Windows 11 - First look

[Kees1958]

I have Windows 10 21H2 running flawlessly on my 10 year old desktop and Windows 11 on my wife's HP laptop with AMD Ryzen 5 4500U processor.

My wife accepted the Windows 11 update otherwise I had waited some time. It is always good practise to wait a bit when updating to a new OS. I have updated the BIOS three times now. When HP's hardware support assistant had not been so easy to use (it is very easy to make a BIOS-recovery-USB), these bios and driver updates would have taken much more time and attention anyone would like to spend on a new OS.

I had hoped that Microsoft had broken to the good-OS-release/disappointing-OS-release cyclus, but after the well received Windows10, Windows11 looks to be another problematic release, especially when you have an AMD processor. Unlike Vista, Windows 11 does not have a security upgrade compared to his predecessor, Unlike Windows 8, Windows 11 does not has a major User Interface change. Therefor it is hard to give an answer to the "why upgrade to Windows 11" question.

So unless you are burning with anxiety to try out the latest OS, I recommend to upgrade to Windows 10 21H2 and wait a year to see how Windows 11 pans out (and let Microsoft iron out all the issues of Windows 11).

 

[toto]

AMD users can update, no problem. Just update windows after installation and install the latest AMD Chipset Driver containing the fix.
AMD processors also run Android apps. I even tested Android apps on the stable build, including Google PlayStore (even though stable builds officially don't support it yet). Everything ran just fine.

Could you point me to an article that shows how to install Android apps on the stable build, I thought this was going to be released in a future update and that it is only available for those on the beta channel?

 

[SherKaan]

I installed Windows 11 last night on my brand new Legion 5 (Ryzen 7 5800H/RTX 3060) gaming laptop.

The file explorer seemed sluggish straight away as compared to Windows 10 which was super snappy on my system. Not sure, if they fixed the memory leak bug in file explorer yet. I didn't test it though.

The L3 cache performance deficit is still existent based on the AIDA64 memory benchmark I ran. How much does it impact in real world usage, however, remains unknown.

Overall, Windows 11 looks a "work in progress"... a lot of work still needed to polish an OS which was indeed rushed for release.

Going back to Windows 10 for now.

 

[Local Host]

I installed Windows 11 last night on my brand new Legion 5 (Ryzen 7 5800H/RTX 3060) gaming laptop.

The file explorer seemed sluggish straight away as compared to Windows 10 which was super snappy on my system. Not sure, if they fixed the memory leak bug in file explorer yet. I didn't test it though.

The L3 cache performance deficit is still existent based on the AIDA64 memory benchmark I ran. How much does it impact in real world usage, however, remains unknown.

Overall, Windows 11 looks a "work in progress"... a lot of work still needed to polish an OS which was indeed rushed for release.

Going back to Windows 10 for now.

I did warn, that sums up my experience as well on my Ryzen system with the latest updates and drivers.

Windows 10 is simply more stable and smoother, not accounting for the other flaws Windows 11 has.

Still think most people claiming higher performance on Windows 11 are under placebo due to the clean Setup.

 

[CyberTech]

Let's be honest, any major upgrade, and especially when it comes to something as massive as an entire OS like that of Microsoft's Windows 11, is bound to have some issues here and there.

There are likely many things that may probably not be to everyone's liking. We made a compilation of the top 10 such changes and additions the people want to see, according to the Feedback Hub.

Some of the users are also expressing their views online on various social media sites and forums. Here's a Reddit user with the username BrokenDynamov2 below who goes on a rant about the new OS after being thoroughly dissatisfied by it.

I was excited to upgrade from 10 to 11 as it got a pretty interface, but after using it for 1 month that made me realize how there were so many features and stability that I took for granted, not only I was suffering from the missing drag and drop to the taskbar feature/tasks don't override each other properly but the overall performance was so slow and laggy even with using all speed up tips and animation reduction.

