• Microsoft's new Windows 11 Start menu design is now in testing
• It allows for a surprising level of customization, including making the menu more compact
• On top of this, Microsoft has revealed it's working to modernize some legacy parts of the interface that are jarring when they appear

Windows 11's revamped Start menu that offers a full range of customization options is now officially in testing – and there's another change to improve the interface of the OS in terms of eradicating old bits of legacy UI.

Windows Latest flagged the blog post from Microsoft about freshly released preview builds in the Beta and Experimental channels, and the latter packs the Start menu redesign for 2026.

A big change here is that you can now turn off any section you want, not just the Recommended panel (which has been renamed to Recent, incidentally). So, if you want to ditch that Recent panel, or the Pinned section, or the list of All apps, you can do as you wish. You can hide your name and profile picture in the Start menu, too.

The other major change is that you can now choose between the standard (larger) Start menu and a more compact version. Previously, the small layout was applied automatically for certain devices with smaller screen sizes, but you couldn't actively select it — and some folks wanted to do that.

Now they can, and with the ability to switch off any section of the Start menu that you find superfluous, for the first time in Windows 11's history you have full control over the customization of this key piece of the desktop interface.

Analysis: Microsoft's gone surprisingly far here

Arguably this should have been done a long time ago, but nonetheless, it's great to see Microsoft finally implementing a complete range of customization options for Windows 11's Start menu. This means you can now turn off everything you don't want and make the menu highly compact and streamlined (addressing some of the bad feeling directed towards the last Start menu overhaul before this one, in terms of the menu being too hefty).

Indeed, you can turn off everything now and be left with a blank Start menu — which isn't very useful, of course, but this is how far Microsoft has gone here, as Windows Latest makes clear.

It's also worth noting that the new Recent panel isn't just a renaming of the Recommended section, and it appears to drop Microsoft's recommendations (promotional nonsense in some cases), highlighting recently used files rather than pushing ad-like suggestions. That's great to see, although this is based on limited testing thus far – and remember, all this work is still in preview. Things could change by the time the revamped Start menu reaches all Windows 11 PCs.

All this is part of the promised work in the fix Windows 11 campaign, of course, and Windows Latest spotted a bonus extra here. Namely that Microsoft's March Rogers, who is Partner Director of Design, confirmed on X that some rusty old parts of the Windows 11 interface are getting the operating system's new modern design.

These are legacy dialog boxes such as file copying (which has already been done), and the common file dialog (for when you're browsing folders in Windows 11, say when you're opening a file within an app) is apparently in line for a visual refresh.

I recently wrote about legacy parts of the interface badly needing to be addressed by Microsoft as part of my wish-list of vital things to fix in Windows 11, so I'm pleased to see this work going ahead (and the tweak to the Recommended panel in the Start menu, too). Now if only Microsoft would address my other key points, namely adverts more broadly, and also Windows 11's telemetry and installation with a local account — we could really be in business.

• More hardware is reportedly on the way from Meta
• We could get an always-on AI pendant and new smart glasses
• The smart specs may involve new hardware partners

As well as exploring premium subscriptions for its social media platforms, Meta is also reportedly developing new hardware too: an AI pendant, and smart glasses that are apparently going to be different to the models we've seen before.

This is according to The Information, which says testing for the AI pendant will begin in the coming year. Presumably it works along similar lines to the Limitless AI Pendant which launched in 2024, as Meta acquired Limitless at the end of last year: the device records and processes audio, and can answer queries with its built-in chatbot.

Details are thin on the ground at the moment, but we've seen quite a few of these AI wearables in recent years. From transcribing meetings to telling you what time you need to be at the station to catch the next train home, the idea is they act as constant companions ready to lend a hand at any moment.

We know that ChatGPT developer OpenAI is working on something similar, though again there's not much in the way of solid information about what the something is, or what it'll do. We could be getting gadget launches from two of the biggest names in AI across the course of the next 12 months.

More smart glasses

As for the smart glasses, as per the report in The Information, there are apparently several new models coming. The rumored plan is to bring more partners on board, in addition to Ray Ban, which Meta already works with. As you would expect, Meta's own AI models are going to be providing the intelligence.

The same report mentions a new 'Wearables for Work' project at Meta, intended to drive subscriptions for Meta's AI apps — including an as-yet-unreleased AI agent called Hatch. Meta is apparently aiming to sell 10 million smart glasses in the second half of 2026, in part by expanding sales to more countries.

There's more evidence for the incoming smart glasses via Android Authority: Meta has registered several new pairs of smart specs with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US, a necessary regulatory step for new gadgets. These documents have been filed under the Meta name, which hasn't often been the case with previous wearables.

That might suggest Meta is teaming up with another hardware partner, which lines up with what The Information is saying, but we'll have to wait for confirmation. Many other companies are expected to launch smart glasses soon too, including — perhaps — Apple.

• Xreal just unveiled the xbx a01 smart glasses
• These XR specs are super budget-friendly...
• ...but packed with some impressive features

With its One Pro glasses Xreal seriously hit it out of the park — making arguably the best XR glasses you can buy right now for the private home theatre experience, and easily my favorites. The only issue? They’re pretty darn pricey, as are many of Xreal’s previous specs. That’s about to change however, with the new xbx range.

Standing for 'X by Xreal', and not some Xbox tie-in as I initially thought it was, this sub-brand will champion new glasses lines, starting with the budget-friendly a01 line. Instead of costing $649 like the Xreal One Pro, it’ll cost just $299.

Initially coming to China, with a US launch scheduled for July this new budget option looks set to give my favorite cheap XR specs — the RayNeo Air 4 Pros — a serious run for their money.

A budget XR champion?

First up, Xreal's xbx a01 boasts a 1600-nit HDR10 display. RayNeo’s budget specs debuted the first HDR10 XR specs earlier this year with the Air 4 Pros, and it seriously helps improve the vibrancy of its colors with compatible content. However it only came with 1,200 nits; the extra brightness from Xreal should help further enhance the clarity and beauty of its images.

Secondly, there’s a new anti-shake algorithm built for using during commutes, flights, and bumpy subway rides. Think of it like a reverse version of the stability controls cameras come with — the glasses will try to keep the in-display image from shaking around, while trying to preserve as much of the image clarity as possible.

Thirdly, these glasses are meant to look great. With a range of interchangeable front frames to suit different styles, they also cater to different needs — such as the ability to swap to dimmer lenses in brighter conditions.

Plus they should be pretty comfy too. At only 62g which should make them feel fairly light on your face.

Of course we’ll need to test Xreal’s glasses out to be able to judge them fully, but I’m a major fan of its other specs so I’m optimistic that Xreal’s foray in budget glasses will be a slam dunk.

If I was RayNeo I’d even be a little worried Xreal is coming to eat my lunch — though I’m sure it has some tricks up its sleeves to counter down the line.

