What you need to know

• A new cumulative update is now available for Windows 10 April 2018 Update PCs.
• The update contains a slew of fixes, but there are notable ones related to Windows Hello and Microsoft Edge.
• The fixes are available now via Windows Update.

Microsoft pushed another cumulative update out for PCs on the Windows 10 April 2018 Update today. There are a number of fixes included with this release, but of note are corrections for issues related to Windows Hello and Microsoft Edge. These particular bugs are similar to ones we saw Microsoft correct over the weekend in another cumulative update for October 2018 Update PCs.

Here's a look at everything that's fixed in this update, KB4512509 (build 17134.984):

• Addresses an issue with downloading digital rights management (DRM) files from certain websites using Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer.
• Addresses an issue that causes Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) to intermittently stop responding while deprovisioning some preinstalled apps using the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM).
• Addresses an issue in which the default keyboard for the English (Cyprus) (en-CY) locale was not set properly.
• Addresses an issue that causes the Settings page to stop working and occasionally prevents default applications from being set properly.
• Addresses an issue that causes a query request of the Win32_LogonSession class for the StartTime to display the value of the epoch (for example, 1-1-1601 1:00:00) instead of the actual logon time. This occurs when a user who isn't an administrator creates the query request.
• Addresses an issue that causes a Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) call to connect to the Windows PE (WinPE) host fails with the error, "0x80070721."
• Addresses an issue that prevents an App-V application from opening and displays a network failure error. This issue occurs under certain circumstances, such as when a system's battery is low or there is an unexpected power failure.
• Addresses an issue that unintentionally removed Windows Hello credentials after installing KB4489894.
• Addresses a rare issue that causes Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) to temporarily prevent other processes from accessing files.
• Addresses an issue that causes a workstation to stop working when you sign in using an updated user principal name (UPN) (for example, changing UserN@contoso.com to User.Name@contoso.com).
• Addresses an issue in which Windows Defender Application Control will not allow third-party binaries to be loaded from a Universal Windows Platform application. CodeIntegrity event error 3033 appears as, "Code Integrity determined that a process ( [[ process name ]] ) attempted to load [[ binary name ]] that did not meet the Store signing level requirements."
• Addresses an issue that may break the domain trust when the Recycle Bin is configured on the domain that carries the trust.
• Addresses an issue that prevents some users from receiving a TTL value when they are added as members of Shadow Principals. This occurs for users who have distinguished names (DN) that contain an escape character. The TTL value is now added as expected.
• Addresses an issue that may prevent devices from starting when they start up using Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) images from Windows Deployment Services (WDS) or System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). The error is, "Status: 0xc0000001, Info: A required device isn't connected or can't be accessed."
• Addresses an issue that may cause the following to stop responding:
  • Applications that were made using Visual Basic 6 (VB6).
  • Macros that use Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).
  • Scripts or apps that use Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript).
  • You may also receive an "Invalid procedure call" error.

If you're still running a PC that's on the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, you can grab this cumulative update via Windows Update now.

For more, including a look at known issues, you can check out Microsoft's full release notes.

What you need to know

• Microsoft is pushing the Windows 10 May 2019 Update to older devices.
• Devices running the April 2018 Update will receive the update to stay in support.
• Users can delay the update for 35 days.

Microsoft is pushing out the Windows 10 May 2019 Update to older devices. Specifically, users with devices running the April 2018 Update of Windows 10 will see the update. Devices running the April 2018 Update will fall out of support on November 12, 2019, so Microsoft is pushing the update to keep them supported.

The Microsoft support site outlining the rollout mentions that the update will ship to devices running the April 2018 Update that will lose support this year, but the update will also roll out to other devices that are about to lose support.

Microsoft forcing device updates is controversial, as some users want full control of their machines, but it isn't new. Microsoft pushes out updates for every version of Windows 10 to ensure that devices stay supported. Users can elect to delay the update for up to 35 days.

Windows 10 May 2019 Update: The Ultimate Guide

If you're on a newer device and haven't received the May 2019 Update, you can check to see if it's available through the Settings app. It is available on any device when users manually check for updates except on devices that have a safeguard hold.

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What you need to know

• A new round of cumulative updates is now available for the Windows 10 October 2018 Update and April 2018 Update.
• The updates bring a slew of fixes, along with the ability for users to pick when they want to install the May 2019 Update and other feature updates going forward.
• The updates are available now via Windows Update.

Now that the Windows 10 May 2019 Update has started its official rollout, Microsoft has also released a couple of cumulative updates for prior feature releases. Rolling out now for PCs on the October 2018 Update and April 2018 Update, the pair of cumulative updates bring a number of fixes to the table, along with the ability for users to decide when to install feature updates.

From Microsoft:

Here's a look at the fixes shipping to October 2018 Update PCs with KB4497934 (build 17763.529):

• Allows users to go back to a host browser from a Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) container.
• Addresses an issue with looping redirects between Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11.
• Updates wininet.dll to prevent the re-creation of File Transfer Protocol (FTP) control sessions.
• Addresses an issue that may cause Microsoft Edge to hide annotations added to a PDF file, such as inked notes, highlights, and comments.
• Addresses an issue that removes UserRights policies from all users in a security group when you remove a device from a mobile device management (MDM) server or Microsoft Intune deletes a UserRights policy.
• Addresses an issue that disconnects a remote desktop session when you lock the session using a third-party credential provider.
• Addresses an issue that causes Microsoft Office and other applications to prompt for a password after you change a user account password. This issue occurs on hybrid Azure Active Directory (AD) joined systems.
• Addresses an issue that prevents ActiveX controls from automatically installing through a proxy server.
• Addresses an issue that prevents you from signing in to a Microsoft Surface Hub device with an Azure Active Directory account. This issue occurs because the previous sign-out did not complete successfully.
• Addresses an issue that causes a sign-in to fail with the error, "Incorrect Username or password" when using an empty or null password and Windows Defender Credential Guard is enabled.
• Addresses an issue that may cause a temporary KRB_AP_ERR_MODIFIED Kerberos sign-in failure in applications and services configured to use a Group Managed Service Account (GMSA). This issue occurs after the automatic update of the service account password.
• Addresses an issue that may prevent BitLocker from encrypting data drives when the "Enforce drive encryption on fixed data drives" Group Policy is configured.
• Addresses an issue that prevents updates from downloading from a Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) server when a Windows Defender Application Control policy is set to manage which updates can be deployed.
• Addresses an issue that may cause event 7600 in the Domain Name System (DNS) server event log to contain an unreadable server name.
• Addresses an issue that fails to record a local user's last logon time even when the user has accessed the server's network share.
• Addresses an issue that prevents NumLock from working properly in a Remote Assistance session when the Remote Assistance window gains and loses focus.
• Updates time zone information for Morocco.
• Updates time zone information for the Palestinian Authority.
• Addresses an issue with the International Components for Unicode (ICU) data, which were not updated for the time zone and the new Japanese Era.
• Addresses an issue with the "Allow uninstallation of language features when a language is uninstalled." Group Policy.
• Addresses an issue in which a File Share Witness does not remove Server Message Block (SMB) handles, which causes a server to eventually stop accepting SMB connections.
• Addresses an issue in which Windows attempts to renew Azure Active Directory (AAD) token certificates when there is no internet connectivity. This issue occurs during AAD authentication and slows the performance of applications.
• Addresses an issue with scrollLeft in Internet Explorer.
• Addresses an issue that causes rendering to stop working for svg elements.
• Addresses an issue with Assigned Access deployments (formerly Kiosk Mode) that prevents a user from logging on to an Assigned Access profile. This affects all locales and occurs when the local administrator's group is not named using the English spelling of "Administrators". In the Event Viewer, Event 31000 shows the source as "Microsoft-Windows-AssignedAccess/Admin" and displays the error message, "The group used to assign the application can't be found."
• Addresses an issue that prevents a Generation 2 virtual machine from starting on a Windows Server 2019 Hyper-V host. In the Microsoft-Windows-Hyper-V-Worker-Admin event log, Event ID 18560 displays, "VM name was reset because an unrecoverable error occurred on a virtual processor that caused a triple fault."

A very similar list of fixes is also available for the April 2018 Update. For more, you can check out Microsoft's full release notes. Otherwise, if you're running a PC with the October 2018 Update or April 2018 Update installed, you can grab these new releases via Windows Update now.

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Alongside fresh Windows Insider builds today, Microsoft is also pushing out a batch of cumulative updates for older versions of Windows 10. Specifically, PCs still on the Windows 10 April 2018 Update and older will be treated to a fresh batch of fixes and security updates (via Neowin). Notably, the October 2018 Update, which is the latest public Windows 10 release, is absent from this round of updates.

If you're on the April 2018 Update, you can snag KB4489894, which ticks the build number up to 17134.677. Here's a look at what's included:

• Addresses an issue with a Microsoft Access 97 database that stops a requested operation when a table or column has custom properties.
• Addresses an issue that prevents Microsoft Office updates from downloading from the Microsoft Store.
• Updates time zone information for Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• Addresses an issue with Microsoft Office Visual Basic for Applications that fails to use the Japanese Era registry settings for dates in the Japanese format. For more information, see KB4469068.
• Updates time zone information for Kazakhstan.
• Updates time zone information for São Tomé and Príncipe.
• Addresses an issue that prevents users from enabling gan-nen support for the Japanese Era. For more information, see KB4469068.
• Addresses an issue that causes a device to periodically stop responding when using an East Asian locale.
• Addresses a reliability issue that may cause a laptop screen to remain black after resuming from Sleep if you close the lid when disconnecting from a docking station.
• Addresses an issue with the Group Policy, "Turn off app notifications on the lock screen".
• Addresses an issue that may prevent users from signing in and cause account lockouts when using the App-V client to start applications. The issue occurs because Kerberos authentication fails when trying to get user information from the domain name server (DNS). Modify the following registry key:
  • Setting: UseDcForGetUserInfo
  • Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AppV\Shared\
  • Type: REG_DWORD
  • Value: Setting the following DWORD to nonzero will enable the solution.
• Addresses an issue with the Windows lock screen that prevents users from unlocking a device after multiple smart card users have used the same device. This issue occurs when you attempt to use a workstation that another user has locked.
• Addresses an issue that prevents the authentication credentials dialog from appearing when an enterprise web server attempts to connect to the Internet.
• Addresses an issue that causes a client or server to restart when using a smart card to log in with User Name Hints to an Azure Active Directory (AAD) joined machine using Remote Desktop Services.
• Addresses an issue in which multiple device entries exist for a single, hybrid domain joined device.
• Addresses an issue that removes the ALLOWCLSIDS policy from the policy XML file when you run the Add-SignerRule for Windows Defender Application Control.
• Addresses an issue that prevents a virtual smart card from starting when running in conjunction with Citrix 7.15.2000 Workstation VDA software.
• Addresses an issue that prevents a user from authenticating and causes Windows Account Manager (WAM) to fail when using a Trusted Platform Module (TPM).
• Addresses an issue that causes certificate renewal to fail when using CERT_RENEWAL_PROP_ID with the ICertPropertyRenewal interface.
• Adds a new Group Policy setting called "Enable Windows to soft-disconnect a computer from a network". This determines how Windows will disconnect a computer from a network when it determines that the computer should no longer be connected to the network.
  • If enabled, Windows will soft-disconnect (disconnection is not immediate or abrupt) a computer from a network.
  • If disabled, Windows disconnects a computer from a network immediately.
  • If not configured, the default behavior is soft-disconnect. For more information about soft-disconnect, see Understanding and configuring Windows Connection Manager.
  • Path: Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Windows Connection Manager
• Addresses an issue that may cause the error, "Stop 0x133" in NTFS.sys.
• Addresses an issue that causes Windows to reuse an expired Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) lease if the lease expired while the OS was shutdown.
• Addresses an issue that may cause the Virtual Machine Management Service (VMMS) to stop working. This issue occurs when executing a Live Migration using a Measure-VM cmdlet or any metric Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) query.
• Addresses an issue in which the graphics device interface (GDI) DeleteObject() may cause the calling process to stop working when both of the following conditions are true:
  • The calling process is a WOW64 process that handles memory addresses larger than 2 GB.
  • The DeleteObject() is called with a device context that is compatible with a printer device context.
• Provides seamless integration with Microsoft Cloud App Security (MCAS) to discover cloud app usage inside and outside the corporate network for Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) customers.
• Enhances automated investigation and remediation, including memory forensics, for Windows Defender ATP customers.
• Addresses an issue that prevents the "Turn off app notifications on the lock screen" policy from working. The path is "Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Logo".
• Addresses minor issues with unknown options (unknown OPT) in the Extension Mechanisms for DNS (EDNS) for the Windows DNS Server role.

There is a similar, lengthy set of fixes and improvements available for prior versions of Windows 10, going back to the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. For the full list, you can check out Microsoft's support site. Otherwise, you can head to Windows Update now to grab the latest fixes.

Last week was February's official "Patch Tuesday," but Microsoft is following up with another round of fresh fixes for Windows 10 PCs today. The latest batch of cumulative updates is available for the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, the Fall Creators Update, and the Creators Update. That leaves the October 2018 Update out in the cold, but there's still plenty to check out (via Neowin).

For those who are still running the April 2018 Update, you'll be bumped to build number 17134.619 with KB4487029. Here's a look at what's fixed:

• Enables media content to play e-learning content with plug and play USB adapter cables on Microsoft Edge.
• Ensures that windowed ActiveX content inside an iframe scrolls along with other page content in Internet Explorer 11 during a user-triggered scroll operation.
• Addresses an issue that causes app-specific registry keys to be deleted after updating an application.
• Updates time zone information for Chile.
• Addresses an audio compatibility issue when playing newer games with 3D Spatial Audio mode enabled through multichannel audio devices or Windows Sonic for Headphones.
• Addresses an issue that prevents some users from pinning a web link to the Start menu or the taskbar.
• Addresses an issue in which the desktop lock screen image set by a group policy will not update if the image is older than or has the same name as the previous image.
• Improves performance related to case-insensitive string comparison functions such as _stricmp() in the Universal C runtime.
• Addresses an issue with evaluating the compatibility status of the Windows ecosystem to help ensure application and device compatibility for all updates to Windows.
• Improves the reliability of the UE-VAppmonitor.
• Addresses an issue that fails to update a user hive when you publish an optional package in a Connection Group after the Connection Group was previously published.
• Addresses an issue that allows files protected by Windows Information Protection to be transferred using Bluetooth to an unmanaged machine.
• Addresses an issue that occurs with the Internet Explorer proxy setting and the out of box experience (OOBE) setup. The initial logon stops responding after Sysprep.
• Addresses an issue that prevents a user from deleting a wireless network profile in some scenarios.
• Addresses an issue that may cause a "STOP 0x1A" error when you use certain applications or log in or log out of a system.
• Addresses an issue in the Timeline feature that causes File Explorer to stop working for some users.
• Addresses an issue that causes the Photos app to stop working when it's used from the Mail app.
• Addresses an issue in the PLMDebug.exe tool that loses debug sessions when used with a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app.
• Improves Always On VPN (AOVPN) reconnect and disconnect functionality.
• Addresses an issue that fails to recognize the first character of the Japanese era name as an abbreviation and may cause date parsing issues.
• Addresses an issue that may prevent Internet Explorer from loading images that have a backslash () in their relative source path.
• Addresses an issue that may cause applications that use a Microsoft Jet database with the Microsoft Access 95 file format to randomly stop working.

If you're on the Fall Creators Update, meanwhile, you'll find build 16299.004 with KB4487021. Here's what's included:

• Updates time zone information for Chile.
• Improves performance related to case-insensitive string comparison functions such as _stricmp() in the Universal C runtime.
• Addresses an issue with evaluating the compatibility status of the Windows ecosystem to help ensure application and device compatibility for all updates to Windows.
• Improves the reliability of the UE-VAppmonitor.
• Addresses an issue that fails to update a user hive when you publish an optional package in a Connection Group after the Connection Group was previously published.
• Adds a new group policy called "Policy Details". This policy will immediately disconnect any wireless connections when a wired connection is detected and "Minimize simultaneous connections" is configured.
• Addresses an issue that causes the clock and the calendar flyout to ignore user settings for Japanese era date and time formats. For more information, see KB4469068.
• Addresses an issue that can overwrite gan-nen support behavior for the Japanese era with a newer update. For more information, see KB4469068.
• Enables the 元年 character for the first year in the Japanese era. For more information, see KB4469068.
• Addresses an issue that fails to display the correct Japanese era name in Microsoft Office Visual Basic for Applications. For more information, see KB4469068.
• Addresses an issue that fails to recognize the first character of the Japanese era name as an abbreviation and may cause date parsing issues.
• Addresses an issue that may prevent Internet Explorer from loading images that have a backslash () in their relative source path.
• Addresses an issue that may cause applications that use a Microsoft Jet database with the Microsoft Access 95 file format to randomly stop working.

Finally, PCs on the Creators Update will be pushed to build 15063.1659 with KB4487011. Here's a look at what's new:

• Updates time zone information for Chile.
• Addresses an issue that causes an application to stop responding when two of its threads share the same input queue.
• Addresses an issue with a rooted pointer to an item identifier list (PIDL) in File Explorer.
• Improves performance related to case-insensitive string comparison functions such as _stricmp() in the Universal C runtime.
• Addresses an issue with evaluating the compatibility status of the Windows ecosystem to help ensure application and device compatibility for all updates to Windows.
• Improves the reliability of the UE-VAppmonitor.
• Addresses an issue that causes the clock and the calendar flyout to ignore user settings for Japanese era date and time formats. For more information, see KB4469068.
• Addresses an issue that can overwrite gan-nen support behavior for the Japanese era with a newer update. For more information, see KB4469068.
• Enables the 元年 character for the first year in the Japanese era. For more information, see KB4469068.
• Addresses an issue that fails to display the correct Japanese era name in Microsoft Office Visual Basic for Applications. For more information, see KB4469068.
• Addresses an issue that fails to recognize the first character of the Japanese era name as an abbreviation and may cause date parsing issues.
• Addresses an issue that may prevent Internet Explorer from loading images that have a backslash () in their relative source path.
• Addresses an issue that may cause applications that use a Microsoft Jet database with the Microsoft Access 95 file format to randomly stop working.

Each of these cumulative updates should be available now via Windows Update.

Today marks the second Tuesday of February, which means it's time for another batch of "Patch Tuesday" updates from Microsoft. The cumulative updates are now rolling out for Windows 10 PCs on the October 2018 Update and older, bringing along a healthy dose of bug and security fixes.

Here's a look at what's fixed for PCs on the October 2018 Update with KB4487044 (build 17763.316):

• Addresses an issue that fails to set the LmCompatibilityLevel value correctly. LmCompatibilityLevel specifies the authentication mode and session security.
• Addresses an issue that may prevent applications that use a Microsoft Jet database with the Microsoft Access 97 file format from opening. This issue occurs if the database has column names greater than 32 characters. The database fails to open with the error, "Unrecognized Database Format".
• Addresses an issue that causes the Windows Hello for Business Hybrid Key Trust deployment sign-in to fail if Windows 2019 Server domain controllers (DC) are used for authentication. The error is, "That option is temporarily unavailable. For now, please use a different method to sign in". If Active Directory (AD) activity tracing is enabled, a Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) exception may occur in the Windows 2019 DC when processing a user's sign in.
• Addresses an issue in Microsoft HoloLens that allows users to bypass the lock screen sign in process in some work flows.
• Security updates to Microsoft Scripting Engine, Microsoft Edge, Windows Server, the Microsoft JET Database Engine, Internet Explorer, Windows Wireless Networking, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Graphics, and Windows App Platform and Frameworks.

