Monthly Archives: June 2019

Microsoft Releases Windows 10 Version 1903 Cumulative Update KB4501375

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Microsoft just released a new cumulative update for Windows 10 May 2019 Update, the most recent feature update readily available for Windows 10.

Cumulative update KB4501375 was shipped to Release Preview ring users in the Windows Insider program the 2009 week, and today Microsoft has pushed it to production devices via Windows Update too.

This cumulative update boosts the OS build number to 18362.207 and has a pretty long changelog, which you can take a look at in full in the box after the jump.

One notable improvement is really a treatment for a Night light bug in Windows 10, that has previously prevented this feature from working after installing the May 2019 Update. Microsoft says exactly the same bug also impacted Color Management profiles and gamma correction.

This cumulative update also resolves looping redirects issue with Microsoft Edge and Ie 11 and fixes a problem blocking quite a few users running Windows 7 from upgrading to Windows 10 due to third-party antivirus software.

Just a single known issue

Microsoft has additionally addressed nearly all issues in the previous cumulative updates, so KB4501375 includes just one known bug affecting Windows Sandbox. This is a new feature in Windows 10 May 2019 Update, also it allows users to run apps securely inside a protected environment similar to a virtual machine.

“Windows Sandbox may fail to begin with “ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND (0x80070002)” on devices where the operating system language is changed during the update process when installing Windows 10 version 1903,” Microsoft explains.

There isn’t any workaround with this bug at this time, but Microsoft says it’s already focusing on one, also it should be released as part of a future cumulative update.

The next round of cumulative updates is due on July 9 when Microsoft will ship Patch Tuesday fixes with both security and non-security improvements for those Windows 10 versions.

Add Chromium Microsoft Edge Policies to Windows 10

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Microsoft has released an early set of Group Policy templates for that new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser on Windows 10.

These policies allows administrators and IT pros to configure specific capabilities from the browser on one or even more Windows 10 devices. For instance, IT admins can block installing extensions for systems within their networks.

Because the new Edge is a browser that Microsoft builds on your own in line with the Chromium engine, there aren’t any policies for the application in Windows 10.

Recently, however, the software giant released some templates to allow IT admins preview the management policies the clients are focusing on for the new Edge, and they’re available for both Windows and mac.

Microsoft warns these policies might be further tuned because they are a piece happening. They’re only available in English and policies for managing updates aren’t ready at this time. Additionally, not all the policies that Microsoft released as part of this set are presently implemented within the existing preview versions of Microsoft Edge.

“This is really a work in progress. We are sharing this early draft with you for the feedback, however the list can change between now and our final release, with policies being added, removed or changed according to feedback,” Microsoft engineer Sean Lyndersay said.

The templates are available in the form of a ZIP archive which includes the ADMX file, an English version of the ADML file, in addition to a HTML document that lists all policies as well as their description.

The very first thing you need to do is download web site archive using this page – note this is a direct download link for the ZIP archive.

Should you run Windows 10, you can easily extract the files using the built-in support for ZIP archives.

Importing the templates in Windows 10 starts with the launch from the Group Policy Editor within the operating system.

Click the Start menu and type:

gpedit.msc

Next, take this road to import the files:

Local Group Policy Editor > Computer Configuration > Right-click Administrative Templates > Add/Remove Templates > Add

Browse towards the .adm file contained in the archive and choose it in the Group Policy Editor. The location of the file is the following:

\Microsoft Edge (Insider) AdministrativeTemplate\Microsoft Edge Chromium-based browser Administrative Template\windows\adm\en-US\msedge.adm

When you’re ready, click on the Close button to accomplish the import. You can then discover the imported policies in the following location within the Group Policy Editor:

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Classic Administrative Templates (ADM)\Microsoft Edge

Since focus on these policies hasn’t been finalized, you shouldn’t make any changes at this time, as your settings might not have any impact on the existing configuration.

Microsoft Edge is currently available in Dev and Canary builds of Windows 10, and Microsoft says it can’t provide an ETA on the beta build just yet. It’s thought that the development form of Microsoft Edge could be ready later this season, possibly prior to the 19H2 update due in the fall. Microsoft, however, has remained tight-lipped on any release target.

When you add the new policies to your Windows 10 device, the operating-system also creates additional entries within the Registry Editor for settings management. You can find all of the registry entries at the following location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge

Microsoft says it’s already focusing on other policies, and also the full set is going to be obtainable in Intune automatically. They’ll be updated automatically with every release. Again, no ETA can be obtained on this launch.

