Microsoft appears to be requiring a Microsoft account when setting up a new PC with either a Windows 11 Home or Pro account. We’ve updated this review based upon this latter build, which was pushed to testers just a few days before WindUpdate’s release. (We checked with Build 22621.521, as well.) It took about 39 minutes to install from a “clean” ISO file on one of our test PCs. We crafted this review using Windows 11 Release Preview build 22621.317 - a version of the “final” build that’s been released for testing, but one which Microsoft can add to or tweak in terms of fixing bugs. It’s all part of a major change in the Windows release schedule that will reduce major updates to once per year and minor feature updates to whenever Microsoft feels like it. The majority of users will begin seeing this feature in November, however. We expect this functionality to be added back in in what are being known as controlled feature rollouts, or Moments, beginning in October. Microsoft also left out other key features that we’ve expected: a tabbed File Explorer, for one.

(Yes, you should have it.) Microsoft’s new video editor, Clipchamp, is moving from a Store app to a native Windows app, and it’s excellent. One of the 2022 Update’s friendliest additions, Windows Spotlight, actually launched as an 22H2 preview feature in December 2021, then was added to the Windows 11 stable channel earlier this year. Remember, there was really no Windows 11 22H1, which Microsoft debuted alongside a pledge to provide “continuous innovation” - new features now aren’t necessarily tied to any one release now.

Part of this has to do with how Microsoft is rolling out updates to Windows. Microsoft is also now saying that it intends that users are secure out of the box, and will turn on a performance-stealing core isolation security feature by default.

There are now thousands of Android apps from Amazon, as well as something called Smart App Control. Windows 11 22H2 takes a subtler approach, updating the File Explorer, and adding a new Snap Layouts bar, Start menu folders, Live Captions, Voice Access, and more.

Windows 11 22h2