December 2024 only had a Patch Tuesday update rollout for Windows 11 and 10, as opposed to the usual additional optional update. Microsoft had paused the optional updates for Windows 11 because most of the engineers were on holiday due to Christmas and New Year.

Optional updates are important because they introduces some new features every time, and it looks like the January 2025 optional patch will be bigger than the previous two releases. This means February 2025 will be an exciting month for Windows 11 24H2 users as it will turn on File Explorer and other improvements by default.

Let’s have a look at what’s coming next month with Windows 11 February 2025 Update or this month with Windows 11 January 2025 Update. This is based on the release notes of the Windows 11 beta channel, so some of the improvements will also roll out to Windows 11 23H2, as Microsoft wants to backport features.

Magnifier improvements

Subtle improvements will arrive in the Magnifier app.

While using the app, you must have felt the need to reset the zoom in one go. Now, there’s a new button for that action in the toolbar and a button to rest zoom levels to your last preference.

Both of these changes are available coming to Windows 11 23H2 as well.

Also, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Alt-Minus to change the zoom level.

File Explorer

You’ll find multiple quality-of-life improvements as opposed to big feature additions like tabs. Firstly, you’ll get the option to create a new folder in the new File Explorer context menu.

Until now, you could only create a folder in the File Explorer’s navigation pane (the section on the left side) with the old context menu. Now, that option will be available in the main right context menu, saving you the effort of clicking on Show more options and then accessing it.

Then the tabs feature is getting quite a few touchups. If you prefer to restore the File Explorer windows after a restart, Windows will now preserve the open tabs as well.

You can easily configure it with the “Restore previous windows on logon” toggle in the View settings of the app.

For example, if the “Restore previous folder windows at logon” is checked, you can shut down the PC when File Explorer has tabs for Documents, Pictures, Downloads. The next time, File Explorer will remember it and open those tabs for you by default. This change is now linked to “Restore previous folder windows at logon”.

Check out the guide on additional settings that you might need to enable to use this feature without hiccups.

An additional change could be the new smart tab control that doesn’t waste system resources by launching multiple app windows.

If you have an already active File Explorer window and try to open a folder from another location, Windows 11 will open that location in a new tab inside the same window.

File Sharing and other fixes coming to Windows 11 24H2

Sharing a file in the File Explorer requires you to use the option from the context menu, which then launches a mini window. From here, you can pick a preferred app and then share the file. But soon, you’ll get a sub-context menu for the option.

So, you won’t have to use the mini window for some apps like Outlook or WhatsApp.

Some additional upgrades include allowing other users without administrative privileges to change the PC time zones.

The time zone issue crept into Windows 11 24H2 when a lot of non-admin users suddenly couldn’t change it. A setting they were easily able to manipulate before it just stopped working.

We spotted a lot of admins complaining about the issue on Reddit, blaming Microsoft for the wonky Windows 11 24H2 update.

Surprisingly, the old Control Panel applet was working fine for the users, and they could change the time zone by using it.

All these changes will arrive as an optional update in January and a mandatory update in February 2025.

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