Thanksgiving may have made this Windows 11 ex-user thankful that Windows 10 still exists

Windows 11 is not everyone's cup of tea as it seems many are dissatisfied. For example, a Redditor went on a rant about their experience almost as if Thanksgiving made them thankful for Windows 10.

www.neowin.net

Since it's been almost two months since Windows 11 started generally rolling out, we thought it would be interesting to see what feedback the public has for the OS so far. We have discussed the feature-set in detail through our Closer Look articles, and I have also detailed my personal thoughts on which features I love and hate in Windows 11. So it's only natural that we review what the general public wants from the OS too.

For this purpose, we have collected the top 10 most-voted pieces of feedback from Microsoft's own Feedback Hub, along with the current official response from the company. You can also navigate to the respective feedback item yourself and upvote it or provide your own feedback. Without further ado, here goes:

Here are the top 10 changes that Windows 11 needs, according to the public

Windows 11 became generally available a couple of months ago, and people have a lot of suggestions regarding how it can be improved. In this piece, we have highlighted the top 10 most requested items.

www.neowin.net

 

[silversurfer]

Windows 11 crippling NVMe SSD speeds according to multiple user reports​

Several Windows 11 users have been reporting slowed NVMe performance on various online forums over the last few months. The problems seem to vary quite a bit as different drives are apparently exhibiting different symptoms. For example, while certain NVMe drives are showing lowered input/output operations per second (IOPS), others are exhibiting reduced read/write speeds. The performance degradations reported are generally based on comparisons with Windows 10.

Here's a forum thread on Microsoft's site where user "MJ_JasonM" says their SSD's random write performance has almost halved, compared to Windows 10.

Windows 11 crippling NVMe SSD speeds according to multiple user reports

Windows 11 could be causing some performance problems for NVMe SSDs according to user feedback and reports online. The issues vary from reduced random writes to increased access times, among others.

www.neowin.net

 

[plat1098]

Yes, this is an annoying problem. I wish it was strictly a Windows issue for me. The read/write degradation was already manifest as a flaw in the Samsung 980 Pro controller--well before I updated to Windows 11. Three firmware updates in 1.5 years tells you something, right? It's still relapsing after all that.

Maybe Windows 11 adds to the issue on here, I don't know. Microsoft needs to fix whatever's behind this slow-down regardless. Many people are already paying for new and upgraded hardware as it is, some for the "privilege" of running W11.

 

[silversurfer]

Microsoft starts rolling out redesigned Notepad for Windows 11​

Microsoft has started rolling out the new and wholly redesigned Notepad for Windows 11 to all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel.

"First, you will notice a completely updated UI that aligns with the new visual design of Windows 11, including rounded corners, Mica, and more," said today Dave Grochocki, Microsoft's Principal Program Manager Lead for Windows Inbox Apps.
"Productivity, performance, and reliability are paramount in Notepad. Regardless of how you incorporate Notepad into your workflows, we will ensure that Notepad continues to excel in those areas."

The find and replace user interface also received a complete redesign in the new Notepad version and added support for multi-level undo, one of the top features requested by Insiders.
The updated Notepad now also comes with a dark theme. While Notepad will match the current OS-wide theme preferences, you can manually switch to the new dark mode from the app's Settings page.

Microsoft starts rolling out redesigned Notepad for Windows 11

Microsoft has started rolling out the new and completely redesigned Notepad for Windows 11 to all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel.

www.bleepingcomputer.com

 

[SeriousHoax]

This looks like a tasty build I'm tempted to try it

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22518

UPDATE 12/10: We are starting to roll out Cumulative Update Build 22518.1012 (KB5009380). This update does not include anything new and is designed to test our servicing pipeline for builds in the Dev Channel. ---------------------

blogs.windows.com

 

[carl fish]

This looks like a tasty build I'm tempted to try it

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22518

UPDATE 12/10: We are starting to roll out Cumulative Update Build 22518.1012 (KB5009380). This update does not include anything new and is designed to test our servicing pipeline for builds in the Dev Channel. ---------------------

blogs.windows.com

when do you think the next beta update will be released?