If you're on the April 2018 Update, you'll find the following fixes with KB4487017 (build 17134.590):

• Addresses an issue that fails to set the LmCompatibilityLevel value correctly. LmCompatibilityLevel specifies the authentication mode and session security.
• Addresses an issue that may prevent applications that use a Microsoft Jet database with the Microsoft Access 97 file format from opening. This issue occurs if the database has column names greater than 32 characters. The database fails to open with the error, "Unrecognized Database Format".
• Adds top-level domain support to HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) Preload for Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11.
• Addresses an issue that prevents Microsoft Edge from connecting using an IP address.
• Security updates to Microsoft Scripting Engine, Internet Explorer, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows Graphics, Windows Input and Composition, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Scripting Engine, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows Server, and the Microsoft JET Database Engine.

The release notes for the Fall Creators Update and Creators Update are identical to the above notes for the April 2018 Update.

For the full list of release notes, along with any known issues that are present with each update, you can check out Microsoft's support site for more. Otherwise, each batch of cumulative updates should be available to snag now via Windows Update.

We've reached the second Tuesday of January, and that means it's time for another round of "Patch Tuesday" updates from Microsoft. The monthly cumulative updates are now rolling out for versions of Windows 10 from the October 2018 Update and older, bringing a number of fixes to the fore.

Here's a look at what's new for PCs on the October 2018 Update:

• Addresses a security vulnerability in session isolation that affects PowerShell remote endpoints. By default, PowerShell remoting only works with administrator accounts, but can be configured to work with non-administrator accounts. Starting with this release, you cannot configure PowerShell remote endpoints to work with non-administrator accounts. When attempting to use a non-administrator account, the following error will appear:
• "New-PSSession: [computerName] Connecting to remote server localhost failed with the following error message: The WSMan service could not launch a host process to process the given request. Make sure the WSMan provider host server and proxy are properly registered. For more information, see the about_Remote_Troubleshooting Help topic."
• Addresses an issue in which using esentutl /p to repair a corrupt Extensible Storage Engine (ESE) database results in a mostly empty database. The ESE database is corrupted and cannot be mounted.
• Security updates to Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows MSXML, Windows Kernel, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows Wireless Networking, Microsoft JET Database Engine, Windows Linux, Windows Virtualization, and the Microsoft Scripting Engine.

The release notes are nearly identical across the April 2018 Update, Fall Creators Update, and Creators Update, covering the first, second, and fourth fixes listed above.

For more, you can check out Microsoft's full release notes. Otherwise, you can grab this month's updates now via Windows Update.

Updated December 7, 2018: Microsoft has now pulled cumulative update KB4467682 completely following reports of blue and black screen errors from users. In its updated release notes, Microsoft states: "As a precaution, we have removed this optional update from Windows Update and Window Catalog to protect customers." A fix for the issue is still expected to launch with December's Patch Tuesday updates next week. The original story follows.

If you've been experiencing the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) on your Surface Book 2 recently, you're not alone. Microsoft has confirmed that a recent cumulative update for Windows 10 version 1803 (April 2018 Update) is causing havoc for Surface Book 2 users, causing the company to put a block in place.

The update in question is KB4467682, which began hitting Windows 10 version 1803 on November 27. In an update to the release notes (via Reddit), Microsoft detailed the error as a known issue:

As a temporary solution, Microsoft recommends using its blue screen troubleshooter. Some users have reported success with uninstalling KB4467682, but getting a BSOD in the middle of the process could wind up bricking your Windows installation. For now, Microsoft has put an upgrade block in place for Surface Book 2 users, so you shouldn't be prompted to install the KB4467682 going forward.

As for when the issue will be fixed, Microsoft is promising a resolution will be available in the December 2018 security update release. That should mean a fix will arrive on December 11 as part of Microsoft's monthly Patch Tuesday updates.

Microsoft today has begun pushing out another round of cumulative updates for Windows 10. While the latest version, the October 2018 Update, isn't included in this batch, fixes are rolling out across several releases ranging from the April 2018 Update back to the Anniversary Update.

Here's a look at all of what's new.

April 2018 Update (KB4467682)

• Addresses an issue that prevents the deletion of word spellings from the Microsoft Office dictionary using settings.
• Addresses an issue that causes the GetCalendarInfo function to return an incorrect era name on the first day of the Japanese era.
• Addresses time zone changes for Russian daylight standard time.
• Addresses time zone changes for Moroccan daylight standard time.
• Addresses an issue to allow the use of the previous barrel button and drag functionality and ensure that shim choices have priority over the registry.
• Addresses an issue that causes the precision touchpad or keyboard to stop responding because of some combination of docking and undocking or shutdown or restart operations.
• Addresses an issue that may sometimes cause the system to stop responding after turning on, which prevents logon.
• Addresses an issue that causes Microsoft Word Immersive Reader to skip the first part of a selected word when using Microsoft Word Online in Microsoft Edge.
• Addresses an issue with missing URL shortcuts from the Start menu.
• Addresses an issue that allows users to uninstall apps from the Start menu when the "Prevent users from uninstalling applications from Start menu" policy is set.
• Addresses an issue that causes File Explorer to stop working when you click the Turn on button for the Timeline feature. This issue occurs when the "Allow upload of user activities" group policy is disabled.
• Addresses an issue that prevents users from accessing the Ease of Access Cursor & pointer size page in the Settings app with the URI "ms-settings:easeofaccess-cursorandpointersize".
• Addresses an issue that causes the audio service to stop working or become unresponsive while using call control, controlling volume, and streaming music to Bluetooth audio devices. Error messages that appear include:
  • Exception error 0x8000000e in btagservice.dll.
  • Exception error 0xc0000005 or 0xc0000409 in bthavctpsvc.dll.
  • Stop 0xD1 BSOD error in btha2dp.sys.
• Addresses an issue in which a third-party antivirus software may receive an "ERROR_NO_SYSTEM_RESOURCES" error.
• Addresses an issue that may cause excessive memory usage when using smart cards.
• Addresses an issue that causes the system to stop working with the error code, "0x120_fvevol!FveEowFinalSweepConvertSpecialRangesChunk".
• Addresses an issue that prevents Application Guard from browsing the internet if the proxy auto-config (PAC) file on a device uses IP literals to specify a web proxy.
• Addresses an issue that prevents a Wi-Fi client from connecting to Miracast® devices when the allowed service set identifier (SSID) is specified in Wireless Network Policies.
• Addresses an issue that causes Event Tracing for Windows (ETW) profiling to fail when using custom profiling frequencies.
• Addresses a power state transition issue that causes the system to become unresponsive when connecting to eXtensible Host Controller Interface (xHCI) devices.
• Addresses an issue that may lead to a blue screen on the system when running disk benchmark software.
• Addresses an issue that causes the RemoteApp window to always be active and in the foreground after closing a window.
• Allows a Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE) random address to rotate periodically even when Bluetooth LE passive scan is enabled.
• Addresses an issue that causes the installation and client activation of Windows Server 2019 and 1809 LTSC Key Management Service (KMS) host keys (CSVLK) to not work as expected. For more information about the original feature, see KB4347075.
• Addresses an issue that prevents some users from setting Win32 program defaults for certain app and file type combinations using the Open with… command or Settings > Apps > Default apps.
• Addresses an issue that prevents users from opening presentation (.pptx) files exported from a Google presentation.
• Addresses an issue that prevents some users from connecting to some older devices, such as printers, over Wi-Fi because of the introduction of multicast DNS (mDNS). If you did not experience device connectivity issues and prefer the new mDNS functionality, you can enable mDNS by creating the following registry key: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\DNSClient\ mDNSEnabled (DWORD) = 1".

Fall Creators Update (KB4467681)

• Ensures that certain windowed ActiveX controls scroll along with other page content in Internet Explorer 11 during a user-triggered scroll operation.
• Addresses an issue that causes navigation across eras to stop working in the Japanese Calendar view.
• Addresses an issue related to the date format for the Japanese era calendar.
• Addresses an issue that causes the GetCalendarInfo function to return an incorrect era name on the first day of the Japanese era.
• Addresses an issue that prevents the deletion of word spellings from the Microsoft Office dictionary using settings.
• Addresses time zone changes for Russian daylight standard time.
• Addresses time zone changes for Moroccan daylight standard time.
• Addresses an issue that sometimes causes the software keyboard to disappear when joining a Wi-Fi network while using a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) application. This issue affects devices that have installed the Windows 10 Creators Update and have no physical keyboard.
• Addresses an issue to allow the use of the previous barrel button and drag functionality and ensure that shim choices have priority over the registry.
• Addresses an issue that causes Microsoft Word Immersive Reader to skip the first part of a selected word when using Microsoft Word Online in Microsoft Edge.
• Addresses an issue in the Universal CRT that sometimes causes the AMD64-specific implementation of FMOD to return an incorrect result when given very large inputs. FMOD is frequently used to implement the modulo operator in JavaScript and Python implementations that use the Universal C Runtime.
• Addresses an issue in which event log entries for the CredSSP security update that fixes CVE-2018-0886 are not logged correctly.
• Addresses an issue that may cause excessive memory usage when using smart cards.
• Addresses an issue that causes the system to stop working with the error code, "0x120_fvevol!FveEowFinalSweepConvertSpecialRangesChunk".
• Addresses an issue that blocks ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer on 64-bit systems. This occurs when using Windows Defender Application Control and creating a policy that allows all ActiveX controls to run in Internet Explorer.
• Addresses an issue that prevents Application Guard from browsing the internet if the proxy auto-config (PAC) file on a device uses IP literals to specify a web proxy.
• Addresses an issue that prevents a Wi-Fi client from connecting to Miracast® devices when the allowed service set identifier (SSID) is specified in Wireless Network Policies.
• Addresses an issue with the Group Policy Object (GPO) "Prohibit connection to non-domain networks when connected to domain authenticated network". In this scenario, this GPO disconnects the Wi-Fi interface over which a VPN client connection is established.
• Addresses a power state transition issue that causes the system to become unresponsive when connecting to eXtensible Host Controller Interface (xHCI) devices.
• Addresses an issue that causes the RemoteApp window to always be active and in the foreground after closing a window.
• Addresses an issue that causes the installation and client activation of Windows Server 2019 and 1809 LTSC Key Management Service (KMS) host keys (CSVLK) to not work as expected. For more information about the original feature, see KB4347075.

Creators Update (KB4467699)

• Addresses an issue that causes navigation across eras to stop working in the Japanese Calendar view.
• Addresses an issue related to the date format for the Japanese era calendar.
• Addresses an issue that causes the GetCalendarInfo function to return an incorrect era name on the first day of the Japanese era.
• Addresses an issue that prevents the deletion of word spellings from the Microsoft Office dictionary using settings.
• Addresses time zone changes for Russian daylight standard time.
• Addresses an issue in the Universal CRT that sometimes causes the AMD64-specific implementation of FMOD to return an incorrect result when given very large inputs. FMOD is frequently used to implement the modulo operator in JavaScript and Python implementations that use the Universal C Runtime.
• Addresses an issue that may cause excessive memory usage when using smart cards.
• Addresses an issue that causes the system to stop working with the error code, "0x120_fvevol!FveEowFinalSweepConvertSpecialRangesChunk".
• Addresses an issue that blocks ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer on 64-bit systems. This occurs when using Windows Defender Application Control and creating a policy that allows all ActiveX controls to run in Internet Explorer.

Anniversary Update (KB4467684)

• Addresses an issue that causes the GetCalendarInfo function to return an incorrect era name on the first day of the Japanese era.
• Addresses time zone changes for Russian daylight standard time.
• Addresses an issue that allows mouse movements promoted by touch to bypass low-level mouse hooks designed to block mouse input. As a result, unexpected WM_MOUSEMOVE messages appear.
• Addresses an issue that may automatically display the software keyboard when you tap on the non-editable area of a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) application. This issue affects devices that have installed the Windows 10 Anniversary Update and have no physical keyboard.
• Addresses an issue in File Explorer that sometimes deletes the permissions of a shared parent folder when you delete the shared child folder.
• Addresses an issue that causes File Explorer to stop working during logoff.
• Addresses an issue in the Universal CRT that sometimes causes the AMD64-specific implementation of FMOD to return an incorrect result when given very large inputs. FMOD is frequently used to implement the modulo operator in JavaScript and Python implementations that use the Universal C Runtime.
• Addresses an issue that blocks ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer on 64-bit systems. This occurs when using Windows Defender Application Control and creating a policy that allows all ActiveX controls to run in Internet Explorer.
• Addresses an issue that prevents some applications from running when Windows Defender Application Control (Device Guard) is in audit mode.
• Addresses an issue that slows server performance or causes the server to stop responding because of numerous Windows firewall rules. To enable the changes, add a new registry key "DeleteUserAppContainersOnLogoff" (DWORD) on "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy" using Regedit, and set it to 1.
• Addresses an issue that causes network connectivity to fail when 802.1x authentication fails.
• Addresses an issue with Network Connection Status Indicator (NCSI) gateway MAC address resolution timing, which causes Internet connectivity to fail.
• Addresses an issue that fails to clean up some Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) class registrations correctly when using Hyper-V cmdlets that have root\interop class dependencies. This issue may cause Virtual Machine management tasks (using PowerShell or the UI) to fail. Additionally, Virtual Machines may not be created or modified. For example, running Set-VMFirmware to modify the boot order may fail with the error, "ObjectNotFound."
• Addresses an issue that prevents domain controllers from applying the Group Policy password policy when the minimum password length is configured to be greater than 14 characters.
• Addresses an issue with Just Enough Administration (JEA). A temporary account with the security identifier (SID) authority of "S-1-5-94-xxx" remains in the server security policy under the Log on as a service user right. As a result, the Local Security Authority (LSA) database grows larger, which may affect the performance of domain controllers.
• Addresses an issue that writes to a memory call stack with the Stop code "0xA" in Storage Replica environments.
• Addresses an issue that causes the installation and client activation of Windows Server 2019 and 1809 LTSC Key Management Service (KMS) host keys (CSVLK) to not work as expected. For more information about the original feature, see KB4347075.
• Addresses an issue that causes promotions of non-root domains to fail with the error, "The replication operation encountered a database error." The issue occurs in Active Directory forests that have optional features like Active Directory recycle enabled.
• Addresses an issue that may cause Hyper-V servers to stop working with the error, "0x7F (UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP)".

Each of these updates should be available now via Windows Update. Keep in mind that the Anniversary Update and Creators Update are no longer supported for consumers, but today's updates are available for Windows 10 Education and Enterprise customers.

It's been almost seven months since the last Windows 10 feature update was released to the public, and we're due for another big one. After some early issues, Microsoft today will begin rolling out the Windows 10 October Update to the world again, bringing with it new features, enhancements, and more to millions of Windows 10 PCs.

Microsoft has gotten very good at making sure these big new updates don't change much on the surface, ensuring users won't be freaked out by huge new changes once the update is installed. The changes will only become apparent once you start digging a little bit. On that note, we did some digging to find the most significant new changes and features available in the October 2018 Update.

To be clear, the big issue that caused Microsoft to initially pull the update has been fixed, meaning when the update reaches you, you won't need to worry about losing your files when the update eventually installs itself.

• Video walkthrough
• Desktop and File Explorer
• Cortana and Search
• Your Phone
• Snipping Tool
• Cloud Clipboard
• Microsoft Edge
• Windows Settings
• Miscellaneous
• Conclusion

Video walkthrough

Reading not your thing? Check out our in-depth video walkthrough showcasing all the noteworthy new changes and features in the October 2018 Update.

Windows 10's desktop and File Explorer

Starting with the October 2018 Update, you can now name live folders in the Start menu. In the past, you could not name folders you created in Start. It works just like naming a group of tiles, you drag one tile over another, create the folder, and a text box at the top of the folder gives you an opportunity to name it.

There's also a new context menu design that appears in some apps and text boxes. This is the best take on a context menu Microsoft has ever put into Windows, but unfortunately, it's not the only context menu available in the OS. Microsoft's context menu dilemma still exists, meaning you'll find different context menu designs all across the system when in different apps.

The new context menu is animated and features Acrylic Blur effects that make it look beautiful when opened. The other nice design change with these context menus is that they also feature icons next to all the listed options. I also love how this context menu design provides formatting options when opened in a text field where text supports formatting. So instead of having to remember the different keyboard combinations for making text bold or italicized, you can now right-click and press a button that does it for you.

Microsoft also updated the File Explorer with a new dark mode UI, which brings it in line with other built-in system apps that support dark mode. This is a change you'll appreciate if you use your PC late at night and don't want your retinas burned to a crisp by opening File Explorer to grab a file. This also makes the context menus on the desktop dark, which is a nice touch.

Admittedly, File Explorer's new dark mode is not perfect. I think it looks nice on the surface, but many have expressed their dislike of the different shades of gray used to achieve the dark looks. Some also don't like how the icons appear when dark mode is enabled. I don't have an issue with this. What I do have a problem with is how dark mode isn't consistent across all the inbox apps, and more importantly, how it isn't applied to all of File Explorer.

You'll notice that even with dark mode enabled; there are still several parts of File Explorer that simply aren't dark. The copy dialog, for example, is still blindingly white, as is the file properties window. None of these areas have been themed to match dark mode, making them even more jarring when messing around in the File Explorer with dark mode switched on. I wish Microsoft would have spent more time theming every part of File Explorer with dark mode.

The new context menu design is great, but it's only used sparsely throughout the OS. File Explorer's dark mode is a promising start, but Microsoft needs to do more work to "complete" it.

Windows 10's Cortana and Search

The search user interface is now much wider and emphasizes search over Cortana being a personal assistant. In the previous Windows 10 update, Microsoft outright ripped out the Cortana "glance view" feature, which emphasizes Cortana's virtual assistant side of things over search. In the October 2018 Update, Microsoft is continuing to make Cortana more search orientated.

Now, Cortana's UI is much wider and gives the user the option of searching specific categories within the OS. So upon opening search, you'll find five big boxes that highlight search within Windows. You won't even see the Cortana icon anymore; it's now a search glyph. When searching, you'll be presented with a UI that's split down the middle; on the left are your search results, and on the right are more details about your specific searched file or web result.

I love the new search UI, but unfortunately, it doesn't fix Windows 10's inconsistent search problem, which sees users search for something but have other things come up as results instead. For example, sometimes, the user can search for an app, but instead of that app being the top result, a similar app will be the top result instead. Microsoft is aware of this problem and is working on improving search in a future update.

Below the search categories in Cortana's Home is a bigger emphasis on Timeline. You'll see your last three Timeline activities, allowing you to pick up where you left off straight from search instead of opening Timeline to do it. Below that is Cortana, which suggests commands you can ask at the click of a button. There is not really any Cortana UI in Windows 10 right now, which is weird. For now, though, Cortana's presence in search is very minimal, and rightly so, as many didn't like Cortana's dominance in the search area anyway.

