- Windows 11 build 22449 releases in the Dev Channel.
- Changes in the flight aren’t tied to any specific release of Windows 11.
- Build 22449 introduces new boot animation, SMB compression tweaks, and settings improvements.
As part of the next feature update of Windows 11, Microsoft is now making available build 22449 in the Dev Channel of the Windows Insider Program. This is the first preview the company is releasing for testers in the active development branch (RS_PRERELEASE), which means that any features or improvements are not linked to any specific release of the OS.
Windows 11 build 22449, according to the company, makes changes to the SMB compression algorithm that was previously introduced for Windows 11 so that if compression is requested, the file will always try to compress during a network transfer.
In a nutshell, SMB compression is a feature that allows a user or application to request compression of files as they transfer over the network. The new feature removes the need to compress a file manually with an application, copy it, then uncompress on the destination machine. When using compression, files will use less bandwidth, therefore taking less time to transfer, but at the cost of some additional processor usage during transfers.
As part of the boot experience, the startup will now show a progressive ring animation instead of an animated circle of dots. (Microsoft also plans to adopt this new animation in other parts of the OS.)
The Windows startup sound will no longer play after the computer reboots automatically to apply updates.
In Quick Settings, right-clicking on the Bluetooth entry and selecting Settings will open the “Bluetooth & Devices” pages.
Windows 11 build 22449 also adds a new link to the touch keyboard personalization settings from Typing > Touch Keyboard to help improve discoverability.
In the notification experience, this flight tweaks the Notification Center to improve the visibility of apps names from the notifications. Also, the notifications design has been updated to include an acrylic background. And the animation used in the Windows Hello notification when setting up the feature has been updated.
Alongside the new internal and visual changes, Windows 11 build 22449 also ships with a bunch of fixes for Taskbar, input, File Explorer, Settings, authentication, Bluetooth, and more.
You can check all the fixes and known issues for build 22449 at the Windows Blog.
Get the Windows 11 ISO file
Furthermore, Microsoft is also releasing the first ISO file for Windows 11 (build 22449) to allow testers to try doing a clean install or in-place upgrade of the new version.
Install Windows 11 build 22449
If you want to download and install the Windows 11 build 22449, you need to enroll your device in the Dev Channel using the “Windows Insider Program” settings from the “Update & Security” section.
Once you enroll the computer in the program, you can download build 22449 from the “Windows Update” settings by clicking the Check for Updates button. However, you will need a device that meets the minimum system requirements to receive the update if you are new to the Windows Insider Program.
Finally, the company continues to warn that devices not meeting the minimum requirements to test pre-release of Windows 11 should roll back immediately to Windows 10 during a clean installation.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].