 

[Sorrento]

Went over to Dev from Beta to have a look at 22518, some interesting changes but a bit rough around the edges for me so imaged back to beta this morning - Had 11 on since end of June always on official though & feel its best OS MS has made by a fair margin & used them all sine 3.11 - Probably in minority here but I love it, I'm not finding issues or slowdowns though did AMD update & would have to be paid to use 10 again, if you install 11 give it some time?

 

[silversurfer]

Windows 11 is getting a new "Voice Access" feature to control the operating system using your voice and a microphone.

While Microsoft has already supported dictation via a microphone, the ability to use your voice to execute commands in Windows has been limited to specific applications.

In the Windows 11 preview build 22518 released today, users can now use the Voice Access feature to launch or close applications, switch to the Desktop, minimize and maximize windows, switch applications, select items, scroll, edit text, and more.

At this time, Voice Access is only supported with the English-U.S. language, and the display language needs to be configured to English-U.S. for the feature to work correctly.

To launch Voice Access, users running the latest Windows 11 preview build can go into Settings > Accessibility > Speech page and enable the feature, as shown below.

Voice Access settings
Source: Microsoft​

New Windows 11 Voice Access lets you control the OS with your voice

Windows 11 is getting a new "Voice Access" feature to control the operating system using your voice and a microphone.

www.bleepingcomputer.com

 

[CyberTech]

Google is planning to bring Android games to Windows PCs next year. A Google Play Games app will be available in 2022, built by Google to allow games from Google Play to run on Windows laptops, tablets, and PCs.

“Starting in 2022, players will be able to experience their favorite Google Play games on more devices: seamlessly switching between a phone, tablet, Chromebook, and soon, Windows PCs,” says Greg Hartrell, Google’s product director of games on Android and Google Play, in a statement to The Verge. “This Google built product brings the best of Google Play Games to more laptops and desktops, and we are thrilled to expand our platform for players to enjoy their favorite Android games even more.”

Google spokesperson Alex Garcia-Kummert tells The Verge that the company has built this app on its own, which means Google hasn’t partnered with Microsoft, BlueStacks, or others here. The upcoming app will also allow players to resume games on a desktop PC, after playing them on a phone, tablet, or Chromebook.

For now, Google is simply teasing the app during The Game Awards tonight, with a promised release window of sometime next year. It’s not yet clear what technology Google is using to emulate Android apps on Windows, but games will run locally instead of streaming from the cloud.

“This will be a native Windows app distributed by Google, which will support Windows 10 and up,” explains Hartrell. “It will not involve game streaming.” Google’s app won’t rely on any special integration with Windows 11, and the company will also distribute the app itself.

Google’s announcement comes months after Microsoft started testing Android apps on Windows 11 PCs. Microsoft has built an underlying Windows Subsystem for Android, which is capable of running Android apps from a variety of sources. The software giant has partnered with Amazon to let Windows users natively install games and apps from the Amazon Appstore, but native Google Play support won’t be available officially through Microsoft’s feature.

Since Microsoft is only officially partnered with Amazon for that feature, it has meant far fewer Android games and apps available for Windows 11 users to easily install than there might otherwise be. The door is open for Google, BlueStacks, and others to fill that hole.

While Microsoft, and now Google, work on bringing Android apps and games to Windows, BlueStacks has gone a step further and is now bringing Android games to web browsers. BlueStacks X is a free way to play Android games in your browser, and BlueStacks has been focused on Android gaming on Windows since it became the predominant use case for its main app in 2016.

Details on Google’s plans for Android apps on Windows first appeared in a document from the Epic v. Apple trial earlier this year. Dated October 2020, the 70-page document described an ambitious effort to get Android games on Macs and Windows PCs. The document revealed Google would first bring “emulated, native and streamed games” to Windows, and at least part of that effort is starting in 2022.