Windows 10's new Your Phone app

Ever since Microsoft gave up on its own mobile platform, the company has been obsessed with ensuring Windows PCs are best friends with Android and iOS. With the October 2018 Update, that effort takes a leap forward as Microsoft begins to integrate your phone with your PC with a new app called "Your Phone."

Microsoft has big ambitions for this app, with the eventual goal of being able to control your Android phone straight from your PC. Right now, it only works with Android phones, but Microsoft promises that iPhone functionality will be coming at some point, albeit in a limited state thanks to Apple's limitations on what third-party developers have access to on iOS.

Using the Your Phone app, Android users can hook up their phones to their PCs and share photos and SMS messages between the devices. This means that you can start and respond to SMS messages you've sent on your phone directly on your PC. The SMS sync capabilities work OK, but it could be faster. It takes a few seconds for messages to come through in the Your Phone app once the text has landed on your phone, and sometimes it can take up to five seconds to send an SMS using the Your Phone app, which makes things feel sluggish.

I've also noticed that sometimes the Your Phone app will stop sending notifications when new SMS messages come through after a period of time, and that the notifications themselves, when they do come through, aren't actionable, meaning I have to open the app to respond to a text rather than just responding to it directly from the notification. These are all issues that can be solved via app updates independently from the OS.

The other Your Phone feature that works right now is the ability to see and share the last 30 photos taken on your phone, directly on your PC. The photos-sync function in Your Phone works way better than it should. Your photos show up as if they are locally available on your device, and you can edit them, share them across apps, and even drag them out of the Your Phone app and into other apps or the desktop. It works like magic and is super simple.

No longer do you have to wait for photos to upload to the cloud before you can download them onto your PC or rely on a cable to plug into your PC so that you can transfer photos to it. It's worth noting as well that the app features a pretty UI, with a straightforward layout with Your Phone's features in the left sidebar and content taking up the rest of the app.

Your Phone in the October 2018 Update is a good start. There is room for improvement, which is likely why Microsoft is still tagging the app as in preview in some areas, but overall, the experience is OK. I am looking forward to Microsoft building upon the foundations it has laid out.

How to setup the Your Phone app

The new Snipping Tool in Windows 10

If you're a fan of screenshotting stuff within Windows 10, Microsoft has reworked that entire experience; gone is the old snipping tool and in its place is a new, universal snipping bar that's accessible using the Windows key, Shift, and S. It simplifies the screenshot experience, providing you with three screenshotting methods: rectangular snip, freeform snip, and full-screen snip.

Once the screenshot is taken, Windows will pop up a notification saying it has automatically been added to your clipboard, meaning you can instantly paste it into a social network, app, or location. But, if you click the notification, it'll take you to a dedicated screenshotting app that allows you to edit it further with ink.

This doesn't replace the straightforward WIN + PrtnScn key combination that takes a full screenshot and puts it on a dedicated screenshots folder in your Picture area. But it does replace the WIN + Shift + S key combination that was used for the old snipping app. You can set the new snipping experience to show up by pressing PrtScn on your keyboard if that's something you'd prefer, which I recommend everyone does as it makes invoking the new snipping bar a lot easier.

Windows 10's new Cloud Clipboard

Microsoft's new clipboard experience in the October 2018 Update is arguably one of this release's biggest new features, even though it's off by default. Microsoft has built a new clipboard history feature into the OS that when enabled will save everything you've copied in a session for pasting later. So, no longer will Windows immediately forget the last thing you copied when you copy something new.

This new clipboard function can be accessed at any time using the WIN + V key combination, and once invoked you will be able to scroll through everything you've copied in that session. In addition to merely remembering everything you've copied, it also has the capability of syncing that copied data to the cloud, allowing you to sync data across all of your devices that are logged in with the same Microsoft Account.

That's where the "Cloud Clipboard" name comes in. If you enable the syncing capabilities in addition to the history function itself, you will be able to copy text and images on one device and paste it on another. Microsoft is aware that some users may not like the idea of syncing everything you copy to the cloud, which is why this functionality is off by default.

Microsoft will also be bringing the Cloud Clipboard to SwiftKey on Android in the future, meaning you'll be able to copy and paste content between not only Windows devices, but your Android devices as well.

The clipboard will only remember what you've copied per session, meaning if you log out or restart your PC, the clipboard will be empty when you log back in. There is a function that allows you to "pin" copied content to the clipboard, however, which will save it permanently until it's unpinned again. Pinning something you've copied will allow you to retain it in the clipboard even after a restart.

The most significant problem with this new feature is that it's utterly undiscoverable unless you've been told it exists. For one, it's off by default, and the switch to turn it on is buried in the Settings app. Even when it's on, there's no real obvious way to invoke it unless you know the key combination. Microsoft really needs to work on making this function more discoverable to users.

How to enable the new Cloud Clipboard feature

Microsoft Edge

As is always the case with a new Windows 10 feature update, Microsoft added new features and improvements to Microsoft Edge. Most of the improvements are under the hood, with the only real differences on the surface being some minor UI changes and behavior tweaks.

Users can now finally customize which buttons show up along the right-hand side of the address bar. Previously, those buttons were inexplicably not customizable, but now, you can change them. You can hide them, or add more. There's also a subtle drop-shadow effect apparent across the tabbed, which is nice.

Microsoft also updated the "Settings and more" menu with an improved UI that also includes icons and reveal effects, which look pretty nice. The settings area itself has also been updated with the same UI you can find in the Hub area, meaning both areas now feature consistent designs that should make things less confusing.

Also new in Edge with the October 2018 Update is the ability to block websites from automatically playing audio or video content.

You can now mute tabs before any audio begins playing, even if there is no audio element on the webpage. Just right-click the tab, and select mute.

The PDF reader has been improved with minor changes, and the PDF icon has been updated with a much nicer looking one. If you tried Edge when Windows 10 first came out and didn't like it, try it again. It's improved two-fold since it's initial debut.

Windows 10 Settings

There are more settings than ever in the Settings app in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. Microsoft has continued to add more of its legacy Control Panel into Settings, and this time sound settings are the latest to be ported over. You can customize all your system sound settings directly in the Settings app, including setting your default audio source for input and output.

Microsoft added a new "typing insights" feature into the Settings app that will keep track of all your typing habits and data, just like SwiftKey does on iOS and Android. This is off by default, but once enabled, you will see typing statistics such as autocompleted words, suggested words, keystrokes saved, and spelling corrections.

Windows Defender has been renamed to Windows Security in the Settings app, and the Windows Security settings app now features Fluent Design in some areas. Microsoft has also given Delivery Optimization its own category underneath Windows Update. Previously, it was buried within the Windows Update area.

Bluetooth devices will now finally also show you their battery percentages when connected to your device. This is something that was available in the Surface app initially, but it's now built natively into Windows 10.

The Settings app also provides tips and tricks on its homepage and will even suggest questions being commonly asked in the sidebar of specific categories, providing quick and easy answers to those questions.

Lastly, and this is a big one, Windows Update now uses machine learning to determine when the best time is to install a new update. Microsoft continues to try and improve the system behind Windows Update so that it doesn't interrupt your workflow. Machine learning should allow Windows Update to figure out when you are and aren't using the PC, and slot in a good time to alert you that an update is ready. This functionality works in the background and isn't configurable. Since this is the first release to feature such functionality, it's not been tested all that much, so it's too early to determine if the Machine Learning is actually helping.

Miscellaneous changes, improvements, and notables

Game Bar has been updated with a new UI, which looks much cleaner. You can still stream straight to Mixer, and in a future update, Microsoft will be adding performance data to the Game Bar, as well.

The built-in Skype app for Windows 10 has been updated to the same version of Skype for desktop. This is version 8, meaning it comes with the new modern UI and more. In fact, you'll find that the Windows 10 app is faster than the desktop one, thanks to it using React Native.

App windows will no longer feature a colored accent around them by default. Now, the colored border is simply dark grey, which matches the drop-shadow effect behind windows, making for a cleaner UI. You can turn on the colored borders, but otherwise, colored borders are no longer the default behavior.

For reasons unknown, Timeline is still incredibly laggy. Animations are not smooth, and that makes using the feature feel sluggish and broken even on the highest-end PCs. I find that the lag is present mainly on devices with screen resolutions higher than 1080p. Microsoft really needs to fix this.

October 2018 Update final thoughts

The October 2018 Update is not a major release. At this point, that's par for the course when it comes to "Windows as a Service." This is still a great update, though, packing lots of little changes and improvements that make using the OS more pleasant.

As should always be the case with a new release, the October 2018 Update is the best version of Windows 10 yet. It's more refined and well-put together. Microsoft has really nailed making sure these updates don't change everything all at once, as users hate nothing more than coming back to their PC and finding everything has changed.

Pros:

• Cloud Clipboard is awesome.
• Your Phone has potential.
• Edge is really good now.
• Lots of little changes add up.

Cons:

• Buggy at launch.
• Cortana is in limbo.
• Some features are undiscoverable.
• Timeline is (still) laggy.

The latest round of cumulative updates shipped to Windows 10 April 2018 Update PCs in October corrected a slew of bugs, but they also caused a curious one of their own. Microsoft has updated its release notes for the last two cumulative updates to roll out to the April update, noting a known issue that can prevent "some users" from setting Win32 program defaults for certain file types (via Windows Latest).

From the release notes:

Microsoft says that it is working on a fix that it expects to ship later in November. In the meantime, the only workaround is to keep trying to set app defaults. Apparently, sheer persistence occasionally will allow setting a default to succeed.

We're two weeks out from Microsoft's last Patch Tuesday releases, but the company continues to push out more fixes for Windows 10 PCs. The latest release is specifically for PCs on the April 2018 Update, and it packs a rather lengthy list of fixes.

Released as KB4462933 (via Neowin), the update pushes the build number up to 17134.376. Here's a look at all of what's been corrected:

• Addresses an issue that sometimes prevents documents from appearing in the Microsoft Edge DevTools debugger.
• Addresses an issue that sometimes prevents Microsoft Edge extension scripts from appearing in Microsoft Edge DevTools.
• Addresses the redenomination of local currency that the Central Bank of Venezuela implemented to enter the Bolivar Soberano into circulation.
• Addresses additional issues with updated time zone information.
• Addresses an issue that causes sysprep /generalize to fail in audit mode because of a race condition while deleting certain registry keys.
• Addresses an issue with legacy Bluetooth® Basic Rate (BR) device inbound pairing.
• Addresses an issue that causes the audio service to stop working or become unresponsive while using call control, controlling volume, and streaming music to Bluetooth audio devices. Error messages that appear include:
  • Exception error 0x8000000e in btagservice.dll.
  • Exception error 0xc0000005 or 0xc0000409 in bthavctpsvc.dll.
  • Stop 0xD1 BSOD error in btha2dp.sys.
• Addresses an issue that causes the OS to stop working when a Bluetooth device is accidently removed.
• Addresses an issue that causes the Event Log service to stop responding and degrades reliability in various areas of the operating system until you restart. This occurs when the Event Log is full and you selected Do not overwrite events (Clear logs manually) in Log Properties–System > When maximum event log size is reached:.
• Addresses an issue to support Microsoft Office events in the "Limit Enhanced" Group Policy setting list.
• Addresses an issue that makes it impossible to disable TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 when the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) mode is enabled.
• Addresses an issue in which applications on systems with more than 4 GB of memory receive Access Denied error code "0x5" when calling CreateProcessWithLogonW().
• Addresses an issue in which the AccountName in the Event Log entry for the Microsoft-Windows-Kerberos-Key-Distribution-Center source and Event ID 7 sometimes appears corrupted.
• Addresses an issue in which applications have handle leaks when using client authentication certificates with the TLS protocol. This issue occurs when the FreeCredentialsHandle call occurs before the DeleteSecurityContext call in the application code.
• Addresses an issue that might cause TCP connections opened for an application running on Windows Container to fail sporadically. This occurs when the container runs on a Network Address Translation (NAT) Network provided by Windows Network Address Translation (WinNAT). A SYN timeout occurs after reaching the maximum SYN Retransmit count.
• Addresses an issue with a warning message that appears when using Microsoft Edge to print some PDFs.
• Addresses an issue that causes the printing of PDF files from SharePoint Online to fail with the error, "Couldn't open PDF".
• Addresses an issue that can cause App-V packages to fail because of a missing file or DLL error.
• Addresses an issue that may cause container snapshot restoration to fail because of a missing file error.
• Addresses an issue that prevents the deletion of Immediate Tasks when their deletion timer occurs, such as when you configure Group Policy preferences for Immediate Task actions.
• Addresses an issue that causes Scheduled Tasks to remain in a queue and not execute until the first user logs on to a Windows 10, version 1803 device. Some affected scenarios include:
  • Scheduled Tasks that are defined in the last phase of setup won't execute.
  • "Auto-enroll" computer certificates and "root and intermediate" certificates are missing.
• Addresses an issue that prevented the launch of Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) on Windows 10N (Europe) devices after servicing. Addresses an issue that incorrectly implies that user policies have not been applied after configuring a user rights Group Policy setting. Reporting tools, such as RSOP.MSC or Gpresult.exe /h, do not show the user rights policies or display a red "X" instead.
• Addresses an issue in which connection group folders are not properly merged.
• Addresses an issue in which Scheduled Tasks configured to run on a specific day of the week don't execute at the expected time.
• Addresses an issue that prevents the clock and date flyout from appearing when the region format is Spanish (Spain) and the sorting method is Traditional.
• Addresses an issue in which the System.Security.Cryptography.Algorithms reference was not correctly loaded on .NET Framework 4.7.1 after the July 10, 2018 and August 14, 2018 patches.
• Addresses an issue that may cause the system to stop working during the shutdown of some Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) apps because of TaskCanceledException. Apps that are vulnerable to this issue perform work involving weak events or data binding after the Application.Run() function returns values.
• Addresses a race condition in temporary files and some antivirus scanners that causes .NET Framework applications to stop working. The error message is, "The process cannot access the file [[ name of temp file ]] ".
• Updates the .NET Framework's support for the formatting of Japanese dates for the first year in the eras. When the format pattern is "y年", the year format will use the symbol 元 and not use year number 1. Additionally, the .NET Framework will support dates that include 元. For more information, see KB4469068.
• Updates Venezuela currency information. This will affect the culture of "es-VE" as follows:
  • The currency symbol is "Bs.S".
  • The English currency name is "Bolívar Soberano".
  • The local currency name is "bolívar soberano".
  • The International Currency Code is "VES".
• Addresses an issue that may cause an application that has a child window to stop processing mouse inputs. This issue occurs when a precision touchpad triggers a WM_MOUSEWHEEL event.
• Addresses an issue that may cause some applications to stop working after unplugging a tablet.
• Addresses an issue in which application titles that were unexpectedly long were not predictably displayed using ellipses (…). In some cases, the text truncations that appear may confuse users.
• Addresses an issue that causes the Windows 8.1 app to stop working when it calls the ProjectionManager.StartProjectingAsync API. The error code is 0x80070057.
• Addresses an issue with Windows Text Input Framework. A layout request may cause some application text input elements to stop responding.
• Addresses an issue in which users cannot enter East Asian text when prompted to create password hints during the upgrade process.
• Addresses a multi-monitor issue that may incorrectly render an application that is in full-screen mode after changing the display mode.
• Addresses an issue with leaks of window-related Graphics Device Interface (GDI) objects during window destruction.
• Addresses an issue that occurs when typing in a text box of a Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) application using the on-screen keyboard. If you select one of the predictive text suggestions, that word appears to be entered, but will disappear when you select a different control.
• Addresses an issue that prevents applications from displaying a pop-up window or dialog box when the applications are in full-screen mode. For example, in a full-screen game, attempting to alter settings such as Multisampling Antialiasing (MSAA) will fail because the confirmation dialog does not appear. The dialog is hidden behind the application.
• Addresses an issue that causes navigation across eras to stop working in the Japanese Calendar view. For more information, see KB4469068.
• Addresses an issue related to the date format for the Japanese era calendar. For more information, see KB4469068.
• Addresses an issue that causes the GetCalendarInfo function to return a wrong value for the Japanese era. For more information, see KB4469068.

As usual, you can grab the latest cumulative update now via Windows Update.

Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden are here with a ton of ground to cover in the Microsoft world. First up, there was data loss in the initial release of Windows 10 October 2018 Update, causing the company to pull it shortly after users reported the problem. Microsoft has been testing fixes and is preparing a "rerelease" of the update.

A patent has been discovered that points to a flexible, single-screen folding Surface device. Whether or not you think foldable display technology is a solution in search of a problem, it's coming. Cortana is reportedly moving from the AI + Research group at Microsoft into the Office team. Additionally, Microsoft has unveiled Xbox Project xCloud — a huge step in offering online streaming of Xbox games, and a sign of things to come for Windows in the future?

Rounding things out, Daniel shares his experiences using the Lenovo 15-inch ThinkPad X1 Extreme laptop, and the HP Omen Mindframe gaming headphones.

This episode of the Windows Central Podcast was recorded on October 12 2018.

Links:

• Microsoft prepares 'rerelease' of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update
• Microsoft testing file deletion fix for Windows 10 October 2018 Update with Insiders
• Microsoft patent points to a flexible, single-screen folding Surface device
• Cortana reportedly moving under the Microsoft Office team's purview
• Microsoft unveils Xbox Project xCloud game streaming
• Lenovo's 15-inch ThinkPad X1 Extreme packs dual SSDs and 4K HDR
• HP OMEN Mindframe review: Gaming headphones that act like refrigerators for your ears

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Last week, Microsoft started rolling out its latest version of Windows 10, known as the October 2018 Update, to the public without testing the final bits with Insiders in the Release Preview ring first. As a result, a major issue which saw user data get deleted during the upgrade process from the April 2018 Update to the October 2018 Update was not spotted at large by testers whose job was to test this exact upgrade scenario.

This exact issue had been reported by Insiders months ago, but Microsoft failed to acknowledge it as not enough people reported experiencing the issue. This is because the problem was mostly affecting people upgrading from older builds or the April 2018 Update itself. Insiders upgrading build-over-build were less likely to see the issue at all, which is why most Insiders testing the October 2018 Update didn't report on it.

The problem here is that Microsoft has a dedicated Insider ring that's designed to test upgrading from older builds to the newest one, except this time it didn't use it. The Release Preview has always been the last line of defense for a new major update in testing; rolling it out to more testers, and allowing Microsoft to collect feedback regarding the upgrade process from the last major version of Windows 10 to the newest one. This is where the data loss issue reared its head in most cases.

It's unfortunate that the only time Microsoft decided to skip Release Preview testing, a major issue most apparent when upgrading from the old update to the new one was a serious problem users could face. I just can't understand why Microsoft decided it would be a good idea to skip testing in the final preview ring before rolling out to the public to begin with. Hopefully, this will teach Microsoft not to skip its Release Preview testing in the future.

Luckily, it appears Microsoft has learned its lesson as the company is now using its Release Preview ring as it should; testing the October 2018 Update with a fix for the data loss issue with Release Preview participants. If all goes well, Microsoft will rerelease the October 2018 Update to the public with this specific data loss fix included in the near future, meaning the public can upgrade from the April 2018 Update to the October 2018 Update without worrying about losing any files.

