Windows 10 Windows 10 Insider Preview

By Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc
SHARE Link Removed SHARE SHARE SKYPE
Hello Windows Insiders!
Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17112 (RS4) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring.
Windows Mixed Reality
There are two issues impacting the usability of Windows Mixed Reality on this build. Windows Mixed Reality runs at a very low frame rate (8-10fps) that could result in some physical discomfort. And there are multiple crashes at startup that will cause Windows Mixed Reality to not work. For Insiders who want to keep Windows Mixed Reality working – you might want to consider hitting pause on taking new Insider Preview builds until these issues are fixed. You can pause Insider Preview builds by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program and pressing the “Stop Insider Preview builds” button and choosing “Pause updates for a bit”.
General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

• We fixed an issue where selecting a notification after taking a screenshot or game clip opened the Xbox app’s home screen instead of opening the screenshot or game clip.
• We fixed an issue where EFI and Recovery partitions were unexpectedly listed in Defragment and Optimize Drives.
• We fixed an issue optimizing drives in Defragment and Optimize Drives didn’t work in the last few flights.
• We fixed an issue resulting in a permanently black window if you dragged a tab out of a Microsoft Edge window, pulled it up to the top edge of the screen, and moved it back down and released it.
• We fixed an issue where the warning on Windows 10 S when trying to run non-Microsoft Store apps from File Explorer might end up stuck behind the File Explorer window.
• We fixed an issue where there was some unexpected extra space in the File Explorer navigation pane before the chevron icons to expand/collapse folders.
• We fixed an issue where if focus was set inside Action Center pressing Esc wouldn’t close the Action Center window.
• We fixed an issue that could result in ShellExperienceHost periodically waking the device from hibernate if active live tiles were pinned to Start.
• We fixed an issue where navigating to Settings > System > Focus Assist > “Customize your priority list” could crash Settings.

Known issues

• IMPORTANT: The Microsoft Store may be completely broken or disappeared altogether after upgrading to this build. Please see this forum post for details including a workaround on how to get the Microsoft Store back.
• If you try to open a file that is available online-only from OneDrive that hasn’t been previously downloaded to your PC (marked with a green checkmark in File Explorer), your PC could bugcheck (GSOD). You can work around this problem by right-clicking on these files and selecting “Always keep on this device.” Any file-on-demand from OneDrive that is already downloaded to the PC should open fine.
• Post-install at the first user-prompted reboot or shutdown, a small number of devices have experienced a scenario wherein the OS fails to load properly and may enter a reboot loop state. For affected PCs, turning off fast boot may bypass the issue. If not, it is necessary to create a bootable ISO on a USB drive, boot into recovery mode, and this this will allow bypass.
• When Movies & TV user denies access to its videos library (through the “Let Movies & TV access your videos library?” popup window or through Windows privacy settings), Movies & TV crashes when the user navigates to the “Personal” tab.

No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service,
Dona
UPDATED MARCH 2, 2018 2:37 PM

Click to expand...

By Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc
SHARE Link Removed SHARE SHARE SKYPE
Hello Windows Insiders!

This week we have 50 Windows Insider MVPs on campus as a part of the global MVP Summit. It’s been a pleasure to get face-to-face time with some of our biggest advocates as well as the people who help the overall Windows community the most.

Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17115 (RS4) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring.

A new privacy settings layout in the set up experience
This spring, we will release an update to Windows 10 that will include changes to the set up experience for privacy settings. This new design conveys focused information to help our customers make focused choices about their privacy and offers two new settings for Inking & Typing and Find my device. More details about the change can be found in this blog post here.

General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

• We fixed an issue where If you tried to open a file that was available online-only from OneDrive that hadn’t been previously downloaded to your PC (marked with a green checkmark in File Explorer), your PC could bugcheck (GSOD).
• We fixed an issue where post-install at the first user-prompted reboot or shutdown, a small number of devices experienced a scenario wherein the OS fails to load properly and might have entered a reboot loop state.
• We fixed an issue where the Microsoft Store might be completely broken or gone altogether after upgrading.
• We fixed an issue where when you denied Movies & TV access to your videos library (through the “Let Movies & TV access your videos library?” popup window or through Windows privacy settings), Movies & TV would crash when you navigated to the “Personal” tab.
• We fixed two issues impacting the usability of Windows Mixed Reality on the previous build (Windows Mixed Reality running at a very low frame rate (8-10fps), and a potential crash at startup that could cause Windows Mixed Reality to not work).
• We fixed an issue from recent flights resulting the Direct Messages section of Twitter.com potentially not rendering in Microsoft Edge.
• We fixed an issue from recent flights causing precision touchpads to periodically need a few tries to be able to move the mouse.
• We fixed an issue impacting the Italian touch keyboard layout where the period key would act as a delete key in UWP apps.
• We fixed an issue impacting the Czech touch keyboard layout where numbers on the &123 view couldn’t be inserted into UWP apps.
• We fixed an issue where you couldn’t use touch to interact with the Timeline scrollbar.
• We fixed an issue where a failed app update could result in that app becoming unpinned from the taskbar.
• We fixed an issue where the controls in the Focus Assist Settings subpages didn’t have accessible labels.
• We fixed an issue from the last few flights where after launching, minimizing, then closing UWP apps enough times, you would stop being able to launch UWP apps.

Known issues

• There are currently no known issues for this flight however if any issues are discovered based off Insider feedback, we’ll add them here.

No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service,
Dona

Click to expand...

MARCH 16, 2018 10:04 AMAnnouncing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17123 for Fast
By Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc
SHARE Link Removed SHARE SHARE SKYPE
Hello Windows Insiders!
Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17123 (RS4) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring.
What’s new in Build 17123
Introducing High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) in Windows 10
The High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) has arrived for Windows 10 and the Photos app! HEIF is an image container that leverages modern codecs like HEVC to improve quality, compression, and capabilities compared to earlier formats like JPEG, GIF, and PNG. In addition to traditional single images, HEIF supports encoding image sequences, image collections, auxiliary images like alpha or depth maps, live images & video, audio, and HDR for greater contrast. We have heard your feedback that these features and the ability to share photos easily with other platforms is important to you. This release we are delivering essential viewing support (You cannot edit HEIF images in this release).
In order to try this out, you need to join the Windows App Preview Program for the Photos app and make sure you are running the March release of the Link Removed app (Version 2018.18022.13740.0 or newer). This version of the Photos app has been updated for RS4 to support viewing the primary image inside a HEIF file and to guide the install of dependencies like the HEIF and HEVC media extensions from the Microsoft Store. Once installed, these media extensions enable HEIF viewing in Photos as well as thumbnails and metadata in File Explorer.
Additionally, any application that uses WIC, WinRT Imaging APIs, or the XAML Image control can now add similar support for viewing single HEIF images.
Click here to open Feedback Hub and send us feedback on the HEIF experience with the Photos app and Windows 10.
Windows Mixed Reality
With this build, the Windows Mixed Reality Team would like to let you know about a few known issues as you try out the new Windows Mixed Reality features:

• We’re investigating reports of a performance regression for Windows Mixed Reality on hybrid laptops on this build.
• In some cases, the inbox apps will fail to load inside of Windows Mixed Reality and newly placed Holograms may be empty. Restarting Windows Mixed Reality should resolve both issues.
• Occasionally there may be a long delay and restart of mixed reality when transitioning to a new place (Skyloft or Cliff House).

Since the last build, the following bugs should now be fixed:

• The ambient sound in Skyloft should now the correct volume.
• Launching the Store from Movies & TV should no longer crash either app.
• 360 videos should render correctly inside of the Edge app, and the Link Removed can be launched from directly from the Store app.

To give feedback on Windows Mixed Reality, click here to open Feedback Hub.
General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

• We fixed an issue from the last flight on PCs with the Dolby Access app installed and expired Dolby Atmos license, where the Windows Audio service (audiosrv) would crash with a stack overflow exception and the PC won’t have sound.
• We fixed an issue resulting in a bug check with the error message SECURE_KERNEL_ERROR in recent flights.
• As of Build 17063, a change was made that may have caused some older drivers to not load properly. This may have caused update failures or bugchecks (GSODs) shortly after the PC was rebooted. This build includes fixes for this that should prevent these update failures and bugchecks from occurring.
• Thanks everyone who’s shared feedback about our Embedded Handwriting Panel so far – we’re making a change such that if you clean install, reset your PC, or upgrade straight to this build from the Fall Creators Update this experience will be turned off by default. The setting will remain on for Insiders who have upgraded from previous builds where it was enabled, and can be turned on by anyone with a pen capable device via the “Write directly into text field” option under Pen & Windows Ink Settings.

Known issues

• If you had your phone linked to your PC prior to upgrading, you’ll find it has become unlinked after upgrading. You can relink your phone from Settings > Phone.

No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service,
Dona

Click to expand...

By Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc
SHARE Link Removed SHARE SHARE SKYPE
Hello Windows Insiders!
Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17623 (RS5) to Windows Insiders who have opted into Skip Ahead.
What’s new in Build 17623
Introducing High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) in Windows 10
The High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) has arrived for Windows 10 and the Photos app! HEIF is an image container that leverages modern codecs like HEVC to improve quality, compression, and capabilities compared to earlier formats like JPEG, GIF, and PNG. In addition to traditional single images, HEIF supports encoding image sequences, image collections, auxiliary images like alpha or depth maps, live images & video, audio, and HDR for greater contrast. We have heard your feedback that these features and the ability to share photos easily with other platforms is important to you. This release we are delivering essential viewing support (You cannot edit HEIF images in this release).
In order to try this out, you need to join the Windows App Preview Program for the Photos app and make sure you are running the March release of the Link Removed app (Version 2018.18022.13740.0 or newer). This version of the Photos app has been updated for RS4 and RS5 to support viewing the primary image inside a HEIF file and to guide the install of dependencies like the HEIF and HEVC media extensions from the Microsoft Store. Once installed, these media extensions enable HEIF viewing in Photos as well as thumbnails and metadata in File Explorer.
Additionally, any application that uses WIC, WinRT Imaging APIs, or the XAML Image control can now add similar support for viewing single HEIF images.
Click here to open Feedback Hub and send us feedback on the HEIF experience with the Photos app and Windows 10.
External GPU Safe Remove Experience
In RS5, we are introducing a safe remove experience for external GPUs connected via Thunderbolt 3. The safe remove experience allows you to know which applications are running on an external GPU so that you can safely remove to prevent data loss during detach.
To safely remove an external graphics card, go to the “Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media” icon and click to eject your GPU. If there are applications running on your external GPU, then a dialog will appear with the applications that are currently running. Close the applications to safely remove the device. If there are no applications currently running on your external graphics device then no dialog will appear and you can safely detach your external GPU.
A new privacy settings layout in the set up experience
This build includes the same changes to the set up experience for privacy settings mentioned last week in RS4 Build 17115. This new design conveys focused information to help our customers make focused choices about their privacy and offers two new settings for Inking & Typing and Find my device. More details about the change can be found in this blog post here.
Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) Improvements
The Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) Team has introduced new improvements for users to have a better experience with our upcoming release. We have combed through our user feedback and acted to ensure your needs are met. On top of significant performance improvements, we have added an ability to download documents highlighted below.
Performance improvements: The teams at Microsoft are constantly working to improve performance for our users. Windows Defender Application Guard is no different. In this upcoming feature update, you will notice an improvement in the launch time for Application Guard. We have made the start process lighter and faster, which will provide our users with a better experience when accessing Microsoft Edge in Windows Defender Application Guard.
Download files to the host: One of the items our users voiced was an inability to “download files from within WDAG” to the host. This created an inconsistent experience for Edge overall as downloaded files were stuck inside the container. In this release, users can turn on a feature to download files from their WDAG browsing session onto the host file system. This feature is available in the Windows 10 Enterprise edition and must be turned on. Once the feature is enabled, users will be able to download files into a folder created in their Downloads folder and open all files on the host.
How to enable and configure the Download to host feature:
Requirements:

• Latest Windows 10 Enterprise RS4 Builds.
• Windows Defender Application Guard feature is installed.
• Network isolation policies are configured.