This also gives us a fun look at how Xreal’s Android XR efforts might develop. As smart glasses become something we wear all the time, design aspects like interchangeable frame covers could allow us to make fashion conscious decisions (having multiple designs to wear for various scenarios) without breaking the bank on several expensive pairs of smart specs.

We’ll have to wait and see what next, but yet again smart glasses are proving why they’re one of the most exciting sectors in tech right now.

• Microsoft has added new docking options to Copilot on Windows, reverting to the original sidebar design
• This comes amid promises that Microsoft would scale back AI visibility and bloatware to improve Windows
• The new Copilot docking options are still in a rollout phase for Windows users

Windows 11 users have berated Microsoft over its excessive use of AI and bloatware, which it has promised to scale back on as part of the project Windows K2, but a new move suggests the company might not be as commited to removing AI features as some hoped.

As reported by Windows Latest, Copilot has returned to its original sidebar design, which forces applications aside when docking the AI assistant. This essentially works almost exactly like Windows 11's snap layouts, which allow users to have applications side by side, but with Copilot's new docking options on the left or right sides of the desktop.

Applications are also automatically resized to make space for the Copilot window, effectively prioritizing the AI assistant.

Copilot has undergone several design changes, originally working as a sidebar (very similar to the current design), then as a standalone application, but now, it works as an Edge-based wrapper using more RAM, according to Windows Latest.

Fortunately, this new version of Copilot is still in its rollout phase for Windows users, so the 'quick view' option that acts as a floating window will be the main way to use the AI assistant for now.

These docking options are also arguably better than just quick view alone, as it gives users more options to customize Copilot's placement. However, the return to an old design seems counterintuitive to Microsoft's attempt to wind down AI visibility and bloat on the operating system.

Copilot isn't exactly simple to remove either: while the Copilot app can be uninstalled, it's still integrated within Windows on a wider level, and requires full removal via blocking in Group Policy or Windows Registry editing.

Not all PC users are tech-savvy, and rather than making it much easier for those users to completely remove Copilot, Microsoft is adding more features instead. Hopefully, these docking options serve as a nothingburger in the long term, but it's hard to trust Microsoft to push for AI reduction on Windows.

• Windows 11 has suffered some odd interface problems of late
• They include the taskbar freezing, issues with File Explorer or Task View, or even the whole desktop being blank
• The fix for this interface flakiness is rolling out now to those who've installed the latest May update for Windows 11

If you've been experiencing weird sluggishness with some parts of the interface on the Windows 11 desktop of late — or elements seemingly MIA — the good news is that a fix is inbound.

Windows Latest reports that Microsoft is on the case when it comes to fixing the problems that can affect the taskbar, Task View, File Explorer, and the desktop itself.

Seemingly some users are finding that the taskbar freezes or takes ages to appear (and the right-click menu can take a long time to pop up, too). Windows Latest further notes that the Task View can also become unresponsive, and that unpinning items from Quick Access in File Explorer fails to work in some cases.

In the worst scenario described, these interface problems can mean you face a completely blank desktop after booting into Windows 11 (which is always worrying).

All of these are known issues, and Microsoft has labelled them as 'general reliability' problems with Windows 11.

The good news is that according to Windows Latest, Microsoft has confirmed that the May update for Windows 11 (which arrived last week) fixes these problems – but the cure isn't going to show up immediately.

That's because it's on a gradual rollout, so you may have to be a little patient here before these glitches are remedied (well, hopefully).

Microsoft notes: "This [May] update brings underlying changes to help improve explorer.exe reliability, including at sign‑in, when interacting with taskbar menus and Task View, when unpinning items from File Explorer's Quick Access, and more."

Analysis: stamping out sluggishness

It's good to see this fix rolling out for Windows 11 25H2 PCs, and note that it's also in testing — the Release Preview channel, the final stage of preview builds — for version 26H1 (for Arm-based Snapdragon machines).

What's also worth noting is that Windows Latest observed "visibly better performance" overall with the May update applied to Windows 11, and it's not alone — I've seen a fair few comments to this effect on Reddit. (I haven't taken the plunge with the May update on my Windows 11 laptop yet, but I'm about to.)

Of course, what Microsoft needs to work on with its initiative to right all the wrongs with Windows 11 is to ensure that this kind of flakiness doesn't creep in to begin with. This is the reason why some people can be nervous about installing a new monthly update for Windows 11 — just in case they find something weird occurs afterwards, like the desktop being blank when they reboot. (And much worse than that can happen, like the dreaded boot failure — we witnessed one of those bugs pop up back at the start of the year.)

Microsoft needs to rebuild the reputation of Windows 11 in terms of its reliability and overall stability, and that work has started — but eliminating random and weird interface behavior such as this will be a necessary step to take toward that end.

• Microsoft is applying an important fix to Windows 11 search
• The taskbar search box will no longer surface web results as a priority in some cases
• This was baffling behavior at times — and part of promoting Bing and Edge — so it's good to see the practice ending

If you've ever muttered under your breath with annoyance at Windows 11's baffling search results, here's some good news — Microsoft is fixing it so the operating system doesn't surface web results as a priority.

It's a frustration that anyone who uses Windows 11 and has ever used the search box on the taskbar is surely familiar with. You want to find a file on your drive, or a system setting for something, so you type that query in — and the first result you see is for something on the web that's totally irrelevant.

However, as Windows Latest points out, Microsoft has realized that this behavior — and often pushing Bing, or its other services, through these web results — isn't acceptable, and gets in the way of the usability of Windows 11's search functionality.

In a recently released Windows 11 preview build in the Experimental channel for testers, Microsoft said it is changing the taskbar search box to ensure results are more relevant, and that: "Files and apps more reliably appear ahead of web suggestions when your content is a stronger match."

Microsoft further notes that we can "expect to see additional relevance improvements" for search in the future.

That doesn't mean web results are going to be completely ditched from Windows 11 search, mind you, and that's a prospect which seems unlikely.

Analysis: why has this taken so long?

So, files and apps (or settings) now take priority when you're hunting for something via the Windows 11 search box, over anything that Microsoft might flag up on the web.

Windows Latest highlights how a search for a Windows 11 app used to turn up a movie from the web as the first result, and notes that now, even when deliberately searching for terms which also apply to famous film titles, this is no longer happening.

Of course, there's a theme here that runs through many of the changes Microsoft is applying to Windows 11, namely that these should have been in place from the very start with the OS.

Who on earth wants to be searching for files only to have meaningless web results clutter up the place? Microsoft, that's who, for the clicks the firm is hoping to get as an excuse to pop up Bing (and Edge). For me, this is the equivalent of 'spam' infiltrating search results.

At any rate, better late than never as they say, and I'm still very glad to see this happening — although all these kinds of adjustments remind us why this is a campaign about Microsoft fixing Windows 11 rather than improving the operating system. And that it was Microsoft's fault that it was broken in the first place, of course, and has remained that way for so long until an AI rebellion finally made the company sit up and take notice.

