Microsoft Brings Another FEP to the Windows Insider Beta Channel

Microsoft announced today that it is bringing its third Feature Experience Pack (FEP) to the Beta channel of the Windows Insider Program. Like the previous FEP, this one only includes a single new feature.

“Today, we are releasing Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.3030.0 to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel,” the firm revealed today. “This update is only available to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who are still on 20H2 (Build 19042.662 or higher). If you chose to move to 21H1 last week, you will not receive this Windows Feature Experience Pack update. We will be releasing Windows Feature Experience Pack updates for Insiders on 21H1 soon.”

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This FEP includes just a single new feature: Improved reliability of the Handwriting Input Panel (HIP). The first FEP included two features, an improvement to the Screen Snip experience and support for a split virtual keyboard when the PC is used in portrait mode. The second FEP had just one feature, improved reliability of screen snipping experience.

As you can tell, these things haven’t been super impressive so far, but I assume the idea is that Microsoft is just testing FEP delivery right now and will eventually expand the number of features that FEPs can deliver. But one thing we do know: While each of the FEPs has only been tested with Insiders so far, each should make its way to general users via Windows Update as well.

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Conversation 9 comments

  • dftf

    23 February, 2021 - 2:50 pm

    <p>At this-rate, it's hard not to see these FEPs going the same way as "Windows Vista Ultimate Extras".</p><p><br></p><p>Like seriously Microsoft: just allow users to opt-into beta versions of app updates via the Microsoft Store. Wasn't one of the aims of it to allow for separating-out Windows' built-in apps and features so they could be updated on an ad-hoc basis, and also to allow for beta versions to be installed alongside stable ones (like how you can have Edge (beta) and Edge (Dev) both installed on the same system, alongside the stable version)?</p>

    • reefer2

      23 February, 2021 - 10:31 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#614830">In reply to dftf:</a></em></blockquote><p>My thoughts exactly, great minds think alike. </p>

    • codymesh

      24 February, 2021 - 4:24 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#614830">In reply to dftf:</a></em></blockquote><p>The Photos app already lets you do this.</p><p><br></p><p>IIRC, when Microsoft introduced feature, they specifically said they're doing for parts of the OS that cannot be made separate </p>

  • IanYates82

    Premium Member
    23 February, 2021 - 4:16 pm

    <p>I use the classic snipping tool daily</p><p><br></p><p>In the past couple of days I've noticed I can now take a new snip, ctrl+c (with or without drawing something on it), and then ctrl+v into something like Teams or our Web-based ticket system, and get something I snipped a couple of days ago! (haven't rebooted, and I tend to leave the snip tool running in the background) </p><p><br></p><p>Never had that happen before. Ctrl+c and paste again – all good. </p><p><br></p><p>Really weird. I know people have spoken of some clipboard bug in Windows 10 but I never experienced it. Is this the sort of thing people were referring to? </p><p><br></p><p>Still on regular 20H2 with all normal patches applied. Nothing fancy. </p><p>I use ditto clipboard manager too, but it hasn't changed in years either. If I see the issue today and don't fix it without thinking (muscle memory) I'll check ditto's history to see what it was fed by snipping tool.</p>

    • eric_rasmussen

      Premium Member
      24 February, 2021 - 2:11 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#614851">In reply to IanYates82:</a></em></blockquote><p>Windows has always had this weird clipboard thing where Ctrl+C doesn't always pick up what it's supposed to. Years ago I got into the habit of pressing Ctrl+CCCCC to make sure it actually performs the copy command and haven't had any issues since.</p>

      • Paul Thurrott

        Premium Member
        25 February, 2021 - 8:27 am

        I feel like this was a several-years-long problem in Windows 10. But I’ve not experienced it in a while.

  • JimP

    24 February, 2021 - 8:19 am

    <p>Do these FEPs eventually get rolled into Windows 10 or do they remain separate downloads?</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      24 February, 2021 - 9:01 am

      They’re cumulative updates, so they will be rolled into Windows.

  • winner

    24 February, 2021 - 3:13 pm

    <p>So improving reliability of an existing feature is now a "Feature Experience"?</p><p>Lol.</p>

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