Microsoft has started replacing several legacy dialog boxes in Windows 11, a move that could gradually remove interface elements that have survived since the Windows 95 era.
The company is rebuilding these components using WinUI 3, Microsoft's modern user interface framework. The goal is to bring greater consistency to Windows 11, where modern menus and settings pages often sit alongside decades-old system windows.
One of the first redesigns is already complete. Reports suggest Microsoft has finished work on a modern version of the file copy dialog, one of the most frequently used elements in Windows.
The best indicator of this change came earlier this month when Microsoft released the revamped Run dialog. The utility, which could be accessed using the Win+R keyboard shortcut, had maintained its look for almost three decades now.
The company updated the utility using contemporary technologies without compromising its basic features. The revamped Run dialog starts up faster than its predecessor and boasts some usability enhancements.
Users can directly access their home folder through shortcuts like ‘~’, and application icons have been integrated into the utility's design. Moreover, Microsoft removed the Browse button for little user engagement with the feature.
Windows 11 came with a revamped design language complete with rounded edges, new icons, and revised menu systems.
Users would be able to transition straight from a contemporary-looking Settings pane to a dialog box reminiscent of Windows versions long past. The disparity was particularly noticeable in programs such as File Explorer, Control Panel tools, and other administrative utilities.
It became an increasingly prevalent concern among users, especially given Microsoft's marketing Windows 11 as a contemporary OS.
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Microsoft has made no indication of when all of the legacy dialogs will be modernized. Furthermore, Microsoft has not released any roadmap regarding the project as a whole.
The redesigned file copying dialog box, along with the Run tool, indicates that the process has already begun. It is likely that future releases of Windows 11 will incorporate the same process into additional system elements.
This update doesn’t involve any groundbreaking innovations, but it does update an area of Windows that has gone unchanged since its introduction. This could be equally as valuable to many users.