Google has been synonymous with search for more than 25 years, and so how it reimagines search matters to billions of people who rely on its powerful knowledge graph. In recent years, we've seen the steady encroachment of AI Overviews and AI mode on our search experience. Now, though the transition to inserting AI into your search results seems complete, I worry that this might alter Google Search in ways that no one wants or can reverse. Google, however, tells me that's not the case.

First, Google is now on record saying that in this next chapter of search, the change it unveiled during its Google I/O 2026 keynote is, according to Google Search lead Liz Reid, "truly the biggest upgrade to our iconic search box since its debut over 25 years ago."

That's heady, terrifying, and maybe a bit of hyperbole. What's promised is a new search box that not only effortlessly expands to support your most long-winded queries but also carries intelligence that lets it decide on the fly what kind of AI smarts might help answer your, well, let's call it what it is: a prompt.

If that sounds like AI Mode is now inside the classic Google Search box, I think you're right. In the demo video I saw, I didn't even see the current "AI Mode" iconography. And instead of basic autocomplete, the new search box has AI-powered query suggestions and multi-modal capabilities (throw in some images and ask a question).

Google vs. OpenAI

If Google's long-term effort was to make AI, specifically, various Gemini models, inescapable in Search, I think the work is nearly complete. I don't blame Google for doing this. After all, OpenAI's ChatGPT has been surging in recent years, with some people saying they "Chatted" instead of "Googled".

Verb status aside, ChatGPT, though rising, remains by one measure at less than 25% of the search market, while Google hovers around 80%. But ChatGPT's trajectory is unmistakable in Google's eyes. It has no choice but to deeply infuse traditional search with AI.

How much AI, though, is too much?

There remains a large contingent who want nothing to do with AI from Google or ChatGPT. I wondered if they could opt out, and during a Google I/O 2026 pre-brief, I posed the question to Google. Later, I got an email reply from a Google representative.

"The AI dimension of the Search box is giving you quick access to AI tools, and an updated query suggestion system that helps you formulate long questions, where an AI response is likely the most helpful. Using this new search box does not mean that you will only get AI responses - you'll continue to get a range of results on Search."

What's notable is that there is no "No, I'd rather not" option here. You can't opt out of the Intelligent Search Box. But that doesn't mean your search results won't still include some of the classic link and summary results you've known and loved since 1998. As a Google spokesperson promised, "No matter what you ask, you’ll continue to get a range of results from Search, just like you do today."

Those results, though, will likely be below the AI Overviews that already sit atop those classic results. If anything, Overviews may be even richer and more accurate thanks to the intelligent query guidance you received in the search box. Scrolling down below them might be pointless.

It doesn't take much imagination to envision a future in which the AI Overviews are your Google Search results, and there is nothing below because it's not as useful, or at least it doesn't "speak" to you in the same way the overviews do. They seem to get you because they're designed to respond to your intention in a way that traditional search results could never do.

For some, this is progress. For me? The jury's still out.

What about you? Share your thoughts on Google's new Intelligent Search Box in the comments below.

• YouTube is rolling out its likeness detection tool to all channel owners over age 18
• It's designed to detect if your identity is being used in AI-generated content
• You have to submit a government-issued ID for verification, which hasn't gone down well with creators

YouTube’s commitment to safeguarding its users against harmful AI-generated content is ongoing, and the company has shared that it’s rolling out its likeness detection tool to all channel users over the age of 18.

The platform debuted likeness detection in October 2025, allowing content creators to flag AI-generated video clones, but this was only available to well-known influencers in the YouTube Partner Program. The tool was then expanded to include celebrities, and it’s now coming to all channel owners through a gradual rollout over the coming weeks.

In short, YouTube’s likeness detection tool is designed to help you manage how AI is used to depict you, examining videos across the platform to identify if your face is being used without your permission. This includes everything from videos featuring slightly altered, modified versions of your facial likeness to fully AI-generated deepfakes.

“As AI-generated content continues to evolve, we’re committed to creating an environment where you can upload content to YouTube while staying in control of your likeness,” the platform shared in its announcement, adding, “Our goal is to provide you with more peace of mind by giving you easy access to request the removal of unauthorized content that violates our Privacy Guidelines”.

There are many sides to YouTube’s flagship protection function. While its main aim is to safeguard your identity from AI and other unauthorized use, it’s designed to give you more control over your digital identity while also ensuring that your viewers aren’t misled by videos that may impersonate you.

If likeness detection identifies a possible match, it will flag the content it believes contains your identity in the YouTube Studio hub, where creators can view it and decide what action they wish to take. From there, you can submit a likeness removal request if you believe the content breaches YouTube’s privacy policy. You can also submit a legal copyright removal request if your original copyrighted content was used elsewhere without your permission.

That said, before you can enable likeness detection for your YouTube channel, there’s one trade-off you’ll have to be willing to make in order to continue the verification process — and that’s submitting a government-issued ID to YouTube.

That’s wherein the catch lies, and it sounds a bit counterintuitive for a feature that’s designed to protect your identity. If this were an age verification matter to protect younger viewers from accessing age-proofed content, it seems pretty fair enough, as government-issued IDs confirm your age in black and white.

However, for creators who regularly upload content to YouTube, the platform already has access to your videos where your facial identity is on full display, so why would YouTube need your ID when it already uses images of your face from your content to detect videos where your identity may be used in deepfakes?

When YouTube first announced likeness detection, many creators felt the same way about having to verify their identity this way. One user on Reddit shared that despite having access to it, they decided not to use it, writing, “[YouTube’s] got enough of my face and I don’t trust them with any more than I need to”.

Other creators have taken to it more lightly, but are still skeptical about its legitimacy; “This will just be one more tool they'll use to punish anybody that they don't like, typical for YouTube with their constant manipulations behind the scenes,” a fellow Reddit user and YouTube creator added.

• Microsoft has been working on improving Windows 11 drivers a good deal this month
• The latest move is to block poor-quality drivers that have a negative impact on laptop battery life
• That comes on top of other work including ensuring that graphics drivers aren't overwritten with older versions by Windows Update

Microsoft is busy fixing Windows 11, as I'm sure you're aware by now, and we've just heard about another move to bolster the quality of drivers for the OS – one that'll help prolong laptop battery life.

Windows Latest reports that Microsoft has revealed it has a new 'Driver Quality Initiative' (DQI) in a blog post which details what this is all about. In a nutshell, Microsoft is engaged in a "comprehensive, ecosystem-wide effort designed to fundamentally raise the bar on driver quality, reliability and security across Windows".

That includes "deprecating outdated or low-quality drivers" and ensuring that verification of third-party drivers and quality standards are generally higher.

Microsoft states: "We are expanding how driver quality is measured beyond crashes to include stability, functionality, performance, and power and thermal impact, giving partners clearer signals to improve the real customer experience."

In other words, driver testing will go beyond merely ensuring that they don't crash the system, to encompass them running smoothly and performing well – and then there's the bit about "power and thermal impact" which is the good news for laptop owners.

