Windows 11’s new headline security feature is now in testing — here’s how it can help your PC

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Simplifying PC health maintenance on your Windows 11 system will soon be more straightforward. Microsoft is currently testing a novel feature called “Quick Machine Recovery” among its Windows Insiders within the Beta Channel.

Swift automatic problem detection and resolution takes place within the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), ensuring a smooth machine comeback.

If a computer encounters a severe startup issue, it automatically switches to Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) and sends diagnostic data to Microsoft. Subsequently, a swift recovery process will implement the necessary repairs.

At the Ignite 2024 conference, Microsoft unveiled a new feature called instant machine restoration. With this tool, IT administrators can perform specific repairs from a distance.

Microsoft outlines changes and availability in its blog post about Windows 11 Build 26120.3653.

Windows 11 Build 26120.3653

Introducing quick machine recovery

The new Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) feature, part of Microsoft’s Windows Resiliency Initiative, has been made available in the latest Windows Insider Preview build. This tool, when activated, addresses common boot problems on Windows 11 devices by automatically diagnosing and fixing issues directly from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), reducing downtime and eliminating manual intervention. In case of a critical system failure, your device will enter WinRE, connect to the internet, send diagnostic data to Microsoft, and receive targeted solutions via Windows Update. It’s recommended that IT administrators enable, customize, or test this feature, which is automatically activated for home users. Windows Insiders can begin testing it now and offer feedback through the Feedback Hub app on their devices. To access Quick Machine Recovery, select Recovery and Uninstall > Quick Machine Recovery within the Feedback Hub app. Watch out for a test remediation package in the coming days, allowing you to see the feature in action.

Introducing speech recap in Narrator

Our constant aim is to enhance the user-friendly, streamlined, and supportive nature of Narrator for those who depend on it daily. To that end, we’re unveiling a fresh feature—Speech Recap—to aid you in managing what Narrator has verbally communicated and effortlessly refer back to it. With Speech Recap, you can swiftly access spoken content, follow along with real-time transcription, and duplicate the last thing Narrator said using easy keyboard commands.

To access the Speech Recap window, simply press the combination of keys: Narrator key, Alt, and X. This window displays the last 500 phrases spoken by the Narrator. Important to note, this text is updated each time the Narrator starts a new session. You can navigate through the contents using standard reading commands and arrow keys. Additionally, you may copy any text within the Speech Recap window for your reference.

If you want to quickly save or share something the narrator recently said, simply use the keyboard shortcut Narrator key + Control + X. This command will immediately copy the last spoken phrase into your clipboard without requiring you to open the speech recap window.

Consider some instances where speech recap and related shortcuts can be useful: for example, recalling a tip you heard when starting a fresh browser window, capturing a spoken error code for later use, or incorporating narrator speech into educational resources.

Utilizing live transcription of Narrator’s speech is advantageous for Assistive Technology trainers, teachers of visually impaired students (TSVI), and professionals with hearing difficulties who wish to employ Narrator. To view the live transcription of Narrator audio, simply press the same keyboard shortcut as Narrator (Narrator key + Alt + X) to open the speech recap window, and position it on your preferred screen area. As you carry out tasks, you will be able to see real-time captions of Narrator’s speech.

These keyboard shortcuts follow a simple patten making it easy to learn:

  • Control + Windows key + Enter = Turn Narrator on/Off
  • Narrator key + X = Re-hear what Narrator said last
  • Narrator key + control + X = Copy what Narrator said last
  • Narrator key + Alt + X = Open Speech recap window for history and live transcriptions

Windows 11 Build 26120.3653: Gradual changes

General

  • We’re previewing a new, more streamlined UI for unexpected restarts which better aligns with Windows 11 design principles and supports our goal of getting users back into productivity as fast as possible. We’ve simplified your experience while preserving the technical information on the screen. As a reminder, for Windows Insiders this appears as a “green screen”. This is beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders on Windows 11, version 24H2 and higher in the Beta, Dev, and Canary Channels.

Copilot on Windows

  • You can now launch Copilot on Windows with Win + C. You can personalize your Copilot key and Win + C experience at any time with the existing “Customize Copilot key on keyboard” under Settings > Personalization > Text input.
  • To access the press to talk feature and start a conversation with Copilot on Windows, press and hold the Copilot key for 2 seconds. For PCs without the Copilot key, press and hold Win + C for 2 seconds. To end your conversation, press the Esc key. If there is no speaking for several seconds, Copilot will automatically end the conversation. When the conversation is over, the microphone on the screen will disappear. As announced previously, you can also press and hold Alt + Spacebar to talk with Copilot on Windows. Press to talk allows you to interact with Copilot using your voice, providing instant responses while staying in your current workflow and continuing tasks without interruption. Press to talk is supported in the latest Copilot app update (version 1.25033.139.0 and higher). This update is beginning to roll out across Insider Channels via the Microsoft Store.
  • Developers can get the same trigger for press to talk for their apps that support the Copilot key by using Handle Microsoft Copilot hardware key state changes. Note, the enterprise-focused Microsoft 365 Copilot app does not have this support today.
  • Win + C and press to talk are gradually rolling out so not all Insiders will get the update right away. We are excited to be previewing improvements with our Insiders to ensure all our customers have a great Copilot experience for Windows.

Click to Do (Preview)

  • On your Copilot+ PCs, you can now access Click to Do from the Start menu including the ability to pin it to Start and your taskbar.
  • Click to Do can now perform intelligent text actions in Spanish and French in addition to English. We will continue to roll out support for additional languages in future updates. Text actions are currently available on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs and coming soon for AMD and Intel®-powered Copilot+ PCs.
  • Click to Do has a text action to create a bulleted list. Currently available in English, Spanish, and French and on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs and coming soon for AMD and Intel®-powered Copilot+ PCs.
  • We are providing policies for managing Click to Do in a commercial environment. IT admins can learn more here.

Other

  • We’re removing the bypassnro.cmd script from the build to enhance security and user experience of Windows 11. This change ensures that all users exit setup with internet connectivity and a Microsoft Account.

Windows Share

  • When you share links or web content using the Windows share window, you will see a visual preview for that content.
  • In the Windows share window, we are adding the ability to quickly edit and enhance images while sharing. This includes in-line image editing capabilities, such as cropping, rotating, and applying filters, as well as the ability to compress images to reduce file size for easier sharing. This ability works only for local images stored on your PC. Supported image formats: .jpg, .jpeg, .dib, .png, .tif, .tiff, and .bmp.

Other

  • We’re removing the bypassnro.cmd script from the build to enhance security and user experience of Windows 11. This change ensures that all users exit setup with internet connectivity and a Microsoft Account.

Windows Share improvements

Microsoft is experimenting with enhancements for Windows’ sharing feature. With the most recent Insider version of Windows 11, users can now preview shared content visually.

Inside the Windows file explorer, you can easily make swift adjustments to your images, like trimming, rotating, or adding filters.

It’s worth noting that one highly beneficial enhancement is the ability to compress images to decrease their file size. However, this functionality applies solely to specific locally saved image formats.

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2025-03-31 18:39