Google is bringing Android games to Windows in 2022

Google’s grand Android games plan begins.

www.theverge.com

 

[ng4ever]

Windows 11 crippling NVMe SSD speeds according to multiple user reports​

Windows 11 crippling NVMe SSD speeds according to multiple user reports

Windows 11 could be causing some performance problems for NVMe SSDs according to user feedback and reports online. The issues vary from reduced random writes to increased access times, among others.

www.neowin.net

This sucks

Hope it is fixed soon.

 

[SeriousHoax]

Microsoft has released an optional update, KB5007262. Out of many fixes, one is related to the NVMe, SSD, hardisks performance issue.
So the issue is hopefully solved now. Wait till Patch Tuesday, December 14th if you don't want to install this optional update right now. I have installed it already.

• Addresses an issue that affects the performance of all disks (NVMe, SSD, hardisk) on Windows 11 by performing unnecessary actions each time a write operation occurs. This issue occurs only when the NTFS USN journal is enabled. Note, the USN journal is always enabled on the C: disk.

November 22, 2021—KB5007262 (OS Build 22000.348) Preview

support.microsoft.com

 

[ng4ever]

Microsoft has released an optional update, KB5007262. Out of many fixes, one is related to the NVMe, SSD, hardisks performance issue.
So the issue is hopefully solved now. Wait till Patch Tuesday, December 14th if you don't want to install this optional update right now. I have installed it already.

November 22, 2021—KB5007262 (OS Build 22000.348) Preview

support.microsoft.com

Do you know if Microsoft will have that Windows 11 update baked in with the latest version of the iso on their website or does that take a few weeks or months to happen normally ? No big deal either way. Curious.

 

[SeriousHoax]

Do you know if Microsoft will have that Windows 11 update baked in with the latest version of the iso on their website or does that take a few weeks or months to happen normally ? No big deal either way. Curious.

They don't update their ISOs often, I think. But since this particular fix is a very important one, Microsoft will probably update their ISO after receiving positive feedbacks.
Windows 11 was released on October 5th and then the ISO on the official site was updated on November 5th.
You may also use this site to always download the latest updated ISO. But keep in mind, the site is not official, though it's safe to use.

UUP dump

Download UUP files from Windows Update servers with ease. This project is not affiliated with Microsoft Corporation.

uupdump.net

 

[ng4ever]

They don't update their ISOs often, I think. But since this particular fix is a very important one, Microsoft will probably update their ISO after receiving positive feedbacks.
Windows 11 was released on October 5th and then the ISO on the official site was updated on November 5th.
You may also use this site to always download the latest updated ISO. But keep in mind, the site is not official, though it's safe to use.

UUP dump

Download UUP files from Windows Update servers with ease. This project is not affiliated with Microsoft Corporation.

uupdump.net

Thank you

 

[silversurfer]

How to display CPU, GPU and RAM usage natively on Windows 11​

If you like to keep a close eye on the CPU, GPU and RAM usage of devices running Windows 11, you may find the following native option useful. Keeping an eye on the performance of the device can be useful, for instance when you are troubleshooting issues that you are experiencing.

Windows includes a native option to display certain usage metrics, but most users have not heard of the option probable. Windows 10 and 11 systems come with the Xbox Game Bar application installed.

Use the keyboard shortcut Windows-G to display its overlay. Select performance and you see the device's CPU, GPU and RAM usage in realtime on the screen. While that is handy already, it is only visible on the screen temporarily. The overlay is closed automatically when you click elsewhere or switch to other applications or programs.

There is however an option to pin certain widgets so that they become visible all the time. All it takes for that is to activate the pin icon of the panel, in this case of the performance panel that displays CPU, GPU and RAM readings.

How to display CPU, GPU and RAM usage natively on Windows 11 - gHacks Tech News

Windows 11 includes an option to display realtime CPU, GPU and RAM usage directly on the desktop using the native Xbox Game Bar application.

www.ghacks.net

 

[ng4ever]

Do you lose a lot of performance if you stay with Windows 10 if your a Alder Lake user ?