This means making sure that drivers don't go awry in terms of power drain, which is obviously a key element to help with the battery life of any given Windows 11 laptop.

As Windows Latest observes, there has historically been a problem with notebooks running out of juice, and being overheated, by bad drivers. This can occur when a laptop is idling on the desk, or in standby tucked away in a bag, but the result is the same – you come to use the notebook and find the battery is almost run out.

Analysis: driving forward

So, Microsoft is now putting Windows 11 drivers under more scrutiny, not just making sure that they don't cause stability issues (crashes). Any driver that provokes undue battery drain (or the other issues touched on above) will no longer make the cut for the OS.

Of course, as with a lot of the changes which are now being applied to Windows 11, you may be left wondering: why wasn't this the case in the first place? Clearly, it should have been, but at least Microsoft is making amends now.

This isn't the only way in which the software giant is improving drivers in Windows 11. Last week, as flagged by Windows Latest, we heard about Microsoft admitting that Windows 11 can overwrite your GPU driver with an older version (in some circumstances), so Windows Update is being changed to ensure this can no longer happen.

Another driver-related move revealed earlier this month was Cloud-Initiated Driver Recovery (CIDR), a feature that allows Microsoft to roll back a bad driver to a previously working version on a Windows 11 PC via the cloud (should a dodgy driver get through).

All in all, it's clear that device drivers are something Microsoft has been rethinking a good deal lately, and, pushing aside the fact that this work should have been done before now, that's great to see. With any luck, come the end of the year, dodgy drivers will be a much rarer event for Windows 11 users – and recovery from any incidents will be more easily facilitated, too.

Another useful feature that Microsoft is working on for Windows Update is the ability to stamp out those dreaded update installation failures, too. They've been around and making themselves felt as a recurring annoyance ever since Windows 10 arrived.

• Microsoft is bringing in more options for remapping the Copilot key
• You'll be able to redefine it to invoke the context menu, or use it as Right Ctrl
• This used to be the Right Ctrl key before Microsoft jettisoned it to make room for the dedicated AI key on Windows 11 laptops

Microsoft is going to provide more options for remapping the Copilot key, the dedicated key introduced to summon Windows 11's AI assistant on laptops (and some standalone keyboards, too).

Windows Central noticed that Microsoft has confirmed this move in a support document, which states: "Customers who rely on the Right Ctrl key or Context menu key for keyboard shortcuts or assistive technologies (such as screen readers) experienced some challenges to their workflows when using these devices.

"A Windows 11 update will ship later this year that will add a setting option to let you remap the Copilot key to act as the Context menu key or Right Ctrl key."

So, you'll be able to use the Copilot key as a Control key on the right side of the keyboard, which is what that key would have been before Copilot was around. Either that, or you can switch it to bring up the context menu (the right-click menu that facilitates context-sensitive actions).

Microsoft previously introduced the ability to redefine the Copilot key to invoke Windows search or open certain apps (although no third-party applications support this, making it of limited use thus far).

Analysis: a necessary fix

It's good to get some better options, then, including that context menu key (which was actually rumored to be a change in the works over a year ago). Returning the key to the Right Ctrl is an important move because, as Microsoft observes, not having it can be an accessibility issue.

It's instrumental for certain workflows, such as being able to use shortcuts with one hand, pressing Ctrl plus the arrow keys, for example, or other combos using Ctrl with other keys on the right side of the keyboard. Without a Ctrl key on the right, those actions become a two-handed operation using the left and right sides of the keyboard.

It'd be nice if Microsoft gave us a wider range of options to remap the key to anything we wanted, though that can be achieved by installing PowerToys and using the Keyboard Manager. We've got the full details on how to do that here, though I'd still rather have some of the key parts of PowerToys – including this one – incorporated into Windows 11 as options, as I recently discussed.

Overall, this move is a welcome one, and another part of Microsoft's big plan to fix Windows 11 – although some folks are still pretty jaded about the company having implemented the Copilot key in the first place.

As this Redditor observed: "Oh, yes: steal the Right Ctrl and now return it as an improvement."

And someone else on Reddit noted: "Looks like their telemetry told them people avoided pressing that key like a plague."

• High-priority new functionality to allow the repositioning of Windows 11's taskbar is now in testing
• Changes to resize and customize the Start menu are coming to testing soon
• These look to be well-thought-out and nicely implemented features, but the top item on my wishlist for Windows 11 probably won't ever be addressed

Windows 11 is finally getting some of the most-wanted features for its interface, namely the ability to move the position of the taskbar (and make it smaller), along with the option to resize and further adjust the Start menu.

Microsoft's blog post on 'Making Taskbar and Start more personal' explains that the taskbar changes are rolling out now in the Experimental channel for Windows 11 preview builds, with the Start menu overhaul arriving soon, over the "coming weeks".

Users will be able to move the taskbar to the top, or either side, of the desktop, which has been one of the most-wanted features for Windows 11 since it arrived. (Windows 10 has this functionality, and people were dismayed to see it get left by the wayside in the successor OS).

Microsoft is also letting folks choose the icon alignment (centered, or not) for any taskbar position. The likes of coders, or those with ultra-widescreen monitors who would prefer to have the taskbar located at the side of the screen, will be very pleased to see this feature is now inbound.

A further addition is the ability to manually choose a small taskbar (with smaller buttons), which has previously been a mode that's selected automatically (for small displays).

Another major moan of late has been the fact that the Start menu has gotten too large – in some cases, spanning much of the desktop and effectively becoming a Start screen (as seen in Windows 8, if you recall).

To avoid this, Microsoft is going to give users control of the size of the Start menu in Windows 11, with small and large settings. Another change is clear and simple toggles to turn off any section you don't want to see – whether that's Pinned, Recommended or All (the full list of apps).

You can turn off the Recommended panel now, but that also switches off jump lists and recent files in File Explorer, so Microsoft is decoupling that, meaning you can keep those latter bits in place while ditching recommendations.

All of this is useful, and the upshot is that if you want a compact Start menu which only displays your pinned apps and nothing else — a bare launcher for all your favorite applications — then you can have just that (as was previously rumored).

As noted, the Start menu changes haven't arrived in testing yet, but they'll be rolling out soon enough.

Analysis: a challenge to prove me wrong, Microsoft

It's good to see this happening, as Microsoft has promised, previously stating that the taskbar change was a top priority. I'm also pleased to see a thoughtful implementation of the Start menu changes, too, giving folks plenty of options to streamline this part of the interface considerably.

Yes, this should have been the case from the get-go, but I can't keep banging that particular drum — at least Microsoft has realized its previous mistake in burying its head in the sand regarding complaints about the Windows 11 interface.

With Microsoft now listening more intently to feedback from the Windows 11 userbase, and directly enlisting the help of testers to fix various facets of the desktop OS, I'm feeling more hope for the future of the operating system than I have since, well — since it was first launched.

