Windows Insiders Will Soon Have Access To Additional Archive Formats, An Improved Audio Mixer Interface, And An AI-Powered Windows 11 Review.

Microsoft is fulfilling its promise to provide Windows Copilot to testers in June. The current version of the Windows Insider development channel (23493) includes early access to Windows Copilot, support for RAR and 7-Zip formats, a new settings homepage, and an even better audio mixer.

Microsoft introduced Windows Copilot at the Build session earlier this year, and the version that testers can access today is fixed as a sidebar on the right side of Windows 11. The bar won’t overlap your desktop content and will run seamlessly alongside your open program windows, allowing you to interact with Windows Copilot whenever needed.

You can ask Windows Copilot, powered by artificial intelligence, questions that would normally be answered by Bing Chat or even system commands like:

• Switch to the dark mode
• Take a screenshot
• Activate do not disturb mode

Windows Copilot can also be used similarly to the Bing sidebar in the Microsoft Edge browser to summarize what you see on the web or generate AI-generated images and text. Microsoft says: We will deliver inline offers that we think will be available on Bing through ads. So you will see ads in this interface.

Since this is a preview version, Windows Copilot is not fully functional, so it only controls basic Windows settings, and there is no support for third-party plugins here yet. Over time, features will be added as the Windows Copilot experience is shared with Windows Insiders.

If you’re a fan of RAR or 7-Zip files, Microsoft is finally natively adding support for these formats. The lib archive open-source project will support additional archive formats, including tar, 7-Zip, RAR, gz, and many more. Microsoft warns that early performance issues may occur as it works to improve it in future Windows Insider builds.

Microsoft announced at Build that this improved support for archive formats would be available to everyone in September. “We also plan to provide support for creating files in these formats in 2024,” said Charla Swinicksen, a product manager at Microsoft, at the Build session.

Another feature that Windows Insiders can now officially test is the improved Sound Mixer interface in Windows 11 Quick Settings.

The experience of quick audio settings has been updated, along with a modern sound mixer and the ability to customize the proper quickly per app. Also, additional control is available to switch devices dynamically. The Windows team has announced: By adding a new shortcut to the keyboard (WIN + CTRL + V), you can be directed directly to the sound mixer, providing a faster way to control the sound.

This new audio mixer was discovered earlier this year, and with a keyboard shortcut, it looks like a great addition to Windows 11. EarTrumpet, a Windows app created almost five years ago inspired Microsoft here.

Microsoft is also adding a new home settings screen to Windows 11. It now includes an overview of your device, combined with important settings. You’re quickly taken to the System Settings section, so this new home page is designed to be less hassle with up to seven information cards. You can view information about Microsoft 365 or Xbox subscriptions, manage Bluetooth devices, quickly customize the background, and check how much OneDrive cloud storage space you have left.

Finally, Microsoft is testing new suggestions for Snap Layouts in Windows 11. When you hover over the minimize or maximize button, app icons will be displayed based on which apps perform best next to each other.