Weekly Microsoft Edge Dev Update Released with Improved Dark Mode

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Microsoft has released the typical weekly update for that Dev form of Microsoft Edge browser, bringing the application to build 77.0.197.1.

There are several notable additional features, and something of them is improved upon dark mode support for full-page screens, including here settings, history, yet others.

The support for dark themes has become a priority for the majority of software developers, including Microsoft, and also the last few updates for Microsoft Edge brought several improvements in connection with this, especially because the software giant wants the browser to align using the look and feel in Windows 10.

Pin a web site to the taskbar

This new version also introduces a choice to show just the icon for particular favorites on the favorites bar, in addition to support for further languages. Which means that you can now configure Microsoft Edge to become displayed inside a different language than English, which is clearly a welcome change for users in international markets.

Microsoft Edge now allows users to choose which types of diagnostic data they would like to send as part of the feedback they undergo the company.

Microsoft has additionally changed the way users can pin a website to the desktop. This feature has become gone, and also the browser only allows a user to pin the website to the taskbar. As I explained inside a tutorial on how to pin websites to the taskbar in Microsoft Edge, the original implementation required one extra step, so with this particular update, Microsoft removes this step completely.

However, given that this feature has become gone, it’s a tiny bit harder to pin a website to the desktop or even the Start menu, so Microsoft should give a dedicated option in connection with this too.

There are several other improvements within this update, and you may check them in full in the box following the jump.

Microsoft Begins Testing Windows 10 Version 1903 Cumulative Update KB4501375

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Microsoft is preparing for an additional release of a cumulative update, this time for its most recent Windows 10 version called May 2019 Update as well as referred to as version 1903.

As a result, cumulative update KB4501375 is now readily available for download for users signed up for the Release Preview ring from the Windows Insider program.

After the installation of KB4501375, the OS build number is increased to 18362.207.

Given the update is only provided to testers, a changelog isn’t yet available, and additional info on what it fixes is expected to be published when the public rollout to production devices begins.

No release notes available just yet

Meanwhile, there are signs that cumulative update KB4501375 fixes an Event Viewer bug that was introduced by the previous updates published on Patch Tuesday. As per Microsoft:

“When trying to expand, view or create Custom Views in Event Viewer, you might receive the error, “MMC has detected a mistake in a snap-in and can unload it.” and the app may stop responding or close. You may even receive the error using Filter Current Log in the Action menu with built-in views or logs. Built-in views and other options that come with Event Viewer should work as expected.”

The bug also hit older Windows 10 versions, but Microsoft could thus try to assess the fix with the aid of insiders on Windows 10 May 2019 Update before rolling it out to everyone else in the next batch of cumulative updates.

In addition to cumulative update KB4501375, Microsoft also published a new servicing stack update for Windows 10. KB4506933 is also shipped to insiders in the Release Preview ring without a changelog, but servicing stack updates are first and foremost designed to enhance the reliability of the Windows Update service.

Insiders in the Release Preview ring can turn to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates to install the brand new cumulative update immediately.

Dynamic Theme for Windows 10 Review

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There are a lot of wallpaper changers on Windows 10, and when I say “a lot” I truly mean it. But however, many of them are Win32, which means not only that the installer must be downloaded manually, but also that you lose some key Windows 10 features, like support for live tiles and deeper integration in to the OS.

Dynamic Theme, an app that accompany a pretty self-explanatory name, is among the most advanced wallpaper changers currently available within the Microsoft Store. And since it’s published within the Store, it may be installed on all Windows 10 versions, including the ones that are blocked from running Win32 software, like Windows 10 in S Mode.

Offered having a free license, Dynamic Theme is clearly built to provide a native Windows 10 experience, and it all begins with the UI.

The look of the app mimics the main one of the Settings app in Windows 10, which isn’t whatsoever bad. Using Dynamic Theme is a super-familiar experience for Windows 10 users just because of the, and due to its straightforward menu options, navigating across its settings and activating specific options is easy.

Dynamic Theme supports both light and the dark themes in Windows 10, however it may also follow the system settings. Which means that should you set Windows 10 to dark, it uses the dark mode too. If the light visual style is enabled in Windows 10, it uses exactly the same mode as well.

Multi-language support can also be offered, and the app offers support for Microsoft accounts to be able to provide synchronization. Quite simply, you can have your settings roaming in one device to a different should you choose to sign in with your Microsoft credentials.

When it comes to features, there’s without doubt you’re likely to be impressed.

