- [Instructor] This course covers Windows 11
including the updates added in September of 2023.
This is sometimes referred to as version 23H2.
Let's see a quick overview of the changes
and new features in this version.
Microsoft is placing a big focus on AI.
You may have heard of Microsoft's AI Assistant
called Copilot
which is now integrated into the Windows interface.
Using the Copilot button in the task bar
you can open your AI assistant, which can help you
with many different tasks as you work in Windows.
If you don't see this button, don't give up yet,
you should check something in Windows Settings.
But what's different about Copilot for Windows
is the way it integrates into your system
and the applications you're using.
For example,
maybe you need to change a setting for your computer.
You can ask Copilot to do it.
Copilot can also help you when working in applications.
For example, I have a webpage open with lots of text
and I just don't have time to read all this.
So with this webpage open,
I can click the Copilot button
and I'll type summarize this page
and hit the Return key.
You can ask it to make system changes,
or if you're working in an application,
you can open Copilot
and ask it for help in that application.
And there are other AI tools that you can use in Windows.
In this course,
we will see how you can go to the Bing website
and use the AI Chat and Compose tools there.
But we'll also see how Bing Chat
and Bing Compose can be accessed
as a dedicated tab inside the Edge web browser
and directly from the Windows search tool.
Microsoft has also announced that they will soon
be updating some of the bundled applications
like the Photos app, the design tool Microsoft Paint
and the screen capture utility called the Snipping Tool.
So keep an eye out for new AI-based features
when those individual apps are updated.
And if you go to the Microsoft App Store,
there's now a tab on the left called the AI Hub
which spotlights third party apps
with AI features that you can install.
And there are even more new features beyond AI.
I'll go to Window Settings,
and this is where you can make adjustments
to how things work on your computer.
Now, window settings opens with a home screen.
We see that the home category is selected on the left
so we see the home screen on the right,
and this has shortcuts
to some of the most important system settings.
So instead of going through
the different categories on the left,
often you will find the setting
that you're looking for right here on the home screen.
Another change related to settings
is in the Quick Settings panel.
When you open the Quick Settings panel,
one of the options you'll find is the slider
to adjust your computer's audio.
One new feature in Windows 11
is that you can click this button
to the right of the audio slider
to get more audio controls, including the volume mixer.
This lets you adjust the audio volume separately
for different applications.
Now while we're looking at the task bar,
you probably see the date and time
in the bottom right corner on your computer,
but we hide the clock in our training videos
to decrease distractions.
Now in the far right corner,
there is now a bell icon.
In past version of Windows 11,
you would need to click on the date and time
to open the Notification Center,
but now you can click this bell icon
to open the notification center.
And I find this makes more sense
than clicking on the date and time.
Also, the bell icon will just be an outline
when you do not have any new notifications
and it will be a solid color
when you do have notifications waiting for you.
Next, if you use the basic mail,
calendar and address book applications
that come with Windows,
it may be time to make a change.
Microsoft now includes a free version of Outlook
with Windows 11.
Outlook is an all-in-one email, calendar,
and address book application
that has been part of Microsoft Office for years.
Now, you can still use the basic mail, calendar,
and address book apps for now if you want
but soon all users will need to transition away
from those apps and move over
to this new free version of Outlook
or another email application.
Next, let's look at File Explorer.
If you've used Windows
before the update in September of 2023,
this will look a little different.
The shortcuts on the left are easier to see.
There's now a gallery option that lets you quickly browse
through all of the pictures on your storage drive.
And the toolbar up at the top is more streamlined.
I think it's easier to find
what you're looking for in these menus.
There's also a button in the top right
of the File Explorer for the Details pane.
So you can locate a file or folder on your storage drive,
select it, then click that Details button
to get much more information about that item.
And finally, if you go to the Start menu,
to the list of all apps,
you'll now find a new application called Windows Backup.
This will allow you to backup not just your files
but also your system configurations
in Settings and your applications.
It backs everything up to your Microsoft Online account,
so restoring that information to a new computer
is as easy as signing into your account
and letting it all synchronize.
But that's just a quick introduction
to the biggest new features.
We'll spend more time going through the details
of how these new features work as we go through this course.