Windows 10 Mobile, PC Previews: What's Inside
Microsoft rolls out Windows 10 Insider preview builds for mobile and PC, and shares its upgrade delivery strategy for 2016.
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Windows 10 has been downloaded on more than 110 million PCs and more than 8 million business devices since its public rollout in July 2015.
That's strong progress for its first three months of general availability, but Windows 10 has a long way to go before hitting Microsoft's goal of one billion devices by July 2018. Additions to its Windows 10 device lineup will help but aren't likely to finish the job.
As a result, Redmond is getting more aggressive with its Windows 10 distribution strategy in order to deliver the OS to a broader audience. Terry Myerson, executive VP of Windows and Devices, described in a blog post the details of a new automatic download process for consumers and small businesses.
The original upgrade process required two steps: Users first requested a reservation and then received an upgrade notification at a later time. This is now a thing of the past.
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Microsoft will soon begin to push Windows 10 as an "Optional Update" via Windows Update for users running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. For optional updates, users have to select the option to install the upgrade on their own.
Starting in early 2016, Windows 10 will be re-categorized as a "Recommended Update" in Windows Update. Here's where it starts to get sticky. "Depending upon your Windows Update settings, this may cause the upgrade process to automatically initiate on your device," wrote Myerson.
However, PC users will be prompted to continue the upgrade before their OS is changed. Those on a metered connection on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 have the option to disable automatic updates, though Myerson doesn't recommend this because it runs the risk of missing security fixes.
Myerson reminds readers that if they don't like Windows 10, they have the option to roll back to their former OS within 31 days of their upgrade.
The upcoming distribution change is one of multiple Windows 10 updates to arrive this week. Microsoft also announced plans to change the upgrade process for non-genuine versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, and rolled out new builds for Windows Insiders running the previews for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile.
Read on for more details on what's new in Windows 10 this week. What do you think of the new upgrade strategy? Will you be downloading either of the preview builds? Share your plans in our comments section below.
Microsoft has reiterated the importance of running a genuine copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 in order to be eligible for the Windows 10 upgrade. Terry Myerson, executive VP of Windows and Devices, acknowledged in his blog post the "creative efforts" people have pursued in order to upgrade non-genuine systems to Windows 10, and how many have purchased genuine Windows 10 through the Windows Store.
Noting this, Microsoft plans to experiment with an easier upgrade process for non-genuine Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 devices. This will involve a one-click offer to download genuine Windows 10 via Windows Store, or the option to enter an activation code. If this sparks more purchases of Windows 10, the experiment will be expanded.
The Windows 10 Xbox app has simplified the process of finding and adding Facebook friends to chat, play, and share clips on Xbox Live. Voiceover recording has been added to Game DVR, and the Store in the Xbox beta app allows users to search and buy Xbox One games.
This build also addresses a few bugs in Windows 10. The search box now works for users in locations where Cortana is unavailable. Additionally, the Xbox app for Windows 10 will no longer consume gigabytes of memory if you have installed Win32 games that have been identified as games or added in the Xbox app.
Build 10576 contains an early preview of nested virtualization, so users can run Hyper-V containers in Hyper-V virtual machines with Build 10565. Build 10576 delivers performance improvements.
Finally, changes also address the feedback users have submitted regarding localization text UI in different languages.
As expected, there are a few bugs you'll have to watch out for when experimenting with Build 10576. These are some of the major issues to beware:
1. You need this build and higher to receive missed calls and send texts via Cortana.
2. Notifications appearing in the Action Center will cause audio volume to go down by 75% for a period of time.
3. Small devices, like the Dell Venue 8 Pro, which boot with the virtual mode screen size set larger than the physical screen, will show bluescreen and roll back to the previous build.
4. The Surface Pro 3 power button may no longer put a device to sleep; it will instead shut down.
5. WebM and VP9 have been temporarily removed from builds; VP9 will return in future build.
6. Skype messages and contacts will be deleted from the Messaging app. Myerson explains a workaround on the blog: Go to this file in File Explorer: C:\Users\\AppData\Local\PackagesMicrosoft.Messaging_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache then delete the "PrivateTransportId" file and restart the Messaging app.
The newest build for Windows 10 Mobile doesn't have much in the way of major new features, but it addresses several problems. Unlike earlier builds, you can upgrade to Build 10581 without rolling back to Windows 8.1. Here are a few more alterations:
1. Has longer battery life.
2. Has improved video recording.
3. "Hey Cortana" will work again, but go to Settings > Extras > Hey Cortana to ensure it's enabled.
4. Fixes problem of certain apps not being able to have quick status on the lock screen. Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen to change.
5. Visual voicemail sync will now work.
6. You can share photos through third-party apps like Facebook, Instagram beta, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp.
7. Has improvements to auto-correct and text prediction.
As expected, there are some bugs in Build 10581. Keep these in mind before you download:
1. Apps might crash after being moved to SD card.
2. Device might have black screen for about five minutes after upgrade, but time will vary by device.
3. Cannot deploy Silverlight apps through Visual Studio to your phone.
4. Cannot set default save locations in Settings > System > Storage, and it won't correctly reflect current storage settings. The configured save locations for the previous build will remain the same. If you're using an SD card, it will have a jumbled name in storage settings.
If you're reading a PDF and want additional information on a topic, you can highlight text and right-click to ask Cortana about it.
If you're reading a PDF and want additional information on a topic, you can highlight text and right-click to ask Cortana about it.
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