As Microsoft prepares to rerelease the October 2018 Update, it must now convince users that this was a one time issue and that customers can trust it with their data. I've already seen countless people in online forums asking if it's safe to install the latest cumulative update, even though it wasn't a cumulative update that caused the data loss issues to begin with.

Most people don't actually know the difference between a feature update and a cumulative update or security patch. Users just see that Windows Update wants to install something, and they assume it's another one of the same thing. This is why the data loss issue is a serious blow to the reputation of Windows updates, even if it only affected one one-hundredth of one percent of people upgrading, as Microsoft claims.

The average user might have seen all the headlines about the latest Windows 10 update deleting user files recently, and are now wary of anything that comes through Windows Update. This comes at a time in which people aren't happy with Windows updates anyway, as many find that they are intrusive and slow.

I'm sure there will be plenty of discussions internally as to how the company can avoid something like this in the future; many have suggested that the twice a year update cadence is simply too much for Microsoft to be able to maintain quality with. Many at Microsoft argue against this claim, however, stating that two updates a year is actually beneficial for the people working on Windows features, as it means those features get out the door sooner when ready.

Regardless, it's clear that there's a big problem when it comes to assuring quality with Windows 10 released at the moment, and something needs to be done publicly to assure users that change is being made in this area so that future updates aren't as buggy upon release. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

Microsoft has pulled the Windows 10 October 2018 Update from Windows Update and its media creation website as it investigates issues with the update deleting users files upon install. Users first started reporting that their documents folder had gone missing after an upgrade to the October 2018 Update a few days ago and Microsoft has since confirmed that it is looking into the issue.

For now, until the issue is fixed, the October 2018 Update has been pulled. It is no longer available for download officially, and there is no word on when it will be made available again. This is the second time Microsoft has had a major issue with a new feature update for Windows 10, the first of which happened earlier this year with the April 2018 Update, which resulted in a three week delay.

Microsoft's support website details the following:

Microsoft also advises not clean installing the new update either. It's possible that this issue will be fixed in a cumulative update, or it may be a big enough problem that requires Microsoft to compile another RTM build, just as it did with the April 2018 Update. Microsoft has been struggling to assure quality with its last few feature update releases at launch, which does not paint a positive picture for customers.

If you have already upgraded to the October 2018 Update and are experiencing issues, you should be able to recover back to the previous update by heading into Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Go back to the previous version of Windows 10. This will restore your OS to the previous feature update that was running, likely the April 2018 Update. If you have already upgraded and found that your files are missing, Microsoft recommends you contact their support hotline at 1-800-MICROSOFT.

Starting with the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, Microsoft is rolling out a new feature on PCs called "Cloud Clipboard," that saves text and images that you copy into a history box that you can refer back to later, and even sync across devices.

While useful, many have been wondering when Microsoft would bring copy and paste syncing to mobile devices, allowing users to sync copied content from a PC, and paste it on their phone, and vice-versa. Now, we know that Microsoft is planning to implement such functionality into SwiftKey on Android, thanks to a new popup that appeared server-side in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update RTM.

When enabling sync in Cloud Clipboards settings, a new link that says "Get an app to sync clipboard items to your phone" appears which when pressed will popup a coming soon page encouraging you to download the SwiftKey Beta for Android. There's no mention of whether the same functionality will be coming to SwiftKey on iOS however, so for now it looks like Android will be the first to get the new Cloud Clipboard capabilities.

Interestingly, this coming soon page only appears sometimes for us. Usually, it just takes you to the usual phone linking instruction page, but today I noticed it now detailing that it will be coming to SwiftKey on Android. In fact, the message encourages the user to install the SwiftKey Beta app on Android, which is likely where the feature will show up first for testing.

As of right now, the feature isn't live on Android yet. SwiftKey already has a clipboard history feature, which Cloud Clipboard is likely going to replace. Are you planning to use Cloud Clipboard across your PC and phone? Let us know in the comments!

The next big Windows 10 feature update, known as the October 2018 Update or version 1809, is now available for users to download. Starting next week, the update will start being automatically downloaded and installed on Windows 10 PCs across the globe, so if you haven't checked for updates yet, your PC will automatically do that for you very soon.

As with every new Windows 10 feature update, we've thrown together an in-depth video demo showcasing all the biggest new features and changes you can expect to see once you've installed the update. The October 2018 Update features a new Cloud Clipboard, Your Phone, UI changes, and a whole lot more.

My personal favorite new feature is the new dark mode theme in File Explorer, which also turns some of the context menus dark on the desktop. In addition, there's also a new context menu design that features Fluent Design and text formatting options that are super helpful. There are lots of little changes in the October 2018 Update, too, some of which we don't cover in the video because there's just too much.

Make sure you check out our detailed changelog which goes even more in-depth regarding new changes in this release. Have you already upgraded to the October 2018 Update? If not, why not? Let us know in the comments.

The next feature update for Windows 10, known as version 1809 (and codenamed Redstone 5,) is packing lots of new features and improvements to the OS and user experience. In case you're curious, here's a complete changelog detailing all the noteworthy new changes and enhancements coming in this release.

This changelog features all the changes noted by Microsoft in release notes for Windows Insider Preview builds and has been updated to reflect what has made it into the final release accurately.

Windows Shell

• File Explorer now features a dark theme when Dark Mode is enabled in Settings.
• You can now name live folders in Start.
• A new "safe removal" feature has been added that lists open applications that might be using an external GPU connected via Thunderbolt 3.
• Notifications in the Action Center now feature a fade-in effect when the Action Center is opened.
• A redesigned snipping experience is present and can be accessed via WIN + SHIFT + S.
• Snips will now present a notification that will open up into Screen Sketch, which is now a dedicated app.
• You can now configure pen peripherals to take a snip when pressing a button.
• The Print Screen button can now be configured to open Screen Sketch.
• A new "Screen snip" action has been added to quick actions in the Action Center.
• Copied content can now be seen in a new clipboard experience, accessed with WIN+V, that can also sync to the cloud and across devices.
• There are now three different modes you can select when wirelessly projecting your screen, and these modes are game, productivity, and video modes.
• Users upgrading to this release for the first time will be welcomed with a post-OOBE UI that walks the user through setting up new features added in this release.
• Game Bar has been redesigned with new features including an overview of system performance and more.
• Search will now provide a download link for programs searched online.
• You can now use Windows Mixed Reality without a monitor.
• Storage Sense can now switch files to "online-only" if they haven't been accessed after a certain number of days, saving space on your local disk.
• Pen users can now ink directly into text boxes by default.
• Users can now view the real world when using Windows Mixed Reality using a headsets built-in camera.
• Emoji 11 is now available.
• Game bar is now accessible via the Apps List in Start.

Windows Settings

• Bluetooth peripherals will now display their battery percentage within Settings.
• Data Usage has been updated with roaming usage information.
• You can now choose to keep your mouse centered on the screen when using the Magnifier tool.
• Magnifier tool can now be incremented by 5 or 10 percent.
• Focus Assist will now enable itself regardless of what game you're playing.
• Sound device properties have now been integrated into the Settings app.
• Settings will now suggest common questions asked by users and present answers in the sidebar.
• Settings now feature tips and suggestions on the home page.
• You can now override default regional format settings such as Calendar, First day of the week, Dates, Times, and Currency.
• SwiftKey now powers the on-screen and touch keyboards.
• Typing insights are now available in the Settings app.
• You can now make text size bigger separately from the overall display scaling options in Settings.
• A new Windows HD color page is now available under Display Settings that let you configure HDR settings.
• Windows now supports leap seconds.
• Windows Update will now use machine learning to determine when to install and not install updates.

Microsoft Cortana

• Cortana has been updated with a wider landing page which better highlights Search and Timeline.

Microsoft Edge

• Microsoft Edge now features a subtle drop shadow behind tabs.
• The settings drop-down menu in Edge has been redesigned with icons for each option.
• The Edge settings pane has been redesigned to look like the Hub area.
• Edge can now control whether video is allowed to play on a webpage automatically.
• Reading View now features more themes in Edge.
• Reading View now features line focus that helps improve focus while reading an article.
• Edge will now ask to save your card info when you fill out billing-related forms.
• A new icon for PDFs is present.
• The PDF reader has an updated toolbar with additional options including "add notes."
• You can now pin/unpin the toolbar at the top of the PDF document.
• Your top sites in Edge are now listed in Edge's jumplist menu.
• Microsoft Edge now features Web Authentication APIs for logging into websites with Windows Hello.
• You can now right click downloads in the download-pane to "show in folder."
• You can now configure media auto-play controls per site.
• You can now look up definitions of words in Reading View, Books, and PDFs.
• Edge now features new policies for IT administrators to configure.
• The XSS filter has been retired.
• Updated Microsoft Edge's Hub to now have an acrylic navigation pane.
• You can now refresh the Books pane in Microsoft Edge using a pull gesture.
• When you pin books to Start from Microsoft Edge, you will now see a live tile that cycles between the book cover and your current completion progress.
• When printing PDFs from Microsoft Edge, you'll find a new option to choose the scale of your print out (Actual size, or Fit to page).
• When you press F1 in Microsoft Edge, it will now take you to the Microsoft Edge support page, rather than Microsoft Edge tips.
• When a tab in Microsoft Edge is playing audio, the volume icon in the tab will now light up when you hover your mouse over it.
• When you open local files (like PDFs) in Microsoft Edge, those files will now appear in the History section.
• Updated Microsoft Edge so that even if a tab is not actively playing audio, you will now be able to pre-emptively mute it from the context menu when right-clicking the tab.

System apps

• "Your Phone" app is now present that syncs with your Android and iPhone to share photos, notifications, SMS conversations, and more.
• You can now search in the Calendar app.
• Windows Calculator now correctly calculates square roots for perfect squares.
• Windows Defender Security Center has been renamed to "Windows Security" and now features Fluent Design.
• Notepad now features Unix/Linus line endings (LF) and Macintosh line endings (CR.)
• Wrap-around find/replace now available in Notepad.
• You can now zoom in to text in Notepad.
• Line numbers now work with word-wrap.
• You can now right-click and "Search with Bing" text highlighted in Notepad.
• Narrator's scan mode now supports selecting content in Microsoft Edge, Word, Outlook, Mail, and most text surfaces.
• Skype universal has been redesigned and updated with new features.
• Task Manager now features "power usage" and "power usage trend" tabs.

Miscellaneous changes & fixes

• Other than for the first setup, you no longer have to have a monitor connected to your PC when using Windows Mixed Reality.
• Apps running in Windows Mixed Reality can now make use of the Camera Capture UI API to capture images of the mixed reality world using the system capture experience.
• Updated the touch keyboard so that if you try to shape write in an unsupported text field or when the typing resources aren't installed, you won't see the shape-writing trail as you swipe your finger over the keys.
• Updated the "Advanced graphics settings" link on the Display Settings page to now just say "Graphics Settings."
• When your volume is muted, the volume icons in the Sound Settings page will also now appear muted.
• If you click the Reset button on the App volume and device preferences page, it will now also reset any app-specific volumes you've set back to default (100%).
• Updated Start so that it now follows the new Ease of Access setting to enable or disable hiding scrollbars.
• Updated the new notification to fix blurry apps so that it now will persist in the Action Center to be accessed later once the toast has timed out and dismissed.
• Consolidated the places where users can adjust their display brightness by removing the display brightness slider in Control Panel Power Options and the "Display brightness" section under Power Options Advanced Settings.
• When you clean install or do a PC refresh, you'll find that the Out of Box Experience for setting up your PC now includes a page for enabling activity history sync, which will help you continue what you were doing, even when you switch devices.
• Adjusted how you access skin tones in the Emoji Panel – you'll now see a row of skin tone colors to select from when people emoji are in view.
• When you hover over the Windows icon in the taskbar, a tooltip will now appear for Start.
• Updated the design of the handwriting panel so that the delete button is now a top-level button. The button to switch languages is now under the "…" menu.
• If you go to Pen & Windows Ink Settings, you'll find a new option that allows your pen to behave like a mouse instead of scrolling or panning the screen.
• We've updated the design of This PC so that there's no longer space displayed for the cloud files state icon.
• Made some adjustments to improve the quality of audio when recording clips using the game bar (WIN+G).
• When you hover over the leaf icon in Task Manager's Status column, you will now see a tooltip describing what it means (this app is suspending processes to help improve system performance).
• If you've enabled WSL, you'll now see an option to "Open Linux Shell here" when you Shift + Right-click on the whitespace of a File Explorer folder.
• Introduced preview support for same-site cookies in Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11.
• RSAT is now a feature on demand.
• To improve discoverability, we've moved Delivery Optimization Settings to now be directly listed as a category under Settings > Update & Security.
• Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Huge and Gigantic files are now defined as 0 – 10KB, 16KB – 1MB, 1 MB to 128 MB, 128 MB – 1 GB, 1 GB – 4 GB, and > 4 GB, respectively in File Explorer.
• Added new keywords to help you get to the settings you're looking for – for example, "rename" will now find "View your PC name" (from which you can rename your PC).
• To improve clarity, we've separated Settings > Privacy > Speech, Inking & typing into two settings: Settings > Privacy > Speech and Settings > Privacy > Inking & typing personalization.
• Added DTS:X to the list of spatial audio technologies you can use.
• Addressed a crash in the audio troubleshooter if querying the volume or mute state failed.
• When using the touch keyboard, you'll find that the clipboard button is now always visible in the candidate pane. Tapping it will bring up your clipboard history for you to browse and paste from.
• Shape writing on the touch keyboard is now available when using English (Australia.)
• Updated Ease of Access flyout on the login screen so that Narrator now has an on / off toggle.
• Azure Active Directory and Active Directory users using Windows Hello for Business can use biometrics to authenticate to a remote desktop session.
• Your Phone app is pinned to the desktop by default.

Catch up on all the changes from the previous Windows 10 updates

• Windows 10 version 1803 changelog
• Windows 10 version 1709 changelog

Updated October 2, 2018: We updated this changelog with the latest changes found in build 17763.

If you're an enthusiast who wants the latest and greatest before everyone else, now is your chance to download and install the next big feature update for Windows 10, known as the October 2018 Update, before it begins rolling out. This update is now available for download if users manually check for updates in Windows Update. It should also be available via the dedicated Update Assistant and Media Creation Tools.

This is the first time Microsoft has made available a new feature update to the public before or around the same time the update shows up for Insiders in the Release Preview ring. In the past, an update would usually be available in the Release Preview ring before being made available publicly via the Media Creation Tool, but that doesn't seem to be the case this time around.

Microsoft says the October 2018 Update will begin rolling out automatically through Windows Update on October 9, just one week from now. That's when users who don't go seeking the update will begin to receive pop-ups from Windows asking to restart to install the latest version of Windows. So, if you want to get ahead of the curve, it might be a good idea to download and install the update manually now.

On the eve of Windows 10's next major feature update, the April 2018 Update appears to be topping out with an install base of nearly 90 percent of Windows 10 PCs. That's according to AdDuplex's latest monthly report, which pegs the Aprils 2018 Update's share of the Windows 10 market at 89.6 percent.

Based on AdDuplex's reports over the past several months, the April 2018 Update has been the fastest Windows 10 update to roll out to the public. The rollout surged up to around 78 percent of Windows 10 PCs in June but has slowed since. Compared to the August report, the update has shown nearly 3 percent growth in September.

When compared to other Windows 10 versions, the April 2018 Update continues to dwarf their share. The closest is, as you'd expect, the Fall Creators Update with 5.7 percent coverage. The Creators Update and Anniversary Update follow with 1.7 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively. Windows 10 versions 1511 and 1507 round things out at 0.6 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively.

As usual, it's best to use AdDuplex's numbers as a sort of general barometer for the rollout pace. The firm's numbers likely differ from real-world numbers, and this became apparent when Microsoft released its most recent official numbers, which differed quite a bit from AdDuplex's reporting at the time. This is likely due to AdDuplex's method of sampling data, which depends on a collection of around 5,000 Microsoft Store apps that take advantage of its SDK.

Microsoft today began shipping its fourth round of Windows 10 cumulative updates for September, bringing another batch of fixes to PCs on the April 2018 and Fall Creators updates (via Neowin).

If you were paying close attention to the last round of update, however, things may look a little familiar here. The reason? They're a reissue of the fixes Microsoft released on September 20.

From Microsoft:

Microsoft uses the same wording for the Fall Creators Update release, but with references to build numbers 16299.697 and 16299.699.

