Windows 8.1 Update 1 leaks ahead of March release, shows new features: Report

Microsoft's first update to Windows 8.1, called Windows 8.1 Update 1, has been supposedly leaked ahead of its release in March, and is available on various file sharing websites. The leaked build has revealed certain tweaks which will simplify the Windows 8 user's access to certain functionalities.

The changes, reported by Verge's Tom Warren, are said to revamp the user's keyboard and mouse experience in Windows 8.1. One of the noted changes shown is the new title bar placed on the top of the Metro apps, allowing the users to close, minimize and snap Windows apps side-by-side via mouse.

The "start screen" has reportedly also been changed, as the right-click on Live Tiles pops-up a list of options to resize, unpin, and perform different functionalities. The firm is also said to introduce its search button along with the shutdown option on the start screen itself as a part of the first update for Windows 8.1. While the search button navigates the user to its regular sidebar, the shutdown button gives a drop-down list for restart, shutdown, and sleep.

Microsoft has also reportedly added a link in Windows 8.1 Update 1 navigating to the control panel straight from the PC settings section. The users will now be able to store apps in the taskbar via a new option available in the desktop taskbar settings. It has been also noted that the task bar on top of the metro apps stay even when the user opens one of the Metro apps. However, it vanishes as soon as the user starts to interact with the app. This feature is speculated to be a bug or a new change in design.

According to the reports, there are no other significant changes in the Windows 8.1 Update 1. Notably, a leak last week also detailed similar changes, corroborating the changes derived from the leaked Update 1 build.

However, the final version of the update will be only seen when Microsoft releases it on 11 March, ahead of the firm's Build developers conference scheduled for April.