Windows 11 hands on: First look at the leaked OS - downingdifebath

Editor's Note: This hands-on report is supported the Windows 11 build which leaked around June 15. For our report on the constituted preview build of Windows 11, provided by Microsoft, delight see our official active with Windows 11.

Windows 11 is Microsoft's succeeding operating system. IT's present, it's real, and we'Re using a leaked reading of it right now. Our active should provide an early first take what you can wait in the transportation interlingual rendition: the improver of a mammoth widgets drawer, an updated Windows 10X-like substance abuser interface, and more.

On June 24, Microsoft will host a Windows event, promising "what's incoming for Windows." Microsoft teased the issue with a written that showed light falling through a windowpane to make over a shadow that looked a good deal like the number 11. The company also set the proclamation for 11 a.m. ET. United States President Satya Nadella calls it the next generation of Windows. And make atomic number 102 mistake: The leaked version of Windows 11 we used advertises itself as Windows 11 throughout.

It's worth noting that Microsoft hasn't yet released Windows 11 officially, either as a public release or arsenic part of the Windows Insider Beta program. We besides have no idea what development stage our leaked build of Windows 11 represents. We obtained Windows Dev build 21996.1 via a leak from the net, downloaded it, and installed it connected a Microsoft Surface Pro 7+. Patc we don't have any performance metrics to equate performance in front and aft installing Windows 11, we stool tell you that the experience felt decidedly snappy, though we ran into a hardly a bugs.

Based on our experiences until now, it makes feel to think well-nig Windows 11 as something much Windows 10, but far to a lesser degree what we'd weigh a "geographical" next-generation operative system. Microsoft didn't rip apart Windows 10 and commence over. Instead, this is an evolutionary take on Windows 10, as the term "Windows 11" implies.

Windows 11 installation

As you might expect, downloading and installing Windows 11 is a fairly John Roy Major operation. The ISO itself weighed in at just over 4GB, and the Windows 11 installation process required 20 minutes about of installation and respective reboots. (We ran into trouble installing Windows 11 on a essential simple machine, and so we formatted the Surface Affirmative 7+ tablet and installed it from a fresh set up of Windows 10 21H1, signed into with a local chronicle. We wear't recommend installing an untested Windows 10 operating theatre Windows 11 chassis from the WWW.)

microsoft windows 11 install — A lot of the setup for Windows 11 should be familiar.

What wedidn't envision was the jarring "Hi, I'm Cortana!" voice that launches the Windows 10 out-of-the-package (OOBE see). In fact, the leaked fles we tested offered little of the acquainted experience in the least, including ad preferences. While the OOBE experience may be different with a fresh PC you've just purchased, Windows 11 as an upgrade appears to leverage heavily what information technology already knows about you and your PC. The whole process was attended by rather psychedelic screens asking you to keep your PC plugged in, featuring slowly shifting colored backgrounds that slightly advisable a lava lamp.

Microsoft Windows 11 setup large — A modern baptistery and some new graphics help pass the time during Windows 11 installation.

Windows 11 first-year impressions

When the process is completed, Windows 11 greets you with your default desktop downpla, and a small collection of icons grouped together at the center of your taskbar. There's no introductory wanted screen yet, but clicking the Start menu reveals that Windows Tips has been revamped to help draw you into the New Worl of Windows 11. Somewhat divertingly, Microsoft Teams showed up right away.

Microsoft windows 11 hero shot large — Microsoft has included both impressive desktop wallpapers to back up Windows 11. This is the best by farthermost.

If this every looks well-known, it should. Windows 11 draws heavily from Windows 10X, the simplified version of Windows that leaked back in January and that Microsoft afterward killed. Like Windows 10X, Windows 11 uses the same cluster of icons at the center of your taskbar, with a Start menu that pops straight up from a new Start logo at the left side. So far, it looks like Microsoft has definite to killing off the Live Tiles that were featured within Windows 10 and move to a straightforward hierarchy of app icons instead.

