other words, the options plays with the contrast and brightness at a software level to help make text more visible allowing you to keep the display brightness lower than normal, and help you save battery life.

 

Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR)

This feature fluctuates the refresh rate to help save battery life from your mobile device. This means if you have a 120Hz panel (for example), it can drop it down to 60Hz when the image is fairly still, like you are reading a document, or typing one out. Scrolling content will adjust it back to 120Hz. Same for inking. That said, the feature needs software support. Currently Office Edge, Whiteboard, Photos app, Snip & Sketch, Stiky Notes, Drawboard PDF, Adobe Acrobat, To Do, Inkodo all support it. This feature is NOT variable refresh rate. The focus of this feature is not gaming but non-gaming tasks. The option is found under: Settings > System > Display > Advanced Display.

 

Virtual Desktop Improvements 

• Moved: You can now drag a virtual desktop under the Task View panel. You can use, under Task View, right-click on a virtual desktop thumbnail, and pick "Move Left/Right".
• Backgrounds: Changing the wallpaper in a virtual desktop, will now only change the wallpaper of that desktop environment.

File Explorer

• New Look: File Explorer has been redesigned to feature a cleaner more simplistic look and feel. It removes the ribbon bar, in favor of a simplified tool bar. The header of the window feature Windows 11 new material, called Mica, which is transparent frosted look but ignores any window behind it.
  
   
• Compact View: The updated File Explorer has items more spread out than before. However, you can return to the old way, by checking the box "Decrease space between items (compact view)" in the Folder Options panel.
  
  OR
  
   
• Navigation Pane: You now Show/Hide 
  • Network
  • This PC
    

 

WSLg - WSL GUI support

WSL now feature GUI support with Audio passthrough as well as GPU acceleration.

For full details: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/the-initial-preview-of-gui-app-support-is-now-available-for-the-windows-subsystem-for-linux-2/

For the abridged version:

 

WSL GPU Drivers:

Nvidia: https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda/wsl

AMD: https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/release-notes/rn-rad-win-wsl-support

Intel: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/29526

Camera Settings

Window now give you control to camera and webcam brightness and contrast control. It allows you to manage your cameras as well, including adding with ease network cameras.

 

Windows Tools

Small reorganization of Windows settings in the Start menu. It now regroups all panels under "Windows Tool" folder

 

Windows Terminal

Old command prompt, be gone! Well, ok not really. But now Windows 11 features Windows Terminal built in. Microsoft new terminal console window which aims to replace the old Command Prompt. It brings countless improvements, and the project has been quite active in its development. You can join the Preview builds from the Store apps.

 

You can also make it your main terminal console window instead of the old Command Prompt. Simply access the properties of Command Prompt, and go to the "Terminal" tab, and you'll have the option to pick "Windows Terminal" as your Default Windows Terminal.

 

Clipboard History (Win+V) Improvements

Using Win+V will display the clipboard history panel. This panel has been improved, with the ability to paste formatted text copied as unformatted (text only). Just hit "..." on the item you want to paste and pick the paste button.

 

Battery Consumption meter page: (to do)
New Store: (to do)

New Setting panel: (to do)

New Start menu: (to do)

Widgets: (to do)

Action Center: (to do)

OOBE: (to do)
Optimize Drive Advance View: (to do)

Auto HDR: (to do)

Storage health of NVMe SSDs: (to do)

Pen vibration: (to do)

Eco Mode on Process (Task Manager): (cancelled?)

New Icons: (to do)

Default apps settings reworked: (to do)

UWP App archiving: (to do)

ARM64EC: (to do)

x86-64 support on ARM: (to do)
New High Contrast Themes (accessibility): (to do)

Accessibility support for WSL: (to do)

 

40

 

[Dabombinable]

Both of my Galaxy TabPro S with their Core M3 6Y30/Intel HD515 meet the minimum requirements. They also have TPM 2.0 - despite being based around effectively half Broadwell, half Skylake. So devices from one of the big OEM should be fine - you've just got to check the BIOS.