So, what do I personally hope Microsoft fixes next? I'd love to see Microsoft bring back the option to install the desktop OS with a local account, and not force a Microsoft account to be used when setting up Windows 11 (or make people fudge their way around this). The good news is that we've seen a hint that this change may be in the works, but it hasn't been officially announced yet.

That would be a crowd-pleasing move for many, and even though I use a Microsoft account myself – and I'm not looking to change that — I want to see this implemented as a broader sign that Microsoft is going to stop forcing people into certain behaviors in Windows 11.

If this move were to happen, my real hope is that it could lead to Windows 11 being freer of the various promotional bits and pieces that you see for Microsoft's services (whether that's OneDrive, Edge, Bing, or indeed games like Avowed). Again, that's something Microsoft has hinted at already, but what would please me no end would be the introduction of a system-wide switch to kill all such promos and veiled adverts in Windows 11. (Or a bank of options where you can leave certain recommendations on, if you wish, but where it's possible to turn everything off, and I mean the lot).

Despite all the good work that Microsoft is doing at the moment, and my renewed faith in Windows 11, to a point, I can't for a moment believe that such a thing would ever happen.

If it did, though, it would truly be a sign that this is a completely different Microsoft behind the wheel of the OS.

So, come on, Microsoft – prove me wrong. You're listening to feedback – and surely you must have noticed the complaints that you shouldn't get any ads or promos in an operating system that you paid for? Act on this front, and you'll win my faith back completely, and likely the trust of a whole lot of people out there.

• Microsoft has started a new research panel
• It's aiming to get feedback on the Windows 11 interface from testers
• The program will consist of a number of studies going forward, focusing on different areas of the user experience

Microsoft is making further efforts to get feedback from Windows 11 users on how to improve the operating system, with a new program aimed at Windows testers.

Yes, this is part of the campaign to fix Windows 11 (pretty much everything Microsoft does these days is). As Windows Latest reports, invitations are being sent out for a new 'Windows Insider Panel' whereby testers are being asked to put themselves forward to offer feedback on the Windows 11 interface.

Those invited (via email) need to fill in a survey which gives Microsoft a good idea of the way in which they use Windows 11 (productivity, creative apps, gaming and so forth).

The Windows and Devices UX (user experience) research panel is going to run various studies going forward, and if you're a good fit for whatever Microsoft is looking at in the way of changing Windows 11 in any particular study, they might bring you in to provide your opinions.

In the email sent out, Microsoft observes that this is a chance to: "Join and help shape the future of Windows."

Analysis: a new hope

As if we hadn't received enough in the way of signals that Microsoft really is taking its revamping of Windows 11 very seriously, this is another clear sign. Indeed, the company has already run a meeting with Windows Insiders (testers) in Seattle, noting back at the time that it is "really directly influenced" by what it's hearing from Windows 11 users.

This new research panel is set to be an ongoing project and series of studies to improve the user interface of Windows 11, which is an exciting development. I suppose you could argue that it smacks of Microsoft getting a bit desperate and clutching at straws for ideas on how to make things better, but I'm inclined to give the software giant the benefit of the doubt here.

Indeed, I'm genuinely impressed at the lengths Microsoft is going to with this whole 'fix Windows 11' initiative, and while I was initially skeptical about all the big promises the company has made, it has, so far, followed through with them in a commendably thorough fashion.

Of course, there's still a long way to go on the path of improving Windows 11 in terms of not just its interface, but performance levels. However, if Microsoft can keep up this level of commitment, I'll remain optimistic – and that's been a very difficult feeling to muster with Windows 11 in the past.

• Microsoft is working to make WinUI 3 speedier
• This is the contemporary framework for the user interface of the OS
• With WinUI 3 being employed more widely across Windows 11, and tweaked for better performance, it's another key way in which the OS could be made faster

We've learned more about Microsoft's efforts to make Windows 11 faster, discovering another front that the company is working on to ensure the operating system becomes more performant in terms of core interface elements.

Windows Central reports that the big drive for better performance — which is part of the broader campaign to fix Windows 11 — doesn't just involve transitioning elements of the Windows 11 interface to use WinUI 3, but actually speeding up WinUI itself.

For the uninitiated, WinUI refers to the contemporary framework for the user interface (UI) of Windows. It's used by Microsoft for many of the core apps and elements of Windows 11, and can also be used by third-party software developers to make their own apps fit with the look and feel of the OS.

So, Microsoft is employing WinUI 3 in more places within Windows 11, but is also making it perform better, as software engineer Beth Pan makes clear in a post on GitHub, stating that: "Our mission is to make WinUI 3 the best native UI platform for Windows experiences and apps, and performance is at the heart of that effort."

Pan adds: "Making this a reality means delivering performance improvements at multiple levels, including within WinUI itself."

The software engineer further notes: "We've been zeroing in on launch time, using File Explorer and Notepad as our primary benchmarks, with an emphasis on improvements that broadly benefit most apps."

Pan then breaks down some of the performance boosts that have been achieved so far with File Explorer, including 41% and 63% fewer allocations and transient allocations, respectively, as well as 45% fewer function calls — and a 25% reduction in the time spent in WinUI code.

Analysis: a long-term commitment for fundamentals and quality, we're told

What does that mean in reality? Well, these changes are still very much in early development, and we don't know what the mentioned improvements actually add up to in terms of making File Explorer launch faster. There's no "it'll be x seconds quicker" here (of course, launch times will naturally vary on different configurations of hardware, anyway).

However, the gist is clear — there's a good deal of optimization work going on with core elements of Windows 11 along these lines, and it's bound to help with performance. Especially given that this work isn't happening in isolation.

Remember that Microsoft also has projects on the boil to improve File Explorer performance in various ways, and one of those is 'Low Latency Profile'. This is a recently revealed CPU trick that could be instrumental in making a whole lot of apps and Windows 11 interface elements operate a good deal more responsively.

Another heartening theme evident here is one of greater collaboration within Microsoft. Pan observes in the post: "The approach here is we do what we can from [the] framework side, and [obviously] other teams in Windows also investigated and [have] been doing work to improve overall launch perf, we connect/collaborate frequently to make sure the improvements will be end-to-end. It's a long-term commitment for fundamentals and quality."

This all sounds very positive for the future, and as someone else commenting on the GitHub post, claiming to be an ex-Microsoft employee, observes, "This was by far the most frustrating thing working with you guys, every team seemed to do their own thing. I hope you guys really push to fix that."

Thus far, the scope of the Windows 11 revamp is laudably wide, so let's hope the reality lives up to the promising early work we're seeing and that Microsoft is indeed pulling together to work more effectively between its different Windows groups.

• Windows 11's update for May has just arrived
• It packs a new Xbox mode that'll be welcomed by gamers
• There are also new features for haptic touchpads, useful changes for voice typing, and updates to the Windows 11 interface in general

Windows 11's May update has arrived, and it's quite a busy one, bringing in several changes for those who install the patch. There's some good stuff here, and I'm going to round up the highlights in this article.

