Windows 10

Three-hundred-and-sixty-two 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 released the November 2019 Update for Windows 10 this month and enabled the upgrade via Windows Update and the Update Assistant.

Now that the Windows 10 November 2019 Update is widely available, Microsoft’s attention is firmly on the next feature release, due out next year.

The latest builds on the 20H1 branch haven’t introduced any new features, instead the focus has been firmly on fixing problems and making improvements.

Microsoft has always provided numerous ways to upgrade to the latest version of Windows 10, and things are no different with the November 2019 Update.

For most people, the first port of call should be Windows Update, but this does not work for everyone. If you're one of the frustrated many who are yet to see the November 2019 Update offered though this automatic channel, you can now turn to the Windows 10 Update Assistant to get your operating system up to date.

Some drivers for Realtek Bluetooth radios are casing compatibility issues with Windows 10 November 2019 Update, leading Microsoft to block the update on affected systems.

Anyone with an outdated version of the Realtek Bluetooth driver will be greeted by a message informing them: "Realtek Bluetooth: Your PC has a driver or service that isn't ready for this version of Windows 10". Updating Windows 10 to the latest version is blocked until users follow the steps set out by Microsoft.

Three days ago, Microsoft rolled out new Windows 10 20H1 Builds for the Fast and Slow rings, and made the Windows 10 November 2019 Update available for non-Insiders.

Today, Fast ring Insiders get another yet release -- Build 19025.

Three-hundred-and-sixty-one 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.

Home and Pro editions of Windows 10 1803 are no longer supported and Microsoft may push the May 2019 update to systems that still run the unsupported version.

Microsoft rolls out two feature updates a year for Windows 10, although the latest release, the November 2019 Update (1909)  -- out now -- is more of a system pack.

While the software giant adds new features in these releases, it also removes some, and deprecates others. It has updated its list of features that are no longer being developed for one reason or another, and this time around that list includes My People.

There are various ways of protecting wireless networks, and as technology develops old methods become outdated. One wireless security technique that has fallen by the wayside is WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) because it is very easily defeated.

Having been superseded by WPA2 and WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access generations 2 and 3), Microsoft is completely dropping support for WEP from Windows 10. Soon, it will not be possible to connect to a wireless network with WEP in place.

Microsoft is issuing an automatic update to Windows 10 May 2019 Update for anyone still using version 1803 of the operating system.

The Home and Pro editions of Windows 10 April 2018 Update have now reached end of service, and Microsoft is keen for users to upgrade to a more recent version so they can continue to receive security updates.

Today is a big day for Windows 10 users as Microsoft made the November 2019 Update available to non-Insiders. You can find out how to get it here.

The software giant also pushed out Build 19013 to Slow ring Insiders earlier today, and now Fast ring Insiders get some love too, with the release of a new build from the 20H1 branch.

Microsoft has been releasing two feature updates a year for Windows 10, but with concerns about the quality of its releases being raised time and time again, it has decided to do something different this year. 19H2 -- or the November 2019 Update (1909) -- is more of a service pack than a feature update.

The focus this time around is on "performance improvements, enterprise features and quality enhancements" and it’s available to install today. You won’t be offered it automatically however. If you want to install it you’ll have to follow these steps.

Microsoft releases new Windows 10 20H1 builds -- from the May 2020 Update -- to the Fast ring on a weekly basis, but it seems like something of an event when new builds arrive on the Slow ring these days.

Today the software giant pushes Build 19013.1122 out to Slow ring Insiders with a fix for the issue where the Settings app would hang or crash when accessing the System or Ease of Access sections. This build also comes with more kaomoji and a welcome update to Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) 2.

Microsoft has decided to remove the Downloads folder from the Disk Cleanup tool that is built into Windows 10. The move comes after users expressed fears that important files could be inadvertently deleted when using the utility.

While the ever-spiralling size of hard drive means that we now have to worry far less about running out of space, Disk Cleanup still has its uses from time to time. Microsoft says that the decision to make the change comes in response to feedback from users.

Three-hundred-and-sixty 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.

The latest AdDuplex stats show that Windows 10 version 1903 is installed on about half the devices running Windows 10. With Windows 10 version 1909 coming out this month it appears that fragmentation is still an issue.

In a bid to simplify the Windows Insider program, Microsoft has killed off the Skip Ahead ring that allowed users to try the version of Windows 10 beyond the one being tested by other Insiders. A smart move I think.

Insiders are now just testing builds on the 20H1 branch, due out next year, and Microsoft has rolled out another new flight for that.