Microsoft is not super-committed to Cortana, with the company itself recently backing from some consumer-oriented features of the assistant.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the software giant really wants to eliminate Cortana entirely, so recently, the organization brought back an important feature in Windows 10.

More specifically, Microsoft has recently re-enabled the Cortana wake word in Windows 10, pretty much making it possible for users to produce the assistant after which perform certain features without even touching the device.

The Cortana wake word was originally disabled in Windows 10, but a current update re-enabled the feature both in version 2004 and older releases from the operating system.

“The wake word has been re-enabled in the new edition of Cortana in Windows. If you’re on Windows 10, May 2020 Update, make sure that you’ve updated to build 19041.329 or later to make use of the wake word with Cortana. For earlier builds, you can still click the microphone button to use your voice with Cortana. In Windows 10, November 2019 Update and earlier versions, you are able to activate ‘Cortana’ mode by opening Cortana, selecting Settings then Talk to Cortana. Under Hey Cortana switch the toggle to on,” Microsoft explains.

A second-class Windows citizen

Microsoft has gradually made Cortana a second-class citizen in Windows 10, however the company still keeps the assistant around, mostly having a concentrate on enterprises.

However, you may still use Cortana for things like launching apps with simple commands for example “Cortana, open Microsoft Word,” or simply to fireplace up certain settings like “Cortana, open Bluetooth settings.”

Exactly what does this suggest in the long run? Is Microsoft re-becoming dedicated to Cortana in Windows 10? Not necessarily, as the company has announced the demise of mobile apps of Cortana and many other changes targeted at consumers, so for now, it’s pretty clear the focus remains around the enterprise.

Windows Defender, or Microsoft Defender, may be the pre-loaded antivirus software that comes with Windows 10, and as third-party tests have proved lately, it’s actually one very advanced security product.

As a result, it’s really no surprise more and more people choose to stick to Windows Defender and quit on alternative products, as Microsoft’s solution not just that is bundled with Windows 10 but also offers native security without the need for every other changes to its configuration.

So technically, Windows Defender protects your pc against malware in the very first moment you put in Windows 10 and boot to the desktop.

On the other hand, you will find users who still want to disable Windows Defender for various reasons, that the simple proven fact that it’s offered natively in Windows 10 helps make the event harder.

Naturally, shutting down Windows Defender should come right down to right-clicking its system tray icon or, a minimum of, to a toggle within the Settings app. But since the antivirus is bundled with Windows 10, Microsoft has made it harder to get this done as part of a debatable approach the company hasn’t specifically detailed to describe the thinking behind it.

However, disabling Windows Defender can nonetheless be made by power users having a alternation in the registry and a dedicated key referred to as DisableAntiSpyware. Third-party software to obtain rid of the native antivirus solution also includes support for this registry key to do the things they say, so technically, you are able to shut down Windows Defender manually (the hard way) or automatically (the easy way).

But as individuals at German site Deskmodder discovered, the registry key is now ignored following the newest Windows 10 updates. In other words, if you use the registry hack to get rid of Windows Defender, this method no more works.

Interestingly enough, third-party items that take care of the event still work correctly.

Microsoft hasn’t publicly announced this transformation, therefore we reached out to the organization for more information and will update the article whenever we hear back.

In 2012 when the software giant presented Windows Defender, Microsoft implemented a very simple approach.

Windows Defender was offered as the pre-loaded antivirus solution automatically, running 24/7 on any device where Windows 8 was installed. However, if users decided to use a third-party security product, Windows Defender was disabled automatically to avoid any potential compatibility problems, therefore the security of your device was all the responsibility of the third-party product.

However, if at some point the consumer decided to remove the third-party production for reasons uknown, Windows Defender was automatically re-enabled on the device, all in an attempt to keep the data protected 24/7. This way, an antivirus product was enabled on the device constantly, no matter if it was a first party or perhaps a 3rd party.

In Windows 10, Windows Defender has evolved to become a central security hub called Windows Security, and whose role is to group exactly what is related to security measures around the operating system. This is the place where you’ll find not just the antivirus engine and also the multiple scanning modes, but also parental control and information concerning the health of your device.

Windows Security comes with a dedicated icon in the system tray, but closing it isn’t possible, as Windows Defender just keeps running on the device no matter what. Now that the organization has started ignoring this registry key, it’s all getting even more complicated if you want to turn off Windows Defender.

Windows 10 feature updates tend to be more or less major releases that numerous users are super looking forward to, but however, there are also individuals who aren’t too keen on installing them due to the probability of bugs and also the big quantity of additional features.

Although it sounds odd for somebody to not be looking forward to a Windows 10 feature update due to the big number of new features, this is something that’s really happening, especially among those who would like to stick with a familiar working environment.

This is also the reason quite a few users who are still running Windows 7 don’t plan to upgrade to Windows 10 in the near future, mostly because of the current experience which includes a Microsoft Store, Cortana, an Action Center, and everything.

One way to make the most of feature updates and become more familiar with the changes that they bring to Windows 10 users would be to actually provide those who do the installation with a very detailed look at what’s new.

Which is precisely what Microsoft is planning to do right now. The newest Windows 10 Insider build has a new post-update experience that’s powered by the guidelines app. Microsoft explains:

“We realize that it doesn’t always feel clear what changed with a major update, or even how you can find out about and try out new features and enhancements. This means that updates can feel time intensive without real benefit to you, and we wish to change that. We’re introducing a brand new first run experience through the Tips app that highlights the most exciting changes on your PC after a major Windows 10 feature update is installed. After installing this build, Insiders might find the guidelines app is launched highlight probably the most recent new features from the latest Insider Preview builds in the Dev Channel.”

Basically, after you use a new feature update, you should begin to see the Tips app launching and offering you an in depth look at the new features which are included.

Exactly the same approach could be used by Microsoft for every single new build and feature update, as this is something that’s more important of computer looks at first glance.

Rumor has it that Microsoft is evolving the update strategy starting with 2021, as Windows 10X is supposed to show up in the spring of the the coming year. So technically, with Windows 10X going live in the first quarter, Microsoft really wants to use the spring of every year for feature update for this particular OS version, which means that Windows 10 releases are gone to live in the fall exclusively.

What this signifies for Windows 10 in the long term would be that the operating-system is transitioning from two updates each year to just one update every 12 months. So instead of a spring and a fall feature update, we’ll simply be obtaining the latter.

If it’s not obvious already, only one feature update going live each year means a more significant update, with bigger changes underneath the hood. Consequently, users might have much more to discover in every Windows feature update, which makes a post-update experience a significant welcome improvement.

So yes, Microsoft is doing the right thing here, especially when looking at the company’s long-term strategy. Bigger updates mean bigger changes, and larger changes aren’t the thing that everyone is interested in.

A brand new post-update experience that will help every single Windows 10 user discover what’s new in a feature update is a smart improvement that should have been there in the beginning.