Read on to find out what patch KB5089549 — which is for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2 — packs, and if you're currently trying to decide whether or not it's worth making a beeline for it. Although I'd always advise a little caution with jumping straight to download an update, as it's worth waiting a day or two to see if there are any nasty bugs crawling around in the works.

Note that these changes may have already been grabbed by some folks who installed the optional update for Windows 11, which was made available at the end of April (as it was a preview version of this May patch).

1. Xbox mode — a big one for gamers

One of the major changes with the Windows 11 update for May is the deployment of Xbox mode. This is without doubt a keenly-awaited feature for many Windows 11 gamers — especially those with handhelds like the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X.

Xbox mode is a full-screen experience (in fact, it was previously called that, or the 'FSE' for short) with a simplified interface that's controller-friendly, and it also reins in Windows 11's resource usage to help games run more performantly. When you're planning a gaming session, this is the mode you can switch to on handhelds, laptops, or desktop PCs.

Note that this feature is in a controlled rollout, meaning that you may not see it immediately – or indeed that it could take some time to arrive (and we've discussed that elsewhere today).

2. Haptic goodness

The May update brings in haptic feedback for compatible input devices which will happen during certain actions — Microsoft mentions snapping or resizing windows, or aligning objects in PowerPoint. It should be a feature that seriously elevates the experience for laptops with haptic touchpads, as you'll get a nice physical 'snap' when those objects are aligned, for example.

Note that this also pertains to compatible stylus hardware which includes the Surface Slim Pen 2, Asus Pen 3.0, and MSI Pen 2. Microsoft adds that some mice, like the Logitech MX Master 4, should play nice with this feature in time (but not yet — only when the hardware gets an update).

3. Voice typing gets better

Voice typing is one of those Windows 11 features that flies under the radar, but it's something I still use from time to time (and in the past, I've found it invaluable and used it a lot to help with fending off Repetitive Strain Injury symptoms).

So, it's good to see that you can now rename files using voice typing, and on top of that, the May patch "improves the persistence of Fluid Dictation setting in voice typing". In other words, the fluid dictation feature, which gets rid of filler words ('you know' or 'like') and corrects grammar and punctuation errors automatically, will now remember the settings you use with it (instead of randomly resetting them).

On top of that, using voice typing when you've pulled up Windows 11's touch keyboard has been improved as there's no full-screen overlay anymore, and the voice typing animations appear directly on the keyboard's dictation key. That's a much neater way of working and a useful tweak.

4. Interface refinements – for File Explorer in particular

While not about a single feature as such, there's a good deal of work that has gone into honing Windows 11's interface and fixing problems with it, and this amounts to part of what makes the May update worth downloading.

This work includes, but isn't limited to, improvements for File Explorer, such as ensuring that your view (and sort) preferences are maintained more consistently (whereas, as you may have noticed, opening certain folders sees the view layout reset to something else, which is very annoying). Speaking of very annoying, this new update also (finally) puts an end to the 'flashbang bug' where distracting white flashes appeared on the screen in certain circumstances (such as when opening 'This PC').

There's also a performance tweak to ensure File Explorer's processes are properly put to bed when you close it, so as not to prove an unnecessary drain on system resources.

Away from File Explorer, Microsoft has made Windows Hello facial recognition more reliable, which is going to be useful for those who use it for their laptop logins. They've also improved the general reliability of loading the system tray (at the far right of the taskbar). Certain 'unexpected' errors when installing apps from the Microsoft Store have also been cured.

As this year progresses, we will no doubt see a lot more interface refinements and performance improvements, which will all be part of the big effort to fix Windows 11 in 2026.

• Microsoft's Xbox mode is still not showing up for some Windows 11 users
• The console-like UI arrived via the April 30 and the latest May update
• Currently, it's only available in select markets

Microsoft began rolling out Xbox mode to Windows 11 users on April 30 via an optional update, but it's still not showing up for some users for a few reasons.

As reported by Windows Latest, Microsoft has cautioned Windows 11 users that the Xbox mode may not appear for all users yet, even after the latest May 2026 update (KB5089549), because the feature is currently locked to select markets.

This was briefly noted in the original blog post, where the rollout was announced, but it also explains why users like myself still don't have access to the console-like UI via the latest update, which includes the April 30 optional update features.

Windows Latest also highlights that Microsoft is using a Controlled Feature Rollout (CFR), meaning the code for the Xbox mode is indeed on users' PCs, but remains inactive, requiring Microsoft to enable the feature via a server-side switch.

Essentially, Microsoft is doing this to keep tabs on issues like bugs or crashes, before enabling the feature for more PC users — and given the track record of Windows 11's bugs and frustrating issues, it's a good move but it will require extra patience from users.

However, some might be in luck and can find the mode via Settings > Gaming > Xbox mode (or it may be labelled 'Full Screen Experience') and then check the 'Enable Xbox mode' box. You'll finally have the option to easily switch between Xbox mode and the standard Windows 11 desktop.

For gamers using TVs or avoiding a mouse and keyboard, the Xbox mode is ideal as it provides the same navigation experience that's available on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X handheld, while also serving as Microsoft's way of competing with Valve's SteamOS game mode.

Once the rollout is complete, Microsoft will need to provide consistent updates to match up to SteamOS for gaming, or face a hard time winning fans over, considering Valve's frequent update activity.

• Microsoft is bringing in a new feature to boost the CPU briefly, in order to make Windows 11 apps and menus more responsive
• Critics have fired flak at Microsoft for 'cheating' and this being a general fudge of a fix
• A Microsoft exec has made it clear that this isn't some kind of cheat, and that other major operating systems do the same thing

Microsoft is going to boost Windows 11 performance by using a trick that briefly speeds up the CPU when opening apps or menus, and an executive has defended this concept after it came under some fire from online commenters.

Windows Latest spotted that Scott Hanselman, a VP, member of technical staff at Microsoft, and a key part of the team tasked with fixing Windows 11 this year, took to X in order to fight back at critics who've called Microsoft lazy for this particular idea, which goes under the label of 'Low Latency Profile'.

There's a general feeling among some that Microsoft is taking shortcuts and fudging a fix for performance here.

To recap on what the Low Latency Profile actually does, it boosts the processor speed for around one to three seconds or so, giving a brief bit of extra pep for when opening an app, or the likes of the Start menu, to ensure this happens a good deal more snappily. And based on early testing, it does indeed do the job in terms of making Windows 11 feel more responsive in these scenarios.

The accusations leveled are that Microsoft is 'cheating' by calling on the CPU in this way, but Hanselman points out that this is nothing new for modern operating systems.

Hanselman responded to one thread (among others) on X, which began: "What a disgrace MicroSlop boosting the processor performance right on time and briefly just to make apps open faster. No other company would dare to do the same." (Note that this is translated from Spanish.)

