Microsoft Accidently Leaks Its Internal Tool Which Enables Secret Windows 11 Features
Microsoft has leaked its internal tool which enables secret Windows 11 features. The leak was accidental and the leaked app was the “StagingTool”. It was used by the employees to enable secret and unreleased Windows 11 features.
Windows typically tests experimental and hidden Windows 11 features in public builds of the operating system. Windows enthusiasts have until now had to rely on third-party tools to access these features. These hidden features were not yet enabled for all testers by Microsoft.
This accidental release of the StagingTool was part of the company’s “bug bash” event this week. Bug bash is a procedure where all the developers, testers, program managers, usability researchers, designers, documentation folks and even sometimes marketing people put aside their regular day-to-day duties and “pound on the product”- that is, each exercises the product in every way they can think of.
Because each person will use the product in slightly different (or very different) ways, and the product is getting a great deal of use in a short amount of time and this approach may reveal bugs relatively quickly.
XenoPanther, a Twitter user, was the first one to discover the Staging Tool on Wednesday. But hours later, Microsoft quickly removed it without getting much attention. The internal tool is now being widely shared by the Windows community.
StagingTool is very similar to the third-party ViveTool app which Windows enthusiasts have been using for years to enable the hidden Windows 11 features. This app is a command line app that lets you toggle feature IDs that enable certain unreleased parts of Windows 11.
Microsoft is expected to deliver their next big Windows 11 update in September, including native support for RAR and 7-Zip files.
