As Microsoft continues to increase the number of users receiving the Update automatically, it is also increasing the number of those who will have the “Windows Feature Experience Pack” installed on their computers. Since this feature pack, which has been known since at least December 2019, is coming en masse to devices , Microsoft has not provided any further details on what exactly the “Windows 10 Feature Experience Pack” is and what it is used for.
Specifically, a Microsoft spokesperson said the company has no official comment on the matter. However, some information has been leaked about what appears to be the Windows Feature Experience Pack. You can see the Windows Feature Experience Pack listed as one of the on-demand features for Windows 10 and Windows Server. This list also includes Internet Explorer, Notepad, DirectX Configuration Database, Paint, PowerShell ISe, Quick Assist, Print Management Console, and more. The Windows Feature Experience Pack, listed as available starting with Windows 10 version 2004 , includes features that are important for Windows functionality. Microsoft advises users not to remove this collection of Windows client shell components, which is 44.15 MB in size. This Windows Feature Experience Pack, which is completely different from the Windows Experience Pack for Windows XP, Vista, and 7, appears to be a way for Microsoft to bundle features that will be updated faster than the operating system . It will allow for a set of Windows features to be updated, rather than just UI/UX changes, through the Microsoft Store. It is speculated that this collection of apps will be able to be tested together as a package, rather than individually.
Right now, there are a few things in the Windows Feature Experience Pack: the updated Tool , an updated text input panel, and an updated shell suggestion UI. The Windows 10 build is said to work on all Windows 10 variants since the original release, as well as the Xbox One. Windows 10X is currently on hold and is being “reimagined” for single-screen devices.
There has been speculation that the Windows 10 Feature Experience Pack is in line with Microsoft's long-term goal of separating the UI/UX of Windows 10 from the underlying Windows Core operating system. The big plan would be for Microsoft to be able to switch between different shells on top of the Core OS, depending on the type of Windows 10 device they were running on. Finally, the Windows Feature Experience Pack appears to be tied to the Composable Shell.