To be direct, Windows 10X was dull. The gray background mat up institutional. Even if you prefer functionality over form, there are some notable differences with the cheery new icons at the bottom of the CRT screen. E.g., the seek box is kicked one level down: A search ikon on the taskbar opens up a Windows 10-like look box, where you commode search local documents besides as the web. Microsoft has self-possessed various new, stunning desktop wallpapers that are accessible via the traditional Windows 10 Settings > Personalization > Background menu. You'll also see the small UI changes that Microsoft hinted at before as portion of "Sun Valley:" new, fresh icons and rounded corners on menus.

microsoft windows 11 start menu — Windows 11's new Get going computer menu. Card the (barely perceptible) disciform corners.

If you miss the old layout, you ass take several of it rearmost. Word-perfect-clicking the taskbar allows you to outdoors up a taskbar options page, where you can align the taskbar icons to the far left. When you then open the Start menu, it pops up in the left-helping hand turning point.

At this point, however, Microsoft seems like it's imposing its choice for you to economic consumption taskbar icons, rather than a Windows 10-elan of tabs that offered a bit more space and textual account of what those icons meant. Hovering over each icon with the mouse reveals any multiple windows that the app may be hiding. There's also a "badge" of sorts that graphically indicates if there's more than one window, though IT's not that illustrative.

The Start menu feels a little earthbound, with a rearing array of apps to scroll. To be fair, however, many app vendors never really took vantage of the scrolling, mutual Live Tiles, and they're a holdover from the Windows 10 Mobile legacy of phones as well.

Interestingly, Microsoft has added a "Suggested" list of recent documents at the bottom of the Start menu. It's unclear whether Microsoft leave "recommend" recent documents, or whether they'll be algorithmically chosen for what Windows thinks is pertinent.

microsoft windows 11 taskbar closeup large — A closeup of the Windows 11 taskbar icons.

The taskbar hides some other surprises. Project View, the ability to group "workspaces" together and disrespectful back and Forth between Windows and tabs, remains—even though information technology matte under-utilized within Windows 10. Cortana, the "boldness" of Windows 10, remains American Samoa an app, but she doesn't appear in the Start computer menu the least bit, and is accessible alone aside launching the app itself.

There's also a A-one, though hidden change to Windows Snap, too: Microsoft has enforced PowerToys' FancyZones right into the OS. FancyZones was introduced in 2020, and is one of a suite of Windows tools that allows users to position windows into "zones" on their screen background: not equitable a square, merely a narrow strip along the side of the display, and so connected. Directly information technology's collective right field into all windowed app! Simply hover your mouse complete the "maximise Windows" icon, and you'll see an option to align your window in a variety of configurations. Windows 11 is even intelligent sufficient to know that a 4K display offers more place to align windows, and testament gift you more options than a tablet.

windows 11 snap powertoys fancyzones large — Windows 11 appears like it's enforced FancyZones right in the OS.

Quite bit of Windows 11 looks the same as Windows 10: the Action Center in the lower right hand-paw corner, for example, remains same. But there's an enormous vary to Windows 11 that we haven't seen before: Widgets.

microsoft windows 11 file explorer icons — Windows 11's File Handler, and some of the new, updated folder icons.

Letter-perfect smack midmost of the Taskbar icons is Widgets, a feature that we haven't seen since the days of Windows 98 and Windows XP. These aren't really desktop widgets, but rather a supersized version of Windows 10's News and Interests sport that Microsoft rolled out in April. (Many people already need to remove it). We're not kidding: It's an absolutely large takeover of your PC's desktop, slippery in from the left side.

microsoft windows 11 widgets 2 large — Windows 11's dead gargantuan Widgets draftsman, which shows nothing more than News & Interests at the moment.

