Windows 11 'Moment 3' Update: Minor But Useful

The latest Windows 11 update brings a host of new features. The emphasis appears to be very much about minor improvements rather than a major overhaul.

All users who have the latest edition of Windows 11 (codenamed 22H2) will now get the "Moment 3" update. Those on older editions will only be getting the regular security patch.

"Moment 3" doesn't include any dramatic changes but rather includes new and tweaked features that will have small but meaningful benefits. For example, File Explorer and the desktop will get "access keys," designed to bring the benefits of shortcut keys without the need for the user to memorize the commands.

Users will simply need to click either a blank area of the desktop or File Explorer, or select an icon. They can then hit the menu key on their keyboard (usually found next to Ctrl in the bottom right of the keyboard) to bring up a list of commands, each of which can be activated by hitting a single letter.

Every Second Counts

Other changes affect notifications from message apps such as email that include one-time passwords such as a two-factor authentication code. These notifications will now include a one-click button to copy the code to the clipboard, ready to paste into a web page rather than type the code in full. This is similar to the way some smartphones handle such codes.

The new features also include having a shield icon appear in the system tray when a Virtual Private Network is active, optionally displaying seconds in the clock at the bottom right of the screen, and more detailed information and settings about USB 4 devices. (Source: thurrott.com)

Bugs Less Likely

As with any Windows update these days, there's always a risk of introducing new bugs that overshadow any improvements. However, that's a little less likely than usual because of the way Moment 3 was distributed.

It's already been available to some users who had chosen the "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" option. Even then, Microsoft only rolled it out to some users in this category. (Source: techradar.com)

In effect they were running a limited test program on ordinary users rather than those who have signed up for early access and are likely more tech confident than average. The staggered rollout was likely designed to reach enough people that potentially widespread problems would be picked up, while minimizing the numbers affected by any bugs.

What's Your Opinion?

Do any of these changes sound useful? Do you prefer major overhauls to Windows or small tweaks? Was Microsoft right to roll out the updates to a proportion of users before the full launch?