In the first half of June, Microsoft pushed exciting changes to Windows 11 in preview for beta channels and retail releases for all users. In the former, Insiders unlocked Markdown formatting for Notepad and a new "Quick machine recovery" section in Settings that helps automate repairs to the operating system.
After making Windows compliant with the Digital Markets Act by loosening default browser rules, European Insiders also unlocked the right to uninstall the Microsoft Store app. Meanwhile, Microsoft vowed to end port confusion with a new mandate that simplifies USB-C across the entire world.
Microsoft has also introduced Sora AI video generation to Bing Video Creator on Android devices, making it globally available for free, and I expect it will eventually come to Windows 11. Otherwise, Microsoft Edge Game Assist has left its beta state and become "game-aware" inside the Game Bar (Windows + G), suggesting tips and tricks as you play.
Above all, a focus on Windows 10 reaching the end of its life in October saw brands like Intel and ASUS pushing for users to upgrade to Windows 11, while a "KDE for Windows 10 Exiles" has Linux fans coaxing users to switch away from Microsoft's leading OS. Denmark's government even dumped Windows and Office 365 for open-source alternatives.
LATEST UPDATES
European Insiders can now export their Windows Recall snapshots
More changes are arriving for Windows 11 users in the European Economic Area, in line with additional privacy rules that typically apply to European users, such as myself.
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.4441 (KB5060816) is now available on the Beta Channel for Insiders, offering an option to export your Windows Recall data via an "export code" (via Windows Insider Blog).
However, Windows 11 will only display this code once during the initial setup of Windows Recall. It's required to unlock your encrypted data, which Windows Hello authentication already protects, so you'll have to reset Windows Recall and lose all of your snapshots if you forget it.
More control over Windows Recall is fantastic, and secure encryption is practically mandatory for data like this. Still, I'm not sure an option to export this information will win over the skeptics. — Ben Wilson
Windows Vista boot sound mistakenly appears in Windows 11
Latest Windows 11 preview build has a fun bug that restores Windows Vista's iconic boot up sound. A surprise blast from the past lol https://t.co/5tGM3vZceU pic.twitter.com/jbJA9LmoWAJune 16, 2025
Comparisons between Apple's Liquid Glass UI and Windows Vista's Aero were inevitable, but an interesting "known issue" in Windows 11's recent Preview Build 26200.5651 plays a familiar sound upon booting (via Senior Editor Zac Bowden).
- [ADDED] This week’s flight comes with a delightful blast from the past and will play the Windows Vista boot sound instead of the Windows 11 boot sound. We’re working on a fix.
I don't hate it, but I'm a sucker for nostalgia, after all. If you heard the Windows Vista (and Windows 7) chime when you booted up your PC this week, you're not imagining things; this is a real "bug" (or is it a feature?) — Ben Wilson
Settings AI agent is now live in the Dev Channel
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced an agentic AI for the Settings app in Windows 11, which helps simplify the wealth of options and tweaks available in the operating system by allowing users to ask simple questions or even make statements.
Prompts like "my mouse pointer is too small" will even offer to increase the size of your cursor with an "Apply" button, rather than sending you to a subcategory of Settings to find it yourself.
Currently, it's limited to Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs using one of Qualcomm's ARM64-based processors, such as the 8-core Snapdragon X Plus. However, Microsoft assures that support for PCs using x86-64 chips from AMD and Intel will be available "soon".
It's one of the more interesting AI PC features, in that it offers a genuinely helpful assist rather than a playground of generative text and images, so I'm looking forward to it. — Ben Wilson
