Microsoft Makes Progress Towards Removing Teams Chat in Windows 11

Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel will now observe that Chat has transformed into Microsoft Teams – Free. 

Microsoft Makes Progress Towards Removing Teams Chat in Windows 11

Microsoft has recently released two new builds for the Windows 11 Beta channel, and while they typically bring new features, one of these builds actually removes a feature. In Windows 11 build 22631.2338, Microsoft has taken another step towards removing Teams integration from the operating system. The Chat app has now been replaced with Microsoft Teams - Free. This change means that Microsoft Teams - Free will be pinned to the taskbar by default, similar to other apps, and can be unpinned if desired. It's worth noting that this change only applies to build 22631.2338.

This move isn't entirely surprising, as Microsoft had already announced the removal of Teams integration in Windows 11 back in June when it was removed from the Dev Channel. Now, this change is being extended to the more stable Beta channel. It's important to highlight that Microsoft Teams - Free in Windows 11 is the same version available for consumers and personal use in Windows 10.

In addition to the Teams integration change, both Windows 11 Beta Channel builds, 22621.2338 and 22631.2338, primarily focus on bug fixes. However, there is also a new widget introduced in these builds. The Clock app update (version 11.2306.22.0 and higher) includes a feature that allows users to start and stop focus sessions quickly through the Widgets board.

Here are some of the bug fixes included in these builds:

Fixed an issue that caused untranslated text to appear in certain areas of the system, such as File Explorer and Settings. Users currently experiencing translation issues are encouraged to provide feedback.

Resolved an issue where dragging app icons on the taskbar could lead to an explorer.exe crash.

Fixed an issue where labels would appear unexpectedly in the taskbar.

Addressed an issue that prevented Task Manager from launching for some users.

Resolved a white flash issue when opening File Explorer in dark mode.

Fixed an issue where icons in the command bar and context menu became difficult to see after switching between dark and light mode.

Improved the performance of loading Home and fixed a memory leak related to Home.

Fixed an issue where Settings wouldn't launch in safe mode for some users.

Corrected a misleading message when collecting a process memory dump.

Resolved an issue where the notification for enabling dynamic lighting was not displayed after the first update to a build with dynamic lighting.

It's worth noting that in both build 22621.2338 and 22631.2338, the focus is primarily on bug fixes, with the addition of the new widget. As part of the Clock app update, users can now uninstall the Camera app, Cortana, Photos app, and People app.

Overall, these builds bring a combination of bug fixes and feature changes, with Microsoft's decision to remove Teams integration in Windows 11 being a notable highlight.

New Update: Complying with GB18030-2022 Requirements and Fixing Various Issues

Microsoft has released a new update that brings several improvements and fixes to Windows. Here are the key changes included in this update:

GB18030-2022 Compliance: This update completes the necessary work to comply with the GB18030-2022 requirements. As a result, it removes and remaps characters for Microsoft Wubi input and Microsoft Pinyin U-mode input. You will no longer be able to enter character codepoints that are not supported, ensuring that all required codepoints are up to date.

Sleep Mode Issue: An issue affecting sleep mode has been addressed in this update. Previously, after resuming from sleep, a blank window titled “Windows Input Experience” would appear. This issue has been resolved, improving the overall sleep mode experience.

Key Distribution Center (KDC) and User Security Identifiers (SID): The update brings improvements to the KDC and user SID functionality. KDC now reads the user SID from the Subject Alternative Name (SAN) of a certificate. This change enables mobile device management (MDM) providers to use offline templates to fill in the user SID. For more information, you can refer to KB5014754.

IMEPad Issue: An issue affecting IMEPad has been addressed in this update. Previously, IMEPad would stop working when entering end-user-defined characters (EUDC). With this update, the issue has been resolved, ensuring that IMEPad functions as intended.

Authentication Issue: This update addresses an authentication issue related to using a smart card to join or rejoin a computer to an Active Directory domain. After installing Windows updates dated October 2022 or later, this process might have failed. The issue has been resolved, ensuring a smooth authentication experience. For more details, refer to KB5020276.

