Microsoft promises to fix Windows 11, as more users turn to macOS and Linux

(Credit: Microsoft)

• 🙏 Microsoft is addressing Windows 11 issues based on user feedback

• 👍 The company will allow taskbar repositioning (top or sides) and reduce Copilot integration

• ⏸️ Windows Updates will be less frequent, with options to pause/skip and fewer automatic restarts

• 🙌 Performance improvements are planned for File Explorer, and changes will roll out throughout the year

Microsoft has vowed to fix the myriad of problems with Windows 11 after “analyzing” the feedback it’s received over the past several months.

In a Windows Insider blog post titled “Our commitment to Windows quality”, Pavan Davuluri shared that Microsoft will soon let users reposition the taskbar. You’ll be able to position the taskbar to the top or sides of the screen, making it easier to personalize your workspace.

The new Windows 11 taskbar. (Credit: Microsoft)

Perhaps the most pleasing announcement is that Microsoft is scaling back Copilot in a big way. Davuluri says Copilot will be integrated in a more “intentional” and meaningful way, and only where it is deemed to be genuinely useful. Copilot will be reduced in apps like Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets and Notepad.

Windows Updates will also be reduced, and users will be able to skip or pause updates, and there will be fewer automatic restarts and notifications. The same sort of scaled back approach will apply to widgets and feed experience, with quieter defaults and more control over how and when widgets appear.

The new Feedback Hub app is available now. (Credit: Microsoft)

Along with the above, Microsoft says that File Explorer will launch quicker, be smoother to navigate, and offer more reliable performance for everyday file tasks. Expect improvements to the Feedback Hub and the Windows Insider Program itself, as Microsoft attempts to course correct the state of Windows.

Expect to see these changes, and many more, begin rolling out throughout the rest of this year, as Microsoft attempts to stem the tide of people flocking to Apple and Linux.

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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.