Hanselman replied that: "All modern operating systems do this, including macOS and Linux. It's not 'cheating'; this is how modern systems make apps feel fast: they temporarily boost the CPU speed and prioritize interactive tasks to reduce latency."

Elsewhere, Hanselman further observes: "Apple does this and y'all love it."

Another complainant talks about mobiles, saying "imagine your smartphone boosting max CPU every time you touch something to be responsive", and Hanselman reminds them: "Your smartphone already does this. Constantly. Every touch wakes cores, boosts clocks, renders a frame, then drops back to idle milliseconds later. You've discovered dynamic frequency scaling. Welcome to modern computer science. Come on in! The water changes temperature often."

Analysis: feelings running hot

It's clear that Hanselman feels compelled to put some folks in their place here, and fair enough, these are valid points he's making, and there is a general vibe towards shooting down whatever Microsoft's trying to do, which is unfair.

However, I think the Microsoft executive needs to be somewhat mindful of where much of this flak is coming from – namely, many years of Windows 11, where people have felt they haven't been listened to, with Microsoft botching a number of fixes for the OS.

I've written many times about how faith and trust in Microsoft have been eroded over the past couple of years (well, going back way before that, really, but this has been especially true in recent times). And this kind of reaction is a symptom of that.

But yes, granted, it can't feel good to have many of the ideas that you have for fixing Windows 11 being shot down in a general atmosphere of 'let's see Microsoft mess this one up'.

On a broader level, some critics aren't directly criticizing Low Latency Profile, but rather they're saying that it's more of a band-aid that doesn't address bigger issues with the likes of core Windows 11 apps (notably the web-based efforts) running sluggishly. Or indeed issues around general resource mismanagement in Windows 11 – although overarching performance improvements are something that's on Microsoft's fix list, of course.

In short, there is a lot of fixing to be done with Windows 11, and Microsoft has to start somewhere. From where I'm sitting, the general attitude so far from Microsoft has been impressive, though, in terms of implementing some important fixes quickly and engaging with the community.

I feel the critics do need to give Microsoft more time and a chance, but at the same time, I realize how some frustrations run pretty deep with Windows 11 – and Windows 10 before it, for that matter – and Microsoft only has itself to blame for that.

One key question for me, though, is simple: why didn't Microsoft include this CPU trick in Windows 11 in the first place? Or at least start developing it as a performance fix at an earlier date, given that all other contemporary desktop platforms make good use of similar features.

The answer is likely bound up in solving power-efficiency and battery life issues – and that remains a concern about this feature now. Sources inside Microsoft have already said that any battery longevity impact will be minimal, mind, and it's likely that with the huge battery life levels we're seeing with some modern laptops, this gives Windows 11 more room to breathe anyway.

Interestingly, another observation Hanselman makes is that Low Latency Profile is going to work particularly well with Windows 11 laptops that have Arm-based (Snapdragon) chips, which are better suited to shifting power states swiftly than AMD and Intel CPUs.

• Windows 11 updates are being improved to stop installation failures
• An update that would previously have fallen over will now receive extra attention in the form of automatic attempts to recover
• This means the update process will take longer, but will hopefully be successful in the end where it would have failed in the past

Microsoft has been doing a lot of work to Windows 11 updates lately, and there's another move afoot that should hopefully cut down on annoying installation failures.

Windows Latest reports that if you notice a monthly update is taking a long time to apply, and the installation process (shown by a spinning circle with a percentage progress indicator) seems to be going on for a long time, you don't have to worry unduly that Windows 11 might have crashed.

In fact, this could be a good sign, as Microsoft explains in a recent post on Windows Update improvements: "We are ensuring devices stay secure by default through automatic recovery for update failures – taking additional steps in the background to help the update complete successfully without user intervention.

"This means your device will automatically attempt to recover from installation failures in real time – causing some updates to take longer to complete, but ensuring they have a higher success rate."

What this means is that before Microsoft made this change, an update that went down this path would simply have failed. With the new way of working, Windows 11 notices the point of failure, and then goes back to try and fix whatever the problem is.

This is why you could be waiting a fair old while, but hopefully for a positive result in the end — a successful update, rather than being dumped back to the desktop with a 'failed to install' message pinned to the latest patch in Windows Update.

Analysis: putting a stop to the stop codes

This is another useful move for Windows 11 updates, and it'll hopefully mean an end to what has been one of the most long-running bugbears for Windows 11 updates, and it's something that's been a persistent thorn in the side of Windows 10 users, too.

We've regularly seen a rash of installation failures with certain updates ever since Windows 10 first arrived back in 2015. This has been a problem that just keeps popping up, where there are many reports of an update falling over (often with a weird and meaningless 'stop code' error), and with any luck, going forward we won't see this nearly as much.

It's important to note that Microsoft also says it has "made steady progress in reducing the download and overall time it takes to apply a Windows update" and is working on getting this time down ever further over the course of 2026. So, while some updates may take longer, this is only under the circumstances in which they would otherwise have completely failed. (As an aside, it's also worth remembering that currently, you may experience a lengthy update, with multiple reboots, for a specific reason pertaining to the Secure Boot feature).

Microsoft's other important changes for Windows 11 updates recently include providing a facility I've personally wanted for a long time, namely the option to delay a patch indefinitely (or for as long as it takes until a bug you're concerned about is fully fixed). The controls for when updates are installed have also been refined, and unexpected sudden reboots for upgrades should be a thing of the past before long. On top of that, you can now skip applying updates in the Windows 11 setup process, should you wish.

To be fair to Microsoft, it's solving pretty much all the major issues around Windows 11 updates.

• Windows 11 is getting a new 'Low Latency Profile' feature
• It gives the CPU a brief boost to help apps and menus load faster
• It's just rumored, and still in early testing, but we're told that we shouldn't worry about it having a detrimental impact on laptop battery life

Windows 11 is getting a feature designed to speed up performance when the system tackles spikes of demanding activity — like the workload created when opening an app — by putting the accelerator to the floor with the CPU briefly.

Windows Central reports that this is apparently part of the so-called Windows K2 project, otherwise known as 'The big drive for this year to fix everything that's wrong with Windows 11'.

There's a good deal of focus on shoring up performance with K2, and according to leaker Zac Bowden, the new processor-boosting trick is already in testing with the Windows Insider Program. Indeed, Windows Latest has already enabled it (using a configuration utility) and tried out the functionality.

Sources inside Microsoft told Bowden the feature is known as the 'Low Latency Profile' and it kicks in, boosting up the frequency of the CPU briefly – from between one to three seconds – while performing bigger operations. That includes firing up an app, or opening parts of the Windows 11 interface, for example the likes of the Start menu or right-click context menus.

The result is up to 40% quicker launch times for Microsoft's apps such as Edge and Outlook, and menus are up to 70% faster to load, we're told. Third-party (non-Microsoft) apps running in Windows 11 should get the benefit of this low-latency functionality, too.

Based on Windows Latest's testing, it seems that the feature does indeed provide an impressive boost to loading speeds.