It's not crystal clear what Microsoft intends Widgets to be: a home for Windows "gadgets" and other utilities? A repository for relevant news, such as the events of the day? Only there's one catch…possibly. Right now, Widgets hides everything fanny a "paywall" of sorts, block Widgets from Windows 11 PCs with local accounts and requiring you to login with a Microsoft account (MSA) to get at Widgets. If you'ray the type of individual who prefers a local accounting anyway, it's apt that Widgets won't embody for you.

The rest of Windows 11

Non all of the apps that you view as granted appear to experience migrated to Windows 11—whether measuredly or because of the growth timetable, we're not sure.

Microsoft Windows 11 get started with windows — The Windows 11 Tips app looks like it English hawthorn end up as an first appearance of sorts to Windows 11…though it's still showing a Windows 10 screen here.

Many apps that "appear" in the Starting time menu are simply shortcuts to download them: Flutter, for deterrent example, Microsoft News, Photos, and the Xbox app. Our beta showed extraordinary growing pains here: At launch, the Photos app crashed and then tried to re-surface again several multiplication, until the app itself just gave up. We also couldn't access some folders in File Director, and Microsoft Key refused to launch. We expect these bugs to be fixed equally Microsoft whole works through Windows 11 development, course.

Some other components are more stable. The latest Microsoft March, version 91, is built into Windows 11 and worked swimmingly. The Control Control board still exists and looks nearly same to the one in Windows 10, with a few changes to reflect new Windows 11 functionality. Microsoft silence updates Windows Protector and individual aspects of the OS via Windows Update. Task Coach looks the same.

I found the familiar assemblage of Microsoft apps within the Microsoft Store app, all waiting for updates: Windows Voice Fipple flute, Your Telephone, Microsoft Multitude, and much. (The Store app crashed while downloading these updates, by the way.) It's worth noting that patc Your Phone and People appeared on the Windows 10 taskbar, in Windows 11 (heretofore!) they do not.

Microsoft windows 11 task view large — Windows 11's Task View actually spans more than one display, if you birth more than one available.

Finally, this isnot Windows 10 S, or anything close. You're at large to download and install handed-down Win32 apps. The few I dependable ran normally.

Advance thoughts on Windows 11

This leaked version of Windows 11 leaves me with mixed feelings. I've always been in favou of new features, and unlike many, I welcomed features like Newsworthiness and Interests as an attempt to tack on to and improve Windows 10. Aesthetics have usually do second. However, Windows 10X felt passionless and lifeless, and the sunrise Windows 11 Start menu doesn't feel all that welcoming, though it at least feels more usefulness, which for around Crataegus laevigata be a footstep in the right wing direction.

Happening the early hand, I've always raved about Windows' personalization elements, and I'm pleased to imag that Microsoft has outdone itself with its custom-made Windows 11 backgrounds. As Microsoft moves finisher to launch, it likely needs to hold users' hands a trifle more, either by automatically launching Windows Tips or by directional users through a tour of duty of the Osmium via Microsoft Edge operating theater other app.

Normally, we'd have the luxury of examining Windows 11 direct a lens of Microsoft-supplied context. We simply don't know who Windows 11 is for, when information technology will release, or even if Microsoft will charge for it. Supported what we've seen, it seems likely that Microsoft will Tell us that it adage an opportunity to pare Windows to what it believes customers testament comparable superior, and that it will release Windows 11 as a free acclivity. Microsoft may charge PC makers to use its operating systems, but it wants consumers subscribing to Xbox Game Pass and Microsoft 365. That model will undoubtedly remain.

Six years more or less of working inside Windows 10 has instilled a kind of muscular tissue remembering, so Windows 11 does tone a little unfamiliar. To that extent, however, I've been surprised aside how much I've likeable information technology. Windows 11 cadaver retributive a bit undone, however, and it will be unputdownable to figure how Microsoft polishes it in the weeks and months to come.

Updated at 7:17 Prime Minister on June 28 with a referral to PCWorld's active of the official Windows 11 preview bod.