What you need to know

• Windows 10 versions 1709 will get six additional months of security updates.
• This extends security updates through October 13, 2020.
• This release was set to hit end-of-life status on April 14, 2020.

Microsoft announced today that it will offer six additional months of security updates for Windows 10 versions 1709. Enterprise and education customers will now be able to continue to receive security updates for Windows 10 1709 PCs through October 13, 2020. That's beyond the original end-of-life date of April 14, 2020.

Microsoft says it decided to make this move in response to uncertainty its customers may be facing around the current coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. "To ease one of the many burdens you are currently facing, and based on customer feedback, we have decided to delay the scheduled end of service date for the Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise editions of Windows 10, version 1709," the company said in a blog post. "This means devices will receive monthly security updates only from May to October."

In its explanation of the extension, Microsoft urges businesses to shift to Windows Update for Business so they can receive updates faster. As Neowin points out, the push also means that Windows 10 version 1803 support will end a month after 1709. Windows 10 version 1903 will then lost support a month after 1803.

For more, you can see a full list of support dates in Microsoft's Windows lifecycle fact sheet.

What you need to know

• Another round of cumulative updates is now available for prior releases of Windows 10.
• Both the Fall Creators Update and Creators Update have received plenty of fixes.
• The updates are available now via Windows Update.

This month's "Patch Tuesday" was two weeks ago, but Microsoft has opted to issue another round of cumulative updates for two older versions of Windows 10. Rolling out now via Windows Update is a batch of bug fixes for the Fall Creators Update and Creators Update.

If you're still running the Fall Creators Update, you'll see KB4499147, which ticks the build number up to 16299.1182. Here's what's included:

• 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 prevents the OS from loading new icon files if it encounters an icon file that has a bad format.
• Addresses an issue to set the date separator properly in the Japanese short date format. For more information, see KB4469068.
• Updates time zone information for Morocco.
• Updates time zone information for the Palestinian Authority.
• 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 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 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 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 with BranchCache when it is in distributed cache mode. BranchCache may use more disk space than assigned for the republication cache. To fully address the issue, devices that have exceeded the disk space assignments should empty BranchCache using the netsh branchcache flush command.
• Addresses an issue that may cause a Stop D1 error when you increase the random-access memory (RAM) capacity of a CPU ("hot add") on a virtual machine.
• 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 with Microsoft Edge that displays an error page when you go to a page that was previously posted.
• Addresses an issue with scrollLeft in Internet Explorer.
• Addresses an issue that causes rendering to stop working for svg elements.

Creators Update PCs, meanwhile, will see KB4499162, which moves the build number up to 15063.1839. Here's what's included:

• 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 to set the date separator properly in the Japanese short date format. For more information, see KB4469068.
• Updates time zone information for Morocco.
• Updates time zone information for the Palestinian Authority.
• Improves performance related to case-insensitive string comparison functions such as _stricmp() in the Universal C Runtime.
• 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 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 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 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 with BranchCache when it is in distributed cache mode. BranchCache may use more disk space than assigned for the republication cache. To fully address the issue, devices that have exceeded the disk space assignments should empty BranchCache using the netsh branchcache flush command.
• Addresses an issue that may cause a Stop D1 error when you increase the random-access memory (RAM) capacity of a CPU ("hot add") on a virtual machine.
• Addresses an issue with scrollLeft in Internet Explorer.
• Addresses an issue that causes rendering to stop working for

Both updates should be available now via Windows Update.

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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.

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.

Microsoft is rolling out another cumulative update for PCs still on the Fall Creators Update. This comes just under two weeks since May's Patch Tuesday release, and it follows similar updates released for Creators and Anniversary Update PCs last week.

