Microsoft splits the Windows Insider Beta channel into two paths to test new features

Microsoft is splitting the Beta channel of the Windows Insider programs into two separate paths as a way to selectively test new features for Insiders testing Windows 11 version 22H2. One group of Insiders is going to be getting build in the 22622.x range, and these builds will have new features enabled by default with enablement packages. Another set of Insiders will stay in build 22621.x, with those enablement packages turned off by default.

The goal, according to Microsoft, is to test the viability of rolling out updates with certain features turned off by default, as well as measure the impact of enabling those new features. These two groups exist so Microsoft can compare data from both of them before making features more widely available. However, those who end up getting the build that doesn’t have the new features enabled can check for updates again to find the build that enables them.

To kick this off, Microsoft is rolling out Windows 11 builds 22622.290 and 22621.290, which bring a handful of improvements, particular the former build. Specifically, Windows 11 build 22622.290 includes some features that were previous rolled out i the Dev channel, such as suggested actions. These make it so that when you select and copy text that represents something specific, like a phone number, you’ll immediately see the option to call that number on Teams, for example. If you select a date, you can create an event for it in Outlook. This is only available to users in the US and Canada.

Another new capability is support for standalone OneDrive subscription in the account management page in Settings. Previously, you could only see information about proper Microsoft 365 subscription.

Aside from that, there are a few fixes exclusive to build 22622.290. You can see them below:

Fixes in Windows 11 build 22622.290

[File Explorer]

• Middle clicking a folder in the body of File Explorer will now open it in a new tab.
• The row of tabs should now be included in the keyboard focus cycle when pressing Tab or F6. Once focus is in the tab row, you can use left or right arrow keys to navigate through them.
• Fixed an issue where the tab order when using CTRL + Tab would be wrong if you’d rearranged the tabs in File Explorer.
• Made some adjustments for when “Display the full path in title bar” is enabled, to ensure that the folder name is always visible.
• Fixed a scaling issue which could result in the tabs being unexpectedly large.
• Right clicking a tab and then clicking somewhere else in File Explorer should dismiss the context menu more reliably now.

In addition to those, some fixes are applicable to both of the builds rolling out today. Those are as follows:

Fixes in Windows 11 builds 22622.290 and 22621.290

• New! We added Server Message Block (SMB) redirector (RDR) specific public File System Control (FSCTL) code FSCTL_LMR_QUERY_INFO.
• New! We added support for Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3 in Windows client and server Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) implementations.
• We updated the Remove-Item cmdlet to properly interact with Microsoft OneDrive folders
• We enabled the InternetExplorerModeEnableSavePageAs Group Policy. For more information, see Microsoft Edge Browser Policy Documentation.
• We fixed an issue that causes the Take Photo button to disappear when you use a common file dialog to open the camera.
• We fixed an issue that prevents devices from receiving an offer from Windows Update for the same extension driver when that extension driver is already installed without the base driver.
• We fixed an issue that causes install from media (IFM) creation for Active Directory to fail with the error, “2101 JET_errCallbackFailed”.
• We fixed an issue that occurs when the Active Directory Lightweight Directory Service (LDS) resets the password for userProxy objects. The password reset fails with an error such as, “00000005: SvcErr: DSID-03380C23, problem 5003 (WILL_NOT_PERFORM), data 0”.
• We enabled the InternetExplorerModeEnableSavePageAs Group Policy. For more information, see Microsoft Edge Browser Policy Documentation.
• We fixed an issue that occurs when the Active Directory Lightweight Directory Service (AD LDS) resets the password for userProxy objects. When you try to reset someone else’s password and you are authenticated using a simple bind, the password reset fails. The error is like, “00000005: SvcErr: DSID-03380C23, problem 5003 (WILL_NOT_PERFORM), data 0”.
• We fixed an issue that prevents Microsoft Edge from being available in Windows Sandbox.

Of course, there are still some known issues in these builds, but there’s only two of them right now, suggesting development is inching closer to completion. Here are the issues to look out for:

Known issues in Windows 11 builds 22622.290 and 22621.290

[General]

• We’re working on the fix for an issue resulting in a small number of Insiders in the Beta Channel experiencing cyclical crashes in Windows UI components (like explorer.exe), making it appear that the screen is flashing. If you are impacted, running the following command from an elevated PowerShell window should resolve it: Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml -DisableDevelopmentMode -ForceApplicationShutdown

[File Explorer]

• The up arrow is misaligned in File Explorer tabs. This will be fixed in a future update.

If you want to get the latest bits, you can simply check for updates in Windows Update. As mentioned above, if you end up in the group without new features enabled at first, you can check for updates again after installing your update in order to find build 22622.290.

The post Microsoft splits the Windows Insider Beta channel into two paths to test new features appeared first on XDA.

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