Microsoft recently began rolling out the 2024 update for Windows 11, known as Windows 11 24H2. While it introduces a wide array of changes, many improvements are subtle and may not be immediately noticeable, even if your PC has already installed it. Here are some of the more interesting and practical features you can expect, aside from big-ticket items like Wi-Fi 7 and USB4 support.
Improved Quick Settings
The Quick Settings panel in 24H2 gets a user-friendly update. A new next/previous page toggle allows you to access all buttons without editing the menu to add or remove items. While you can’t see all buttons at once like before, the new drag-and-drop feature between pages makes it easier to organize. Additionally, specific Quick Settings items have been enhanced:
- Wi-Fi: A new refresh button rescans networks without exiting the menu.
- Accessibility: Adjusted padding ensures all toggles are visible without scrolling.
- VPN: Easier access to individual VPN connections.
- Live Captions: A button to generate automatic captions for media is now included.
Start Menu Ads and Recommendations
Microsoft is pushing more “suggestions” (which can feel like ads) in the Start menu. Alongside your recently installed apps and opened files, recommended apps from the Microsoft Store may appear. These suggestions change every time you open the Start menu and might not relate to your activity. Fortunately, you can turn off these recommendations in the Start menu’s settings under the Personalization tab.
Context Menu Labels
In response to user feedback, Microsoft reintroduced text labels for common actions like copy and paste in the right-click context menu. Windows 11 originally replaced these labels with icons to reduce clutter, but the update adds the text back to improve clarity.
Faster, Smaller Updates
The 24H2 update introduces “checkpoint cumulative updates,” which reduce the size and time of monthly updates. Rather than installing all the updates since the last major release, checkpoint updates will include only changes made since the last checkpoint. This saves bandwidth and disk space, especially for users who haven’t updated in a while or IT admins managing large numbers of systems.
Sudo for Windows
Microsoft has added a Windows version of the Linux command “sudo” (short for “superuser do”). When enabled in developer settings, this feature allows you to run applications with administrator privileges from a single console window without launching a separate admin instance. While the feature currently doesn’t support running apps as other local users, Microsoft plans to add this functionality in future updates.
Protected Print Mode
With the gradual phase-out of third-party print drivers, Windows 11 24H2 introduces “protected print mode,” which defaults to universal drivers based on industry standards. You can enable or disable this mode in the “Printers & scanners” settings. If a printer doesn’t work with this setting enabled, you can switch back to using third-party drivers.
New Setup Interface for Clean Installs
The installation interface for fresh installs of Windows 11 has received its first major overhaul since Windows Vista. The new UI simplifies tasks like entering product keys and partitioning disks, although it now shows volumes from the USB drive being used for the install, which could be confusing for some users.
Better Support for Wi-Fi Drivers During Setup
A notable improvement for new installations on systems lacking network adapters is the option to install drivers from a USB drive during setup. This ensures that users with unsupported Wi-Fi adapters can still complete their Windows install without needing to immediately connect to the internet.
Boosted Security for File Sharing
The update also tightens security for SMB file-sharing connections. SMB signing is now required for all editions of Windows 11, and guest access for SMB shares has been disabled in the Pro edition. If network-attached storage devices fail due to these changes, Microsoft recommends enabling login credentials and updating firmware.
End of Windows Mixed Reality and WordPad
Windows 11 24H2 marks the official removal of Windows Mixed Reality, a once-promising feature designed for augmented and virtual reality headsets. Support for this platform will continue in version 23H2 until 2026. Similarly, WordPad, the basic text editor, has also been removed from the system. While Notepad continues to see updates, WordPad has not been substantially updated since 2009 and is now completely phased out.
Conclusion
The Windows 11 24H2 update is packed with quality-of-life improvements and minor features designed to streamline the user experience. While some changes, like Start menu recommendations, may be frustrating, other updates, such as faster updates, the return of text labels, and better print and file-sharing security, will make daily tasks easier. For developers and advanced users, the addition of Sudo for Windows is a significant change, further bridging the gap between Windows and Linux functionalities.