[Sorbert]

interesting see non of the original Ryzen chips are on the list

[Empire24453]

Seems that older hardware is a 50/50 at this point of time. I7-3930k isn't liested but I say it still works like a dream. Saying that my i5-5200U won't able to run it  

[Tieox]

Going to join up, got a lot to say about 11 and best place is on their feedback hub.

 

 

[GoodBytes]

As there is a lot of questions about compatibility of hardware on the forum.

I have posted additional information in the main post about what it means and what to expect based on your system specs.

Please note that the information affects Insider Preview program. Please do not assume that its things may work the same for non-Insiders.

We will of course (well... hopefully) know more as time goes on.

 

Hope this helps.

[Tieox]

I assume the first 11 builds are due next week if the various tech blogs are accurate? 

[GoodBytes]

36 minutes ago, Tieox said:

I assume the first 11 builds are due next week if the various tech blogs are accurate? 

Microsoft said that they aim for an Insider release coming next week.

[Slo2020]

Which day? Tomorrow?

[GoodBytes]

32 minutes ago, Slo2020 said:

Which day? Tomorrow?

Any day between Monday to Friday, if no delays.

[GoodBytes]

WARNING:

You have to join the Insider program NOW, for those interested.

Microsoft says:

Quote

If at any point something goes wrong on one of these PCs that requires having to go back to Windows 10, you can use the media creation tool here to go back to the Windows 10. These PCs will not be given another exception and not allowed to upgrade to Windows 11 Insider Preview builds again. They will be treated as a new PC and the minimum hardware requirements will be enforced as highlighted above.

https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2021/06/24/preparing-for-insider-preview-builds-of-windows-11/

[SansVarnic]

Wish I could join the Preview, my CPU is to old though /shrug.

I had fun with the Win10 Preview, will continue being a part of that until the end.

[GoodBytes]

5 minutes ago, SansVarnic said:

Wish I could join the Preview, my CPU is to old though /shrug.

I had fun with the Win10 Preview, will continue being a part of that until the end.

Today, may be the last day you can join to get Windows 11 Previews for unsupported hardware.

 

[SansVarnic]

Decided to have my Surface 6 Pro do the Windows 11 Preview upgrade, it's no longer a primary device for my job. Since I left my Operations position last year, I no longer need it to perform for that purpose.

[Tieox]

Is 11 live yet for insiders? going hop into the beta ring when it drops, or would dev be more suitable?

[GoodBytes]

54 minutes ago, Tieox said:

Is 11 live yet for insiders? going hop into the beta ring when it drops, or would dev be more suitable?

At this moment, no.

• Dev: Less stable. Weekly builds
• Beta: More stable, monthly builds
• Release: When the OS will be near released. This is like the final round of testing. In the meantime you'll be testing Windows 10 and get security updates and bug fixes.

[Tan3l6]

In my region the dev builds usually arrive on wednesday, so day after tomorrow.

[Tieox]

Seems users on Reddit are downloading the preview now. 

[edwaine]

2 minutes ago, Tieox said:

Seems users on Reddit are downloading the preview now. 

Link?

[Tieox]

3 minutes ago, edwaine said:

Link?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/o9oi86/its_here_1pm_est_sharp/

[edwaine]

5 minutes ago, Tieox said:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/o9oi86/its_here_1pm_est_sharp/

Thanks. I'm on the leaked Windows 11. Downloading the dev preview now.

[Tieox]

Just now, edwaine said:

Thanks. I'm on the leaked Windows 11. Downloading the dev preview now.

Installing a Win 10 preview build RN.  Then likely the 11 preview  glad I have no data caps.

[Tan3l6]

28 minutes ago, Tan3l6 said:

In my region the dev builds usually arrive on wednesday, so day after tomorrow.

Yeah, now downloading

But why version number still starts with 10?

[Tieox]

[GoodBytes]

For those on the leak build, did you have to join the Insider preview program to get the builds? Or where you auto-joined in? (I am just curious)

 

Yes, Windows 11 is avail on my side, and downloading on all my devices.