Can't install Windows 11? It doesn't matter, check it out here

Screenshots of Windows 11 have leaked in recent days - and hardly anyone is delighted. What has been shown and why could the new system be a disaster? Let's analyze. Can't install Windows 11?

Its official - Windows 11 is no longer just an innocent fantasy of Twitter conspirators. This is despite the numerous assurances made by Microsoft representatives in 2015 that Windows 10 is final and nothing else will happen outside of it. Admittedly, their plan was good: to create software ideal for everyone, which will be improved only through regular updates. The patch calendar always included two major compilations released in the first and second half of the year and several monthly Patch Tuesday series, whose task was to fix bugs and update security. In addition, Microsoft made sure to add separate patches as needed - and there were a lot of these over the last year, mainly due to the really numerous and annoying bugs that caused further failures. This endless streak of failures was apparently unstoppable, and it was for this reason that Microsoft decided to throw Windows 10 to the devil to invest in something else, which is Windows 11. Unfortunately, it looks like it will be another complex and patched with previous versions of Windows software - and that can't end well. So let's take a look at what we know about the new generation today.

Windows 11 announcements

Let's start with the fact that in May no one took the rumors about Windows 11 seriously. Everything changed after the developers' conference, which was also attended by representatives of Microsoft. It was there, CEO Satya Nadella announced that details on the next generation of Windows will be released soon. Importantly, apart from that, he did not reveal any details, so the Internet was full of theory. It was on that day that the world split into two camps: one that insists that Windows 11 is coming, and the other that insists that it was just a Windows 10 update called Sun Valley. Back then, no one knew what the truth was.

Suddenly everything changed yesterday, when screenshots from the Chinese preview version of Windows 11 suddenly appeared on the Internet. Since then, no one has any doubts - Windows 11 will be created, and Microsoft has been working on it for some time. Not only that, after analyzing the screenshots, some of the company's decisions now seem much clearer than before. It is worth mentioning here the sudden abandonment of the development and deployment of Windows 10X, which was already being implemented on mobile devices. At that time, it seemed that the representatives just wanted to transfer the solutions from Windows 10X to Windows 10, but from today's perspective, we know that it was about Windows 11. Anyway, what's a lot to say. See for yourself by watching screenshots straight from the new generation of Windows.

Start menu

The first thing that catches your eye is a radical change in the design of the Start Menu. In the new system, the window is located in the center of the screen, not far from the taskbar, which is separated by a small space. This is the solution we've already seen in the Windows 10X announcements. The layout itself has changed enormously compared to Windows 10. In the new system, it is divided into two sections: pinned applications at the top, and recommended at the bottom. At the bottom edge of the window there is a user profile view and a power control icon, which can be clicked to turn off, sleep or restart the device. Interestingly, the Start Menu can also take the form of a list, which we also know well from Windows 10.

The more skilled eye will notice one huge and "groundbreaking" change - dynamic tiles do not appear in the Windows 11 Start menu. Some time ago, Microsoft announced that they would be a thing of the past, after all, they have been accompanying the system since Windows Phone 7 and are not as cool for most users as it initially seemed. However, fans of this solution can breathe a sigh of relief - there is a way that allows you to turn it on even in Windows 11. It is true that you should use the Registry Editor, but who cares there. Honestly, I don't know how this relates to Microsoft's announcements about the end of support for tiles from a few months ago, but maybe the possibility of turning them on is a leftover from other software?

Dynamic Tiles can only be enabled using Registry Editor:

• Open Regedit (Registry Editor.
• Open HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoft WindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced
• Open the Advanced folder.
• Create a new DWord and name it "Start_ShowClassicMode"
• Double-tap the DWord entry and set its value to 1.
• Restart Windows Explorer by using the Task Manager.

Search engine

The search function - as before - is right next to the Start Menu icon. When you click the magnifying glass, a window opens, which has also been divided into several separate spheres. The first one is, of course, a phrase input window, then you can see the search categories, below Most popular applications and Recent and Quick searches. Compared to Windows 10, this version looks much nicer. Unfortunately, we have already seen this project during the Windows 10X promotion.

Taskbar

As I mentioned, the taskbar has undergone the greatest transformation. You can see that the icons placed on the bar are arranged centrally, not the way we were hidden in previous versions of Windows 10 on the left. It is directly associated with Microsoft's competitor, Apple, which uses just such a system in its proprietary software. I think it will come as no surprise to anyone that this is exactly what Windows 10X was supposed to look like for hybrid devices. The only surprising information is that different user preferences are anticipated. In the settings, you can modify the location of the icons in the center or on the left. Unfortunately, the option to set them on the right has not been implemented, which is a pity.