Steps:

1. Navigate to Local Group Policy Editor > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Application Guard.

Link Removed

1. Select Allow files to download and save to the host operating system from Windows Defender Application Guard
2. Select Enabled and Apply

Link Removed
After this policy is enabled, you can download files from your Windows Defender Edge session to your Downloads folder. The files from Application Guard will be saved in a folder called “Untrusted files” nested inside the Downloads folder. This folder is created automatically when you first download a file from Application Guard after enabling the policy.
Link Removed
Notes:

• This feature is off by default.
• Users will need to assess the files they downloaded and assume any risks of opening on the host.

We encourage you to try our new download feature and assess our improved launch performance. Your feedback and suggestion are important to us as we continue to improve our products. You can click here to open Feedback Hub to give feedback on WDAG.
We’ve also made updates to Windows Defender System Guard. With Windows Defender System Guard, we are making a leap forward in platform security with memory integrity by default and bringing a born secure device promise to our user base. To learn more about these changes and talk with product team, see their post in the Windows Insider Technical Community.
General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

• For Windows Insiders in the Skip Ahead ring, we will begin testing a change where links clicked on within the Windows Mail app will open in Microsoft Edge, which provides the best, most secure and consistent experience on Windows 10 and across your devices. With built-in features for reading, note-taking, Cortana integration, and easy access to services such as SharePoint and OneDrive, Microsoft Edge enables you to be more productive, organized and creative without sacrificing your battery life or security. As always, we look forward to feedback from our WIP community.
• We fixed an issue where the Microsoft Store may be completely broken or disappeared altogether after upgrading to this build.
• We fixed two issues impacting the usability of Windows Mixed Reality on the previous build (Windows Mixed Reality running at a very low frame rate (8-10fps), and a potential crash at startup that could cause Windows Mixed Reality to not work).
• We fixed an issue resulting in not being able to interact with title bars using touch when Sets was enabled.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the touch keyboard crashing when focus was moved to certain password fields.
• We’ve improved the performance of Bluetooth mice when the system is under load.
• We fixed an issue from recent flights causing precision touchpads to periodically need a few tries to be able to move the mouse.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the Amharic keyboard not working in Win32 apps.
• We fixed an issue where EFI and Recovery partitions were unexpectedly listed in Defragment and Optimize Drives.
• We fixed an issue optimizing drives in Defragment and Optimize Drives didn’t work in the last few flights.
• We fixed an issue resulting in a permanently black window if you dragged a tab out of a Microsoft Edge window, pulled it up to the top edge of the screen, and moved it back down and released it.
• We’ve updated the Cortana section in Settings to now be called “Cortana & Search”.
• We fixed an issue where you couldn’t use touch to interact with the Timeline scrollbar.
• We fixed an issue where a failed app update could result in that app becoming unpinned from the taskbar.
• We fixed an issue where if focus was set inside Action Center pressing Esc wouldn’t close the Action Center window.
• We fixed an issue that could result in ShellExperienceHost periodically waking the device from hibernate if active live tiles were pinned to Start.

Known issues

• If you open Settings and clicking on any links to the Microsoft Store or links in tips, Settings will crash. This includes the links to get themes and fonts from the Microsoft Store, as well as the link to Windows Defender.
• If you try to open a file that is available online-only from OneDrive that hasn’t been previously downloaded to your PC (marked with a green checkmark in File Explorer), your PC could bugcheck (GSOD). You can work around this problem by right-clicking on these files and selecting “Always keep on this device.” Any file-on-demand from OneDrive that is already downloaded to the PC should open fine.
• The Emoji Panel keyboard shortcuts don’t work – for now you’ll need to use the touch keyboard to enter emoji. If you right-click on the taskbar you’ll find an option to show the touch keyboard button and go from there.

REMINDER: Sign up to be an Office Insider!
Our friends on the Office team want to reiterate their invitation for Windows Insiders to participate in feedback and product usage which will inform the next generation of Office innovations! Windows and Office are continually looking for the best-connected experiences. Your feedback is extremely valuable to us and will help us to understand customer needs and scenarios and to prioritize our investments in the coming months. Please join the Office Insider Program to help directly affect product design decisions!
No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service,
Dona

Click to expand...

By Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc
SHARE Link Removed SHARE SHARE SKYPE
UPDATE 3/16: We have released Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17120 (RS4) to Windows Insiders in the Slow ring.

Hello Windows Insiders!

Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17120 (RS4) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring.

What’s new in Build 17120
Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) Improvements
The Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) Team has introduced new improvements for users to have a better experience with our upcoming release. We have combed through our user feedback and acted to ensure your needs are met. On top of significant performance improvements, we have added an ability to download documents highlighted below.

Performance improvements: The teams at Microsoft are constantly working to improve performance for our users. Windows Defender Application Guard is no different. In this upcoming feature update, you will notice an improvement in the launch time for Application Guard. We have made the start process lighter and faster, which will provide our users with a better experience when accessing Microsoft Edge in Windows Defender Application Guard.

Download files to the host: One of the items our users voiced was an inability to “download files from within WDAG” to the host. This created an inconsistent experience for Edge overall as downloaded files were stuck inside the container. In this release, users can turn on a feature to download files from their WDAG browsing session onto the host file system. This feature is available in the Windows 10 Enterprise edition and must be turned on. Once the feature is enabled, users will be able to download files into a folder created in their Downloads folder and open all files on the host.

How to enable and configure the Download to host feature:

Requirements:

• Latest Windows 10 Enterprise RS4 Builds.
• Windows Defender Application Guard feature is installed.
• Network isolation policies are configured.

Steps:

1. Navigate to Local Group Policy Editor > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Application Guard.

Link Removed

2. Select Allow files to download and save to the host operating system from Windows Defender Application Guard

3. Select Enabled and Apply

Link Removed

After this policy is enabled, you can download files from your Windows Defender Edge session to your Downloads folder. The files from Application Guard will be saved in a folder called “Untrusted files” nested inside the Downloads folder. This folder is created automatically when you first download a file from Application Guard after enabling the policy.

Link Removed

Notes:

• This feature is off by default.
• Users will need to assess the files they downloaded and assume any risks of opening on the host.

We encourage you to try our new download feature and assess our improved launch performance. Your feedback and suggestion are important to us as we continue to improve our products. You can click here to open Feedback Hub to give feedback on WDAG.

We’ve also made updates to Windows Defender System Guard. With Windows Defender System Guard, we are making a leap forward in platform security with memory integrity by default and bringing a born secure device promise to our user base. To learn more about these changes and talk with product team, see their post in the Windows Insider Technical Community.

Windows Mixed Reality
Earlier this week, we announced that Insiders can take a sneak peek at the latest features coming this spring to Windows Mixed Reality as of Build 17115. With this build, the Windows Mixed Reality Team would like to let you know about a few known issues as you try out the new Windows Mixed Reality features:

• We’re investigating reports of a performance regression for Windows Mixed Reality on hybrid laptops on this build.
• In some cases, the inbox apps will fail to load inside of Windows Mixed Reality and newly placed Holograms may be empty. Restarting Windows Mixed Reality should resolve both issues.
• Windows Mixed Reality will crash if you launch the Store from Movies & TV, and then close both apps.
• The ambient sound in Skyloft is louder than it should be.
• On laptops with hybrid GPUs the video doesn’t render for 360 videos rendered directly in the Edge app although you can still hear the sound.
• The Link Removed fails to launch from the Store app when you click on the “Launch” button after installing the 360 Viewer Edge extension. To workaround manually launch Edge and then enable the 360 Viewer extension.

To give feedback on Windows Mixed Reality, click here to open Feedback Hub.

General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

• When a process in Task Manager is suspended, or has suspended child processes, you’ll now see an icon indicating as much in the Status column of the Processes tab.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the UAC dialog potentially not rendering correctly in the last few flights.
• We fixed an issue resulting in OneNote crashing when using touch to drag and drop elements in recent flights.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the touch keyboard crashing when focus was moved to certain password fields.
• We’ve improved the performance of Bluetooth mice when the system is under load.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the Amharic keyboard not working in Win32 apps.

Known issues

• [ADDED 3/14] On PCs with Dolby Access app installed and expired Dolby Atmos, the Windows Audio service (audiosrv) crashes with a stack overflow exception and the PC won’t have sound. A workaround is to uninstall the Dolby Access app to get sound back.

No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service,
Dona

UPDATED MARCH 16, 2018 10:39 AM

Click to expand...

By Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc
SHARE Link Removed SHARE SHARE SKYPE
Hello Windows Insiders!

Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17128 (RS4) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring.

On Build 17128, you will notice that the watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop has disappeared. This does not mean this is the final build as we are not done yet. We’re just now beginning the phase of checking in final code to prepare for the final release. The only difference between this build and Build 17127from Tuesday is the removal of the watermark. However, we’ve got more fixes being checked in for the next flight.

Additionally, we have also released Build 17127 to Windows Insiders in the Slow ring. We plan to provide the ISO for this build early next week.

Introducing Cortana Show Me
Ever wanted to change a setting, but didn’t know how? Enter Cortana Show Me, your guide to Windows 10 settings, which is now available for Link Removed. In our preview app, Cortana will show you how to change settings step-by-step. In this release, you can launch guides directly from the app homepage, but check back soon for voice entry points. For Insiders, the app is available in English (US and UK) and in German. We’ve created guides for 15 settings so far but stay tuned for further improvements and additional offerings. While we know this experience isn’t specifically designed for Insiders, it’s for all the friends and family we have who need a pointer – please share it with them.

If you click the link in Store and can’t download the app, wait a few hours and give it another try. It’s still rolling out!