Low Latency Profile will work seamlessly in the background, coming to life automatically when needed. It isn't yet clear if there will be a switch to enable or disable it, but that isn't the case currently.

Analysis: laptop worries and general skepticism

Windows 11 seemingly feels a lot more responsive with the new Low Latency Profile in place, and based on those claimed percentages for speed-ups — albeit they are best-case scenarios — I'd imagine it would do. Menus opening at not far off twice the speed is the kind of performance tweak Windows 11 could really do with, and it should make the overall experience of using the OS a good deal more pleasant.

Presumably File Explorer will get the benefit of this — as technically it's an 'app' for Windows 11, or a process that powers your desktop folders — but it isn't mentioned (by Bowden, or Windows Latest), so that isn't clear. Mind you, Microsoft is already doing a whole lot of work to speed up File Explorer anyway.

An obvious worry is the effect of these brief CPU boosts on battery longevity in the case of Windows 11 laptops, but Bowden notes that the sources who leaked the details say that any impact on battery life is 'minimal'.

This is still in early testing, Bowden reminds us, and so the concept could change considerably before it comes to fruition. In any case, it clearly illustrates that Microsoft is thinking in some depth about how Windows 11 can be made a good deal more performant in ways that will be meaningfully felt in everyday usage.

One thing I would caution is that if folks are concerned about the impact on thermals that this feature may have on an older laptop with, say, an ailing cooling system, it seems like a sensible idea to include that switch to turn off Low Latency Profile.

Skeptics also remain on the subject of how good this feature might actually turn out to be. As one Redditor observed: "'I'll only believe when I see the results, but I really hope it is true, I miss the old Microsoft."

We all hope it's true, let's face it — and it's looking promising based on the early testing conducted by Windows Latest. (Although granted, we need to take that with some seasoning, as it was a limited use of the feature in a very early state, inside a virtual machine).

• Microsoft will be doing more to File Explorer to make it faster
• This goes beyond the existing work to help it load more quickly the first time it's used
• It includes 'targeted optimizations' to further speed up launch, and 'foundational engineering to eliminate unnecessary disk reads, reduce hangs, and improve responsiveness across the board'

A Microsoft executive has confirmed that work on speeding up File Explorer won't be limited to just preloading the app when Windows 11 first boots, and in fact there are multiple further performance boosting tweaks planned.

You may recall that when the preloading change went into testing late last year, there was some grumbling about it being rather a fudge of a fix, and complaints that it didn't address all of the issues with the performance of File Explorer (the app that drives your desktop folders).

Windows Latest reports that Tali Roth, who is Microsoft's Head of Product, Windows Shell, explained on X that there's more to come with File Explorer, responding to a post which noted that many felt that the preloading solution was 'inelegant'.

Roth said that Microsoft is "driving targeted optimizations to File Explorer launch by improving load order and optimizing critical paths, along with removing unnecessary work and visual animations."

Roth added: "Beyond launch, we're doing the foundational engineering to eliminate unnecessary disk reads, reduce hangs, and improve responsiveness across the board, many of which will also directly benefit launch performance."

Analysis: foundational changes

If you missed the whole incident around preloading, this move was about tackling the fact that on some Windows 11 PCs, File Explorer can take ages to open the first time you use it (with subsequent folders opening more swiftly). Microsoft's tactic was to shift the main loading process of File Explorer to happen when Windows 11 first boots, so that it's available more snappily the first time it's run.

Of course, that does add to the workload of Windows 11 when it's first firing up the desktop and all the initial processes therein – but Microsoft has successfully made the change without any noticeable additional sluggishness here.

That said, it is still something of a fudge of a performance fix, so it's good to hear that Microsoft is exploring other ways to speed up File Explorer. Especially given that the preloading is only about the first-run experience for File Explorer anyway, and it doesn't do anything to pep up how fast the app responds on subsequent usage.

The aim to bring in general optimizations for File Explorer and reduce drive activity sounds pretty in-depth, with the reference to "foundational engineering" being the key clue here as to how far Microsoft is digging down into the inner workings of Windows 11 to smooth over performance.

Microsoft is very much in a mood for making big promises about Windows 11 this year, of course, and as I keep repeating, it's one thing to say these things and another to actually realize them. To be fair to the company, though, progress is being made speedily enough, and so far, the early results of the 'fix Windows 11 campaign' look impressive.

There's a long way to go yet, though, and as far as File Explorer is concerned, the obvious question is: why were the foundations of this critical part of the Windows 11 interface in a shakier-than-ideal state to begin with, anyway?

• Microsoft has explained why some standard monthly updates require multiple reboots of late
• This is due to extra changes the update packs for Secure Boot certificates
• The rebooting behavior has made some Windows 11 users worry the update is going wrong, but rest assured, everything is working as intended

Microsoft has explained why Windows 11 updates are taking a lot longer recently, and in some cases can require multiple reboots – and thankfully, this isn't anything to worry about.

Windows Latest spotted that Microsoft posted a message to its Windows release health dashboard to note that: "With recent and upcoming Windows updates over the next few months, a limited number of consumer and business devices might experience one additional restart during installation. This one‑time restart occurs after a Secure Boot certificate update is applied as part of the Secure Boot update process."

So, this is due to the Secure Boot certificate changes that Microsoft let us know about earlier in the year, informing us they would be part of the monthly cumulative updates for Windows 11 (and Windows 10, for those on extended support).

While Microsoft indicates that affected Windows 11 users should expect one additional reboot, meaning two in total with the update in question, Windows Latest observes that some people have reported three reboots.

Analysis: multiple reboots can trigger an impending sense of doom

The issue here is that usually a monthly update for Windows 11 needs just a single reboot to be applied. Given that, when your PC restarts for a third time during what should be a simple, relatively limited update, it's only natural to start fearing that something's wrong and that your system has gone off the rails – or maybe into a repeating boot loop.

The dreaded boot loop is one of the most unpleasant problems you can encounter, with the PC stuck rebooting over and over, meaning you have to go into the recovery menu to try potentially tricky solutions to right things and actually get to the Windows 11 desktop again.

At any rate, at least now you know about this behavior – and you might experience it in the May update for Windows 11 potentially, which arrives a week today. These Secure Boot changes had a wider rollout in April, and will be deployed to more folks this month.

If you're wondering why Secure Boot is needing any attention at all, this is because the mentioned certificates were issued in 2011 and expire in June 2026 – so they need to be updated with the new versions from 2023.

Secure Boot is an important feature in that it's designed to stop certain malware – the likes of rootkits – compromising your PC before it even loads the operating system (potentially flying totally under the radar).

Unfortunately, as Windows Latest further points out, there are some Windows 11 users who are having trouble receiving the new certificates due to firmware issues. In reality, then, as this is a necessary tweak for Secure Boot to continue keeping you safe, experiencing multiple reboots with your next update is likely a good sign, as it means the new certificate (should) hopefully be in place.