Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 10586 hits the Fast ring -- is this Threshold 2? [Update, yes it is]

Microsoft is preparing a huge update to Windows 10, codenamed Threshold 2. We don’t know exactly when it will be made available, only that it’s coming this month.

In advance of that update, Microsoft is in the process of rolling out a new Insider Preview build which has all the hallmarks of being a test run of Threshold 2, or the Fall Update, as it’s likely to be known.

Instead of tweaks and new features, build 10586 is all about bug fixes and general improvements. It’s "very fast and smooth, and makes a great daily driver", according to Microsoft’s Gabriel Aul. That’s not something you’d normally hear about a Fast ring release.

So what can you expect to see in this new build? Microsoft shares the following improvements:

• The issue where any audio playing (like music from Groove, or videos from the Movies & TV app) gets reduced by 75 percent for a period of time after a notification pops up from Action Center is fixed.
• Pressing the power button on your Surface Pro 3 should put your Surface Pro 3 to sleep instead of shutting it down.
• We fixed an issue reported by Windows Insiders where a disksnapshot.exe command prompt window would flash randomly.
• Windows should now remember your previous login type. For example, if you log in with a PIN -- it will prompt you for a PIN next time instead of another type.
• We fixed an issue where Tab previews in Microsoft Edge were appearing as black if the page was not scrolled to the top, and web note clippings were also appearing as black.
• Small form-factor devices, like the Dell Venue 8 Pro, that boot with rotation or virtual mode screen size set larger than the physical screen size should no longer experience a bluescreen on upgrade.
• Apps and games should download from the Store more reliably.

There are, naturally, still some known issues. These include:

• After upgrading from one Windows 10 Insider Preview build to another Insider Preview build, Skype messages and contacts will disappear from the Messaging + Skype app. You can get Skype messages and contacts back by navigating to "C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Messaging_
  8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache" in File Explorer and deleting or renaming the "PrivateTransportId" file. After deleting or renaming that file, go to the Skype video app and sign out of Skype and sign back in.
• The Insider Hub might be gone after upgrading to this build. You can get Insider Hub back by going to Settings > System > Apps & features and clicking "Manage optional features", choosing "Add a feature" and selecting Insider Hub.

Update: Although Microsoft only refers to this as Insider Preview Build 10586, its download name "th2_release" gives things away, as does the fact the watermark is removed in this version.

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