Note: If you’re using keyboard navigation with your device, you will need to use Alt + T ab to move between Settings and Cortana Show Me.

Here’s the full list of guides:

• Update Windows
• Check if an app is installed
• Uninstall an app
• Change your desktop background
• Use Airplane Mode
• Change your display brightness
• Add nearby printers or scanners
• Change your default programs
• Change your screen resolution
• Turn off Windows Defender Security Center
• Run a security scan
• Change Wi-Fi settings
• Change your power settings
• Discover Bluetooth devices
• Check your version of Windows

No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service,
Dona

Click to expand...

By Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc
SHARE Link Removed SHARE SHARE SKYPE
UPDATE 3/30: We have released Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17133 (RS4) to Windows Insiders in the Slow ring. As part of this flight, we are testing the engineering systems responsible for the deployment of Windows 10 feature updates to customers. As such, not all Insiders in the Slow ring will be immediately targeted to receive this flight. We are targeting full availability to the Slow ring on Monday 4/2 however, if you’d like to install immediately, a manual check for updates under Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update will present the build.
NOTE: It will be listed as “Feature update for Windows 10, version 1803”.
Hello Windows Insiders!
Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17133 (RS4) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring.
Just like in Build 17128, you will also notice that the watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop has disappeared in Build 17133. Again, we are in the phase of checking in final code to prepare for the final release.
General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

• We fixed an issue resulting in certain devices with BitLocker enabled unexpectedly booting into BitLocker recovery in recent flights.
• We fixed an issue resulting in not being able to change the display resolution when there were 4 or more monitors connected, due to the confirmation prompt hanging when you selected “Keep changes”.
• We fixed an issue where clicking suggested search terms when typing in the Microsoft Edge URL bar didn’t do anything.

Known issues

• There are currently no major known issues for this flight however if any issues are discovered based off Insider feedback, we’ll add them here.

No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service,
Dona
UPDATED MARCH 30, 2018 11:19 AM

Click to expand...

APRIL 4, 2018 10:02 AM
Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17639 for Skip Ahead
By Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc
SHARE Link Removed SHARE SHARE SKYPE
Hello Windows Insiders!
Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17639 (RS5) to Windows Insiders who have opted into Skip Ahead.
What’s new in Build 17639
The next wave of Sets improvements is here
What belongs together stays together – we designed Sets to help you keep webpages, documents, files, and apps connected. We’ve been hard at work since our first wave of Sets improvements for RS5, and when you install today’s build you’ll find:
Drag and drop app tabs within and between Sets windows is now supported: It works just like it sounds! You can now drag an app tab around within the Set or combine tabbed app windows into Sets.
Note: If you open a Microsoft Edge tab outside of a Set, you can’t drag and drop it into a Sets window. Drag and drop for Microsoft Edge web tabs within Sets isn’t supported yet and you may experience a crash if this is attempted.
Tabs are now bubbled up in Alt + Tab: Have Photos, Microsoft Edge, and OneNote tabbed together? You can now use Alt + Tab to switch between them. Prefer to only show the primary window in Alt + Tab? There’s a new setting – more on that in just a moment…
Note: If you have multiple Microsoft Edge windows in a Set, only the one most recently accessed will be visible in Alt + Tab.
Improved Settings for Sets: We’ve updated the Settings for Sets via Settings > System > Multitasking. To start with, Sets now has its own section on this page, and is searchable (try typing “Sets” or “tabs” and it will appear in the dropdown). We’ve also added a setting to control the Alt + Tab behavior mentioned above.
Link Removed
File Explorer & Sets Improvements: We’ve heard your feedback – you’d like it to be easier to get two File Explorer windows grouped together, and we’re working on it. To start with, you no longer need to hold CTRL on the new tab page to launch a File Explorer window in a tab (this was a temporary necessity with the last wave). We’ve also added a new keyboard shortcut to open a new tab when a File Explorer window is in focus: Ctrl + T. Remember, you can use Ctrl + N to open a new window, and Ctrl + W to close the window/tab.
Finally, we’ve added some new UI for easily opening new tabs and windows in the File Menu.
Link Removed

And also, in the context menu when right-clicking on a folder.
Link Removed
New context menu options for tabs in Sets: If you right-click on a Sets tab, you’ll discover we’ve added several options for you to leverage, including “close other tabs”, “move to new window”, and “close tabs to the right”.
Link Removed
Improvements to Previous Tabs: We’ve done a few things to improve the experience in this space, including:
Link Removed

• You can now pick and choose which Previous Tabs you want to restore, instead of only being able to restore all tabs. Note: if you use the Sets activity card in Timeline, it will automatically restore all tabs.
• You can now restore Previous Tabs from any type of activity – whereas with the previous wave of features we only supported restoring tabs when the primary window was a document.
• When you open a document that previously had tabs, a prompt will appear offering to restore those tabs, and the Previous Tabs button will be in the filled state. For things that aren’t documents, a prompt will not automatically appear, but you’ll know that there are tabs available to restore because the Previous Tabs button will be in the filled state.
• We added an animation to the experience when there are no Previous Tabs available to be restored.

Other Sets improvements and fixes based on your feedback, including:

• We fixed an issue where the active tab color wouldn’t be visible until you hovered over it.
• We’ve been working on our polish, and you’ll notice that switching between open tabs is now a lot smoother.
• We’ve improved the reliability when restoring tabs, fixing some issues where tabs didn’t restore as expected.
• We fixed an issue where closing a tab in a Set then immediately opening a new tab might result in the window unexpectedly maximizing.

Here are a few things we’re still working on that aren’t quite finished / resolved yet:

• File Explorer ribbon doesn’t stay pinned open across restart.It may take some time for the app exclude list in Sets settings to populate the first time it’s opened.
• Sometimes it takes two tries to bring up an inactive tab from the taskbar.
• There’s a chance that you may see an unexpected second row of tabs when you open the new tab page.
• When you launch an app or website from the new tab page, there’s a chance focus will change to a different tab.
• The “filled” state of the restore icon in Sets will remain filled even though you’ve restored all tabs.
• We’re aware of an issue that causes Narrator to read extra text when invoking Alt + Tab, and we’re working on a fix.
• The new tab may sometimes open blank. Closing the tab then opening it again should resolve this issue.

Coming soon: We’re planning to enable Sets for more Win32 (desktop) apps including Office! In order to try this new experience out with Office, you’ll need to be an Office Insider running the latest Office builds. Sign-up to be an Office Insider todayif you aren’t already!
Bluetooth battery percentage in Settings
In Bluetooth & other devices Settings, you can now check the battery level of your Bluetooth devices. For Bluetooth devices that support this feature, the battery percentage will update whenever your PC and the device are connected.
Link Removed
Windows Calculator Improvements
Windows Calculator has been updated (version 10.1803.711.0) to now correctly calculates square roots for perfect squares (integers that are squares of other integers). Because of the arbitrary precision arithmetic library used by the Calculator app, the square root calculation is an approximation calculated using the Exponential Identityfunction.
Previously, when you would calculate the square root of 4, the result would be 1.99999999999999999989317180305609 which would be rounded to 2 when displayed, because we calculated enough digits to do the rounding correctly. However, as soon as you subtract 2, you would see the remaining digits.
After this update, the square root calculation now recognizes perfect squares and correctly returns exactly 2 for the square root of 4.
General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

• We fixed an issue resulting in duplicate entries in Disk Management.
• We fixed an issue that could result in certain UWP apps silently terminating when minimized.
• We fixed an issue resulting in certain devices with BitLocker enabled unexpectedly booting into BitLocker recovery in recent flights.
• We fixed a race condition that could result in the taskbar not autohiding after opening and closing the Start menu while a fullscreen window was visible.
• We fixed an issue where typing in Start would switch to a blank Cortana screen if Start was open when the PC went to sleep.
• We fixed an issue when using Arabic as your display language where after using the X to close the touch keyboard in a UWP app text field it might stop coming up automatically in that field.
• Sometimes having too many choices can be confusing and less is more. That is why this new build has consolidated the places where users can adjust their display brightness by removing the display brightness slider in Control Panel Power Options and the “Display brightness” section under Power Options Advanced Settings. Don’t worry! You can still adjust your display brightness via Settings > System > Display settings, the Action Center, and via keyboard hot keys.

Known issues

• If you open Settings and clicking on any links to the Microsoft Store or links in tips, Settings will crash. This includes the links to get themes and fonts from the Microsoft Store, as well as the link to Windows Defender.
• On resuming from sleep, the desktop may be momentarily visible before the Lock screen displays as expected.
• When Movies & TV user denies access to its videos library (through the “Let Movies & TV access your videos library?” popup window or through Windows privacy settings), Movies & TV crashes when the user navigates to the “Personal” tab.

Recommended Training for Windows Insiders
We’d like to take this opportunity to highlight some training courses that might interest some Windows Insiders from the Microsoft Professional Program:

• For Windows Insiders interested in taking the first step in becoming an AI engineer, check out this track here on Artificial Intelligence. You should also check out GeekWire’s article covering the track too!
• For Windows Insiders interested in diving deeper into the world of IT support, check out this track here.

Insider Story
Check out Link Removed to find out how Windows Insider Vincent Pendleton uses Paint 3D as a go-to tool for teaching astronomy!
Link Removed
No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service,
Dona

Click to expand...

APRIL 16, 2018 3:04 PM
Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17134 for Fast
By Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc
SHARE Link Removed SHARE SHARE SKYPE
UPDATE 4/20: We have released Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17134 (RS4) to Windows Insiders in the Slow ring and Release Preview ring.

Hello Windows Insiders!

Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17134 (RS4) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. This build has no new features and includes the fixes from KB4100375 as well as some fixes for general reliability of the OS. As Build 17133 progressed through the rings, we discovered some reliability issues we wanted to fix. In certain cases, these reliability issues could have led to a higher percentage of (BSOD) on PCs for example. Instead of creating a Cumulative Update package to service these issues, we decided to create a new build with the fixes included. This just reinforces that Windows Insiders are critical to helping us find and fix issues before releasing feature updates to all our customers so thank you!

No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service,
Dona

UPDATED APRIL 20, 2018 10:42 AM

Click to expand...

APRIL 19, 2018 3:04 PM
Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17650 for Skip Ahead
By Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc
SHARE Link Removed SHARE SHARE SKYPE
Hello Windows Insiders!

Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17650 (RS5) to Windows Insiders who opted in to Skip Ahead.

What’s new in Build 17650
Windows Defender Security Center gets a Fluent Design refresh
We’ve heard your feedback and when you install this build you’ll find we’ve updated Windows Defender Security Center (WDSC) to include the Fluent Design elements you know and love. You’ll also notice we’ve adjusted the spacing and padding around the app and will now dynamically size the categories on the main page if more room is needed for extra info. Last but not least, we’ve also updated the title bar of the app so that it will now use your accent color if you’ve enabled that option in Color Settings – with Sets enabled, you will see this color in the WDSC tab.