Here's a look at all of the included fixes:

April 2018 Update (KB4458469)

• Addresses an issue that causes the prompt "You'll need a new app to open" to appear. This occurs when reloading a website on a non-standard port by pressing Enter .
• Addresses an issue that causes downloads to fail because Mark of the Web (MOTW) isn't supported at the download location.
• Addresses an issue that prevents the DefaultSearchProvider policy from working when the FirstRunPage policy is in use.
• Addresses issue that causes the address bar to lose focus when a new tab is opened and the Allow web content on New Tab page policy is off.
• Addresses an issue that prevents the Microsoft Edge Configure Password Manager policy from suppressing the Save password prompt when the policy is disabled.
• Addresses an issue that causes downloads to WebDAV locations to fail.
• Addresses an issue with the file previewer for .html, .mht, and email (MIME) attachments in Microsoft Outlook.
• Addresses an issue that causes Internet Explorer security and certificate dialogs to display prompts in the background instead of the foreground in certain circumstances.
• Addresses an issue that may cause the system to become unresponsive when applications call the EnableEUDC API.
• Addresses an issue in multi-monitor scenarios that causes a spell checker context menu to appear on the wrong monitor. This issue occurs when the customer right-clicks a misspelled word in Internet Explorer.
• Addresses an issue that occurs when entering Japanese characters in a remote desktop session (mstsc.exe).
• Addresses an issue that occurs when using low-level mouse hooks with high integrity-level processes.
• Addresses an issue that prevents custom keyboard layouts from working correctly.
• Makes the visibility policy for the Settings Page available under User Configuration. The GPO is at the following path: User Configuration/Administrative Template/Control Panel/Settings Page Visibility
• Addresses an issue that prevents some Bluetooth devices from pairing with Windows.
• Addresses an issue in the Universal CRT that returns the expected output or a null character when calling _getch().
• Addresses an issue in the Universal CRT that returns unexpected characters when calling the _findfirst() or _findnext() functions.
• Addresses an issue in the Universal CRT that prevents some functions from accepting narrow input or producing proper output with certain ANSI Code Pages. This issue affects setargv.obj when using wildcard parsing and calls to get the current module name for debug windows. The issue also affects the following functions:
  • _chdir()
  • _exec()
  • _fullpath()
  • _loaddll
  • _popen()
  • _system()
  • _spawn() (and variants)
• Addresses an issue with evaluating the compatibility status of the Windows ecosystem to help ensure application and device compatibility for all updates to Windows.
• Addresses an issue with the diagnostic pipeline for devices enrolled in Windows Analytics when the CommercialID registry key, "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\DataCollection" is present. Addresses an issue that prevents the App-V client's scheduled task from syncing if the Device Guard lockdown policy is enabled.
• Addresses an issue that may cause the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) process to stop working when attempting to process a malformed security identifier (SID).
• Addresses an issue that causes a delay in unlocking or signing in to a computer that was moved to a different network. For example, a delay occurs when moving from a corporate LAN or WLAN to a home LAN where domain controllers can't be reached.
• Addresses an issue on some laptops that prevents sign-out from completing. The issue occurs when a customer signs out and immediately closes the laptop. As a result, when the laptop is reopened, the device must be restarted.
• Addresses an issue that occurs when enabling BitLocker from a local administrator account.
• Addresses an issue on devices with fingerprint sensors that were upgraded from Windows 10, version 1709. After the upgrade, users can't use the fingerprint sensor to log in.
• Addresses an issue that causes some systems to take as much as 60 seconds longer to start. This occurs on systems that don't have a smart card reader installed.
• Addresses an issue that prevents customers from logging in to a Windows 10S device with a PIN after upgrading to Windows 10, version 1803. Customers see the error "Your PIN is no longer available due to a change to the security settings on this device."
• Addresses an issue that causes a Direct Access connection to fail when the client authentication certificate is stored in the TPM device.
• Addresses an issue that causes the system to log negative events for drivers that are valid and should be trusted. The issue occurs when running Windows Defender Application Control (Device Guard) in audit mode.
• Addresses an issue that causes a third-party VPN provider's user interface to stop working after dynamically unloading Cryptui.dll.
• Addresses an issue that causes logging on to a Remote Desktop Session Host Server to occasionally stop responding.
• Addresses an issue that causes printing to an open or existing file to fail without displaying an error. This issue occurs when using Microsoft Print to PDF or XPS Document Writer.
• Addresses an issue where a daily, repetitive task starts unexpectedly when the task is first created or starts when the task is updated.
• Addresses an issue that prevents running subsequent actions when you create multiple actions in a task using Task Scheduler and the task is scheduled under the Stop the existing instance rule.
• Addresses an issue with a task that has a repetition setting. The task fails to be scheduled and doesn't start after disabling and re-enabling the task. The Next Run Time in Task Scheduler displays the correct time, but the task doesn't start at that time.
• Addresses an issue that prevents the debugging of minimized UWP applications.
• Addresses an issue with Visual Studio UWP Deployments that displays the error "The operation could not be completed because an unexpected host ID was encountered".
• Addresses an issue that ignores the MM_DONT_ZERO_ALLOCATION flag. This issue leads to degraded performance, and, occasionally, error 0x139 appears.
• Addresses an issue that causes NTLTEST, DCLOCATOR, or joining an Active Directory and SAMBA domain to fail when using the NetBIOS domain name. The error is "An Active Directory domain Controller (AD DC) for the domain %domain% could not be contacted". This also addresses connection issues for applications that use mailslots to communicate.
• Addresses an issue that occurs when using encrypted email. If the customer selects Cancel when first asked for a PIN, multiple PIN prompts appear before the prompt finally goes away.
• Addresses an issue that prevents the Microsoft Help Viewer from rendering HTML content inside a Windows Help .chm file when the .chm file is stored on a network location.
• Addresses an issue in which the lock screen shows a solid color instead of an image specified by a policy before a customer signs in for the first time.
• Addresses an issue that causes Microsoft Edge to stop working when printing a PDF in a size 0 window.
• Addresses an issue that causes Microsoft Edge to stop working and to close associated webpage tabs. This occurs when certain PDF documents have timing issues when loading.
• Addresses an issue with a scheduled task that has an indefinite duration. The task starts immediately after it is created instead of starting at the time specified in the Triggers tab.
• Addresses an issue where GetSystemTime() may sometimes return an invalid value after using SetSystemTime() immediately before.
• Addresses an issue that occurs when using the "X509HintsNeeded" group policy to prepopulate the Username hint field. The Username hint field is unexpectedly empty when unlocking a machine after a successful logon. Username hint caching is expected to only work for lock and unlock scenarios and is not designed for logoff and logon scenarios.
• Addresses an issue that fails to maintain the tile layout after upgrading to Windows 10, version 1803 from Windows 10, versions 1703 and 1607.
• Addresses an issue that returns temporary values for the new Japanese Calendar Era.
• Addresses an issue in which Background Apps settings the user configured are lost when the device restarts because of incorrect registry ACLs.
• Addresses an issue that prevents Microsoft Centennial apps and some OS apps from displaying toast notifications.
• Addresses an issue in which all Guest Virtual Machines running Unicast NLB fail to respond to NLB requests after the Virtual Machines restart.
• Addresses an issue that prevents dual tunnel AlwaysOn VPN configurations that use trusted network detection from having both tunnels operational.

Fall Creators Update (KB4457136)

• Addresses an issue with the file previewer for .html, .mht, and email (MIME) attachments in Microsoft Outlook.
• Addresses an issue that causes Internet Explorer security and certificate dialogs to display prompts in the background instead of the foreground in certain circumstances.
• Addresses an issue that causes downloads to WebDAV locations to fail.
• Addresses an issue that causes downloads to fail because Mark of the Web (MOTW) was not supported at the download location.
• Addresses an issue that prevents Microsoft Narrator from accessing the contents of Windows Security dialogs displayed by a low integrity level process.
• Addresses an issue that, in some cases, prevents installing encrypted .appx packages.
• Addresses an issue that may cause the system to become unresponsive when applications call the EnableEUDC API.
• Addresses an issue that occurs when entering Japanese characters in a remote desktop session (mstsc.exe).
• Addresses an issue with evaluating the compatibility status of the Windows ecosystem to help ensure application and device compatibility for all updates to Windows.
• Enables reading the CommercialId registry key written by Windows Analytics onboarding and adds it to the JSON of telemetry events. Additionally, there's a different server URL (v10c.data instead of v10.data) when the CommercialId is set.
• Addresses an issue that prevents the App-V client's scheduled task from synching if the Device Guard lockdown policy is enabled.
• Addresses an issue that causes login to fail when using a smart card to log in to a Remote Desktop Server. The error is "STATUS_LOGON_FAILURE".
• Addresses an issue that causes a delay in unlocking or signing in to a computer that was moved to a different network. For example, a delay occurs when moving from a corporate LAN or WLAN to a home LAN where domain controllers aren't reachable.
• Addresses an issue that occurs when using encrypted email. If the customer selects Cancel when first asked for a PIN, multiple PIN prompts appear before the prompt finally goes away.
• Addresses an issue that causes a Direct Access connection to fail when the client authentication certificate is stored in the TPM device.
• Addresses an issue on some laptops that prevents sign-out from completing. The issue occurs when a customer signs out and immediately closes the laptop. As a result, when the laptop is reopened, the device must be restarted.
• Addresses an issue that causes the system to log negative events for drivers that are valid and should be trusted. The issue occurs when running Windows Defender Application Control (Device Guard) in audit mode.
• Addresses an issue that may cause the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) process to stop working when attempting to process a malformed security identifier (SID).
• Addresses an issue that causes logging on to a Remote Desktop Session Host Server to occasionally stop responding.
• Addresses an issue that causes printing to an open or existing file to fail without displaying an error. This issue occurs when using Microsoft Print to PDF or XPS Document Writer.
• Addresses an issue with scheduled tasks that don't start at the time that they are configured to start on a specific day of the week.
• Addresses an issue with a scheduled task that has an indefinite duration. The task starts immediately after it's created instead of starting at the time specified in the Triggers tab.
• Addresses an issue that prevents the running of subsequent actions in a task. This issue occurs when you create multiple actions in a task using Task Scheduler and the task is scheduled under the Stop the existing instance rule.
• Addresses an issue with a task that has a repetition setting. The task fails to be scheduled and doesn't start after disabling and re-enabling the task. The Next Run Time in Task Scheduler displays the correct time, but the task doesn't start at that time.
• Addresses an issue that may cause Service Control Manager (SCM) and Netlogon to stop working when one or more services are configured to run with domain credentials (service accounts).
• Addresses an issue where a daily, repetitive task starts unexpectedly when the task is first created or starts when the task is updated.
• Addresses an issue in which GetSystemTime() may sometimes return an invalid value after using SetSystemTime() immediately before.
• Addresses an issue that occurs when using the "X509HintsNeeded" group policy to prepopulate the Username hint field. The Username hint field is unexpectedly empty when unlocking a machine after a successful logon. Username hint caching is expected to only work for lock and unlock scenarios and is not designed for logoff and logon scenarios.
• Addresses an issue that fails to maintain the tile layout after upgrading to Windows 10, version 1709 from Windows 10, versions 1703 and 1607.

Both updates are available now via Windows Update. If you installed the updates released last week, Microsoft recommends you install these over them.

Development on the next Windows 10 feature update, codenamed Redstone 5 and officially known as the October 2018 Update, is now complete. According to sources familiar with the matter, Microsoft has internally signed-off on the RTM (Release To Manufacturing) build of Redstone 5 at 17763, which is build that has been in testing with Insiders for more than a week on PC, HoloLens, and Xbox.

As with every Windows 10 feature update, Microsoft will continue to work on fixing minor bugs and issues that will be serviced via cumulative updates, the first of which will likely rollout alongside the feature update itself in early October. I'm told that Microsoft is aiming to begin rolling out the October 2018 Update to the public in the first week of October, or on October Patch Tuesday.

Assuming there are no last minute issues with the RTM build, we should expect to see the October 2018 Update begin rolling out within the next couple of weeks. It's worth noting that Microsoft did end up delaying the April 2018 Update earlier this year by a few weeks due to a last minute show-stopping bug that was found in the RTM build. Let's hope that doesn't happen this time around with the October 2018 Update.

Now that development on Redstone 5 is complete, focus is fast shifting over to the next Windows 10 feature update, codenamed 19H1 and scheduled for launch in April 2019. This update will add more features and OS improvements both on the surface and under the hood. Features rumored to be included are Sets, Control Center, and more. We'll have to see what Microsoft has in store for us over the coming weeks.

Today marks the second Tuesday of September, meaning it's time for Microsoft to ship out another batch of "Patch Tuesday" updates. Like prior releases, these are cumulative updates with no new features in tow. Instead, each update brings a number of fixes and addresses security issues for currently supported versions of Windows 10.

For those running Microsoft's latest Windows 10 feature update, the April 2018 Update, you'll pick up a relatively small list of fixes via KB4457128 (build 17134.285). Here's a look at what's included:

• Provides protection against a Spectre Variant 2 vulnerability (CVE-2017-5715) for ARM64 devices.
• Addresses an issue that causes the Program Compatibility Assistant (PCA) service to have excessive CPU usage. This occurs when the concurrency of two simultaneous add and remove programs (ARP) monitoring threads is not handled correctly.
• Security updates to Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft scripting engine, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows media, Windows Shell, Windows Hyper-V, Windows datacenter networking, Windows virtualization and kernel, Windows Linux, Windows kernel, Microsoft JET Database Engine, Windows MSXML, and Windows Server.

Meanwhile, the Fall Creators Update and Creators Update are getting a single fix via updates KB4457142 (build 16299.665) for the former and KB4457138 (build 15063.1324) for the latter.

• Security updates to Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft scripting engine, Windows graphics, Windows media, Windows Shell, Windows cryptography, Windows virtualization and kernel, Windows datacenter networking, Windows hyper-V, Windows Linux, Windows kernel, Microsoft JET Database Engine, Windows MSXML, and Windows Server.

The above security updates are also rolling out to Windows 10 Mobile devices, along with PCs on prior versions of Windows 10.

For more, you can check out the release notes for all of today's updates at the Windows support site. Otherwise, hit up Windows Update to pick up all of the latest bug and security fixes for your PC.

Microsoft is rolling out a new Windows 10 version 1809 Insider Preview builds for those in the Fast ring today that brings with it more fixes and under the hood improvements. Today's build is 17758, and is packing a handful of changes, and one known issue.

What's new?

• Storage Sense has embarked on a path to keep your storage optimized. We're making continuous improvements in every feature update. From Build 17720 and later, we're adding a new capability and making a few changes to Storage Sense's behavior. Storage Sense now has the capability to automatically free up disk space by making older, unused, locally available files be available online-only.
• The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is no longer present in this build. This does not mean this is the final build as we are not done yet. We're just now beginning the phase of checking in final code to prepare for the final release.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the back button in Settings and other apps becoming white text on a white background if you hovered over it.
• We fixed an issue resulting in Narrator not reading selected word choices when typing using an IME (for example, in Japanese).
• We fixed an issue resulting in certain apps crashing when you tried to save a file from the app.
• We fixed an issue resulting in explorer.exe crashing recently when clicking on the "Import photos and videos" option from an autoplay notification.
• We fixed an issue resulting in nearby sharing not working for local accounts where the account name contained certain Chinese, Japanese, or Korean characters.

Known issues

• When you use the Ease of Access Make Text bigger setting, you might see text clipping issues, or find that text is not increasing in size everywhere.

That's it for today's build. We're now at the very final stretch of development, with new builds only including bug fixes and under the hood improvements. Windows Central understands that Microsoft wants to roll the build it intends to release to the public out to Insiders next week, meaning RTM is just around the corner.

HoloLens is set to get another feature update later this year alongside the October 2018 Update that brings with it several new features and OS enhancements that make for a well-rounded release. The October 2018 Update is almost finalized, so this changelog includes all the notable new changes coming in this release for HoloLens.

The HoloLens October 2018 Update is codenamed Redstone 5, and will be released as version 1809, following the same versioning found on Windows 10 for PCs.

New changes for HoloLens in version 1809

• New notifications: You can now view and respond to notification toasts directly on HoloLens, just like you do on PC.
• New boot screen: A new circular loading indicator is present during the boot phase.
• Visual feedback UI for volume: Volume up and down buttons will now present a visual display of the volume level.
• Project to Miracast device: HoloLens can now project its display to a nearby Miracast enabled device using the Connect app just like on PC.
• Nearby Share: HoloLens now supports Nearby Share allowing you to share files between Windows devices directly via Bluetooth.
• HoloLens overlays: Overlays such as keyboard, dialogs, file picker, and more, will now popup when using immersive apps.
• Stop video capture from Start or quick actions menu: If you start video capture from the Start menu or quick actions menu, you'll be able to stop recording from the same place.
• Enable post-setup provisioning: Commercial customers can now apply a runtime provisioning package at any time using Settings.
• Assigned access with Azure AD groups: Flexibility to use Azure AD groups for configuration of Windows assigned access to set up single or multi-app kiosk configuration.
• PIN sign-in on profile switch from sign-in screen: PIN sign-in is now available for Other User. 
• Sign in with Web Cred Provider using password: You can now select the Globe sign-in option to launch web sign-in with your password. Look for additional web sign-in methods coming in the future.
• Read device hardware info through MDM so devices can be tracked by serial #: IT administrators can see and track HoloLens by device serial number in their MDM console.
• Set HoloLens device name through MDM (rename):  IT administrators can see and rename HoloLens devices in their MDM console.
• Support for Holographic Camera Capture UI API, which will let developers expose a way for users to seamlessly invoke camera or video capture from within their applications. For example, users can now capture and insert photo or video content directly within apps like Word.
• Mixed Reality Capture has been improved to exclude hidden mesh from captures, which means videos captures by apps will no longer contain black corners around the content.

Microsoft has not announced a release date for this new feature update yet, but we're expecting it'll following the same release cycle that the April 2018 Update for HoloLens did; releasing a few weeks after its PC counterpart.

Insiders can sign up for the Fast ring now and receive the latest Redstone 5 preview builds that already includes all these new features. Keep in mind that the Insider builds are pre-release however, and are not considered stable builds just yet. Are there any HoloLens features you're excited about? Let us know in the comments!

Microsoft is super close to finalizing Windows 10 Redstone 5, now officially known as the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, as it has today released a new build that's closer than ever to the final thing. Today's build is 17751, and removes the preview watermark found on the desktop. This is definitely not the final build, we're expecting that to drop into the Fast ring in a few weeks time.

What's new?

• The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is no longer present in this build. This does not mean this is the final build as we are not done yet. We're just now beginning the phase of checking in final code to prepare for the final release.
• We fixed the issue where logging out of your user profile or shutting down your PC would cause the PC to bugcheck (GSOD).
• We fixed a recent issue where color and wallpaper settings weren't correctly applied after a system upgrade when migration was done in offline mode.
• We fixed an issue where, when installing a font for a single user (rather than installing as admin "for all users"), the install would fail with an unexpected error saying that the file was not a valid font file.
• We fixed an issue where explorer.exe would crash if you were in Tablet Mode and opened Task View while in portrait orientation.
• We fixed an issue where you might unexpectedly get an error saying no supported app is installed, after clicking certain activities in Timeline, even though a supported app was installed.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the amount of time it took to launch Settings having noticeably increased recently.
• We fixed an issue where if your PC transitioned from battery power to being plugged in while Windows Update Settings was open and downloading an update, you might unexpectedly see it switch to "You're up to date" immediately afterwards instead of continuing to show the downloading update.
• We fixed an issue where the "Logged" drop down box was unexpectedly large in Event Viewer's filter dialog at high DPI.
• We fixed an issue resulting in some people unexpectedly seeing an "Ask for permission" message from Microsoft family features for Windows Shell Experience.
• We fixed an issue where in high contrast the icons for items in Windows Security's navigation pane wouldn't change color with the rest of the item when mouse hovering over the item, making them difficult to see.
• We fixed an issue where when using the Chinese (Simplified) IME it would leak memory on focus switch, adding up over time.
• We fixed a recent issue that could result in some flakey network connectivity (including networks stuck "identifying", and stale network flyout connectivity state). Note, there are a variety of factors that may impact your networking experience, so if you continue to experience flakiness after upgrading to this build, please log feedback.
• Thanks everyone who tried out and shared feedback about the performance visualizations we added to the game bar with Build 17692. We're taking them offline for now to re-evaluate the best possible approach going forward and work on giving you a great gaming experience on your PC.
• We've updated the messaging in Snipping Tool to more closely align with the commitment we made here. You'll also notice in the message that we're exploring renaming our updated snipping experience – bringing together the old and new. The app update with this change hasn't flighted yet to Fast, but if you have any feedback on the subject we're open to hearing it.

Known Issues

• When you use the Ease of Access Make Text bigger setting, you might see text clipping issues, or find that text is not increasing in size everywhere.
• Narrator sometimes does not read in the Settings app when you navigate using Tab and arrow keys. Try switching to Narrator Scan mode temporarily. And when you turn Scan mode off again, Narrator will now read when you navigate using Tab and arrows key. Alternatively, you can restart Narrator to work around this issue.
• Clicking on web links in PWAs such as Twitter doesn't open the browser in this build. We're working on a fix.

As always, you can check out the official announcement for this build at the Windows Blog.

Microsoft today announced that the name of its next Windows 10 feature update will be the "October 2018 Update," following the format set earlier this year with the April 2018 Update. It appears Microsoft isn't trying to name updates after themes anymore, which is great news as the theme-based names for updates used in the past never really made much sense.

From Microsoft Corporate Vice President Roanne Sones:

The Windows 10 October 2018 Update will launch as version 1809, and I'm hearing from my sources that Microsoft is planning to internally sign-off on this release on September 25, with plans to begin rolling it out to the public in the first half of October. Assuming all goes according to plan, Microsoft will compile the build it intends to rollout to the public on September 14, and will test that with Insiders before signing off on the 25.

