Windows Blue build with minor improvements

[anuseems]

Rumors about Microsoft's strategy for the next version of Windows was all we had until recently. Some job postings highlighted that Microsoft is working on Windows 9 and Windows Blue. From the meager information that we have, it looks as if Windows Blue will be an update to Windows 8 while Windows 9 will be the next operating system the company plans to release. As always, Windows 9 is only a codename used during development. While it is unlikely that Microsoft will change the name, it is in the realm of possibility that the company will nevertheless.

Various Internet sites and forums indicate that a build of Windows Blue leaked on the Internet. If you have expected major changes in Windows Blue you will probably be disappointed as it seems to offer only gradual improvements over Windows 8. While it is too early to say if it will be an update - like a service pack with additional features - for Windows 8 or introduce major changes to Windows 8 that are implemented into later builds, it is clear for now at least that users should not expect too much from it.

A video was released on YouTube a couple of hours ago that walks you through Windows Blue build 9364.

The first thing that you will notice is that there is no start menu, and that the start screen is still there. If you had hopes that Microsoft would somehow reconsider some of its decisions that it made for Windows 8 you will certainly be disappointed by this. So what is new in Windows Blue?

Ships with Internet Explorer 11, the next installment of Microsoft's web browser.

Additional personalization options for the start screen. Direct access to personalization, more colors mostly

SkyDrive integration into the Start Screen control panel including Device backup option which can be configured to automatically backup OS settings and app data.

New Sync feature under Accounts, currently not implemented and not clear what it will do.

Additional privacy options, including webcam, microphone and custom peripherals listings that detail which apps are allowed to use them. With option to disallow the use.

Apps can now be displayed in a 50/50 ratio on the screen next to each other instead of the current option to display them in a 1/3 to 2/3 ratio on the screen. Also options to display more than two apps on the screen at the same time including three or four with them sharing the screen equally.

Different live tile sizes on the start screen. The new size that you can see in the videos is small, which lets you add more tiles to the visible area of the start screen. That's good I guess.

Many of the changes make sense and users of the operating system will likely welcome them with open arms. Critics of Windows 8 on the other hand won't be convinced by the changes to give the operating system a(nother) try as the current build is not changing any of the major points of criticism.

@ http://www.ghacks.net/2013/03/24/windows-blue-build-with-minor-improvements-leak/

Full details of the leaked build-

Name: 9364.0.FBL_PARTNER_OUT13.130315-2105_X86FRE_CLIENT_EN-US-IMP_CCSA_DV5.ISO

Size: 2,63 GB

HASH: 179B588DFC21CCF4B76B7E9BE505A51D00F52D6F

Windows Blue which is in development will be released as an free upgrade for Windows 8 in this August and the first public beta will be available by June month.

[mjall]

great if they did not implement the start button again

[anuseems]

Windows Blue: Windows 7 File Recovery option gone

One of the many new features that Microsoft added to Windows 7 was a new backup and recovery feature that users of the operating system could make use of to backup files in select locations of the system. Windows furthermore creates a system image during the operating that you can use to restore the PC if it stops working. The system image is a copy of the drives required for Windows to run. Its space requirements are large because of that, usually between ten or twenty Gigabyte in size but you can make use of it to restore your entire PC.

Microsoft included the feature in Windows 8 but hid it away. A search for backup does not reveal it for instance, but if you do search for recovery, you can access it. Here are the steps to do so:

Press the Windows-key if you are not on the start screen to open that screen.

Type recovery, switch to Settings on the right, and click on the Windows 7 File Recovery option in the results.

This opens the desktop control panel of the same name that displays the same features as Windows 7's Backup and Restore applet does.

If you spend time testing Microsoft's upcoming refresh for Windows 8, Windows Blue, you may have noticed that the Windows 7 File Recovery option has been removed in the operating system. What this means is that you cannot use the file backup option nor the system image backup anymore on the system.

It is not clear why Microsoft removed the feature in Windows Blue. The most likely explanation is that it wants its users to use the Refresh your PC or Reset feature instead which it introduced in Windows 8 as they are seemingly easier to use making them attractive to users of all experience levels.

The core difference between Refresh my PC and Windows 7 File Recovery is that the former won't restore an identical copy of the operating system. While you will retain access to personal data and Metro style apps and some PC settings, you won't keep access to desktop programs and some settings.

It needs to be noted at this point in time that Windows Blue is a work in progress and that the feature may come back in a later build. I'd say it is unlikely that it does but the possibility is still there.

What this means basically is that you will again have to rely on third party backup software for Windows to create a full system backup in Windows Blue.

@ http://www.ghacks.net/2013/03/25/windows-blue-windows-7-file-recovery-option-gone/

[anuseems]

Windows Blue will feature improved synchronization

In today's world, the majority of users handle multiple devices. A desktop PC, notebook, tablet and smartphone are just some examples. Add to that media boxes, gaming consoles and even a connected fridge and you will end up with multiple devices that you use on a daily basis. The though to synchronization some settings and features between devices comes natural, like sending a recently visited websites to your smartphone, syncing bookmarks or even the open websites of the web browser that you are using on multiple devices.

Microsoft added basic syncing capabilities to Windows 8 which it linked to a Microsoft account. Users of Windows 8 can sync several settings including personalization settings like colors and the desktop wallpaper, passwords, ease of access, app settings, browser settings and a couple of other preferences.

While that is great for a start, it is not a full sync, something that many users may have come to expect from Microsoft. Examples of preferences and data that does not get synced are all desktop programs installed on the system, the start screen or the installed apps.

According to Rafael Rivera this is going to change when Windows Blue gets released. He analyzed the leaked Windows Blue build and discovered a Registry key that hinted at new synchronization items that Microsoft added to Windows Blue. Note that since this is a preliminary build, it may happen that some of the items will be removed again in a later build. For now, the following syncing items have been added to Windows Blue on top of the existing items that are already synced in Windows 8:

Installed Apps

App secondary tiles

File History

Picture Password

Tethering

Explorer Quick Links

The Start Screen layout and design

Input Personalization

Device Associations (to pair devices once with a system and sync the information to all connected devices so that the connected device is identified correctly on all other devices without configuration).

Internet Explorer tracking protection and tabs.

Some items are great additions to the synchronization process. I especially like the application and start screen syncing, as it means that you will have all apps and the same start screen available on all Windows 8 systems you work with.

@ http://withinwindows.com/within-windows/2013/3/27/blues-clues-sync-more-with-windows-blue?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WithinWindows+%28Within+Windows%29