The Redstone 5 (RS5) Insider Preview has officially been unveiled by Microsoft for Windows 10.
The build, which is also referred to as Windows 10 Insider Build 17682, basically aims at improving the way users can work seamlessly, integrating features that enable easy access across the interface.
Microsoft has published a detailed blog post following the release to explain the changes being incorporated and letting the users know what’s new in the build.
A summary of these changes is outlined below. It should prove useful if you are yet to catch up with the release.
The Use of the New Tab Button
So far, Windows users are familiar with the “frequent webpages visited” feature when you add another tab using the plus button to open a new window.
Under Windows’ Sets feature, which was first announced last year, you will now see all the apps you have been into recently.
For instance: If you had been working on a PowerPoint presentation and if you were to press the plus button, you will get the PPT icon appearing on the page.
You could click on it and open the app to resume your work, possibly collecting information from the pages already open.
Simplifying Wireless Projector Connection
Many users, especially students, may be used to making presentations from a PC or laptop that’s wirelessly connected to a LED projector. You could be doing it through an app or from the file explorer.
There are invariably those embarrassing moments when you have just finished the presentation and would want to turn the attention of the audience back to you, but the screen won’t go blank.
The new Windows 10 build 17682 has solved this issue by simply adding an icon on the screen that controls the power on/off of the projector. This operates somewhat like the remote desktop you are used to.
The icon is more like a banner and enables you to do a few functions through Settings. There are three different modes: Game, Video and Productivity. Each mode has different latency settings on the screen to alternate between displaying a gameplay or a video or just strike a balance between the two latency positions.
The Edge Browser Given Some More Edge Too
The new Windows 10 build has also brought about improvements in the web authentication protocol. Known in Microsoft’s jargon as WebAuthN, this is the API that supports the user to sign into websites through authentication without having to deploy the conventional passwords and use Windows Hello instead.
The new upgrade to this API has an un-prefixed support for WebAuthN. Microsoft will provide much more information on this upgrade later, but suffice it to say the entire experience related to web authentication will be smoother and easier.
No Need to Download RSAT Repeatedly
The area of Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) has also been accommodated for upgrade in the Windows 10 build 17682.
Microsoft has now included the different options within the Windows Settings; you can make your choices from the “Manage Optional Features” dialogue window under Settings. If you have difficulty finding the page, do a search and you can go there straightaway.
There, you will find the entire list of options for RSAT and you will have to hit the “Add Feature” button to select the ones you need.
Microsoft has claimed that it got the idea to make this change through customer feedback. In the official blog post, the company has also added a note saying customers may find that some functions in this improvement will take a long time to load. Developers are still working on the feature, so it should be more responsive soon.
Some of the Other Changes in Build 17682
Again, responding to the feedback received at different stages, the new Windows 10 Build 17682 has a number of other new features, which are summarized here:
- In the Windows Insider Program, particularly for the users in the business category, the new upgrade has taken care of the issues reported, including the non-receipt of flights under AAD.
- One improvement relates to the issue of the Cortana digital assistant, seen to be crashing when it was told to play music. Many users had also complained about the difficulty in launching apps with Cortana, which has been fixed in this upgrade.
- Some issues were resolved relating to the strange behavior of the screen when some videos are played, including the taskbar showing up on top (this was due to a previous action on the taskbar).
- Similarly, many times, the items on clipboard, when viewed by rolling the mouse wheel, wouldn’t show until the last item. This issue is fixed now.
- Several users have been facing the issue of apps not launching and showing “error 0xc0000005” on the screen. This was being linked to particular antivirus program being installed on the system. Microsoft has fixed this issue with the current upgrade.
These are just a few of the many issues that have been directly and indirectly addressed and should all be functioning very well now.
Other Known Issues Acknowledged
Microsoft has also gone on to share a huge list of bugs and issues raised by the users over time but have not been fully resolved. The company has assured that they’re working on these and as soon as the fixes are available, the upgrades will be sent.
A separate list of known issues pertaining to the Sets and Office programs has been given on Microsoft’s blog so users can stay updated on their status.