I'm also expecting there will be a day-one patch, as is often the case with all Windows 10 feature update releases, that will include a number of smaller fixes and enhancements that weren't fixed in time for sign-off. So, we're at the final stretch of development for Redstone 5, which means the focus is fast turning to the next feature update, codenamed 19H1 and expected in the spring of next year.

Are there any features you're hoping to see added to Windows 10 over the next year or so? Let us know in the comments.

If you've been keeping track of AdDuplex's monthly reports, you'll be well aware of just how fast Microsoft managed to distribute the Windows 10 April 2018 Update in recent months. In fact, the update has enjoyed the fastest rollout of any major Windows 10 feature update. But that growth stalled a bit this month, just after crossing the 80 percent threshold last month.

According to AdDuplex's latest report for the month of August, the April 2018 Update is now on 86.7 percent of Windows 10 PCs. That's up only slightly from July, when the firm reported coverage of 84.2 percent. Going back further, growth has been steadily slowing down since June, when the update had reached 78 percent of Windows 10 devices, according to AdDuplex.

When looking at the current breakdown of Windows 10 devices, the April 2018 Update dwarfs its predecessors, with the Fall Creators Update predictably coming in second with a 7.8 percent share of the market. The Creators Update is sitting at 1.9 percent, while the Anniversary Update is at 2.1 percent. Prior updates are still managing to hold on, but by comparatively negligible shares.

It's worth keeping in mind that AdDuplex's numbers likely differ from real-world values by a notable margin, as became apparent in the disparity between Microsoft's most recent official numbers and AdDuplex's own figures. That likely comes down to the firm's method of sampling data, which relies on a collection of around 5,000 Microsoft Store apps that use its SDK, which could slant results. Still, these monthly reports are handy for tracking general trends following the release of major updates.

Earlier this week, Microsoft made its new Your Phone app available for PCs on the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, taking most by surprise. It seems Microsoft itself was caught off guard as well, as it has now pulled back on the release, stating that the app isn't quite ready for prime time for those who aren't a part of the Windows Insider program.

Vishnu Nath, Head of Program Management for Microsoft Mobility, took to Twitter today to break the news, encouraging users to join the Windows Insider program to provide feedback.

The Microsoft Store will still allow you to install Your Phone on April 2018 Update PCs, provided you navigate to it directly on the web store. However, you'll now be greeted with a screen stating that you need to currently be running a Windows 10 Redstone 5 test build to use it.

It's not a surprising development, as the app became available to install and use without so much as a peep from Microsoft. Further, Your Phone is still quite limited in its current state, only allowing users to view their phone's photos from their PC. Additional features are planned for the future, including messaging support and screen mirroring for Android users.

Given Nath's qualifier of "yet," it's likely we'll see Your Phone arrive at a later date for Windows 10 1803 PCs. For now, you'll have to opt-in to become a Windows Insider to get some hands-on time with the app.

See at Microsoft

It's the second Tuesday of August, which means it's time for another batch of "Patch Tuesday" updates from Microsoft. As with previous Patch Tuesday releases, these cumulative updates don't contain any new features. Rather, you'll find a slew of fixes on board for supported versions of Windows.

If you're on Microsoft's latest Windows 10 release, the April 2018 Update, you'll find today's fixes in KB4343909 (build 17134.228). This release also packs updates for Microsoft HoloLens. Here's a look at what's new:

• Provides protections against a new speculative execution side-channel vulnerability known as L1 Terminal Fault (L1TF) that affects Intel® Core® processors and Intel® Xeon® processors (CVE-2018-3620 and CVE-2018-3646). Make sure previous OS protections against Spectre Variant 2 and Meltdown vulnerabilities are enabled using the registry settings outlined in the Windows Client and Windows Server guidance KB articles. (These registry settings are enabled by default for Windows Client OS editions, but disabled by default for Windows Server OS editions.)
• Addresses an issue that causes high CPU usage that results in performance degradation on some systems with Family 15h and 16h AMD processors. This issue occurs after installing the June 2018 or July 2018 Windows updates from Microsoft and the AMD microcode updates that address Spectre Variant 2 (CVE-2017-5715 – Branch Target Injection).
• Addresses an issue that prevents apps from receiving mesh updates after resuming. This issue occurs for apps that use Spatial Mapping mesh data and participate in the Sleep or Resume cycle. Ensures that Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge support the preload="none" tag.
• Addresses an issue that prevents some applications running on HoloLens, such as Remote Assistance, from authenticating after upgrading from Windows 10, version 1607, to Windows 10, version 1803.
• Addresses an issue that significantly reduced battery life after upgrading to Windows 10, version 1803. Addresses an issue that causes Device Guard to block some ieframe.dll class IDs after installing the May 2018 Cumulative Update. Addresses a vulnerability related to the Export-Modulemember() function when used with a wildcard (*) and a dot-sourcing script. After installing this update, existing modules on devices that have Device Guard enabled will intentionally fail. The exception error is "This module uses the dot-source operator while exporting functions using wildcard characters, and this is disallowed when the system is under application verification enforcement." For more information, see https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8200 and https://www.windowscentral.com/e?link=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.com%2Fdeeplink%3Fid%3DkXQk6%252AivFEQ%26mid%3D24542%26u1%3DUUwpUdUnU57966%26murl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.microsoft.com%252Fen-us%252F%253Fref%253Daka&token=RPOeV2k0

If you're still running a PC on the Fall Creators Update, you'll find a similarly short set of fixes with KB4343897 (build 16299.611). Here's a look:

• Provides protections against a new speculative execution side-channel vulnerability known as L1 Terminal Fault (L1TF) that affects Intel® Core® processors and Intel® Xeon® processors (CVE-2018-3620 and CVE-2018-3646). Make sure previous OS protections against Spectre Variant 2 and Meltdown vulnerabilities are enabled using the registry settings outlined in the Windows Client and Windows Server guidance KB articles. (These registry settings are enabled by default for Windows Client OS editions, but disabled by default for Windows Server OS editions.)
• Addresses an issue that causes high CPU usage that results in performance degradation on some systems with Family 15h and 16h AMD processors. This issue occurs after installing the June 2018 or July 2018 Windows updates from Microsoft and the AMD microcode updates that address Spectre Variant 2 (CVE-2017-5715 – Branch Target Injection).
• Updates support for the draft version of the Token Binding protocol v0.16.
• Addresses an issue that causes Device Guard to block some ieframe.dll class IDs after the May 2018 Cumulative Update is installed.
• Ensures that Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge support the preload="none" tag.
• Addresses an issue that displays "AzureAD" as the default domain on the sign-in screen after installing the July 24, 2018 update on a Hybrid Azure AD-joined machine. As a result, users may fail to sign in in Hybrid Azure AD-joined scenarios when users provide only their username and password.
• Addresses an issue that adds additional spaces to content that's copied from Internet Explorer to other apps.
• Addresses a vulnerability related to the Export-Modulemember() function when used with a wildcard (*) and a dot-sourcing script. After installing this update, existing modules on devices that have Device Guard enabled will intentionally fail. The exception error is "This module uses the dot-source operator while exporting functions using wildcard characters, and this is disallowed when the system is under application verification enforcement". For more information, see https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2018-8200 and https://www.windowscentral.com/e?link=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.com%2Fdeeplink%3Fid%3DkXQk6%252AivFEQ%26mid%3D24542%26u1%3DUUwpUdUnU57966%26murl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.microsoft.com%252Fen-us%252F%253Fref%253Daka&token=RPOeV2k0
• Security updates to Windows Server.

A similar set of updates are also rolling out across older versions of Windows 10, including for PCs on the Creators Update and Anniversary Update. If you're ready to get your hands on these fixes, you can grab the latest updates now via Windows Update.

The Windows 10 April 2018 Update, also known as Version 1803, has been out and available for users for around 4 months now, so it's time to check in and see how things have improved in regards to early bugs and performance issues that were plaguing users when the update was first made available. I was hit pretty hard with several issues surrounding Bluetooth, graphics cards, and lag when the April Update first launched, and I know I wasn't the only one suffering from problems like this.

In fact, for a little while after the update was made available, it was pretty apparent that Version 1803 was one of the buggier Windows 10 releases we've had. After a delay of three weeks due to a blocking bug, Version 1803 was released to the world and was plagued with launch day issues, some of which saw upgrade partitions shout at the user about low-storage, to SSD incompatibility problems, to devices not seeing graphics. It was all going on, and it was bad.

Now, of course, not everyone suffered from these issues. In fact, I'd say most people had very few problems with Version 1803, but there was a larger than usual percentage of people complaining online about bugs with this release. Some of the initial growing pains were ironed out in patches, but it took way longer than it should've for some devices like the Surface Book 2 to get fixed. I had several issues with mine, including lag when closing UWP apps, and my graphics card sometimes not showing up in Device Manager.

Windows 10 1803 common problems and how to fix them

In fact, it got so bad, at one point I had to disable my graphics card in Device Manager just so I could use my Surface Book 2. This issue lasted about two months before Microsoft releases patches and firmware updates to solve the problem. Frankly, I thought this was unacceptable. Smaller issues, such as the Bluetooth disconnect issues I was having on the Surface Studio were ghost fixed without me seemingly needing to install any updates (maybe it did, but I didn't see it.)

There's no hiding it. Version 1803 was definitely buggier than normal at launch. Even today, silly performance issues continue to plague the OS, including dropped frames when opening Timeline to Acrylic affects taking a second to load when opening something like Start. Microsoft needs to fine-tune a lot of these features, which I believe is being done with the next Windows 10 update, known as Version 1809 coming in October.

Unfortunately, for me, that's way too long between releases to fix issues like this. If an animation is not smooth, then that feature should not be shipping until it is. It just looks terrible and makes your PC feel slow. Opening Timeline initiates an animation that plays about three frames total, which is awful.

Things have improved

Overall, the Windows 10 April 2018 Update has improved a lot since it first launched. Most of the initial bugs and issues have been resolved through patches, with the only issues left that I can notice being laggy when it comes to system animations. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there stuff suffering from problems, but for the most part, a lot of the initial issues are fixed.

I just hope that the next Windows 10 update doesn't launch with as many bugs and lack of polish that Version 1803 started with.

AdDuplex has released its latest monthly report on the state of the Windows 10 ecosystem, showing that the April 2018 Update is now on 84.2 percent of Windows 10 PCs. And though the April 2018 Update continues to enjoy the fastest rollout of any major Windows 10 feature update, its growth has started to slow compared to previous months.

In comparison, the April 2018 Update was at 78 percent coverage when AdDuplex released its last monthly report. In May, the update had hit 50 percent coverage, reaching that point in half the time it took the Fall Creators Update to do the same.

In terms of past feature updates, their share continues to drop. According to AdDuplex's numbers, the Fall Creators Update is now on 10.3 percent of Windows 10 PCs, while the Creators Update and Anniversary Update are at 2.1 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively.

Microsoft confirmed in June that the April 2018 Update had reached full availability, so it makes sense that we'd see its coverage accelerate. Still, it's worth noting that there's a disparity between AdDuplex's numbers and the most recent figures provided by Microsoft. In announcing full availability of the latest update, Microsoft revealed it was installed on 250 million devices out of Windows 10's total install base of around 700 million.

The gulf is likely explained by AdDuplex's method for sampling data for its reports. The company collects its figures based on a collection of around 5,000 Microsoft Store apps that run its SDK, which could slant results based on a number of factors. For July, AdDuplex says that its data was collected throughout the day of July 25.

Microsoft has issued another round of cumulative updates today, following up on those released last week and on this month's Patch Tuesday before that. The latest round of fixes are available for Windows 10 April 2018 Update PCs, along with PCs still running the Fall Creators Update and last spring's Creators Update.

Here's a look at all of the fixes included, along with each update's new build number.

April 2018 Update (build 17134.191)

• Addresses an issue that causes devices within Active Directory or Hybrid AADJ++ domains to unexpectedly unenroll from Microsoft Intune or third-party MDM services after installing provisioning package updates (PPKG). This issue occurs on devices that are subject to the Auto MDM Enrollment with AAD Token Group Policy. If you ran the script Disable-AutoEnrollMDMCSE.PS1 as a workaround for this issue, run Enable-AutoEnrollMDMCSE.PS1 from a PowerShell window in Administrator mode after installing this update.
• Addresses additional issues with updated time zone information.
• Improves the ability of the Universal CRT Ctype family of functions to handle EOF as valid input.
• Addresses an issue with registration in the "Push to Install" service.
• Addresses an issue with Roaming User Profiles where the AppData\Local and AppData\Locallow folders are incorrectly synchronized at user logon and logoff. For more information, see KB4340390.
• Addresses issues related to peripherals that use Quality of Service (QoS) parameters for Bluetooth connections.
• Addresses an issue that causes SQL Server memory usage to grow over time when encrypting data using a symmetric key that has a certificate. Then, you execute queries that open and close the symmetric key in a recursive loop.
• Addresses an issue where using an invalid password in a wireless PEAP environment that has SSO enabled submits two authentication requests with the invalid password. The excess authentication request may cause premature account lockouts in environments with low account lockout thresholds. To enable the changes, add the new registry key DisableAuthRetry (Dword) on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RasMan\PPP\EAP\26 using regedit, and set it to 1.
• Addresses an issue that prevents OpenType fonts from printing in Win32 applications.
• Addresses an issue with DNS Response Rate Limiting that causes a memory leak when enabled with LogOnly mode.
• Addresses an issue in a RemoteApp session that may result in a black screen when maximizing an app window on a secondary monitor.
• Addresses an issue in IME that causes unexpected finalization of strings during Japanese input in applications such as Microsoft Outlook.

Fall Creators Update (build 16299.579)

• Addresses an issue that causes devices within Active Directory or Hybrid AADJ++ domains to unexpectedly unenroll from Microsoft Intune or third-party MDM services after installing provisioning package updates (PPKG). This issue occurs on devices that are subject to the "Auto MDM Enrollment with AAD Token" Group Policy. If you ran the script "Disable-AutoEnrollMDMCSE.PS1" as a workaround for this issue, run "Enable-AutoEnrollMDMCSE.PS1" from a PowerShell window running in Administrator mode after installing this update.
• Inserts a CR before LF if there was none.
• Enables debugging of WebView content in UWP apps using the Microsoft Edge DevTools Preview app available in the Microsoft App Store.
• Addresses an issue in which Microsoft Edge DevTools becomes unresponsive when the console is flooded with messages.
• Addresses an issue that causes a black screen to appear for several minutes after installing Windows updates before going to the desktop.
• Addresses additional issues with updated time zone information.
• Improves the PDF file experience in Microsoft Edge by addressing PDF file open, print, and reliability issues.
• Addresses an issue in which moving a Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) application window might leave behind a dithered pattern on the desktop.
• Addresses an issue that causes power options to appear on the Windows security screen even when the per-user Group Policy to hide power options is set.
• Addresses an issue in which the correct lock screen image won't show when all of the following are true:
• GPO policy "Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Personalization\Force a specific default lock screen and logon image" is enabled.
• GPO policy "Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Personalization\Prevent changing lock screen and logon image" is enabled
• Registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System\DisableLogonBackgroundImage is set to 1.
• Addresses an issue in which a warning appears stating that the application is from an "unknown publisher" when running an application as an elevated user (Administrator).
• Addresses an issue that causes sporadic authentication issues when using Web Account Manager.
• Addresses an issue that sometimes causes the single-sign-on scenario to fail and presents the the logon tile when connecting to a Remote Desktop server.
• Addresses an issue in which the memory usage of LSASS continues to grow until it is necessary to restart the system.
• Addresses an issue in which the default domain for an Azure Active Directory-joined machine is not set on the logon screen automatically.
• Addresses an issue that causes SQL Server memory usage to grow over time when encrypting data using a symmetric key that has a certificate. Then, you execute queries that open and close the symmetric key in a recursive loop.
• Addresses an issue in which using an invalid password in a wireless PEAP environment that has SSO enabled causes the submission of two authentication requests with the invalid password. The excess authentication request may cause premature account lockouts in environments with low account lockout thresholds. To enable the changes, add the new registry key, "DisableAuthRetry" (Dword) on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RasMan\PPP\EAP\26 using regedit, and set it to 1.
• Addresses an issue that may cause the BITS service to become unresponsive when the service cannot connect to Internet resources.
• Addresses an issue that prevents printing on a 64-bit OS when 32-bit applications impersonate other users (typically by calling LogonUser). This issue occurs after installing monthly updates starting with KB4034681, released in August 2017. To resolve the issue for the affected applications, install this update, and then do one of the following:
• Use Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit to globally enable the Splwow64Compat App Compat Shim.
• Use the following registry setting, and then restart the 32-bit application: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print Setting: Splwow64Compat
• Type: DWORD
• Value1: 1
• Addresses an issue with DNS Response Rate Limiting that causes a memory leak when enabled with LogOnly mode.
• Addresses an issue that sometime prevents a system from shutting down or being placed in Hibernation. This issue occurs on the first boot after performing disk encryption on an SSD drive.
• Addresses an issue that prevents access to SMB shares using IP addresses if SMB hardening is enabled.
• Addresses an issue in which using mandatory (read-only) user profiles for RDP might result in the error code, "Class not registered (0x80040151)".
• Addresses an issue in which not all network printers are connected after a user logs on. The HKEY_USERS\User\Printers\Connections Key shows the correct network printers for the affected user. However, the list of network printers from this registry key is not populated in any app, including Microsoft Notepad or Devices and Printers. Printers may disappear or become non-functional.
• Addresses an issue that causes in-place upgrades to Windows 10 version 1709 to stop responding at the "Making sure you're ready to install" screen. This occurs while performing device inventory on devices that have installed monthly updates since April 2018.
• Note WSUS can also deliver Dynamic Updates (DU) to devices when configured to sync Dynamic Update content. Verify that Dynamic Updates haven't been disabled by the /DynamicUpdate Disable setup switch.
• Addresses a rendering issue that occurs while dynamically modifying the classname or ID of elements on a page.
• Addresses an issue that prevents Memory Analyzer and Performance Analyzer from working properly in Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 Developer Tools.

Creators Update (build 15063.1235)

• Addresses additional issues with updated time zone information.
• Changes the music metadata service provider used by Windows Media Player.
• Addresses an issue in which some characters were not rendered correctly using the Meiryo font in vertical writing mode.
• Addresses an issue that may cause the operating system to stop responding when transitioning from Sleep to Hibernation.
• Addresses an issue in which the memory usage of LSASS continues to grow until it is necessary to restart the system.
• Addresses an issue that may cause dual-signed files to report a failure when they should report success. This occurs when running Windows Defender Application Control in audit mode.
• Addresses an issue that causes SQL Server memory usage to grow over time when encrypting data using a symmetric key that has a certificate. Then, you execute queries that open and close the symmetric key in a recursive loop.
• Addresses an issue that prevents printing on a 64-bit OS when 32-bit applications impersonate other users (typically by calling LogonUser). This issue occurs after installing monthly updates starting with KB4034681, released in August 2017. To resolve the issue for the affected applications, install this update, and then do one of the following:
• Use Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit to globally enable the Splwow64Compat App Compat Shim.
• Use the following registry setting, and then restart the 32-bit application: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print Setting: Splwow64Compat
• Type: DWORD
• Value1: 1
• Addresses an issue in which Wi-Fi credentials must be entered each time a device restarts and tries to reconnect to Wi-Fi using Group Policy-distributed Preferred Network Profiles.
• Addresses an issue in which using an invalid password in a wireless PEAP environment that has SSO enabled causes the submission of two authentication requests with the invalid password. The excess authentication request may cause premature account lockouts in environments with low account lockout thresholds. To enable the changes, add the new registry key, "DisableAuthRetry" (Dword) on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RasMan\PPP\EAP\26 using regedit, and set it to 1.
• Addresses an issue in which Wi-Fi credentials must be entered each time a device restarts and tries to reconnect to Wi-Fi using Group Policy-distributed Preferred Network Profiles.
• Addresses an issue in which not all network printers are connected after a user logs on. The HKEY_USERS\User\Printers\Connections Key shows the correct network printers for the affected user. However, the list of network printers from this registry key is not populated in any app, including Microsoft Notepad or Devices and Printers. Printers may disappear or become non-functional.

