Latest Windows 10 20H1 Preview Build shows Microsoft is making the Windows 10 Shell piecemeal upgradable

We all know Microsoft is working on multiple Windows shells for future devices with different form factors and use cases, such as famously Andromeda for dual-screen smartphones, Centaurus for dual-screen laptops and Oasis for HoloLens.

Yesterday’s Windows 10 20h1 Preview Build 18917 has elements which show that Microsoft is working to make it easier to mix and match Windows 10 UI elements by adding hooks to Windows Explorer which will make the OS look at packages (both downloadable and build into the OS) which will replace current UI shell components.

Discovered by Windows 10 hacker Albacore, the feature is mediated by a component called Microsoft-OneCore-Shell-UpdateAgent.

Features associated with this new mechanism call it the Undocked Shell, the first time we've seen "Undocked" in feature names was when Microsoft decoupled the Search and Cortana experiences

— Albacore ?? (@thebookisclosed) June 12, 2019

As of right now, there is not much to see. The Shell Update Agent comes with some preconfigured values which reference components that don't yet exist. See screenshots for the values & their location pic.twitter.com/hHp3VyIKpv

— Albacore ?? (@thebookisclosed) June 12, 2019

One fun tidbit: You can see that one of the strings rests in a key called "Retail." If you suspect that it checks more locations, congrats, you're correct. The Shell Update Agent is capable of querying an "Internal" shell as well.

— Albacore ?? (@thebookisclosed) June 12, 2019

Build 18917's Explorer also seems to update your Pins to a different/newer(?) format

— Albacore ?? (@thebookisclosed) June 12, 2019

In theory, users would be able to download a new shell from the Store, or practically switch shells on the fly.

Likely related, it appears some apps will be able to advertise themselves as “shell switchers”.

https://twitter.com/h0x0d/status/1139009133519167488

The first component in line to be “undocked” from the rest of the Windows 10 shell appears to be the Action Centre.

Action Center seems to be among the first few things that even current builds try to source from a Shell package if available. In case something feels off about AC in future builds, this might be why

— Albacore ?? (@thebookisclosed) June 12, 2019

The feature appears to be part of OneCore suggests all the alternate shells will be dynamically updatable.

The whole shell updating mechanism exists in a component called Microsoft-OneCore-Shell-UpdateAgent which in my opinion suggests that this may come to more places than classic desktop Windows

— Albacore ?? (@thebookisclosed) June 12, 2019

This development is interesting in that it may allow Microsoft to introduce updated UI elements at a more comfortable pace than swapping out the whole user interface in one go – something which did not go down too well with Windows 8.

What do our readers make of this news? Let us know below.