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Microsoft has released a new Windows 11 preview build today that introduces a new feature that will show recommended apps from the Microsoft Store in the "open with" menu when attempting to open a file that has no default app set or has an unknown file extension. The feature is designed to streamline the process between attempting to open an unknown file, and installing an app necessary to view said file.
"When you try to open a file in Windows with no associated app, the Open With dialog box pops up to suggest apps you can use by clicking on “see more apps in the Microsoft store”. Now, apps from the Microsoft Store are included directly in this list, so you don’t have to navigate to the Microsoft Store to find the right one. This makes it faster and easier to find and install the app you need."
The new change is rolling out gradually for Insiders in the Beta and Dev Channels, meaning you won't see it right away when you install today's preview build. It's unclear if the feature can be disabled for those who don't want to see recommended Microsoft Store apps, either.
Some may view this addition as another avenue for advertising, but if the feature really does only recommend apps that are known to deal with the file type in question, I can see this being a really handy streamlined experience. It's often frustrating when you try to open a file and find that you don't have the app installed to deal with it. Being able to install it directly via the Open With menu is a nice addition.
Other changes announced today include a new Unified Update Orchestrator Platform, which is designed to allow app developers to lean on Windows Update to install app updates, streamlining the update experience on the OS.
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