If you have a PC running any of the versions of Windows 10 with cumulative updates available, you should be able to download them now via Windows Update.

According to the AdDuplex's latest monthly report, the Windows 10 April 2018 Update has reached 78.1 percent coverage of all Windows 10 PCs the firm has sampled. The surge continues a pattern that Microsoft has been on for a while, resulting in the April 2018 Update becoming the fastest feature update to roll out thus far.

For comparison, the April 2018 Update was at 50 percent coverage in AdDuplex's May report. The Fall Creators Update took twice as long to hit that mark after its release.

As for other feature updates, the Fall Creators Update now stands at 15.7 percent coverage, while the Creators Update is at 2.4 percent. The Anniversary Update, meanwhile, is currently at 2.5 percent, while Windows 10 versions 1511 and 1507 come in at 0.8 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.

The extent of the rollout isn't too surprising; Microsoft confirmed earlier in June that the April 2018 Update had reached full availability. The company is also now more widely applying AI to its rollout process, resulting in a faster rollout than previous releases.

Still, there's a disparity between AdDuplex's numbers and what Microsoft has confirmed thus far. In announcing the April 2018 Update had reached full availability, Microsoft also revealed it had rolled out to more than 250 million devices, making it the fastest version to do so. Still, given Windows 10 is sitting at an install base of around 700 million devices, that's a far cry from the 78.1 percent coverage in AdDuplex's latest report.

The gap likely comes down to how AdDuplex samples data for its reports. The company is dependent on collecting data from around 5,000 Windows Store apps running its SDK, which could skew the results based on any number of factors.

We're two weeks past June's monthly Patch Tuesday release, but Microsoft is issuing another range of fixes for PCs on the latest version of Windows 10. Cumulative update KB4284848 is now rolling out for the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, ticking the build number up to version 17134.137 with a lengthy list of bug fixes.

Here's a look at what's new:

• Addresses an issue that causes the Video Settings HDR streaming calibration slider to stop working. This is caused by a conflict with the panel brightness intensity settings configured by certain OEMs.
• Addresses streaming compatibility issues with certain live TV streaming content providers.
• Addresses an issue where media content previously generated by Media Center doesn't play after installing the Windows 10 April 2018 update.
• Addresses an issue in which SmartHeap didn't work with UCRT.
• Addresses performance regression in App-V, which slows many actions in Windows 10.
• Addresses an issue that causes Appmonitor to stop working at logoff if the Settingstoragepath is set incorrectly.
• Addresses an issue that causes Appmonitor to stop working at logoff, and user settings are not saved.
• Addresses an issue where client applications running in a container image don't conform to the dynamic port range.
• Addresses an issue where the DNS server might stop working when using DNS Query Resolution Policies with a "Not Equal" (NE) condition.
• Addresses an issue with T1 and T2 custom values after configuring DHCP failover.
• Addresses an issue that causes the latest versions of Google Chrome (67.0.3396.79+) to stop working on Cobalt devices.
• Addresses issues with the Remote Desktop client where pop-up windows and drop-down menus don't appear and right-clicking doesn't work properly. These issues occur when using remote applications. Before installing this update, read KB4340846, "The Remote Desktop Services ActiveX control (mstscax.dll) does not match the version of the client shell".
• Addresses an issue that causes a connection failure when a Remote Desktop connection doesn't read the bypass list for a proxy that has multiple entries.
• Addresses an issue that may cause Microsoft Edge to stop working when it initializes the download of a font from a malformed (not RFC compliant) URL.
• Addresses an issue where some users may receive an error when accessing files or running programs from a shared folder using the SMBv1 protocol. The error is "An invalid argument was supplied".
• Addresses an issue that causes Task Scheduler tasks configured with an S4U logon to fail with the error "ERROR_NO_SUCH_LOGON_SESSION/STATUS_NO_TRUST_SAM_ACCOUNT".

If you're running a PC on the April 2018 Update, you should be able to grab the latest round of fixes via Windows Update now. There are no known issues included in this update.

Thanks to Peter P. for the tip!

Microsoft today announced that the Windows 10 April 2018 Update has reached full availability. That means that every device that is running a prior version of Window 10, and is compatible with the April 2018 Update, should now be able to receive the upgrade via Windows Update.

In addition to reaching full availability, Microsoft says that the April 2018 Update is the fastest version to reach 250 million devices. In fact, the update managed to achieve that benchmark in less than half the time it took its predecessor, the Fall Creators Update, to do the same.

An AI-powered rollout

According to Microsoft, the speed with which is has been able to roll out the April 2018 Update comes down to an AI and machine learning approach that it initially piloted during the Fall Creators Update rollout.

Microsoft was able to train a model to specifically target devices that its data indicated "had a great update experience." With the April 2018 Update, Microsoft expanded this initiative in scope to better target devices as it continued its rollout.

From Microsoft:

As with prior updates, the April 2018 Update certainly hasn't been without its issues. However, the company touts that it has seen an overall reduction of 20 percent in issues related to system and driver stability.

What's next?

Currently, Microsoft is preparing its next major update, codenamed Redstone 5, for an expected release later this fall. While the rollout of Redstone 5 will likely take a similar approach as previous updates, targeting a small circle and expanding from there, it's likely Microsoft's AI efforts will continue to speed things up even further.

If your PC hasn't yet been updated to the April 2018 Update, then it should be available now via Windows Update.

Microsoft has confirmed that it will begin rolling out the official April 2018 update for HoloLens (version 1803) in just a couple of weeks on June 26. This means that starting June 26, users using HoloLens will be able to head to Windows Update and download the latest release just like you can on a Windows 10 PC.

Microsoft has been testing the April 2018 update for HoloLens with Insiders for several weeks now, and the final build can already be installed on HoloLens via the Windows Device Recovery Tool. Unfortunately, installing the release early does require you to wipe your device clean, which is why many have been waiting for the official release on Windows Update.

Now we know the wait won't be much longer, with June 26 just around the corner. HoloLens hasn't received any major feature updates since the Windows 10 Anniversary Update for HoloLens back in 2016, so it's been a long time coming. The April 2018 update for HoloLens is packing lots of notable new changes, including the following:

• Auto-placement of 2D and 3D Content on launch
• Fluid app animation
• 2D app horizontal resize with reflow
• Expanded voice command support
• Updated Holograms and Photos apps
• Improved mixed reality capture
• Improved audio immersion
• File Explorer
• MTP support
• Captive portal network support during setup

There are plenty more changes for developers too, and you can head to this link for a full changelog from Microsoft. Make sure you check out our hands on with the April update for HoloLens. Will you be downloading the April 2018 update on your HoloLens on June 26? Let us know in the comments!

We're only a week out from June's official Patch Tuesday, but Microsoft is pushing out another cumulative update for Windows 10 April 2018 Update PCs in the meantime. Overall, it's a pretty small one, only addressing an issue keeping Intuit QuickBooks users from running in multi-user mode (via Neowin).

The update comes as KB4338548 (build 17134.83) and includes the following:

That's probably pretty underwhelming for those who aren't QuickBooks users, but we should see a laundry list of fixes arrive next week when Microsoft releases its fleet of Patch Tuesday updates for June. For now, if your PC is on the April 2018 Update, you should be able to snag KB4338548 via Windows Update now.

On Windows 10, apps can declare alias names that you can use to run apps using Command Prompt. However, sometimes apps may declare a name that's already taken by another app, and when this happens, trying to run an alias may execute the incorrect application.

Starting with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update (version 1803), to overcome this limitation, the Settings app includes an option that allows you to specify which app should use the alias when multiple applications have the same name.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to select which app should use a particular execution alias when multiple apps have the same name.

How to specify which app can use a repeated alias name

If you have multiple apps using the same alias name, you can use these steps to select which app should use it:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Click the Manage app execution aliases link.

5. Turn of the toggle switch for the apps that have the same execution name.

Once you've completed the steps, running an alias app name using Command Prompt or Run command will only execute successfully for the app that has the toggle switch enabled.

If you disable apps that do not have conflicting names, you'll prevent those apps from running when using a Windows console, and you'll end up with command "is not recognized as internal or external command, operable program or batch file" message. However, using this option will not affect launching the app from the Start menu.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

With each successive feature update to Windows 10, an observable pattern has emerged: Microsoft is getting faster at deploying them to users. With the April 2018 Update, that pattern has continued, with the update reaching 50 percent of Windows 10 PCs – at least according to AdDuplex's latest numbers.

With its latest monthly report for May, AdDuplex says that the April 2018 Update is now installed on exactly 50 percent of Windows 10 PCs. According to the firm's previous reports, it to the Fall Creators Update twice as long to hit that mark, and the Creators Update took three months to hit a similar share.

That surge mostly comes at the cost of the Fall Creators Update, which is now sitting at a 43 percent share. Meanwhile, the Creators Update is at 2.9 percent and the Anniversary Update is sitting at 2.8 percent. Things go down from there, with Windows 10 version 1511 still maintaining a grasp at 0.7 percent, and version 1507 landing at 0.4 percent.

In terms of manufacturer spread, Dell and MSI are in the lead with just over 60 percent of devices covered, with other manufacturers falling below the 50 percent mark. Microsoft's Surface devices, however, show many models above 50 percent coverage. In particular, the Surface Pro 3, Surface Book, and Surface Pro 4 are in the lead.

It's worth noting that AdDuplex's reports are based on a sample of data collected from 5,000 Microsoft Store apps that use the company's SDK. Actual figures likely differ, but AdDuplex's monthly reports are handy for tracking trends. The results of the latest report were collected throughout the day of May 29.

If you've got yourself a HoloLens but are wondering where the latest April 2018 Update is, we've got you covered with a quick how-to on installing the new update on your device.

Unfortunately, Microsoft isn't pushing out the April 2018 Update to HoloLens devices running the Anniversary Update, likely because there is no direct upgrade path from the older OS to the new one. However, Microsoft has released a way to manually install it using the Windows Device Recovery Tool, which you can grab from this website. This will unfortunately require you to wipe and factory reset your device, so depending on whether or not you want to do that, this how-to will take you through all the steps required for installing the April 2018 Update on HoloLens. Let's dig in!

How to install The April 2018 Update for Microsoft HoloLens

1. Download the Windows Device Recovery Tool using your PC.
2. Power on your Microsoft HoloLens.
3. Connect your HoloLens to your PC.
4. Run the Windows Device Recovery Tool program.
5. Select the Microsoft HoloLens device.

6. Ensure the software available on server is 17134.0 or higher and then select Install software.

7. Wait for the package to download. (This will take a few minutes.)

8. Make sure your battery is at least 25 percent charged, and then select Next.

9. Read the warnings and make sure you have backed up anything you wish to save because this will wipe your HoloLens, then select "Continue."

10. Wait for the installation to complete. (Your HoloLens will restart several times, and it will take several minutes to complete.)

Once the progress bar is complete, the April 2018 Update should be installed on your HoloLens. Again, keep in mind that this will wipe and factory reset your HoloLens, meaning you will have to go through the HoloLens set up process again, pair all your Bluetooth peripherals, and reinstall any apps you had installed before.

There are lots of improvements for HoloLens in the April Update, including enhancements to the window-management gestures, more voice commands, new APIs, and a whole lot more.

Make sure you check out the entire OS changelog here if you're curious as to what's new.

Although you can now run a number of Linux distros natively on Windows 10, this integration has been a little tricky when it comes to handling filename case, as Linux is case sensitive and Windows is not.

In order to overcome this limitation, starting with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update (version 1803), NTFS includes a new flag that you can enable on a per-folder basis allowing the file system to treat files and folders as case sensitive.

Using this new flag, you can not only handle case sensitive files while using a Linux console but more importantly, it also allows Windows applications (such as Word and Notepad) to open files correctly if they're only different by case.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the easy steps to enable or disable support for case sensitivity at the folder level with a command option available after upgrading to the April 2018 Update.

• How to enable case sensitivity support on Windows 10
• How to disable case sensitivity support on Windows 10

How to enable case sensitivity support on Windows 10

Starting with Windows 10 version 1803, you can enable case sensitivity at the folder level using these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select Run as administrator.
3. Type the following command to enable NTFS to treat the folder's content as case sensitive and press Enter:fsutil.exe file SetCaseSensitiveInfo C:\folder\path enableIn the command, remember to include the path to the folder you want to enable case sensitivity.

After completing the steps, inside the folder, you can now read and create files and folders using the same name but different case, and NTFS will treat them as entirely different files.

If you need to handle files with case-sensitive names on multiple folder locations, you'll need to repeat the same steps on the remaining folders, as you can't enable the new file system feature globally.

How to disable case sensitivity support on Windows 10

If you no longer need this feature on a particular folder, you must first rename the files and folders using unique names, move the content to another folder with case sensitivity enabled, or delete the folder's content, and then follow these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select Run as administrator.
3. Type the following command to disable NTFS to treat the folder's content as case sensitive and press Enter:fsutil.exe file SetCaseSensitiveInfo C:\folder\path disableIn the command, remember to include the path to the folder you want to enable case sensitivity.

Once you've completed the steps, NTFS will no longer recognize content with same names with a different case as unique files.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) is a feature available on Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise that creates a container using virtualization technology allowing to isolate a Microsoft Edge session to protect your data and device from malicious attacks.

The only caveat using this feature is that online files you download will never save directly onto your device. In fact, settings, browsing history, downloaded files are kept isolated from your computer and then deleted when you exit your account.

In order to help users have a better experience, starting with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update (version 1803) there's a new feature to download files from the virtual container to your machine, and you can enable it using Group Policy or Registry.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to allow files to download and save on your computer when using a Windows Defender Application Guard session on Microsoft Edge.

• How to allow file download using Application Guard on Edge using Group Policy
• How to allow file download using Application Guard on Edge using Registry

How to allow file download using Application Guard on Edge using Group Policy

If you're running Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Enterprise with the April 2018 Update, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor to enable the option that allows you to save files to your computer.

Important: This feature is currently only available for Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Pro. You may also need to configure network isolation policies, but it's not required for the feature to work.

1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.
2. Type gpedit.msc and click OK to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
3. Browse the following path:Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Application Guard
4. On the right side, double-click the Allow files to download and save to the host operating system from Windows Defender Application Guard policy.

5. Select the Enabled option.

6. Click Apply. 
7. Click OK.
8. Restart your computer.

Once you've completed the steps while browsing the web, you'll be able to download files to your computer as you would usually do using a regular tab of Microsoft Edge, but they'll be saved automatically in the Untrusted Files folder inside the "Downloads" folder.

At any time, you can rollback the changes to prevent files from downloading to your device using the same instructions, but on step No. 5, make sure to select the Not configured option.

How to allow file download using Application Guard on Edge using Registry

Alternatively, you can also allow files to download to your computer while using an Application Guard container modifying the Registry.

Warning: This is a friendly reminder that editing the Registry is risky, and it can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don't do it correctly. It's recommended to make a full backup of your PC before proceeding.

1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.
2. Type regedit, and click OK to open the Registry.
3. Browse the following path:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\MicrosoftQuick Tip: On the Windows 10 Creators Update and later, you can now copy and paste the path in the new Registry's address bar to quickly jump to the key destination.
4. Right-click the Microsoft (folder) key, select New, and click on Key.

5. Name the key AppHVSI and press Enter.
6. Right-click the newly created key, select New, and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.

7. Name the key SaveFilesToHost and press Enter.
8. Double-click the newly created DWORD and set the value from 0 to 1.

9. Click OK.
10. Restart your computer.

After completing the steps, files that you download while using a Windows Defender Application Guard container will save automatically in the Untrusted Files folders inside the "Downloads" folders.

If you want to undo the changes, you can follow the same instructions, but on steps No. 5, right-click the AppHVSI folder and select the Delete option.

Wrapping things up

While using either method to allow files to download and save on your computer, remember that you cannot open or execute downloads within an Application Guard session. Instead, after the file downloads, you can open it from the Untrusted Files folder inside your Downloads folder location.

Also, bear in mind that Windows Defender Application Guard is meant to protect your device and data from malicious attacks, and enabling this option may have its risks, as such it's only recommended to enable this feature if you know what you're doing.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

Alongside the numerous improvements included in the Settings app, the Windows 10 April 2018 Update introduces new privacy settings to give you more control over which Microsoft Store apps have access to your personal files.

Microsoft will be proactively granting and denying apps access to your files on a per-app basis. If a particular app has restricted access permissions by default, you'll receive a dialog prompting to accept or deny the request. However, if you need to change these settings manually, you can now use the Settings app.

In this new version, there are two ways to control file access. You can either decide which apps can access your files stored in the Documents, Pictures, or Videos libraries. Or you can choose which apps have full system access to all of your files, including the ones in the Documents, Pictures, Videos, and local OneDrive folders.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to manage settings to prevent apps from accessing your files.

• How to change file access permissions per app on Windows 10
• How to change file access permissions for all apps on Windows 10
• How to change file system permissions for all apps on Windows 10

How to change file access permissions per app on Windows 10

If you're trying to allow or deny file access to a specific application, the quickest way to do this is to update the app settings using these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Select the app you want to change permissions, and click the Advanced options link.

1. Under "App permissions," depending on the app, turn on or off the toggle switches for the permissions you want to allow or deny. Options available can include:
   • Documents.
   • Pictures.
   • Videos.

Once you've completed the steps, the app will no longer have permission to access your files stored on your computer depending on the options you enabled or disabled.

How to change file access permissions for all apps on Windows 10

In the case that you want to allow or deny file access to multiple apps for a specific library, you can use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Privacy.
3. Click on the library that you want to restrict access:
   • Documents — restricts apps from accessing files stored in your Documents library.
   • Pictures — restricts apps from accessing files stored in your Pictures library.
   • Videos — restricts apps from accessing files stored in your Videos library.

Once in the page, you can manage file access for a particular library.

If you want to prevent users from making file access changes, under the "Allow access to documents libraries on this device" section, click the Change button, and turn off the library access toggle switch.

If you want to allow or deny all apps from accessing your files, but only to your account, then under the "Allow apps to access your documents library" section, turn off the toggle switch.

In the case that you only want to allow or deny file access to apps individually, under the "Choose which apps can access your documents library" section, turn on or off the toggle switch for apps you want to allow or deny.