Windows Defender Firewall now supports Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) processes
You can add specific rules for a WSL process in Windows Defender Firewall, just as you would for any Windows process. Also, Windows Defender Firewall now supports notifications for WSL processes. For example, when a Linux tool wants to allow access to a port from the outside (like SSH or a web server like nginx), the Windows Defender Firewall will prompt to allow access just like it would for a Windows process when the port starts accepting connections. This was first introduced in Build 17627.

General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

• We fixed an issue where File Explorer would always open with the ribbon minimized, rather than remembering how you’d left it.
• We fixed an issue where elements on the main page of the Windows Defender Security Center app would slightly change size on mouse hover.
• We fixed an issue where non-default languages might unexpectedly have the option to remove in Settings greyed out.
• We fixed an issue where the Color Filters and High Contrast icons were switched in Settings.
• We fixed an issue where clicking links in Settings that launched other apps would result in Settings crashing and nothing else happening.
• We fixed an issue resulting in some people experiencing a Settings crash when navigating to Apps > Default Apps > Set defaults by App.

Known issues

• On resuming from sleep, the desktop may be momentarily visible before the Lock screen displays as expected.
• When Movies & TV user denies access to its videos library (through the “Let Movies & TV access your videos library?” popup window or through Windows privacy settings), Movies & TV crashes when the user navigates to the “Personal” tab.
• Tiling and cascading windows, including features like “View Side by Side” in Word, will not work for inactive tabs.
• The Office Visual Basic Editor window will currently be tabbed but is not intended to be in the future.
• Opening an Office document while the same app has an existing document open may cause an unintended switch to the last active document. This will also happen when closing a sheet in Excel while other sheets remain open.
• Local files or non-Microsoft cloud files will not be automatically restored and no error message will be provided to alert the user to that fact.
• Sets UX for Office Win32 desktop apps is not final. The experience will be refined over time based on feedback.
• The top of some Win32 desktop app windows may appear slightly underneath the tab bar when created maximized. To work around the issue, restore and re-maximize the window.
• Closing one tab may sometimes minimize the entire set.
• We’re aware of an issue that causes Narrator to read extra text when invoking Alt + Tab, and we’re working on a fix.
• Using arrow and Page Up / Page Down keys doesn’t work to scroll webpages in Microsoft Edge. You’ll need to use another input method (mouse, touch, or touchpad).
• If you complete the setup for a Windows Mixed Reality headset on this build, the headset will remain black until it is unplugged and reconnected to the PC.

No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service,
Dona

UPDATED APRIL 19, 2018 3:06 PM

Click to expand...

By Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc
SHARE Link Removed SHARE SHARE SKYPE
Hello Windows Insiders!
Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17661 (RS5) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring in addition to those who opted in to Skip Ahead. Going forward, Insiders in the Fast ring and in Skip Ahead will receive the same RS5 builds.
What’s new in Build 17661
A modern snipping experience
Today we’re taking the first step toward converging our snipping experiences. The new modern snipping experience is here to help you effortlessly capture and annotate what you see on your screen. While working on this we’ve been carefully going over all your feedback about taking screenshots in Windows – you’ll find the flow and tools are optimized for sharing and make communicating visually with others quick and easy.

What to expect once you update to this build:
Screen Sketch is now an app! Originally introduced as part of the Windows Ink Workspace, this comes with a variety of benefits, including that it can now be updated via the Microsoft Store, it will now show up in the list when you press Alt + tab, you can set the window size to be your preference if you like multitasking, and it even supports multiple windows (and tabs, thanks to Sets!).
Easy snipping is only a single step away. One of the loudest things we heard is that you want to be able to quickly snip & share a screenshot, and we’re making it happen! WIN + Shift + S will now bring up a snipping toolbar – snip a rectangle, something a bit more freeform, or full screen and it will go straight to your clipboard. If that’s all you need, you can take it from there. Want more, though? Immediately after taking a snip you’ll now get a notification that will take you and your snip to the Screen Sketch app where you can annotate and share away!

ALT-TEXT: Immediately after taking a snip you’ll now get a notification that will take you and your snip to the Screen Sketch app where you can annotate and share away!
But wait, there’s more! Is the WIN + Shift + S keyboard shortcut too long to remember? Guess what! We’ve added easy entry options for every input modality:

• Just click the pen tail button. If you have a pen, go into Pen & Windows Ink Settings – you’ll find Screen Snipping is now an option for single click. This will launch you directly into our snipping experience:

• Press Print Screen. You heard it right, just one button! It’s not enabled by default – go to Keyboard Settings – you’ll see a new option that says “Use the Print Screen key to launch screen snipping”. Opening Settings and searching for “print screen” will take you to the right page.
• Press the quick action button in Action Center. Called “Screen snip” – it should be there as soon as you upgrade, but if not you can always enable it via Notifications & Actions Settings.

We’re looking for feedback! Tell us what you want to see next via the Feedback Hub under Apps > Screen Sketch – just click the ellipsis in the Screen Sketch app and it will take you straight there.
NOTE: After installing this build, please check the Microsoft Store for Screen Sketch app updates. You will need an updated version to receive the ability to crop screenshots.
Continuing the Sets Experiment
For the last few weeks, we have made the Sets experiment available to all Windows Insiders who have opted in to Skip Ahead. Now that the Fast ring and Skip Ahead are merging back together and will be receiving the same RS5 builds, we are going to continue with the controlled study just like we did back in December. This means that not all Insiders will see Sets. Insiders who were opted into Skip Ahead who had Sets previously will continue to have Sets. However, unlike the controlled study we did in December, the large majority of Insiders in the Fast ring will see Sets and a smaller group won’t.
More Fluent Design: Introducing acrylic in Task View
We’ve heard you like acrylic! We like it too – when you update to this build you’ll find that the entire Task View background now has a soft blur effect.

Windows Security improvements
Windows Defender Security Center is now called Windows Security. You can still get to the app in all the usual ways – simply ask Cortana to open Windows Security or interact with the taskbar icon. Windows Security lets you manage all your security needs, including Windows Defender Antivirus and Windows Defender Firewall.
We’re also bringing some changes to how we present threats and actions that need your attention, and we’re continuing to refine that over the coming months.
Focus assist improvements when gaming
Now Focus assist will turn on automatically when you’re playing any full screen game. No more interruptions when you’re crushing it. This behavior should be turned on automatically, but you can always check by going to Settings > System > Focus assist and ensuring the “When I’m playing a game” automatic rule is enabled.
Continuing our Sound Settings migration
Consolidating our settings experiences is an ongoing priority for us. We started our work moving Sound settings to Settings with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, and we’re happy to announce the next piece of that with today’s flight. Device properties has now been integrated into Settings – just click on the links in Sound Settings and you’ll find a new page where you can name your device and select your preferred spatial audio format.

Taking the Microsoft Pinyin and Wubi IMEs to the next level
Do you write in Chinese (Simplified)? We’re updating the Microsoft Pinyin IME! We’ve been focusing on addressing your performance, reliability and compatibility feedback. You’ll also notice a number of other improvements, including:
Design improvements – a new logo (for the Microsoft Pinyin IME), new IME toolbar, and dark theme support!

An updated context menu. We’ve added a bunch of options to the IME mode indicator’s context menu in the taskbar, so you can quickly access the things you need.

The IME now uses the same UX for Expressive Input as other languages. You can bring it up by clicking the emoji button in the IME toolbar, or use the Emoji Panel hotkeys (WIN + period (.) or WIN + semicolon (). You can browse between Emoji, Kaomoji, and Symbol input when Chinese (Simplified) is the active locale.

We’d love to hear what you think of this new experience – this link will take you to the Feedback Hub where you can share your thoughts.
Improving HEIC support
We announced support for the High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) in Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17623. We are happy to announce that in build 17661 you can now rotate HEIF-format images in File Explorer, and edit metadata, such as “Date taken”.
The new functionality requires the latest version of the HEIF package. The latest version will be installed automatically be the Store. If automatic updates are disabled you can download the HEIF package manually using Link Removed.
HEIF files use the HEVC video codec to compress the image into approximately half the size of JPEG. If your Windows PC does not already have the HEVC video codec, it can be purchased from the Windows Store using Link Removed.
To rotate a HEIF image file, simply right-click on it in File Explorer and select “Rotate right” or “Rotate left” from the menu. “Date taken” and other properties can be edited by clicking on “Properties” and selecting the “Details” tab.
Please stay tuned for additional functionality related to the HEIF file format in future Windows 10 Insider Preview builds!

General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

• We’ve made a number of improvements to how Narrator communicates the use of Sets – for example, Narrator will now inform you of the tabs by reading information such as Tab # N of M as you open and move between tabs. If you’re a Narrator user, please take a moment to try out Sets with today’s build and share feedback about the experience.
• When you clean install or do a PC refresh, you’ll find that the Out of Box Experience for setting up your PC now includes a page for enabling activity history sync, which will help you continue what you were doing, even when you switch devices.
• We’ve adjusted how you access skin tones in the Emoji Panel – you’ll now see a row of skin tone colors to select from when people emoji are in view.
• We fixed an issue where using arrow and Page Up / Page Down keys didn’t work to scroll webpages in Microsoft Edge.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the mouse cursor becoming invisible when hovering over certain UI elements and text fields in the last two flights.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the mouse cursor not animating correctly in the last two flights.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the Game Bar not appearing for some Insiders after pressing WIN+G.
• When you hover over the Windows icon in the taskbar, a tooltip will now appear for Start.
• We’ve updated the design of the handwriting panel so that the delete button is now a top level button. The button to switch languages is now under the “…” menu.
• If you go to Pen & Windows Ink Settings, you’ll find a new option that allows your pen to behave like a mouse instead of scrolling or panning the screen.

Known issues

• Certain notifications from Action Center may cause regular Explorer.exe crashes. We’re working to get this fixed in the next flight.
• VPN may not be working after updating to this build. To get VPN working again, delete the %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Network\Connections\pbk* directories. Check if the VPN profile you need shows up already and if not, reinstall the appropriate VPN client app you need.
• After updating to this build and installing the latest app updates from the Microsoft Store, when you log in to additional user accounts on the PC there may be missing apps. You can run the following PowerShell script when logged in to users with missing apps on your PC to fix the issue: Get-AppXPackage *WindowsStore* -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
• On resuming from sleep, the desktop may be momentarily visible before the Lock screen displays as expected.
• When Movies & TV user denies access to its videos library (through the “Let Movies & TV access your videos library?” popup window or through Windows privacy settings), Movies & TV crashes when the user navigates to the “Personal” tab.
• We’re aware of an issue that causes Narrator to read extra text when invoking Alt + Tab, and we’re working on a fix.
• If you complete the setup for a Windows Mixed Reality headset on this build, the headset will remain black until it is unplugged and reconnected to the PC.
• [ADDED] If your PC appears stuck at “Preparing to install…” somewhere between the 80%-100% – please be patient and wait up to 30 minutes for this stage to complete.

