Today Microsoft released the latest Windows 11 preview Build 22610 for Dev and Beta channels.
Here are the highlights:
- THIS RELEASE INTRODUCES SOME NEW GROUP POLICIES FOR IT ADMINISTRATORS AND UPDATES THE HOME SECURITY WIDGET.
- This release also includes another set of great fixes that can improve your overall experience.
- This release includes two new known issues that will affect Windows Insiders – please read the list of known issues under. Microsoft has flagged the new known issue as [NEW]. One of these known issues affects hidden icon pop-ups in the system tray.
- [UPDATE] NO MATCHING SDK WILL BE RELEASED FOR THIS RELEASE.
New in Windows 11 Build 22610
ADDITIONAL NEW MDM AND GROUP POLICY FOR IT ADMINISTRATORS
Microsoft is introducing new policies so that IT administrators can simplify their Windows 11 experience in the Start menu, taskbar, and system tray. The following strategies are available today:
- Disable quick settings pop-up
- Disable notification hubs and calendar pop-up
- Disable all taskbar settings
- Disable search (across start and taskbar)
- Hides the task view from the taskbar
- Block custom pinned in start
- Hide recommendations in the start
- Disable the start context menu
- Hide all apps at the start
To configure these new Group Policies locally, open the Group Policy Editor and navigate to the User Configuration > Administrative Templates > the Start menu and taskbar. You can also deploy these policies through Microsoft Endpoint Manager.
Home security widget updates
to help you and your loved ones stay safe and protected, Microsoft has introduced an update to the family safety widget that provides improvements for all family members, with a new location-sharing view showing where your family members use the family safety app.
There is also a new update for member roles, which includes improved views of screen time usage across apps and devices.
Changes and improvements
[Generic]
- By default, the Windows 11 Home Dev and Beta channel editions no longer have the SMB1 client enabled. If you manually installed SMB1 or upgraded from a previous version of Windows that installed SMB1, upgrading to the latest Dev and Beta channel versions does not remove SMB1.
- Microsoft updated the battery icon design on the lock screen to align with the battery icon in the taskbar.
- If your PC supports it, Microsoft will now display the estimated battery life in the tooltip of the battery icon in the system tray, along with the latest Insider Preview version.
- The version watermark in the lower-right corner of the desktop no longer exists in this version. This doesn’t mean Microsoft is done, and the watermark will be returned to Insiders in future builds.
[Taskbar]
- Due to feedback from Windows Insiders, Microsoft temporarily disabled the Tablet Optimization Taskbar feature, which first began rolling out to Windows Insiders in Build 22563. Microsoft hopes to bring this feature back in the future after further refining the experience. As Microsoft mentioned earlier, features that Microsoft tries out in Dev or Beta channels may not always be released.
[Widget]
- The widget changes announced with Build 22563 will bring more dynamic content to your widget palette, which is currently being rolled out to more Windows Insiders in dev and beta channels.
[Task Manager]
- Microsoft has updated the Processes page in Task Manager so that the colors used in heatmaps are now based on accent colors. Note that in some cases, Microsoft will use the default blue accent color to ensure readability. Microsoft demonstrated this in this month’s Windows Insider webcast.
[File Manager]
- Microsoft has updated renaming, properties, and optimized icons used in context menus and command bars to help improve discoverability and consistency.
[Settings]
- Your Phone now appears as a Phone Link under Bluetooth & devices > Settings.
[Other]
Based on feedback from Windows Insiders, Microsoft is rolling back the changes originally documented in Build 22557, which no longer allow TKIP and WEP connections. Starting with this build these connections are allowed again, as Microsoft rolls back to the previous behavior, which gives a warning informing that these are not secure connections.
As a reminder, TKIP and WEP are deprecated security standards and are planned to be removed in future releases. Microsoft recommends updating routers or other devices to at least support WPA2 (WPA3 is the current standard).