To begin with, Dynamic Theme lets you alter the wallpaper of the desktop and the lock screen. As well as for each of them, it uses multiple sources, as it follows:
The machine settings
A particular photo that users can define
The Bing homepage during the day
Windows Spotlight
A particular Bing image
A specific Windows Spotlight image
A slideshow

Support for that Bing homepage and also the Windows Spotlight is among key features of Dynamic Theme, and the way it is implemented is one of the best I’ve observed in a Windows 10 app. The app can automatically alter the wallpaper of both desktop and the lock screen according to photos from all of these two sources, also it can even send a notification when a new background is available.

Furthermore, you are able to manually see the entire collection of wallpapers, such as the backgrounds which have been utilized on Bing or Windows Spotlight in the past, and choose one as background.

Like Windows 10, you can pick from multiple modes for a wallpaper to suit your desktop, like fill, fit, stretch, and center. I used the fill mode using the Bing homepage during the day photo on the screen having a 1920×1080 pixels resolution and everything was just fine.

Along with setting a new wallpaper around the desktop and the locks screen, Dynamic Theme also provides management options for the daily Bing and Windows Spotlight images.

You can get alerts when new images are available with a preview (so you can preview them before setting as wallpaper), auto-save the photos to a user-defined folder, as well as create a live tile in the Start menu that uses the most recent photo as background.

The daily Bing image option also enables you to choose other regions, as Microsoft provides users with different wallpapers individually tailored to their location.

And since downloading wallpapers from Microsoft servers is really a key feature from the app, Dynamic Theme also integrates a choice to disable getting new backgrounds if a metered connection has been used.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Dynamic Theme is without doubt the best wallpaper changer for Windows 10. Provided with a freeware license, published within the Microsoft Store, and according to an interface that Windows 10 users will find very familiar, Dynamic Theme is an application that adopters of Microsoft’s latest operating-system should certainly try out.

Dynamic Theme has pretty much everything you’d need if you wish to use Microsoft’s Bing or Windows Spotlight because the source of your wallpapers.

If there’s anything else that I’d need to see within this app, it’s a choice to choose when to set the new wallpapers. For example, I favor to create a brand new background each morning when I reach the office, so letting me choose the time when the app should kick in would be quite handy.

However in the end, there’s not really much to complain about Dynamic Theme. This can be a gem, there’s no doubt about it, and that i can only hope the dev would still ship updates despite Microsoft’s rumored transition from UWP to Win32.

Microsoft Begins Offering Windows 10 Version 1903 to April 2018 Update Devices

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Microsoft has announced the rollout of Windows 10 May 2019 Update, also referred to as Windows 10 version 1903, has reached another stage, because the company started training its machine-learning system to automatically update devices still running the Windows 10 April 2018 Update (Windows 10 version 1803).

The rollout of Windows 10 May 2019 Update started last month, and Microsoft offered the update to a small group of systems via Windows Update.

At the same time, the company also allowed users to update their devices with the Media Creation Tool and with a manual check for updates if no upgrade blocks were in place.

April 2018 Update to achieve EOS later this year

Starting with this phase, Microsoft accelerates the automatic rollout of the May update, the Windows 10 version 1803 will be the first to get this era because the end of support is approaching.

“Windows 10, version 1903 can be obtained for any user who manually selects “Check for updates” via Windows Update for all devices that do not have a safeguard hold. If you are not offered the update, please check below for just about any known problems that may affect your device. The recommended servicing status is Semi-Annual Channel,” Microsoft explains.

“We are actually beginning to build and train the device learning (ML) based rollout tactic to update devices running the April 2018 Update, and earlier versions of Windows 10, to ensure we can still service these units and provide the most recent updates, security updates and improvements.”

Windows 10 May 2019 Update comes with several notable improvements, including a new light theme and Windows Sandbox, which lets users run apps inside a secure environment.

There’s no ETA as to when the rollout from the May update is projected to complete, but users are recommended to wait for the Windows Update release in order to prevent any compatibility issues.

Rounded Corners in Windows 10, Yay or Nay?

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Now that the Fluent Design facelift has reached an extremely advanced stage in Windows 10, Microsoft is ready for an additional design overhaul within the operating-system.

Rumor has it the company is focusing on bringing rounded corners to Windows 10, replacing the sharp ones that served because the first step toward what a lot of us know as the Metro UI.

While Microsoft itself hasn’t confirmed that it’s prepared to embrace rounded corners in the desktop operating system, the software giant did drop several hints this may be the direction it really wants to embrace in the long term for Windows 10.

In early May, a screenshot of the items appeared to be an earlier form of a redesigned search UI made the rounds, providing us with a quick glimpse into this refined interface that Microsoft wants to introduce according to rounded corners.