Known issues for Sets & Office

• Sets UX for Office Win32 desktop apps is not final. The experience will be refined over time based on feedback.
• The top of some Win32 desktop app windows may appear slightly underneath the tab bar when created maximized. To work around the issue, restore and re-maximize the window.
• Closing one tab may sometimes minimize the entire set.
• Tiling and cascading windows, including features like “View Side by Side” in Word, will not work for inactive tabs.
• The Office Visual Basic Editor window will currently be tabbed but is not intended to be in the future.
• Opening an Office document while the same app has an existing document open may cause an unintended switch to the last active document. This will also happen when closing a sheet in Excel while other sheets remain open.
• Right-clicking a tab in Sets will not bring up a context menu in this build.
• Local files or non-Microsoft cloud files will not be automatically restored, and no error message will be provided to alert the user to that fact.

No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service,
Dona
UPDATED MAY 3, 2018 1:05 PM

Click to expand...

By Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc
SHARE Link Removed SHARE SHARE SKYPE
Hello Windows Insiders!

Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17666 (RS5) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring in addition to those who opted in to Skip Ahead.

What’s new in Build 17666
The next wave of Sets improvements is here!
We’ve been steadily going through your feedback, and this build contains a number of improvements based on what you’ve been telling us:

• Bring on the acrylic! We love Fluent Design as much as you do – in today’s build you’ll find that Sets now have an acrylic title bar. We’re also adjusting the window border so that it’s now grey.

• Recent Microsoft Edge tabs now show in Alt + Tab: Do you use Alt + Tab to quickly switch back and forth between apps? All of your recent Microsoft Edge tabs will now be included, not just the active one. Prefer it the old way? Use the “Pressing Alt + Tab shows the recently used…” setting in Multitasking Settings.
• Should apps and websites open in a new window or a new tab? It’s up to you!The Sets section of Multitasking Settings now lets you set your windowing preference. If you choose “Window”, new windows won’t open into a new tab unless you explicitly click the + or drag with your mouse. Choosing “Tab” opens any new windows invoked from your running apps into tabs. As a reminder, if you would like to exclude any particular app from Sets, you can do this from this same settings page.
• Want to mute one of your web tabs? You can now do that! When a webpage in Sets starts playing audio, you’ll now see a volume icon on the tab. Simply click it and the audio will mute, just like in Microsoft Edge.
• Tabs will now restore with better performance – they’ll open in the background and use no resources until you go to the tab. This means you can restore a lot of tabs at once with no issues.

We’ve also made other fixes, changes, and improvements to Sets, including:

• Task Manager has now been added by default to the list of apps where not to enable Sets.
• We fixed an issue where right clicking a tab in the Sets title bar didn’t bring up a context menu.
• We fixed an issue where if Microsoft Edge wasn’t already open, clicking the plus button in Sets would open all of your default websites along with the new tab page.

As always, thanks again for the great feedback – keep it coming! This link will take you to the Sets section of the Feedback Hub.

Say hello to your new clipboard experience!
Copy paste – it’s something we all do, probably multiple times a day. But what do you do if you need to copy the same few things again and again? How do you copy content across your devices? Today we’re addressing that and taking the clipboard to the next level – simply press WIN+V and you’ll be presented with our brand-new clipboard experience!



Not only can you can paste from the clipboard history, but you can also pin the items you find yourself using all the time. This history is roamed using the same technology which powers Timeline and Sets, which means you can access your clipboard across any PC with this build of Windows or higher.

Our new settings page for enabling this experience is under Settings > System > Clipboard – please try this out and share feedback! This link will open the Feedback Hub to where you can tell us about your experience and what you’d like to see next.


Showing Clipboard Settings – has toggles for saving multiple items and sync across devices.
Note: Roamed text on the clipboard is only supported for clipboard content less than 100kb. Currently, the clipboard history supports plain text, HTML and image less than 1MB.

Dark theme comes to File Explorer (and more!)
As many of you know, we added dark theme support to Windows based on your feedback. This setting is available under Settings > Personalization > Colors, and if you switch it any apps and system UI that support it will follow suit. Since releasing this feature, our top feedback request from you has been to update File Explorer to support dark theme, and with today’s build it’s happening! Along the way, we also added dark theme support to the File Explorer context menu, as well as the Common File Dialog (aka the Open and Save dialogs). Thanks again for everyone’s feedback!

This screenshot below is from the very latest code and not what’s in the flight. When you install this build, you will see some unexpected light colors in File Explorer and the Common File Dialog. This is something we’re aware of and are working to address.



Introducing extended line endings support for Notepad
Announced Link Removed, we’re excited to let you know that in addition to Windows line endings (CRLF), with today’s build Notepad now supports Unix/Linux line endings (LF) and Macintosh line endings (CR)!



For more details, check out the command line blog.

Notepad Search with Bing
To use simply highlight any words or phrase in Notepad and you can search Bing using the following methods:

• Right click on the selected text and choose “Search with Bing” via the right-click (context) menu.
• Edit menu ->”Search with Bing…”
• CTRL + B.

With Sets, a new tab will open that will include the Bing search results page:



Save time with Search Previews!
It’s been great seeing your positive feedback for the web preview we added last year and developments we’ve made to it Link Removed. Now we have expanded previews to support apps, documents, and more. Search previews are here to help you:

• Get back to what you were doing, such as a recent Word doc or Remote Desktop session
• Jump-start your task, be it a new Outlook meeting, a quick comment in OneNote, or changing a setting
• Disambiguate between files by seeing more info including file location, last modified, or author
• Access quick answers from the web like “are bananas good for you?” “height of mt everest”

We made the Search experience wider so you can access information and actions in the preview faster than ever. The previews will be updated and improved over time, as we develop and add more features. Stay tuned!



Start tile folder naming
You may have noticed the theme of feedback throughout today’s flight, and this announcement is no different. We understand that customizing your Windows experience is important to you – today we’re adding the ability to name your tile folders! To create a tile folder in Start, just drag one tile on top of another for a second then release. Continue dropping as many tiles into the folder as you’d like. When you expand the folder, you’ll see a new option to name it. The name will be visible when the folder is medium, wide, or large-sized. We appreciate everyone’s feedback requesting this!


Have a question about Settings?
We’ve heard your feedback that settings can be confusing sometimes, so we’re working with Bing to bubble up some of the most common questions we hear right into the Settings pages themselves. The FAQ’s are contextual in nature and aim to you to quickly get the answer you’re looking for to complete configuration tasks. It may even help you discover something you didn’t know was an option! Clicking on these questions will take you to Bing.com to display the answer.



NOTE: Currently this experience is supported in all en* markets (en-us, en-gb, en-ca, en-in, en-au).

Your phone and computer have made a new connection
From this week’s Build keynotes and Link Removed, you may have seen what we’ve got instore for you in a future Insider Preview build release. There’s a new way to connect your phone to your PC with Windows 10 that enables instant access to text messages, photos, and notifications. Imagine being able to quickly drag and drop your phone’s photos into a document on your PC in one swift movement – without having to take your phone out of your pocket. Today, this experience allows you to link your phone to your PC. Surf the web on your phone, then send the webpage instantly to your PC to pick up where you left off to continue what you’re doing–read, watch, or browse with all the benefits of a bigger screen. With a linked phone, continuing on your PC is one share away. We’re working hard to expand these experiences so check back here for updates.

General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

• We fixed an issue with dll from the previous flight that could result in explorer.exe crashing every few minutes.
• We fixed an issue resulting in VPN potentially not working after updating to the previous build.
• We fixed an issue from the previous build where apps may appear to be missing in secondary accounts after receiving app updates from the PC’s primary account.
• We fixed an issue from the previous flight resulting in a bugcheck with the error IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL in tcpip.sys.
• We fixed an issue where a border would be visible when you maximized windows in the last few flights.
• We’ve updated the design of This PC so that there’s no longer space displayed for the cloud files state icon (which isn’t relevant on this page).
• The snipping toolbar (with WIN + Shift + S) will now follow your desired theme, light or dark.
• We fixed an issue that could result in the Emoji Panel and the touch keyboard not displaying correctly if invoked immediately after restarting explorer.exe.

Known issues

• If your PC appears stuck at “Preparing to install…” somewhere between the 80%-100% in Windows Update – please be patient and wait up to 30 minutes (or in some cases – longer than 30 minutes) for this stage to complete.
• After completing the Windows Mixed Reality First Run experience, OOBE is black. Motion Controllers are also not recognized in exclusive apps. For Insiders who want to keep Windows Mixed Reality working – you might want to consider hitting pause on taking new Insider Preview builds until these issues are fixed. You can pause Insider Preview builds by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program and pressing the “Stop Insider Preview builds” button and choosing “Pause updates for a bit”.
• On resuming from sleep, the desktop may be momentarily visible before the Lock screen displays as expected.
• When Movies & TV user denies access to its videos library (through the “Let Movies & TV access your videos library?” popup window or through Windows privacy settings), Movies & TV crashes when the user navigates to the “Personal” tab.
• We’re aware of an issue that causes Narrator to read extra text when invoking Alt + Tab, and we’re working on a fix.
• If you complete the setup for a Windows Mixed Reality headset on this build, the headset will remain black until it is unplugged and reconnected to the PC.
• [ADDED 5/10] If you have room boundary enabled and are experiencing controllers glitching out while playing a SteamVR game, make sure that you have the blue bar at the top of the desktop. Hit Win + y to enable it. This will make sure input is going to Mixed Reality and should fix the issue.

Known issues for Sets & Office

• Sets UX for Office Win32 desktop apps is not final. The experience will be refined over time based on feedback.
• The top of some Win32 desktop app windows may appear slightly underneath the tab bar when created maximized. To work around the issue, restore and re-maximize the window.
• Closing one tab may sometimes minimize the entire set.
• Tiling and cascading windows, including features like “View Side by Side” in Word, will not work for inactive tabs.
• The Office Visual Basic Editor window will currently be tabbed but is not intended to be in the future.
• Opening an Office document while the same app has an existing document open may cause an unintended switch to the last active document. This will also happen when closing a sheet in Excel while other sheets remain open.
• Local files or non-Microsoft cloud files will not be automatically restored, and no error message will be provided to alert the user to that fact.

No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service,
Dona <

UPDATED MAY 10, 2018 1:11 PM

Click to expand...

JUNE 6, 2018 10:02 AMAnnouncing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17686
By Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc
SHARE Link Removed SHARE SHARE SKYPE
Hello Windows Insiders!
Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17686 (RS5) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring in addition to those who opted in to Skip Ahead.
What’s new in Build 17686
Improved Local Experience
We have introduced a new Region page that allows overrides to default regional format settings such as Calendar, First day of the week, Dates, Times, and Currency. Please go to Settings App – Time & Language – Region and give it a try.