Dark and light mode

Windows 11 will be able to customize display modes to suit your needs. The option to use light or dark mode seems to be a complete standard, so it's no surprise that it will also appear in Windows 11. However, it turns out that the system can be adjusted in terms of color. To change the color, go to Settings> Personalization> Start, taskbar and action center. There you can choose any color on the grid, but an important note here - the color will not work in bright mode.

Rounded edges

You can see in  Windows 11 has rounded corners. So far, we only got this visualization when we looked at the Sun Valley update. Well, here we see even more, but it is absolutely not new, because not only the new way of ending window corners will appear in Windows 10, it was also supposed to be implemented in Windows 10X. The rounded corners are just a quickly copied feature of the system, nothing more.

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File Explorer

Sorry to say, File Explorer also didn't get any particular refresh, other than a superficial one. Of course, it is now compatible with touch screens (is it because Windows 10X was designed for hybrid screens with a touch screen?), It has slightly modernized icons and rounded corners, but that's about it. The entire layout of the application is exactly the same as we know from Windows 10. What's more, as of today, File Explorer does not support the dark mode - but that's because what we see is only the preview version of Windows 11. Unfortunately, the same applies to the Manager tasks that looks as clunky as in the current system. For a "new generation of system" I would expect something more.

Update 06/26/2021

You can see huge changes in the screenshots. The first thing that catches your eye is a completely modified toolbar. From now on it is adapted to touch screens. On the left side there is a button "New Folder", which was previously not standard. Besides, Microsoft is introducing an updated edit button, modern pop-ups, dialog boxes, context menus, and more, the new interface looks much more modern than it is today. The design has been simplified a bit compared to what we saw in the Windows 10X announcements.

Action Center

On the one hand, the Action Center is an absolute shot in the knee. In Windows 11 it is the same as in Windows 10. There is nothing to discuss here and as a proof I put a screenshot of the desktop from both systems for comparison. On the other hand, maybe it's a good thing that they didn't change everything. In my opinion, the Action Center is used very rarely and it is a pity to invest time in something that is not used. However, it is worth asking yourself: why is this element of the system so clunky in Windows, when it works great in macOS?

Function supporting multitasking

In addition to a twin-like interface to Windows 10X, Microsoft has also added a multitasking feature to Windows 11 to allow you to conveniently arrange windows on the desktop. You can choose a layout in half, three windows and quarters. To select the layout you are interested in, simply hover the cursor over the window maximization icon, and the extended possibilities will appear after a while. According to rumors, Microsoft also intends to allow users to design their own spheres tailored to their needs - unfortunately, this is not yet implemented for the preview.

Wake on Touch

Wake on Touch is a feature that helps you quickly unlock your phone with just a few clicks. Former owners of Windows Phone will surely know what's going on, because it was in this system that it was recently implemented, where it has achieved modest success. It looks like Wake on Touch will come back in a spectacular way to the system in Windows 11. It is possible that its correct operation will require a special hardware configuration that will only make its debut with Surface Pro 8.

Microsoft Store

The Microsoft Store will also be redesigned. It turns out that Microsoft has decided to change the design and rules of the application. According to the latest data, the Microsoft Store is to become more pleasant for the developer community due to new features. One of them is to be able to use your own in-app payment system. In addition, popular applications such as Google Chrome and Firefox are to appear there.

Support for multiple monitors

Windows 10 has one major drawback - it doesn't quite handle multiple monitors at once. Sometimes it is better, sometimes it is worse, but you always know that something can get ugly. The most common problem reported by users was the rearrangement of windows into a single monitor after waking the device from sleep mode. Fortunately, this is about to change in Windows 11. According to the premises, a new function will appear that will allow the operating system to remember the locations of the windows based on the monitor connection. In addition to application rearrangement improvements, there is a chance that the system will minimize all windows when the secondary monitor is disconnected.

Widget support

Microsoft is apparently considering support for third-party widgets that will allow users to customize their desktop as needed. It's worth noting that API support is not available in the build that hit the web, but is due to be enabled later this year or next. Probably new widgets will be available thanks to the mediation of the new, refreshed version of the Microsoft Store, where an appropriate tab called "Widgets" will be implemented.

 Summary

Windows 11 is a very interesting idea, taking into account the number of problems with the Windows 10 emergency. Unfortunately, I think that when analyzing the last premises, work on the new generation of the system started too late. It seems that Microsoft representatives are looking to mold something quickly with Windows 10X and the Sun Valley update only to get rid of the burning problems with Windows 10 that they have not been able to solve for over a year. Ideas for the implementation of the next system are interesting, but on the rounded corners and moving the icons to the center of the taskbar, a good system cannot be built. Time will tell if my skeptical approach is right, maybe Windows 11 will turn out to be a mysterious project that has been worked on for the last few years? I don't think so, but I still hope we won't get a bunk soon that will need to be patched the same way as Windows 10.