Said to be finalized in the 20H1 update (that is due early in the year of 2020), this restyled UI is part of the Fluent Design makeover, albeit it wasn’t included when Microsoft announced the brand new design language a few years ago.

A few weeks ago, Microsoft itself published a design proposal on GitHub to provide developers with a lot more information on new controls that could be utilized in UWP apps. Once more, rounded corners are part of this push, as the company itself explained in its GitHub project.

“Update default control styles with rounded corners making them personalized. Developers shouldn’t have to retemplate the controls to “unround” the corners or round them further,” Sravya Vishnubhatla, Program Manager in Microsoft’s Windows Fluent Design team, said.

Another hint that rounded corners are at least under consideration at Microsoft is the redesign of countless product icons, which themselves use this design choice. The recently launched Windows Terminal icon comes with rounded corners too, and the like a design would perfectly fit a facelifted Windows UI overall.

Clearly, rounded corners in Windows 10 are currently in prototype phase at Microsoft, if not a particular thing already. Given they’re designed to go reside in before summer 2020, there’s a chance that Redmond is currently focusing on the discharge schedule, so that as it typically occurs when such changes are freed, users within the Windows Insider program should be the first to try them out.

While Microsoft seems to be a large supporter of rounded corners in the long term, this new facelift was received with mixed reactions by users out there. Obviously, there are lots of Windows adopters who just love the refined UI, but at the same time, others believe the Metro-based style ought to be retained.

This feedback isn’t necessarily surprising, because the exact same thing happened this year when Microsoft chose to give up Aero and choose the Metro overhaul. Many liked the new look of Windows 78, yet quite a few users wanted the classic appearance of Windows 7 back, along with the familiar features such as the Start menu.

Since Microsoft hasn’t yet designed a ultimate decision about this, or perhaps if it made a public announcement doesn’t exist, it’s vital that you make yourselves heard, especially because such a change could be here for the long term.

Do you like rounded corners in Windows (based on the concepts above) or should Microsoft just stick to the existing interface with sharp corners? Do you want a Windows 7-based UI in Windows 10 or if the software giant push harder for this Fluent Design UI revamp?

Let us know what you think within the box after the jump.

What’s New in Windows 10 Cumulative Update KB4501371

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Microsoft has released new cumulative updates for Windows 10 earlier today, and also the October 2018 Update, or version 1809, is one of the releases getting patched.

The cumulative update for version 1809 is KB4501371, also it boosts the OS build number to 17763.592 – you can check the OS build by typing winver in the Start menu.

While the full changelog is available in this area at the end of the article, there are a few notable improvements included in this cumulative update.

For example, KB4501371 resolves a problem hitting Microsoft Edge and blocking the browser from launching when visiting a link within an application. Additionally, there are also fixes for Windows Media Player, as Microsoft says that in some instances, the app could crash when playing media files in a loop.

Cumulative update KB4501371 also resolves an insect breaking down audio on the Windows device that hasn’t been restarted for more than 50 days.

Fixing issues caused by previous cumulative updates

Also very worth noting is that this cumulative update addresses bugs which were created by previous patches, as it’s the case of errors experienced when trying to pair Bluetooth devices. The changelog reads:

“Addresses an issue that could cause Realtek Bluetooth radio drivers to not pair or connect in some circumstances after installing the May 14, 2019 update.”

You will find three known issues in this update, but none of them seem to be new and only at KB4501371.

Microsoft explains that some operations on files and folders stored on the Cluster Shared Volume could fail, while in some cases, devices with some Asian language packs could hit an error after installing the cumulative update. Also, a small number of devices could boot to a black screen around the first attempt to load the OS after updating, and Microsoft recommends conducting a forced restart to solve the issue.

If your Windows 10 PC says it’s having activation problems today, here’s why

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A glitch with Microsoft’s activation servers seems to be disrupting many users’s PCs, as Windows 10 erroneously reports their systems as either un-activated or downgraded from Windows 10 Pro to Windows 10 Home.

Users are encouraged to ignore the Windows messages and wait for the problem to resolve itself, based on postings in Microsoft’s support forums. If those forum postings are accurate, however, the problem could take a few days to resolve.

Microsoft has acknowledged the problem. “We’re trying to restore product activations for the small group of affected Windows 10 Pro customers,” Jeff Jones, a senior director at Microsoft, said in a statement.

At approximately 4:49 PM, Microsoft issued an update: “A small group of consumers experienced an activation issue our engineers have now addressed. Affected customers might find resolution within the next Twenty four hours as the solution is applied automatically. Meanwhile, they are able to continue using Windows 10 Pro as always.”