Local Experience Packs are Microsoft Store apps that deliver Windows display language quality improvements. You can now access them easily via the Settings App. Please go to Settings App – Time & Language – Language. Once here click on Add a Windows display language with Local Experience Packs link to download a Local Experience Pack from the Microsoft Store and start enjoying Windows in your preferred language.

Privacy Improvements
We wanted to let you know that if access to the microphone has been disabled in your privacy settings, we’ll now pop a notification the first time an attempt to use the microphone is blocked so you can review the settings if desired.

Windows Mixed Reality Improvements
This build includes several improvements for Windows Mixed Reality users:

• This build no longer requires a physical monitor to be connected while running Mixed Reality in cases such as backpack PCs. Setting up WMR for the first time in Mixed Reality Portal and unlocking the PC on the sign in screen still, require a monitor to be connected initially. However, you can configure auto login to prevent needing to sign in for subsequent usage here. Using Windows Mixed Reality while standing requires setting up a room boundary.
• Apps running in Windows Mixed Reality can now make use of the Camera Capture UI API to capture images of the mixed reality world using the system capture experience. Try running Mail in the Cliff House and inserting an image from your camera in a new message to share an image of the scenic view.
• We’ve also made some adjustments to the mixed reality video capture experience in this build to make it easier to stop videos from the Start menu.

General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

• We fixed an issue resulting in frequent bugchecks on the previous build with CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED error.
• Settings > Gaming > Game DVR has been renamed “Captures”.
• We fixed an issue where Paint and WordPad settings and recent files weren’t migrated during upgrades.
• While we still have some work to do, you’ll find that when you update to this build, File Explorer will look a lot more complete in dark theme.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the “Replace or skip files” dialog having some unexpected dark elements in recent flights.
• We fixed an issue where the Japanese IME’s big mode indicator would appear in the center of the screen when bringing up UAC even if the mode indicator had been disabled in Settings.
• We fixed an issue where the taskbar flyouts (network, volume, etc) didn’t have a shadow.
• We fixed an issue where clicking on the plus button in the Clock and Calendar flyout from the taskbar didn’t do anything in recent flights.
• We fixed an issue resulting in Command Prompt’s cursor appearing invisible in the last few flights.
• We fixed an issue resulting in a high number of reliability issues when switching to the Microsoft Pinyin IME in recent flights.
• We fixed an issue where the Emoji Panel might not dismiss if you clicked somewhere else on the screen.
• [ADDED 6/7 for @Stanzilla] This build includes MSIX support. Using the SDK Build 17682 and higher, you can package your apps as MSIX.

Known issues

• We’re working on adding dark theme in File Explorer and the Common File Dialog, but we still have some things to do. You may see some unexpectedly light colors in these surfaces when in dark mode.
• After update, Mixed Reality Portal will reinstall the Mixed Reality Software and environment settings will not be preserved. If you need your Mixed Reality home experience to persist, we recommend skipping this build until these issues are fixed.
• Some Insiders may find increased reliability and performance issues when launching Start on this build. We’re investigating.
• Fonts acquired from Microsoft Store may not work in some apps.
• When you upgrade to this build you’ll find that the taskbar flyouts (network, volume, etc) no longer have an acrylic background.
• There is a bug in this build (and in Build 17682) that will impact driver testing scenarios. When executing HLK Component/Device driver tests, you may experience a bug check that blocks test execution. We are aware of the issue and actively working on a fix.
• If you install any of the recent builds from the Fast ring and switch to the Slow ring – optional content such as enabling developer mode will fail. You will have to remain in the Fast ring to add/install/enable optional content. This is because optional content will only install on builds approved for specific rings. There has not yet been a RS5 build released to the Slow ring.

Known issues for Sets & Office

• Sets UX for Office Win32 desktop apps is not final. The experience will be refined over time based on feedback.
• The top of some Win32 desktop app windows may appear slightly underneath the tab bar when created maximized. To work around the issue, restore and re-maximize the window.
• Closing one tab may sometimes minimize the entire set.
• Tiling and cascading windows, including features like “View Side by Side” in Word, will not work for inactive tabs.
• The Office Visual Basic Editor window will currently be tabbed but is not intended to be in the future.
• Opening an Office document while the same app has an existing document open may cause an unintended switch to the last active document. This will also happen when closing a sheet in Excel while other sheets remain open.
• Local files or non-Microsoft cloud files will not be automatically restored, and no error message will be provided to alert the user to that fact.

REMINDER: Upcoming Bug Bash
We are excited to announce the dates for the next Bug Bash: June 22nd – July 1st. And we will hold a Bug Bash Webcast on our Mixer channel on June 27th – exact timing will be announced closer to the date. We’re excited to do another Bug Bash with our Windows Insiders!
No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service,
Dona
UPDATED JUNE 7, 2018 12:29 PM

Click to expand...

JUNE 14, 2018 10:04 AMAnnouncing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17692
By Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc
SHARE Link Removed SHARE SHARE SKYPE
Hello Windows Insiders!
Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17692 (RS5) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring in addition to those who opted in to Skip Ahead.
Updated on 6/15 to include two new changes in the build that were missed previously.
What’s new in Build 17692
SwiftKey intelligence comes to Windows
Link Removed gives you more accurate autocorrections and predictions by learning your writing style – including the words, phrases and emoji that matter to you. It’s available for Android and iOS, and starting with today’s build SwiftKey will now power the typing experience on Windows when using the touch keyboard to write in English (United States), English (United Kingdom), French (France), German (Germany), Italian (Italy), Spanish (Spain), Portuguese (Brazil), or Russian.

Please take a moment to try typing and shapewriting on the touch keyboard in this build and let us know what you think
Microsoft Edge improvements
Control whether media can play automatically: One common piece of Insider feedback for Microsoft Edge is that you want more control over autoplay videos. In this build, we’ve added a new setting in Microsoft Edge to allow you to control whether sites can autoplay media. You can find an early preview of this setting under “Advanced Settings,” “Allow sites to automatically play media.” We’ll be improving these options and adding additional controls in upcoming flights and in response to your feedback, so stay tuned!
EDIT: Woops! We got a little too excited about this – this change is actually coming in a new build in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!
WebDriver improvements: Beginning with this build, we’re making it easier than ever to automate testing in Microsoft Edge using WebDriver. First, we’ve made WebDriver a Windows Feature on Demand, so you no longer need to match the build/branch/flavor manually when installing WebDriver. When you take new Windows 10 updates, your WebDriver binary will be automatically updated to match.
To install WebDriver, just turn on Developer Mode in Windows 10 Settings, or install the standalone feature under the “optional features” Settings page.
We’ve also updated WebDriver to match the latest W3C Recommendation spec with major new improvements. You can learn all about these changes over at the Microsoft Edge Dev Blog.
Ease of Access Improvements
Make Text Bigger: We’ve heard your feedback and are excited to announce that the ability to increase text size across the system is back and better than ever! When you go to Settings > Ease of Access > Display in today’s build, you’ll find a new setting called “Make everything bigger” – this slider will adjust text across the system, win32 apps, and UWP apps.

That means you can now make text bigger in Start menu, File Explorer, Settings, etc., without having to change the overall scaling of your system. Please try it out and share feedback!
Note: We’re investigating some issues with text clipping, not increasing in size everywhere, and problems when changing DPI settings.
Narrator Improvements
Based on your feedback you’ll find we’ve made a bunch of updates to Narrator with today’s build:

• Narrator Standard Keyboard Layout: Narrator now ships with a new keyboard layout that is designed to be more familiar to screen reader users. Please refer to the accompanying documentation for details on these changes (Intro to New Narrator Keyboard Layout doc).
• Automatic Dialog Reading: Narrator will now automatically read the contents of a dialog box when brought to the foreground. The experience is for Narrator to speak the title of the dialog, the focused element within the dialog and the static text, if any, at the top of the dialog. For example, if you try to close a document in Word with unsaved changes, Narrator will speak the title “Microsoft Word,” the focus “Save button” and the static text within the dialog.
• Narrator Find: You now have the ability to search for text using Narrator’s new Find feature. If the text is found Narrator will move to the found item. Please refer to the accompanying keyboard layout documentation for command mapping.
• List of Objects: Narrator now has the ability to present a list of links, headings or landmarks present in the application or content. You are also able to filter the results by typing in the list or the text field of the window. Please refer to the accompanying keyboard layout documentation for command mapping.
• Selection in Scan Mode: Along with being able to select content in Narrator’s scan mode using Shift-selection commands, you can now also select a block of data by first moving to one end of the block and pressing F9, moving to the other end of the block and pressing F10. Once F10 is pressed the entire contents between the two points will be selected.
• Stop on Controls in Scan Mode: Scan mode is a feature of Narrator that lets you use just a few keys to move around your screen. Scan mode is already on by default in Edge and you can toggle it on and off by pressing Caps lock + Spacebar. While you’re in scan mode, you can press the Up and Down arrow keys to read different parts of the page. With this update, the press of a Down arrow in Scan Mode will stop on interactive elements, so that they are easier to use. An example of this new behavior is that if you are reading a paragraph with multiple links, Narrator will stop on these links when you press the Down arrow.

We would love to hear what you think as you try out these improvements. This link will take you to the Narrator section of the Feedback Hub, or you can press Caps + E while Narrator is running.
Game bar Improvements
We’re now rolling out more functionality to the RS5 Game bar. In this flight are the following new features:

• Audio controls. Change your default audio output device and mute or adjust the volume of games and apps running.
• Performance visualizations. See your game’s framerate (FPS), CPU usage, GPU VRAM usage, and system RAM usage.

Game Mode Improvements
New options are now available for Game Mode that are expected to improve the gaming experience on desktop PCs. Gamers on PCs with many background processes may also see performance improvements when they toggle “Dedicate resources” in Game bar.
Search Improvements
Find software downloads faster in Search! Continuing our theme of improving the search preview experience, we’re rolling out an update to make it easier to find official download pages for Windows software you want to install. The team is continuing to develop this experience and more is coming. Check out the example below, and let us know what you think!

This is a server-side* change so Insiders may see this update outside of Build 17692.
*Some experiences may vary by region.
Windows Mixed Reality Improvements
Starting with this build you can stream audio to both the headset and the PC speakers simultaneously. To try it out make sure that you can hear sound from your normal PC speakers when not running the Mixed Reality Portal (MRP) and from the headset’s audio jack or built-in headphones when mixed reality is running. Then close all apps, including MRP, and go to Settings > Mixed reality > Audio and speech to turn on “When Mixed Reality Portal is running, mirror headset audio to desktop.” You should now hear audio from both the headset and PC speakers when running mixed reality.
You may also notice some new error codes in Mixed Reality Portal to be more specific to certain failures. The Mixed Reality Portal app will also begin updating through the Store as we make infrastructure changes over the next several releases to support faster updates of mixed reality.
[ADDED 6/15] Acrylic comes to menus and more!
As we mentioned Link Removed, you will start to see our Acrylic material being used by default in light-dismiss XAML controls and on transient XAML surfaces like flyouts. The controls affected in this first update will be:

• ContextMenus
• Flyouts
• AutoSuggestBox dropdowns
• ComboBox dropdowns
• Date and TimePicker flyouts
• MediaTransportControl flyouts/overflows

With Build 17692 you will notice new acrylic backgrounds in places on the system using these controls – for example when you right-click open apps in Task View. Apps using the SDK for this build or higher will see this change by default as well.

