Microsoft is kicking off 2023 with the first Patch Tuesday event of the year. January 2023 Patch Tuesday is a historic one. This is the last update that will be sent to both Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. Extended Security Support (ESU) support ended today for those legacy platforms. Of course, Windows 10 and Windows 11 will continue on the Patch Tuesday cycle for years to come.
And I will focus on Windows 11 here. As always, January 2023 Patch Tuesday handles security and other fixes. I also expect it will contain its own fair share of bugs, as is always the case. But let's not make this a Patch Tuesday bashing story.
Instead, I want to look at a few hidden features that have been found on Windows 11 through this Patch Tuesday event.
Windows enthusiast PhantomOcean3 says that the new release build brings the revamped Taskbar search that Microsoft initially brought to Insiders on the Beta channel (build 2262x.1037). Furthermore, it also reveals a new Start menu search that Microsoft has not previously discussed.
Shouldn't be surprising, but you can enable new taskbar search and even the unannounced new start menu search in .1105 with ViVeTool. That doesn't mean you should, but you can 🙂
IDs: 40887771 for new taskbar search, 38937525 for new start search.
You'll also need 39281392 pic.twitter.com/dFjUH7uOqz
— PhantomOcean3 ☃️ (@PhantomOfEarth) January 10, 2023
It does not seem the new search additions change the dynamic of searching on Windows 11. They appear to be more aesthetic changes than anything. However, this is very early in the preview and Microsoft may make feature tweaks to the Taskbar and Start search before a wide launch.
Recent Taskbar Changes
Speaking of the taskbar, back in November, Microsoft brought back legacy features after abandoning them through the launch of Windows 11. The reason Microsoft took features away is that the Windows 11 taskbar is built from the ground up as a completely new experience.
Microsoft brought back the ability to view clock seconds in the system tray, while the “never combine” taskbar that made its debut on Windows 7 is also making a comeback.
Tip of the day: Whether it's for a presentation, song, or YouTube video, at some point in your life you'll need to record audio from your computer. Windows 11 has multiple options to record sound due to its litany of apps. In our tutorial, we show you how to record audio using the built-in Windows 10 Voice Recorder and the freeware audio editor Audacity.
