Microsoft kills off the Skip Ahead ring for Windows Insiders -- what does this mean for you?
For anyone looking to get a sneaky glimpse into the future of Windows 10, the Windows Insider Program has long-provided a way of trying out preview builds of the operating system. But it didn't take long for things to get confusing.
Microsoft introduced various "rings" that allowed users to jump on pre-release builds of varying quality and at different stages of development -- Slow, Fast, Release Preview and Skip Ahead. Now the company has decided to simplify things by killing off the Skip Ahead ring. Here's what this means for Insiders.
Over half of Windows 10 PCs now running the May 2019 Update
Microsoft rolls out two feature updates a year for Windows 10, although this year the second of the updates -- the November 2019 Update -- is actually more of a service pack.
The trouble with this twice-yearly update schedule is most people don’t upgrade to the new version right away. In fact, due to compatibility issues, most people don’t even get offered it for months after its initial rollout. As a result, the majority end up running an older version of Windows 10.
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Three-hundred-and-fifty-nine in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Microsoft Store in the past seven days.
Information about the new version of Windows 10, Windows 10X leaked this week. Check out Mark's overview here on BetaNews if you are interested in finding out more.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 20H1 Build 19013 with more ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
With October coming to a close it won’t be long until the Windows 10 November 2019 Update -- 19H2 -- starts to roll out to users. That’s more of a service pack than a feature update however.
If you want new features, it’s builds on the 20H1 branch that you’ll likely be more interested in. This week’s new flight, Build 19013, comes with more kaomoji and a welcome update to Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) 2.
Windows 10 still has problems with the Start menu and search even after the KB4522355 update
The Start menu is at the heart of Windows 10, so any problems with it have serious repercussions. Included in Microsoft's recent batch of bug-riddled updates, however, there have been two -- KB4515384 and KB4524147 -- which have broken the Start menu in various ways.
Last week Microsoft released KB4522355 proclaiming that it fixed issues with both the Start menu and search. Only it didn't fix problems for everyone. Start menu problems remain, and some users are still unable to use the search facility.
Major leak reveals more about Microsoft Windows 10X
When Microsoft revealed the Surface Laptop 3, Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro X recently, it also revealed Windows 10X, a version of Windows 10 optimized for dual-screen devices. At the time, details were not extensive, but now a major leak sheds some light on what we can expect to see.
Documentation for Windows 10X (or Santorini OS) has appeared online, revealing that Microsoft will also allow the operating system to be run on more traditional laptops. There are also some intriguing screenshots that give us a glimpse into the future.
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Three-hundred-and-fifty-eight in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Microsoft Store in the past seven days.
Microsoft is rolling out a Store update that features a new layout. The update is rolled out over time and features a new set of categories and sections. Apps are now found under Productivity in the Store.
Windows XP 2019 Edition is the operating system Microsoft should be making [repost]
Microsoft launched Windows XP 18 years ago today. Despite support ending for it back in 2014, the OS is still to be found on just under 3 percent of the world's PCs, according to NetMarketShare. Many people still look back fondly on it, and for good reason. It was a huge step up from the gray, bland Windows versions that proceeded it.
Although Microsoft does issue the very occasional update for XP, in the main it's now viewed as a relic from days gone by, and lacking many of the modern features we take for granted in Windows 10. But what if Microsoft updated it? To celebrate the operating system's big 18th birthday, we thought it would be fun to repost this story from a couple of months ago.
Microsoft releases KB4522355 update for Windows 10, fixing Start menu problems and more
Microsoft has released a series of problematic updates in recent months. The company seems to be playing catch-up, pushing out patches for bugs caused by the last update, in turn introducing new problems.
With the newly released KB4522355 update, Microsoft says that it has fixed a number of issues -- including problems with the Start menu, the Cortana Search bar, Tray icons and Microsoft Edge -- that were caused by other recent updates.
New Microsoft Store layout is rolling out
A new Microsoft Store layout featuring a new look and categories is rolling out now.
Windows 10 users who open the Microsoft Store on their devices may see the new layout already. It includes a new set of categories and reorganizes entire sections of the store.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 20H1 Build 19008
Microsoft is currently expected to begin rolling out the Windows 10 19H2 release -- the November 2019 Update -- on November 12.
In the meantime however, it’s busy working on the follow up, due out next May. The latest flight from the 20H1 branch doesn’t have any new features, but Build 19008 does include a number of useful fixes and improvements. These are:
KB4520062 update is breaking Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection for some
Another update for Windows 10 is causing issues. This time around the update is KB4520062 for Windows 10 version 1809, and it was supposed to fix problems with Bluetooth and blank screens when it was released earlier this week.
But some users are finding that the update is breaking Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP). Microsoft has acknowledged that the update can stop the anti-malware tool from running, and may also result in a 0xc0000409 error.
Windows users can now protect their accounts with Yubico security keys
Yubico, a company best known for its hardware security keys, launched a new application for Microsoft's Windows operating system this week called Yubico Login.
The free software adds another layer of security to the local login process on Windows machines to better protect the system from unauthorized access.
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Three-hundred-and-fifty-seven in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Microsoft Store in the past seven days.
Microsoft started to enable Tamper Protection on (home) devices running Windows 10 version 1903 this week. The new feature protects security-related settings from outside manipulation.
KB4517389 is causing even more problems with Windows 10 than first thought
That Microsoft's updates for Windows 10 have been problematic is hardly a revelation, but the scale of the problems just keeps on growing.
We have already written about numerous bug-ridden updates, including KB4517389 breaking the Start menu and Edge. Now this same update is being blamed for display issues and random BSODs.
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