Thanks for Link Removed!
Note: This is a work in progress – more Fluent Design improvements to come in later flights. Apps and surfaces using custom controls will not be altered by this change.
[ADDED 6/15] Storage Improvements
Storage Sense picks up a new skill: Starting with the Creators Update we embarked on a journey to help you automatically clean up storage when low on disk space. We expanded on that with the Fall Creators Update (here and here), and today we’re taking the next step by adding the ability to automatically make any downloaded Files On-Demand online-only if you haven’t used them in a certain number of days. Head to Settings > System > Storage > Storage Sense to try out this new feature! We’d love to hear what you think.
General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

• We fixed an issue resulting in audio glitching on systems with lots of firewall rules.
• We fixed an issue from the last few flights where Eye Control would fail fast and not start.
• We fixed an issue resulting in certain games, such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive, to crash on launch in the last two builds.
• We fixed an issue resulting in Settings crashing when attempting to open Data Usage Settings in the last few flights.
• We fixed an issue resulting in an unexpected “codecpacks.vp9” entry in the Start menu.
• We fixed a recent issue for some Insiders resulting in an explorer.exe crash with AppXDeploymentClient.dll.
• We fixed an issue resulting in some Insiders recently experiencing a bug check (green screen) with the error SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION in afd.sys.
• With Build 17672 we made a fix for an explorer.exe crash in structuredquery.dll – that fix stopped anyone new from encountering the crash, however we heard your reports that anyone already impacted was still impacted. Today’s build has a fix for this issue that should resolve it for anyone who was already impacted.
• To improve discoverability, we’ve moved Delivery Optimization Settings to now be directly listed as a category under Settings > Update & Security.
• We fixed an issue in Microsoft Edge impacting websites like Facebook.com, where when starting a message only the first contact name entered was automatically resolved while typing.
• We fixed an issue in Microsoft Edge where if both images and text were selected, right-clicking on the image and selecting copy wouldn’t work.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the Windows Security app crashing recently when adding a process to the exclusion list.

Known issues

• The login screen will crash in a loop when the active sign-in method is set to Picture Password. We recommend removing your Picture Password before upgrading to this build.
• This build will only be offered to Insiders running Builds 17655 and higher. You will not be able to update from RS4 to this build without first taking Build 17686 first.
• We’re working on adding dark theme in File Explorer and the Common File Dialog, but we still have some things to do. You may see some unexpectedly light colors in these surfaces when in dark mode.
• DRM video playback in Microsoft Edge from websites such as Netflix is broke on this build. But you should be able to use the Netflix app to play videos.
• Some Insiders may find increased reliability and performance issues when launching Start on this build. We’re investigating.
• When you upgrade to this build you’ll find that the taskbar flyouts (network, volume, etc) no longer have an acrylic background.
• There is a bug in these builds that will impact driver testing scenarios. When executing HLK Component/Device driver tests, you may experience a bug check that blocks test execution. We are aware of the issue and actively working on a fix.
• Due to a merge conflict some settings in Settings may be unexpectedly missing and / or missing their labels.
• When Narrator starts you will be presented with a dialog that informs the user of the change to Narrator’s keyboard layout. This dialog may not take focus or speak after Narrator has started. We recommend that you Alt + Tab to this dialog, which should cause it to read.
• The Settings for Keyboard Settings found in the Ease of Access center are missing text as well as visible values in the two combo boxes. Narrator users can interact with these controls and get some information pertaining to the settings that are available to them.
• When using scan mode you may experience multiple stops for a single control. An example of this is if you have an image that is also a link. This is something we are actively working on.
• If you change Narrator’s default Narrator key to just caps lock the Insert key will continue to function until the caps lock key is used as the Narrator key or if the user restarts Narrator.
• If the Narrator key is set to just Insert and you attempt to send a Narrator command from a braille display then these commands will not function. As long as the Caps Lock key is a part of the Narrator key mapping then braille functionality will work as designed.
• There is a known issue in automatic dialog reading where the title of the dialog is being spoken more than once.
• The state of a Narrator command such as toggling Scan Mode on and off, volume up and down, voice speed, changing verbosity and context verbosity commands may not be announced when executed.
• If you have previously performed a Find using Narrator’s Find feature and you bring up the dialog the text will not be cleared from the field.
• Please refer to the Narrator Keyboard Layout documentation for other issues found in this release that pertain to Narrator. (Intro to New Narrator Keyboard Layout doc).
• ADDED: If you have a Surface Studio, it will fail to update to Builds 17682, 17686, and 17692. This bug is fixed and you will be able to update to the next build we flight.

Known issues for developers

• [UPDATED 6/15] Please note that there is an issue in this build that regresses the time it takes to remotely deploy and debug a UWP application to a local virtual machine or an emulator. Please skip this flight if you rely on deploying or debugging to a local virtual machine or an emulator for your UWP development. Please note, this does not impact deployment and debugging on the local machine, to a physical target device, or a remote machine. We have seen the following workaround alleviate some of the performance regression here:

From an admin PowerShell window, please run the following set of commands:
PS C:\> net stop DPS
PS C:\> Disable-NetAdapterLso *
PS C:\> net start DPS
Note: If your target environment is a Windows VM, please apply the above workaround from within the VM as well. You will need to repeat the above workaround for new network adapters created in case of a system reboot.

• If you install any of the recent builds from the Fast ring and switch to the Slow ring – optional content such as enabling developer mode will fail. You will have to remain in the Fast ring to add/install/enable optional content. This is because optional content will only install on builds approved for specific rings. There has not yet been a RS5 build released to the Slow ring.

Known Issues for Game bar

• The Game bar may crash on x86 machines.
• The framerate counter chart sometimes doesn’t show up correctly over known games.
• The CPU chart shows an incorrect percentage of usage in the top left corner.
• Charts in the performance panel don’t update immediately when clicking through tabs.
• The user’s gamerpic doesn’t display correctly, even after signing in.

Insider Community
We’ve got two stories from the Insider Community we want to highlight!

• What do ninja cats and dragons have in common? Link Removed, featuring an Insider who brings her creations to life with Windows Ink and Universal Windows Platform.
• The Sisters of Mercy help people in harm’s way. Their IT Director is an Insider who protects the nuns from a different kind of threat. Link Removed.

And heads up Boston – Brandon LeBlanc and Jason Howard will be at the Prudential Center Microsoft Store on June 23rd from 1pm EST – 4pm EST to meet with Windows Insiders for some fun discussion on Windows 10! RSVP: https://aka.ms/bostoninsiders

REMINDER: Upcoming Bug Bash
Our next Bug Bash will be from June 22nd – July 1st – we will be holding a Bug Bash Webcast on our Mixer channel on June 27th, exact timing will be announced closer to the date. We’re excited to do another Bug Bash with our Windows Insiders!
No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service,
Dona
UPDATED JUNE 15, 2018 4:37 PM

Click to expand...

JULY 25, 2018 2:02 PMAnnouncing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17723 and Build 18204
By Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc
SHARE Link Removed SHARE SHARE SKYPE
Hello Windows Insiders!

Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17723 (RS5) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring and Build 18204 (19H1) to Windows Insiders who have opted in to Skip Ahead.

Going forward, RS5 builds will come from the RS5_RELEASE branch. For Insiders who chose to “skip ahead”, 19H1 builds will continue to come from the RS_PRERELEASE branch. Insiders can see the branch name in the watermark at the lower right of their desktop. Right now, the builds from these branches are largely the same which is why we’re only doing a single blog post for both of today’s new builds. However, in the future we will be doing separate blog posts for each. To summarize all this, see the below graphic that explains what Skip Ahead is.



What’s new in Build 17723 & Build 18204
Mixed Reality Flashlight
How many times have you been immersed in a captivating virtual experience and…

1. Wanted to take a quick peek at someone nearby?
2. Wanted to reach for a drink, your phone or a keyboard?
3. Needed to find a surface to set down your controllers?

In the past you probably fumbled about or removed your headset, which can be clumsy if you have controllers in your hands.

Today we are excited to announce that we are adding the ability to peer into your physical environment through Flashlight – without removing your headset! With the latest Windows Insider Program build, you can open a portal into your real world at any time via the Start menu, a button shortcut, or a voice command. This opens a low-latency pass-through camera feed connected to your controller. It’s comfortable, intuitive, and keeps you immersed.



Flashlight finally allows you to mix your physical and virtual realities. Give it a try in this week’s Insiders build and let us know what you think!

Microsoft Edge Improvements
New Microsoft Edge Group Policies: The Microsoft Edge team introduced new Group Policies and MDM settings for IT administrators to manage Microsoft Edge. The new policies include enabling/disabling full-screen mode, printing, favorites bar, and saving history; prevent certificate error overrides; configuring the Home button and startup options; setting the New Tab page and Home button URL and managing extensions. Learn more about the Link Removed.

Retired XSS Filter: We are retiring the XSS filter in Microsoft Edge beginning in today’s build. Our customers remain protected thanks to modern standards like Content Security Policy, which provide more powerful, performant, and secure mechanisms to protect against content injection attacks, with high compatibility across modern browsers.

Here comes Emoji 11
Hope you enjoyed Link Removed, last week! For those who haven’t already heard, Unicode 11 comes with 157 new emoji – as of today they’re now available for Insiders to try in the build. Including superheroes, redheads, a softball, a pirate flag and a llama all made the cut. You can access them using the Emoji Panel (WIN+.) or the touch keyboard.





When you get today’s build, you’ll also find that we’ve made tweaks to some of our existing emoji – here are some examples:



Our ninja cats got a bit of love too – can you spot the difference?



If you have any feedback about our emoji and emoji typing experiences, please let us know! We’d love to hear it.

Note: The Emoji Panel is currently available for 190+ locales. Keywords and tooltips for the new emoji in today’s build are not yet implemented.

Time Accuracy and Traceability improvements:

• Leap Second Support– Windows will now support these occasional 1-second adjustments in a traceable and UTC-compliant manner. What’s a leap second? As the earth’s rotation slows, UTC (an atomic timescale) diverges from mean solar time or astronomical time. Once UTC has diverged by at most .9 seconds, a Leap Second is inserted to keep UTC in-sync with mean solar time. Since the practice of inserting leap seconds began in 1972, a leap second has typically occurred every 18 months.
• Precision Time Protocol– For the highest accuracy environments, you can now improve your time accuracy by leveraging a new time protocol that delivers far more accurate time samples to the endpoint (Windows Server 2019 or Windows 10, host or virtual machine).
• Software Timestamping– You can now further improve your network time accuracy by eliminating the software delay introduced by the Windows networking stack.

