At a Windows Insider meetup, MS demonstrated an “instantaneous” File Explorer, according to a tester who shared details with us. MS Design and Research Lead Marcus Ash has since emailed users, stating that early testers can already feel improvements in Windows 11’s responsiveness, with further changes planned for this fall.
Windows has improved significantly in Insider builds over the past few months. For example, File Explorer now loads faster, even without preloading, and its context menu has been streamlined. Users can also customize the menu and remove unwanted items.
However, most users will not notice many of these improvements yet because several changes are currently available only to Windows Insiders.
Some features have begun rolling out to consumers, including the movable taskbar and resizable Start menu. However, because of Windows 11’s gradual rollout, they may not appear on your PC unless you choose to force-enable them.
As a result, the general perception is that nothing has changed. That is not the case, particularly for users running Windows Insider preview builds with the latest features and improvements enabled.
MS Emails Users and Says Windows Is Now Faster
In the email, Marcus Ash, the Design and Research Lead across Windows & Devices, noted that the recent Insider meetups were “smaller by design,” allowing the company to dedicate more time to direct conversations, questions, and feedback.
“Many of you shared that you can feel the improvements in Experimental builds, especially in overall system responsiveness,” Marcus wrote.
MS has not shared figures or benchmarks comparing Windows 11’s performance before and after these changes, but the company maintains that the operating system is becoming faster and better. Marcus also noted that early testers want these improvements to roll out more broadly so everyone can experience them.
“Some of that is already underway. Start and taskbar improvements have started rolling out broadly, and you can expect more as we head into the fall,” he added.
MS also plans to share more early design concepts and ideas with testers.
The company is exploring numerous internal ideas for Windows 11, many of which may never be released, much like the dozens of Start menu designs it considered before selecting the final version. Here is a closer look at those unreleased Start menu concepts:
We learned about these Start menu concepts long after the redesign had already reached production builds. This approach was ineffective because consumers had no opportunity to provide feedback on the concepts before the redesign shipped. MS wants to avoid that situation in the future.
Marcus referred to a recent feedback session in which the company shared the design for the File Explorer context menus that were recently released in Experimental builds.
“You can expect more lightweight, early sharing sessions so we can hear your feedback before improvements make their way into Experimental builds,” Marcus wrote.
MS Says It Is Listening to Feedback
MS says it is always listening to feedback, but it recognizes that users may not know what happens to their suggestions, particularly when no visible changes follow. Feedback can sometimes appear to disappear into a black hole, but that may soon change.
“You want similar feedback grouped together and a clearer view of what we’re considering and actively working on. We’re increasing our investment in this area and will have more to share soon,” Marcus noted.
The company also plans to hold more meetups and contact Insiders individually for feedback.
“The feedback and energy we feel from Insiders help us shape Windows. We’re looking forward to keeping the conversation going as the tour continues,” Marcus added.
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