This controversial Windows 11 feature is already upsetting people

By Dua Rashid Published June 17, 2021

Microsoft is all set to announce the unveiling of its latest Windows release, Windows 11. Formerly code-named Sun Valley, the update translates to a complete redo of the user interface of the current Windows. In a version of the build that was recently leaked, a couple of new features were noticed — including one highly controversial change that isn’t getting positive reactions.

We installed the build and have added a screenshot for you to see what has changed in the update. The most obvious new feature is that there is a floating and centered Start Menu and a centered Taskbar. Windows 11 has ditched its Live Tiles and instead leverages icons linking to your apps that you can pin according to your choice and convenience.

Windows 11 features a redesigned Start Menu. — Baidu

The redesigned Taskbar is already garnering quite a lot of outrage. People are clearly not ready to adapt to a completely new interface and let go of features they were so used to. However, the Taskbar can be customized and reverted back to something more familiar.

Recommended Videos

First off, you’ll be able to change Taskbar alignment in the Taskbar settings, which will give you an option to left-align your Taskbar. If that’s not enough, the settings also feature options for customizing all other updated features, meaning you can go back to the classic Windows 10 Taskbar if you’re not ready to let go of it.

https://twitter.com/WithinRafael/status/1404909886446600196?s=20

The search bar will go through a user interface overhaul in Windows 11 as well, offering a neater and more efficient interface than in Windows 10. There’s a new task view as well that no longer includes a timeline. The timeline has been integrated into the Start Menu under the recommended tab. Here you’ll find a list of documents and programs that you click on the most.

Windows 11 also has the option to hide the “show desktop” button in the bottom right of Windows. This feature has been there since Windows 7, and it’s a relief to finally have the option to turn it off.

Microsoft has always been mindful of people’s reactions and changed things to make them happy. During the Windows 8 era, for example, it removed the Start Menu altogether, which generated significant rage. Surprise, surprise — with update 8.1, Microsoft brought it back. Allowing people to choose between the classic Start Menu and the new version feels like a decent compromise.

Computing Writer

Dua is a media studies graduate student at The New School. She has been hooked on technology since she was a kid and used to…

Topics

Computing

Windows 11 remains the driver of growth in PCs, not AI

The Surface Laptop shown in front of a Copilot+ sign.

There's been a lot of talk about AI PCs this year, but has it actually delivered on its promise? A new analysis from TrendForce says the significant boost in laptop sales in 2024 has more to do with Windows 11 updates than it does with fancy new AI features.

"The impact of AI-integrated notebooks on the overall market remains limited for now," the report states. "However, AI features are expected to naturally integrate into notebook specifications as brands gradually incorporate them, resulting in a steady rise in the penetration rates of AI notebooks."

Computing

Microsoft warns that the latest Windows 11 update may crash PC games now

Gaming PC on a desk.

Microsoft has once again temporarily halted the rollout of its latest major Windows 11 update, also known as 24H2. This time it is for systems running select Ubisoft games following widespread user reports of crashes and performance issues. The affected titles include Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Assassin's Creed Origins, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Star Wars Outlaws, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

Common complaints include black screens, freezing, and unresponsiveness during gameplay or while loading these titles. "I just bought a new gaming laptop with RTX 4080, Intel i9 14900hx. I can't play the game (Origins) even for 5 minutes because it crashes to a black screen, with audio, and the only way to close it is from task manager. Impossible to play," one user shared on Reddit. Others reported similar frustrations, citing the persistent error “NTDLL.dll” that renders their games unplayable.

Computing

Nearly six months later, you can finally try out Windows 11 Recall

Recall promotional image.

After a tumultuous initial reaction and months of reworking, Microsoft is finally releasing the first preview of its controversial Recall feature today. If you're a Windows Insider with a Qualcomm Copilot+ PC, you can install a new build of Windows 11 that includes both Recall and Click to Do.

If you're not part of the Windows Insider Program but you want to try out this feature, it's pretty easy to sign up on the Microsoft website. Recall was first announced back before any of the Copilot+ PCs were released and was meant to be available at launch, but an outcry of privacy and security concerns forced Microsoft to delay it.