For a full write up with more details about these new improvements, please see our announcement here.

Improved Kiosk Setup Experience
We have introduced a simplified assigned access configuration page in Settings that allows device administrators to easily set up their PC as a kiosk or digital sign. This new page provides a wizard experience that walks you through the kiosk setup flow including creating a kiosk account that will automatically sign in on device start.

Please go to Settings, search for assigned access, and open the “Set up a kiosk” page to give it a try. We would love to hear your feedback! Let us know via the Feedback Hub.



We are very excited to announce that Microsoft Edge now works with assigned access which allows IT administrators to create a tailored browsing experience designed for kiosk devices. Microsoft Edge kiosk mode supports the following four types:

For Microsoft Edge kiosk mode running in single-app assigned access the two kiosk types are:

1. Digital / Interactive signage that displays a specific website full-screen InPrivate.
2. Public browsing supports multi-tab browsing and runs InPrivate with minimal features available. Users cannot minimize, close, or open a new Microsoft Edge windows or customize it using Microsoft Edge Settings. Users can clear browsing data, downloads and restart Microsoft Edge by clicking “End session.” Administrators can configure Microsoft Edge to restart after a period of inactivity.

For Microsoft Edge kiosk mode running in multi-app assigned access the two kiosk types are (Note the following Microsoft Edge kiosk mode types cannot be setup using the new simplified assigned access configuration page in Windows 10 Settings):

1. Public browsing supports multi-tab browsing and runs InPrivate mode with minimal features available. In this configuration, Microsoft Edge can be one of many apps available. Users can close and open multiple InPrivate windows.

1. Normal mode runs a full version of Microsoft Edge, although some features may not work depending on what apps are configured in assigned access. For example, if the Microsoft Store is not set up, users cannot get books.

Learn how to setup Microsoft Edge kiosk mode in the Microsoft Edge kiosk mode deployment guide.

Improving your update experience
Have you ever had to stop what you were doing, or wait for your computer to boot up because the device updated at the wrong time? We heard you, and to alleviate this pain, if you have an update pending we’ve updated our reboot logic to use a new system that is more adaptive and proactive. We trained a predictive model that can accurately predict when the right time to restart the device is. Meaning, that we will not only check if you are currently using your device before we restart, but we will also try to predict if you had just left the device to grab a cup of coffee and return shortly after.

How Accurate is this Model?

We’ve been using this model on internal devices, and we’ve seen promising results upon rollout. Due to the nature of its architecture, we’re able to update the model with minimal turnaround time based on our insights from its performance. It’s all thanks to our cloud infrastructure.

How Do You Give Us Feedback?

If you find your device restarting at the wrong time, please file a bug in the feedback hub with the details on your experience. (i.e. I went to grab a cup of coffee for 5 minutes and it updated!). We would love to hear your stories and take it into account when training our update model.

Game bar Improvements
In RS5, we’re making it easier to access the Game bar. In this flight, you can now discover Game bar from the Start menu or bring up Game bar by using the Win + G shortcut at any time.

General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

• We fixed an issue resulting in the “…” menu not working in multiple apps (including Microsoft Store, Photos, and Screen Sketch) where clicking on any of the items would just make the menu dismiss.
• We fixed an issue where in certain cases on PCs with multiple monitors, all the windows might have appeared shifted “up” and mouse input going to the wrong location.
• We fixed an issue where SNMP and the Windows Event Log service might start using an unexpectedly high amount of CPU in the last flight.
• We fixed the issue with Windows Defender Application Guard no longer working after installing the Build 17713.1002 Cumulative Update.
• We fixed an issue from the last flight where upon rebooting in order to start upgrading to the build, the system would boot back into the current build rather than the new one.
• We fixed an issue resulting in upgrades to the previous build failing with error 0x8007001f.
• We fixed an issue from the previous flight where Window Recovery Environment (WinRE) would not launch and resulted in “Reset this PC” and “Advanced startup” flows to be broken and appear to do nothing. We also fixed an issue from the flight before last (not visible in the last flight due to the aforementioned bug) where “Reset this PC” would initiate and rollback without completing the intended reset.
• We fixed an issue resulting in some laptops experiencing a CRITICAL PROCESS DIED bug check when the PC was put to sleep by closing lid and the connected power disconnected.
• We fixed an issue resulting in ShellExperienceHost.exe crashing when trying to pin apps to Start Menu via drag and drop.
• We fixed an explorer.exe crash when launching the Default Apps Settings page via WIN+R ‘control /name Microsoft.DefaultPrograms /page pageFileAssoc’.
• We fixed an issue where .mkv files were using a generic app icon in File Explorer instead of a thumbnail.
• Delivery Optimization Settings now has a new icon.
• We fixed an issue where suggestions on the main page of Settings would appear after a delay, making the Settings categories shift unexpectedly.
• We fixed an issue where Notification Settings listed every possible quick action in the enable/disable quick actions section, even those not applicable to the PC being used (including two Focus Assist entries).
• We fixed an issue where the systray overflow area could end up drawing slightly below the taskbar.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the network state in the taskbar potentially becoming stale in recent builds (showing there was no connection when there was, and vice versa).
• We fixed an issue where pinging PCs by name on the same LAN would do a case-sensitive name check.
• We fixed an issue where using v6v4tunnel to establish a tunnel didn’t work.
• We fixed an issue in Command Prompt from the previous flight where if a typed string wrapped around to a second line, you could only delete it up to the line break.
• We fixed an issue resulting in Task View / Timeline crashing on launch for some Insiders in recent builds.
• We fixed an issue where right-clicking an activity in Timeline was missing the “clear all from day” option.
• When you open a PDF using Microsoft Edge, the activity will now be listed in Timeline.
• We fixed an issue where sometimes you would see windows unexpectedly quickly reorder after exiting Task View without selecting a window.
• We fixed an issue from recent builds where the clock in the taskbar was leaking graphics device context handles (HDCs) every time it redrew, leading to performance issues the longer a PC was running. Multiple factors can impact performance, so if you’re continuing to notice any issues after upgrading to this build, please log feedback including Link Removed with a short repro and description.
• We fixed an issue resulting in not being able to distinguish the border between two overlapping Command Prompt windows.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the tops of apps in tablet mode being clipped (i.e. missing pixels). Not fixed.
• Thanks everyone for sharing your feedback about the new welcome screen string prompting you to lock your PC. For the time being we will be reverting this to the previous string “These updates will protect you in an online world”.
• We’ve made some tweaks to the design of the Cortana & Search landing page, specifically in situations where Cortana isn’t enabled/supported.
• We fixed an issue resulting in Microsoft Jigsaw hanging on launch in recent builds.
• The settings menu in Microsoft Edge (“…”) is now acrylic.
• When you right-click a book in the Microsoft Edge Books pane, you’ll now see an option to share the book.
• We fixed an issue that could result in Microsoft Edge spellchecking even though spellchecking was turned off in Settings.
• We fixed an issue where using the mouse wheel in Microsoft Edge would unexpectedly do a forward/back through browser history if focus was in the address bar and “Scroll inactive windows” was disabled.
• We fixed an issue where when using certain sites to listen to music in Microsoft Edge, your mouse might experience a small freeze if moving when the song changed.
• We fixed an issue resulting in apps like Adobe XD crashing on keypress in recent flights.
• We fixed an issue that could result in a deadlock on certain devices after using the pen to ink.
• We fixed an issue where the touch keyboard would still have a launch animation even if “Show animations” was turned off in Ease of Access Settings.
• We fixed an issue where launching regedit.exe (or any .exe that requires elevation) from a non-elevated cmd window using the “start” start command produced a “parameter is incorrect” error.
• We fixed an issue causing Narrator speech to fade when waking from sleep mode.
• We fixed an issue where the error “Your fingerprint couldn’t be recognized. Try using a different finger.” was displaying unexpected characters in place of the apostrophe.

Known issues

• The clock & calendar flyout may not appear until bringing up Start or Action Center (and then they will both appear at the same time). This same issue may also result in notifications not appearing until Start or Action Center is opened.
• We’re progressing in our work on adding dark theme in File Explorer and the Common File Dialog – you’ll notice improvements in this build, although we still have a few things left to do. You may see some unexpectedly light colors in these surfaces when in dark mode and/or dark on dark text.
• When you upgrade to this build you’ll find that the taskbar flyouts (network, volume, etc) no longer have an acrylic background.
• When you use the Ease of Access Make Text bigger setting, you might see text clipping issues, or find that text is not increasing in size everywhere.
• When you set up Microsoft Edge as your kiosk app and configure the start/new tab page URL from assigned access Settings, Microsoft Edge may not get launched with the configured URL. The fix for this issue should be included in the next flight.
• On Build 17723 (but not Build 18204), you may see the notification count icon overlapping with the extension icon in the Microsoft Edge toolbar when an extension has unread notifications.
• On Windows 10 in S Mode, launching Office in the Store may fail to launch with an error about a .dll not being designed to run on Windows. The error message is that a .dll “is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error. Try installing the program again…” Some people have been able to work around this by uninstalling and reinstalling Office from the Store. If that doesn’t work, you can try to install a version of Office not from the Store.
• When the Narrator Quickstart launches, Scan Mode may not reliably be on by default. We recommend going through the Quickstart with Scan Mode on. To verify that Scan Mode is on, press Caps Lock + Space.
• When using Scan mode you may experience multiple stops for a single control. An example of this is if you have an image that is also a link. This is something we are actively working on.
• If the Narrator key is set to just Insert and you attempt to send a Narrator command from a braille display then these commands will not function. As long as the Caps Lock key is a part of the Narrator key mapping then braille functionality will work as designed.
• There is a known issue in automatic dialog reading where the title of the dialog is being spoken more than once.
• For more information about Narrator new keyboard layout and other known issues, please refer to (Intro to New Narrator Keyboard Layout doc).
• ADDED: There is an issue where the tops of apps in tablet mode being clipped (i.e. missing pixels).

Known issues for Developers

• If you install any of the recent builds from the Fast ring and switch to the Slow ring – optional content such as enabling developer mode will fail. You will have to remain in the Fast ring to add/install/enable optional content. This is because optional content will only install on builds approved for specific rings.

RS5 Bug Bash #2
Join us for our second RS5 Bug Bash running from July 27th through to August 5th, 2018. You know the drill – get your quest on! With the second RS5 Bug Bash, Insiders in the Slow ring can also participate! AND we’ll be doing a Mixer webcast on Wednesday August 1st at 10am PDT. Also – Link Removed a trip to Microsoft’s campus here in Redmond, WA!

No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service,
Dona

UPDATED JULY 25, 2018 3:33 PM

Click to expand...