Based on users, the Windows activation troubleshooter may report that user PCs may be licensed for Windows 10 Home, even if a legitimate Windows 10 Pro license is tied to the account around the Windows 10 PC. Windows could also are convinced that the PC’s Windows license isn’t valid at all, and requires to become activated within Windows. (The second scenario is within place on laptop computer I’m using right now.)

What’s going on?

“Sumit,” a Windows Insider MVP, wrote that Microsoft Chat support had reported an extensive issue, via another user:

“Microsoft has just released a growing issue announcement about current activation issue related to Pro edition recently,” according to the message. “This occur in Japan, Korea, American and many other countries. I’m very sorry to inform you that there is a temporary issue with Microsoft’s activation server at the moment and some customers might experience this issue where Windows is displayed as not activated. Our engineers are working tirelessly to solve this problem which is likely to be corrected within one or two business days.”

The problem has prevented some users from upgrading from Windows 10 Home to Pro, and worried others that they may have involuntarily obtained a fraudulent license key. Microsoft’s support forums are filled with complaints and concerns from users, with no official response from Microsoft.

Microsoft does appear to be focusing on the problem, though. If you visit Settings > Update & Security > Activation, you’ll see a blue Troubleshooter link at the end from the page. Click it, and Microsoft will endeavour to uncover the source of the problem. Fortunately, with my case, it worked?athough there is no guarantee you’ll have a similar luck, unfortunately.

Why this matters: Although this may end up being all for naught, Microsoft certainly doesn’t need any showstopping bugs at the moment. Microsoft’s Windows 10 October 2018 Update has yet to ship (it’s now early November, obviously) and the company has come under fire for shipping additional features without ensuring they’ll work correctly. Telling users that their PC is unlicensed, or they can’t get all the features of Windows 10 Pro they paid for? Simply no one needs that stress at this time.

Microsoft adds phone notification support, dictation languages to new Windows 10 Insider build

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Even while Microsoft tweaks its final bits of code in preparation for that Windows 10 May 2019 Update, its development teams are getting to the next major feature update of Windows, referred to as 20H1.

Yes, “20H1”-if you aren’t familiar with the nuances of Microsoft’s Windows development roadmap, you may not remember that Microsoft’s already moved ahead to another major release expected in the first half of 2020. We’re not sure whether that means the “19H2” update expected later this year have a sparser list of new goodies. Based on what we’ve observed in the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18885 which was released today, however, additional features in 20H1 will include dictation in multiple languages, and notifications integration with the Your Phone app.

Two changes happen to be designed to the Your Phone app, the app that ties Windows to either an iPhone or Android phone. Because of the more open nature from the Android ecosystem, Microsoft is focusing its efforts on that platform. The first major change to Your Phone is making available the present screen mirroring or phone screen feature to more Android models: the OnePlus 6, and OnePlus 6T, along with the Samsung Galaxy S10e, S10, S10+, Note 8, and Note 9.

Screen mirroring remains a comparatively niche application for the time being, however. For one thing, the whole Your Phone premise is built around the convenience that you simply don’t have to actually remove your phone from your pocket or desk. Screen mirroring reproduces your phone’s screen inside the Windows app, so that you can respond to a Snapchat message, for instance, right from your computer. But you’ll also need among the supported phones along with a PC having a Bluetooth radio that supports the low-energy peripheral role. The Surface Go is the only member of Microsoft’s Surface lineup that currently includes it.

Unfortunately, that limits the appeal of the brand new Your Phone addition: notification support, which has been added within Build 18885. You can control which apps can send you notifications. Dismiss an app, also it vanishes on your phone, too.

Microsoft made two other tweaks. First, it added more support for dictation, and 2nd, it solved a bug which had prevented users from upgrading to the May 2019 Update.

Dictation could be launched by typing the WIN+H key within Windows. It really works somewhat acceptably, though you’ll have to manually (or orally) enter punctuation like commas. Now, dictation support continues to be expanded to English (Canada), English (UK), English (Australia), English (India), French (France), French (Canada), German (Germany), Italian (Italy), Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Mexico), Portuguese (Brazil), and Chinese (Simplified, China).

Microsoft also pledged to repair an insect that prevented PCs from upgrading towards the May 2019 Update when an external USB device was connected to the machine. Build 18885 contains that fix. Additionally, a rollup patch should be arriving soon for non-Insider PCs to permit that upgrade to happen.

What this signifies for you: Microsoft appears to be continuing the popularity of taking existing Windows 10 features and improving them. Which has made some recent Windows 10 updates, including the upcoming May 2019 Update, rather unexciting. Build 18885 suggests we’ll possess some interesting things to anticipate in a year’s time.