Microsoft introduces much-needed changes to Windows 11 setup

When installing Windows from scratch, the process has not really changed much over the years -- and neither has the way the setup experience looks. This means that the installer for Windows 11 looks virtually identical to that of Windows 10, which in turn looked virtually identical to that of Windows 8.

Until now. With the latest release of Windows 11, Microsoft has finally updated the look and feel of the installer. This means not only a cleaner and more consistent aesthetic, but also an improved experience for the "Repair my PC" option.

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The changes can be found in the latest release to the Canary channel -- Windows 11 insider preview build 26040. Microsoft describes the change as offering a more modern design, and it is definitely good to see that there is, at long last, a visual change from older versions of Windows.

In addition to changing the appearance of the installer, Microsoft has also promoted the "Repair my PC" option so it is now more prominent and obvious. Writing about the changes in the release notes for this latest Canary build, the company says:

We are refreshing Windows OS Media Setup with a much cleaner and more modern design. All of the same features will continue to be supported in the bare-metal (clean) OS installation experience, including unattended support, but will now be consistent with the current upgrade and installation experience available for the devices already running the Windows OS.

Windows Insiders who want to try out this refreshed Windows Setup experience can download the ISOs for Build 26040 here and either perform a clean install on their PC or do a clean install in a Virtual Machine (VM).

The company also shares a comparison of how the old and new Windows Setup designs look:

As is the case with changes and additions made to insider builds of Windows 11, Microsoft is looking for feedback about how the new setup experience works. There is an important note from the company about how to do this:

Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Install and Update > Windows Installation. Please note that the Windows Setup experience is fully offline so take note of any issues you hit as you will not be able to submit feedback on that PC until either after the setup completes and you log into Windows, or you can file feedback on a separate PC. If you file feedback on a separate PC, be sure to include information such as build number and any error codes you experience.

More information is available here.

Image credit: PeandBen / depositphotos