Also, note that apps that have broad access to your files will not appear under Documents, Videos, or Photos settings pages, instead, they may appear in the File System page.

How to change file system permissions for all apps on Windows 10

Alternatively, it's also possible to allow or deny apps global access to your files, including to your documents, pictures, videos, and even the local folder containing your synced OneDrive files.

To manage file system access, do the following:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Privacy.
3. Click on File System.

Once in the page, you can manage file system access in a few different ways.

For example, if you want to prevent users from having the ability to choose if their apps have access to all their files, under the "Allow access to the file system on this device" section, click the button, and turn off the File system access for this device toggle switch.

If you want to allow or deny all apps from accessing all of your files, but only on your account, then under "Allow apps to access your file system," turn off the toggle switch.

In the case that you only want to allow or deny global file system access to apps individually, under the "Choose which apps can access your file system" section, turn on or off the toggle switch for the apps you want to allow or deny.

Wrapping things up

While these new settings aim to give you more privacy control on Windows 10, there are a few things you want to consider.

For instance, using the privacy settings, the app itself is restricted, you may still have access to your files when using the app (but sometimes it'll also depend in the application).

Some Microsoft Store apps like Photos and Camera always have access to your files, even if you deny access to all apps.

If you change file access for a particular app and then you uninstall it, then the next time you reinstall the app, the default permission settings will be applied. This means that you may have to allow or deny access to your files manually again.

The ability to allow or deny apps to access your files is limited to Microsoft Store apps. This doesn't work for classic desktop (win32) applications.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

It's become a predictable pattern at this point: Microsoft releases a new feature update, then it shows off how its Edge browser's battery life compares to the competition with that update. For the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, things are no different. And while Edge still comes out on top, as it has in each previous tests, a noticeable trend has appeared. Namely, Chrome is closing the gap.

Once again, Microsoft's test pits Edge against its main rivals, Chrome and Firefox. This go-around, Microsoft Edge managed to hold out 98 percent longer than Firefox and 14 percent longer than Chrome.

The browsers were compared on three identical Surface Books while continuously looping the same streaming video. Firefox petered out at just over seven hours, while Chrome managed to hit the 12-and-a-half hour mark. Edge managed more than 14 hours. Results were based on average times, and Microsoft is quick to point out that battery life "varies significantly with settings, usage, and other factors."

What's interesting is how the numbers have shifted over time. In January, Microsoft released a similar test showing that Edge lasted 63 percent longer of Firefox and 19 percent longer than Chrome. Going back to the Creators Update, Microsoft's testing showed a 77 percent advantage over Firefox and a 35 percent advantage over Chrome. In 2016, Edge was outpacing Chrome in battery life by 70 percent.

While the advantage over Firefox that Microsoft's browser enjoys seems to be all over the place, one thing is clear: Chrome is slowly but surely closing the gap. The 14 percent difference between the two in the latest test is still significant, and you'll likely be better off sticking with Edge while you're on the go. But if you're a heavy Chrome user, its battery-hungry ways appear to be diminishing – at least in this one scenario.

Microsoft this week began rolling out the second cumulative update for the Windows 10 Spring 2018 Update since its release, bringing along some quality improvements, along with fixes for some nasty bugs affecting some users. In particular, the update addresses installation issues that some were encountering with Intel SSDs, along with a problem causing low battery life on select Toshiba PCs (via Neowin).

The update is labeled as KB4100403 (build 17134.81) and includes the following improvements and fixes:

• Addresses an issue in Internet Explorer that might cause communication between web workers to fail in certain asynchronous scenarios with multiple visits to a web page.
• Addresses additional issues with updated time zone information.
• Addresses an issue where closed-caption settings are preserved after upgrade.
• Addresses a reliability issue that may cause Microsoft Edge or other applications to stop responding when you create a new audio endpoint while audio or video playback is starting.
• Addresses an issue that may cause Windows Hello enrollment to fail on certain hardware that has dGPUs.
• Addresses an issue with power regression on systems with NVMe devices from certain vendors.

The fixes related to Intel SSDs and Toshiba PCs are covered as part of Microsoft's known issues. While build 17134.81 includes fixes for both, Microsoft suggests waiting until the update is offered to your device to install. From Microsoft:

• Issue: When attempting to upgrade to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, select devices with Intel SSD 600p Series or Intel SSD Pro 6000p Series may repeatedly enter a UEFI screen after restart or stop working.
  • Workaround: This issue is resolved in KB4100403. To get Windows 10, version 1803, we encourage you to wait until the update is offered to your device. Starting May 25th, if you're an advanced user on an actively serviced version of Windows 10 and would like to install Windows 10 version 1803, you can manually check for updates. In the Search tab, type "Settings". On the Settings page, navigate to Update & security > Windows Update > click "Check for updates", which will include this resolution.
• Issue: After upgrading to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, select devices with Toshiba XG4 Series, Toshiba XG5 Series, or Toshiba BG3 Series SSDs may exhibit lower battery life.
  • Workaround: This issue is resolved in KB4100403. To get Windows 10, version 1803, we encourage you to wait until the update is offered to your device following the June Update Tuesday. If you're an advanced user on an actively serviced version of Windows 10 and would like to install Windows 10 version 1803, you can manually check for updates. In the Search tab, type "Settings". On the Settings page, navigate to Update & security > Windows Update > click "Check for updates", which will include this resolution.

In any case, update KB4100403 and its fixes should be available now for anyone already running the Windows 10 Spring 2018 Update. You can grab it either via Windows Update or a manual download at the Microsoft Update catalog.

XPS is a file format that Microsoft created to print content to a file very similar to PDF. It was originally introduced with Windows Vista, and even though it never really gained popularity it continued to ship with Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10.

Now, starting with the April 2018 Update (version 1803), Microsoft is finally retiring support for the file format and removing the XPS Viewer app on new installations. This means that if you're doing an in-place upgrade from version 1709 (Fall Creators Update) to version 1803, you'll continue to have support for the format, but if you're setting up a new device, or do a clean installation, the XPS Viewer app will no longer be available.

If you're among those people who still use XPS files, and you can no longer find the app, you can get the XPS Viewer back using the Settings app.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to re-install the XPS Viewer app since it's no longer available after installing the April 2018 Update.

How to install the XPS Viewer app on Windows 10

In order to install the XPS Viewer app on Windows 10, do the following:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Under "Apps & features," click the Manage optional features link.

5. Click the Add a feature button.

6. Select XPS Viewer from the list.

7. Click the Install button.

After completing the steps, the XPS Viewer will install on your computer, and you'll once again be able to open files stored on your computer using this file format.

Converting XPS to PDF

While you can get this feature back, bear in mind that Microsoft is no longer maintaining it, as such it's now also a good time to convert those old XPS files to PDF or another file format.

Here's a quick way to convert your XPS files to PDF without having to resource to third-party apps:

1. Open the XPS file using the XPS Viewer.
2. Click the Print button from the top-right.

3. Under "Select Printer," pick the Microsoft Print to PDF option.

4. Click the Print button.

Once you've completed the steps, repeat the same steps for the remaining files you want to convert.

After converting the files to PDF, you can remove the XPS Viewer using the same instructions mentioned above, but on step No. 5, select XPS Viewer from the list, click the Uninstall button, and restart your device.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

Just over three weeks after it first arrived for PCs, the Windows 10 April 2018 Update is now available for HoloLens. Developers who have one of the augmented reality headsets can now manually install the latest feature update using the Windows Device Recovery Tool (WDRT) (via Neowin).

This update marks the first to roll out to HoloLens since the release of the Anniversary Update in 2016. As such, there are plenty of new features to check out. Here's a look at some of what's available with the April 2018 Update for HoloLens:

• Auto-placement of 2D and 3D content on launch - A 2D app launcher or 2D UWP app auto-places in the world at an optimal size and distance when launched instead of requiring the user to place it. If an immersive app uses a 2D app launcher instead of a 3D app launcher, the immersive app will auto-launch from the 2D app launcher same as in RS1. A 3D app launcher from the Start menu also auto-places in the world. Instead of auto-launching the app, users can then click on the launcher to launch the immersive app. 3D content opened from the Holograms app and from Edge also auto-places in the world.
• Fluid app manipulation - Move, resize, and rotate 2D and 3D content without having to enter "Adjust" mode.
• 2D app horizontal resize with reflow - Make a 2D UWP app wider in aspect ratio to see more app content. For example, making the Mail app wide enough to show the Preview Pane.
• Expanded voice command support - You can do more simply using your voice.
• Updated Holograms and Photos apps - Updated Holograms app with new holograms. Updated Photos app.
• Improved mixed reality capture - Hardware shortcut start and end MRC video.
• Consolidated spaces - Simplify space management for holograms into a single space.
• Improved audio immersion - You can now hear HoloLens better in noisy environments, and experience more lifelike sound from applications as their sound will be obscured by real walls detected by the device.
• File Explorer - Move and delete files from within HoloLens.
• MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) support - Enables your desktop PC to access your libraries (photos, videos, documents) on HoloLens for easy transfer.
• Captive portal network support during setup - You can now set up your HoloLens on a guest network at hotels, conference centers, retail shops, or businesses that use captive portal.

There are also lots of new features included specifically for developers and IT pros. For more, you can check out the full release notes.

For now, HoloLens users will have to manually install the update using the WDRT. This will delete any existing data, including personal files and settings, from HoloLens. However, for those who wish to keep this data, Microsoft says the update will be delivered via Windows Update "in the coming weeks."

The April 2018 Update (version 1803) for Windows 10 became officially available on April 30, 2018, as a manual download, and on May 8, the update started rolling out through Windows Update.

In this fifth refresh of Windows 10, you'll find a number of new small and big features, such as Timeline, Nearby sharing, and a new font experience. However, this update doesn't include as many new features as previous versions, because this time around Microsoft is concentrating more on improving existing features and continue modernizing the user experience. These improvements are available across Windows 10, but more specifically, in the taskbar, Settings app, Microsoft Edge, and Windows Security.

In this Windows 10 guide, you'll find the answers to most common questions to get started with the April 2018 Update, whether you're planning to upgrade later on, or you're already running the new version.

Windows 10 April 2018 Update

Here's everything that Windows 10 users need to know to master the new features and changes:

• How to get the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?
• Why do I no longer have enough space after upgrading to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?
• Why isn't my device isn't getting the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?
• What are the problems with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?
• Can I block the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?
• Are there any new changes with the Settings app?
• Can I reset my local account password from the Lock screen on Windows 10 April 2018 Update?
• Are there any new improvements with Microsoft Edge?
• Are there any security enhancements with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?
• What's Timeline and how do I use it on Windows 10 April 2018 update?
• What's Nearby sharing and how do I use it on Windows 10 April 2018 Update?
• Can I set up Windows Hello from the Lock screen on Windows 10 April 2018 Update?
• What happened to Quiet hours on Windows 10 April 2018 Update?
• Can I review and delete telemetry data on Windows 10 April 2018 Update?
• Is Microsoft removing any legacy features with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?

How to get the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?

Windows 10 version 1803 is slowly rolling out to compatible devices, and the recommended method to get it is to wait until the update downloads and installs automatically through Windows Update.

Of course, if you want to upgrade early, or it's been sometime since the April 2018 Update released, there are a number of ways to install it manually. Some of these options include using the Media Creation Tool to do an in-place upgrade or clean installation.

And you can also use the Update Assistant, which is a tool that Microsoft makes available to force an in-place upgrade if your device is having problems with Windows Update.

Why do I no longer have enough space after upgrading to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?

If you're using a device with limited storage, you may notice that after the upgrade you no longer have the same available space as before.

This happens because Windows 10 saves a copy of the previous installation in case you need to rollback. If everything is working as expected, you can reclaim anywhere from 10GB to 20GB of storage by deleting the folder with the previous installation files.

Why isn't my device isn't getting the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?

This question can have a lot of answers because there are a lot of factors that could be preventing your device from getting the update. However, usually, it's because the update is not ready for your hardware configuration. Or it's likely that the update hasn't arrived due to the fact that Microsoft rolls out new versions of Windows 10 slowly, and it can take several months to reach every device.

What are the problems with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?

There aren't widespread problems with version 1803, but there have been reports of several isolated issues, and Microsoft has confirmed at least four of them.

For instance, Microsoft has acknowledged freezing problems with specific apps after the upgrade, which the company has already fixed with the latest cumulative update.

Unfortunately, some Alienware computers are not able to install the new version, but a fix is in the works, according to Microsoft.

Also, the company is working to fix issues with Solid-State Drives (SSDs) from Intel that are causing crashes, and other SSDs from Toshiba that are affecting battery performance on a small number of devices.

Other isolated problems include Windows 10 not preserving users settings, File Explorer crashing, and black screen during the update. And there have been reports of issues accessing microphone and camera, but as it turns out this is happening as a result of new privacy changes with the latest version.

If you're having problems with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, check out our comprehensive guide, where you'll find instructions to fix pretty much anything that can go wrong with the new version.

Recently, Microsoft also released update KB4103721 to address some issues, but shortly after the rollout a lot of users have been reporting problems with the update. If your device isn't able to boot after installing this patch, you can use this guide to remove it.

Can I block the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?

Yes. You can't entirely skip the feature update, but you can postpone the April 2018 Update for a long time in a few ways.

If you're running Windows 10 Pro, it's possible to block the update for up to 16 months using the Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) branch. In the case that you're running Windows 10 Home, you can't use this option, but you can still use a metered connection to temporarily block the update.

Are there any new changes with the Settings app?

Absolutely. In this release, Microsoft continues its quest to retire Control Panel from Windows 10 by migrating more features to the new experience and introducing new settings, in addition to a number of tweaks to the experience.

Starting with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, the Settings app brings the Sound settings to the experience giving you easy access to control your speakers and microphones. You will also find a new Fonts page in the Personalization section that allows you to preview, add, and remove family fonts.

There a new options to control and monitor data usage for devices connected to the internet using a limited data plan. Also, you can now even throttle bandwidth for foreground downloads from the Windows Update advanced settings.

The Settings app is now making it easier to access and manage app settings using this experience.

Among other things, you can decide whether the scrollbars always stay visible or hidden, and Windows 10 is also introducing changes to make easier to apply system filters.

Check out our guide with everything you need to know about the Settings app in version 1803.

Can I reset my local account password from the Lock screen on Windows 10 April 2018 Update?

Yes. The Windows 10 April 2018 Update is adding the ability to add security questions to a local account in the Settings app, which allows you to reset your account password from the Lock screen.

Are there any new improvements with Microsoft Edge?

Yes. With the release of version 1803, Microsoft Edge is getting a number of new features and changes, including visual improvements using more Fluent Design elements and newly redesigned Hub experience. You'll also find a bunch autofill improvements, including the ability to fill out card information automatically when making online purchases.

Under-the-hood, the browser now enables Service Workers and the Push and Cache APIs to push notifications to Action Center and access websites and services offline. You can now use extensions InPrivate mode, print web pages without ads, and the PDF, EPUB, and Reading view received numerous improvements, making the experience more consistent and easier to use.

Are there any security enhancements with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?

Yes. The April 2018 Update brings a number of security enhancements. In this new release, you'll find an updated version of the Windows Defender Security Center that includes changes to make settings easier to find and configure. The experience also includes two new sections to improve the sign-in security and manage hardware-based security features.

In addition, starting with version 1803, Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) for Microsoft Edge arrives in Windows 10 Pro.

What's Timeline and how do I use it on Windows 10 April 2018 update?

Timeline is perhaps the most significant feature included in the April 2018 Update, and it's a new experience that allows you to resume activities you're working in the past.

Using Timeline, you can resume a web page you were reading, finish working on a Word document or pick up an app where you left off on the same or different device that uses the same Microsoft account.

Check out our comprehensive guide to get started with Timeline, and to learn the steps to manage its settings.

What's Nearby sharing and how do I use it on Windows 10 April 2018 Update?

Nearby sharing is a new feature that Microsoft created to quickly and effortlessly transfer files and links wirelessly to nearby devices using Bluetooth and a network connection.

However, for this feature to work correctly, both devices participating in the transfer must be running the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, have a correctly configured Bluetooth 4.0 adapter, and must be connected to the same network for best performance.

Can I set up Windows Hello from the Lock screen on Windows 10 April 2018 Update?

Yes. Starting with version 1803, you can set up Windows Hello PIN, Fingerprint, and Face authentication without having to open the Settings app.

What happened to Quiet hours on Windows 10 April 2018 Update?

Quiet hours still part of Windows 10, but it's now called "Focus assist," and with the new name, you're also getting a bunch of new features to customize the experience.

For instance, you can now select the hours during which you want Focus assist to automatically to stop notifications from distracting you. You can use priorities to allow only specific notifications, apps, or people to break through the quiet hours, and a lot more.

You can use this guide to learn everything there's to know about Focus assist on Windows 10.

Can I review and delete telemetry data on Windows 10 April 2018 Update?

Microsoft is introducing some changes to make it more transparent how the company collects telemetry data about your device activities.

Starting with version 1803, you'll find new options to prevent Microsoft from collecting typing and inking data, and there's a new app that allows to review and delete the data already uploaded to the Microsoft servers.

Is Microsoft removing any legacy features with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?

Yes. In addition to introducing new features, during the development process of a new version of Windows 10, it's also the time when Microsoft removes and deprecates features that are no longer needed, or never gained popularity.

On Windows 10 version 1803, Microsoft is removing and stopping the development of at least 13 features.

Always remember that if the new update is giving you any problems, you can use the Windows Central forums to get answers, and you can also check out our latest help articles to learn even more about Windows 10.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

On Windows 10, Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) is a feature that allows you to isolate Microsoft Edge at the hardware level using Hyper-V technology to protect your device and data from malware and zero-day attacks.

Application Guard isn't new to Windows 10. It was a feature introduced with the Fall Creators Update, but it was limited to Windows 10 Enterprise. Starting with the April 2018 Update (version 1803), the feature is now available for devices running Windows 10 Pro with processors that support virtualization.

In this Windows 10 guide, we walk you through the steps to enable Windows Defender Application Guard for Microsoft Edge on the professional edition after installing the April 2018 Update.

How to enable Application Guard on Microsoft Edge

If you want to add an extra layer of security, you can enable Application Guard for Microsoft Edge using the following steps:

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Click on Programs.
3. Click on Turn Windows features on or off link.

4. Check the Windows Defender Application Guard option.Quick Tip: If the option is grayed out, it's likely because your hardware doesn't support this feature

5. Click the OK button.
6. Click the Restart now button.

Using Application Guard

After completing these steps, you can start a Microsoft Edge session using Windows Defender Application Guard. Here's how:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the menu button on the top-right.
3. Select the New Application Guard window option.

After completing the steps, a new virtualized environment will be created automatically to completely isolate the web browsing session from your computer.

If you're starting Application Guard for the first time, it'll take a while to start, but future sessions will open more quickly.

Once the feature is configured, you can use Microsoft Edge (or Internet Explorer) to browse untrusted sites using a separate Hyper-V container, which is a separate environment from the main installation of Windows 10. Then if the site tries to deliver malicious code, your computer and data will be protected.

At any time, you can disable the feature using the same instructions, but on step No. 4, clear the Windows Defender Application Guard option.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central