How to know about gradually rolling new features on my W11 computer?

There are dozens of new W11 features that are communicated to be gradually rolling out. BUT... How can I get *notified* (and how?) when a new feature (say A, B or C) has happily landed (been enabled) on MY computer and is available for use? Don't wanna spend time on checking is there something new or not...

And no, I'm not talking about following the release / roll-out status from the Microsoft Windows Roadmap web pages.

This 'News' section (IMO) has nothing to do for me to know whether a specific rolling feature is actually enabled on MY computer or not.

Sorry, not meant to be unpolite or anything :)

The Windows Roadmap has quite a lot of information about status and types of feature releases for Windows 11. It is possible to create filters to give specific information about updates.
It may be of some help.

Short answer: You don't, unless you keep up with certain Windows Insider hackers or tech sites that monitor their social feeds.

Hidden Windows features are managed by Feature ID's buried inside a release (patch update). There is no published catalog of active Feature ID's from MS, all this information is reverse-engineered by some dedicated Insider hackers.

They take advantage of the fact that MS regularly releases an updated Windows symbols table to help devs debug their code. By searching for new symbols, it's possible to detect changes in the update. After more digging, the hackers may discover what changes a Feature ID manages.

Some features may require one or more FeatureID's enabled at the same time to activate.

Because this last step is a manual process, sometimes a "dictionary" of known Feature ID's is compiled. While many Feature ID's are known, not everyone spends the time to track all of them down and document the results.

Using vivetool, you can dump a list Feature ID's reported for your Windows build. But this listing is useless without a guide. So you watch for talented hackers like phantomofearth or TheBobPony to report the latest discoveries.

Why bother? Just install all available updates to make sure you are not missing any features or security patches. To check if you have a specific update installed, go to Settings, Windows Update, Update History.

You're missing the point, a KB can roll out hidden features and your PC isn't "randomly selected" in the gradual rollout. The only way to enable it is with ViveTool or Mach2. There will be no notification that a new feature is unlockable, or whether you've been chosen.

Folks who are on Insider have those Feature ID's automatically enabled in their builds.

garlin said:

Folks who are on Insider have those Feature ID's automatically enabled in their builds.

Click to expand...

Many Insider features at least for Beta and RP are gradual rollouts as well that require vivetool activation if you don't want to wait on them. Seems to be no method to the gradual rollout madness.

FrancoDT said:

Many Insider features at least for Beta and RP are gradual rollouts as well that require vivetool activation if you don't want to wait on them. Seems to be no method to the gradual rollout madness.

Click to expand...

There is a method, but MS decides for you. A scheduled task "\Microsoft\Windows\Flighting\FeatureConfig" periodically checks to see if you're supposed to be offered a new feature or not. You may be lucky, and get selected. Or not.

Those selected will have different Feature ID's turned. If you're on an Insider build, the ID's are already enabled or you're more likely to get them enabled when FeatureConfig runs again.

garlin said:

There is a method, but MS decides for you. A scheduled task "\Microsoft\Windows\Flighting\FeatureConfig" periodically checks to see if you're supposed to be offered a new feature or not. You may be lucky, and get selected. Or not.

Those selected will have different Feature ID's turned. If you're on an Insider build, the ID's are already enabled or you're more likely to get them enabled when FeatureConfig runs again.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a random lottery draw and dumb luck lol

FrancoDT said:

Sounds like a random lottery draw and dumb luck lol

Click to expand...

BINGO!

Over & out so there's not

Finally, got curious about the vivetool.

So, should I decide to try it, does it NOT alter my installed Windows binaries, just enables / de-enables features = I can go back safely just by running the '/disable' commmand for some feature I did not like?

tjsuominen said:

Finally, got curious about the vivetool.

So, should I decide to try it, does it NOT alter my installed Windows binaries, just enables / de-enables features = I can go back safely just by running the '/disable' commmand for some feature I did not like?

Click to expand...

Exactly.

At some point each Feature ID can be disabled by MS when they're done with A/B testing, and decide to remove the legacy code. That's why ViveTool compiles an ever growing list of known ID's. Some have stopped working years ago because the code no longer checks for those values. Others will continue working years later.

Changes will eventually flow from Dev/Canary -> Insider/Release Preview -> Production builds. The catch is when you're not on the right build, it might take longer for it to show up in Production.