Microsoft Excel Issue: A problem affecting Microsoft Excel has been resolved in this update. Previously, Excel would become unresponsive when attempting to share a file as a PDF in Microsoft Outlook. This issue has been fixed, allowing for seamless file sharing from Excel.

Remote Apps Display Issue: The update addresses a display issue affecting Remote Apps. Some elements were not aligned correctly, causing visual inconsistencies. With this update, the alignment problem has been resolved, improving the overall appearance of Remote Apps.

Daylight Saving Time Support: This update provides support for daylight saving time (DST) changes in Greenland. Users in Greenland can now rely on accurate time adjustments during DST transitions.

Account Lockout Event Issue: An issue regarding the format of account lockout event 4625 in the ForwardedEvents log has been resolved. Previously, when an account name was in the user principal name (UPN) format, the event format was incorrect. This issue has been addressed, ensuring accurate event logging.

XPath Query Issue: This update fixes an issue that affected XPath queries on FileHash and other binary fields. Previously, these queries failed to match values in event records. With the update, XPath queries on these fields will now function properly.

Spelling Change: The update includes a spelling change for Ukraine's capital. The spelling has been changed from "Kiev" to "Kyiv" to align with the preferred local spelling.

Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) Issue: An issue affecting WDAC has been addressed in this update. Previously, AppID Tagging policies could significantly increase the device's startup time. With this update, the issue has been resolved, improving the startup performance.

TAB Character Event Issue: This update addresses an issue related to events that contain a TAB character. Previously, these events either failed to render or couldn't be forwarded. The issue has been fixed, allowing for proper rendering and forwarding of events.

OneDrive Compression Issue: An issue that could cause Windows to stop responding has been addressed in this update. This issue occurred when using Microsoft OneDrive files compressed by NTFS. With the update, this problem has been resolved, ensuring smooth operation when working with compressed OneDrive files.

User-Mode Memory Leak Issue: The update fixes an issue that could result in a user-mode memory leak. This issue occurred when calling CopyFile() or MoveFile(). With the update, the memory leak has been eliminated, improving system stability.

Application Virtualization (App-V) Issue: An issue affecting the App-V environment has been addressed in this update. Previously, copy operations within the App-V environment would stop working after installing the April 2023 update. This issue has been fixed, ensuring that copy operations function properly.

These updates aim to enhance the overall performance, stability, and user experience of Windows. It is recommended to install the latest updates to benefit from these improvements and address any issues mentioned.

New Update: Fixing various issues and improving Windows 11

Microsoft has released a new update that brings several bug fixes and improvements to Windows 11. Here are the key changes included in this update:

USB Printer Issue: This update addresses an issue that affected some USB printers. Previously, Microsoft Defender prevented these printers from printing. With this update, the issue has been resolved, allowing USB printers to function properly.

Microsoft Print to PDF Issue: An issue related to Microsoft Print to PDF has been addressed in this update. Previously, it used the metadata for the name you signed in with as the author of a printed PDF. However, it should have used the display name instead. With this update, this issue has been fixed, ensuring that the correct display name is used as the author of printed PDFs.

Event Forwarding Issue: This update resolves an issue related to changes in the forwarding of events. The specific details of the issue and the improvements made have not been specified.

Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (DTC) Issue: An issue affecting the Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (DTC) has been addressed in this update. Previously, DTC had a handle leak, which caused the system to run out of memory. With this update, the handle leak has been fixed, ensuring proper memory management.

Sticky Keys Menu Issue: The update removes a blank menu item from the Sticky Keys menu. This issue occurred after installing KB5029351. With the update, the blank menu item is no longer present, improving the usability of the Sticky Keys feature.

Application Compatibility Issue: This update addresses an issue related to application compatibility and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. The specific details of the issue and the improvements made have not been specified.

In addition to these fixes, Microsoft has also made improvements to the search box gleam and resolved bugs with Sticky Keys. These enhancements aim to improve the overall user experience and performance of Windows 11.

As for Windows Insider builds, it is relatively rare to see a release at the beginning of the week. However, it remains to be seen if a Windows 11 Dev Channel release will be available later in the week. For users running the stable version of Windows 11, this update delivers important improvements and bug fixes, ensuring a smoother and more reliable operating system.