Today's update is labeled as KB4103714 (build 16299.461) and it packs a long list of fixes. Here's what's included (via Neowin):

• Addresses additional issues with updated time zone information.
• Addresses an issue that causes Internet Explorer dialogs on a second monitor to also appear on the primary monitor when using extended display.
• Addresses an issue with Microsoft Edge browser windows in remote sessions.
• Addresses a reliability issue in .NET applications when using a Japanese IME in a textbox.
• 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 with Bluetooth devices failing to receive data after a restart.
• Addresses an issue that can prevent the touch keyboard from showing up reliably in some instances.
• Addresses an issue where UWP apps that store local crash dumps in their local app data folders can't be cleared using Disk Cleanup or StorageSense. In these cases, LocalDumps isn't enabled.
• Addresses an issue that prevents adding performance counters to the Performance Monitor on systems with many processors.
• Addresses an issue that causes BitLocker to go into recovery mode when updates are applied.
• Addresses an issue where expired VPN certificates aren't deleted, slowing application performance.
• Addresses an issue that causes sporadic authentication issues when using Windows Authentication Manager.
• Addresses an issue that causes client applications that use Windows Authentication Manager to stop working when making a request to the server.
• Addresses an issue with the invalidation of the Windows Authentication Manager token cache.
• Addresses an issue that cause a timeout error when a VPN tries to disconnect from a device that is in the Connected Standby state.
• Provides an explicit error when plugins fail to connect to prevent timeouts.
• Addresses an issue where running the DiskShadow utility after adding a persistent memory controller causes RetrieveAllVirtualMachinesComponentsMetadata() to stop responding.
• Addresses an issue that causes a VM to throw an error after creating the VM with static memory. This occurs when you enable HYPER-V and disable NUMA in the BIOS on a physical machine that has more than 64 logical processors. The error is "The data is invalid. (0x8007000D)", and the VM fails to start.
• Addresses an issue that occurs when multiple processes are limited by rate, using job objects. This can cause various symptoms including, but not limited to, system-process CPU spikes, interrupt-time CPU spikes, high privileged time on some CPUs, and increased system or processor queue lengths.
• Addresses an issue that causes docker builds to fail with the error message "hcsshim::ImportLayer failed in Win32: The system cannot find the path specified."
• Addresses an issue in which Windows 10 clients that authenticate to 802.1x WLAN access points fail to apply Group Policy permissions, run scripts, or retrieve roaming profiles at user logon. This occurs because Kerberos authentication fails for \domain\sysvol, \domain\netlogon, and other DFS paths.
• Addresses an issue in a RemoteApp session that causes clicking in the foreground window to become unresponsive when using grouped windows.
• Addresses an issue in a RemoteApp session that may result in a black screen when maximizing an application on a secondary monitor.
• Addresses an issue with application association in the DISM tool.
• Adds support to Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11 for the SameSite cookie web standard. For more details about SameSite cookies, see our recently published blog post.

There aren't any known issues with this release, so that's good news. If you're still running a PC on the Fall Creators Update, this release should be available via Windows Update now. Alternatively, you can pick up the fixes above by manually downloading the patch from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

A fresh cumulative update is now available for PCs on the Fall Creators Update. Taking place two weeks since Microsoft's last Patch Tuesday, and just a week after a pair of new cumulative updates went out to Anniversary and Creators Update PCs, today's update is labeled as KB4093105 and pushed the build number up to 16299.402 (via Neowin).

The update packs a rather large list of bug fixes across the board. Here's a look at what's included:

• Addresses an issue that causes modern applications to reappear after upgrading the OS version even though those applications have been deprovisioned using remove-AppXProvisionedPackages-Online.
• Addresses an issue in which running an application as an administrator causes the application to stop working when pasting the user name or password into the user elevation prompt (LUA).
• Addresses an issue that causes Skype and Xbox to stop working.
• Addresses an issue that prevents Autodiscover in Microsoft Outlook 2013 from being used to set up email accounts when UE-V is enabled.
• Addresses an issue where AppLocker publisher rules applied to MSI files don't match the files correctly.
• Addresses an issue that prevents Windows Hello from generating good keys when it detects weak cryptographic keys because of TPM firmware issues. This issue only occurs if the policy to require the TPM is configured.
• Addresses an issue that prevents users from unlocking their session and sometimes displays incorrect user-name@domain-name information on the logon screen when multiple users log on to a machine using fast user switching. This specifically happens when users are logging on from several different domains, are using the UPN format for their domain credentials (user-name@domain-name), and are switching between users using fast user switching.
• Addresses an issue that causes the browser to prompt for credentials often instead of only once when using the Office Chrome extension.
• Addresses an issue related to smart cards that allow PINs or biometric entry. If the user enters an incorrect PIN or biometric input (e.g., a fingerprint), an error appears, and the user must wait up to 30 seconds. With this change, the 30-second delay is no longer required.
• Increases the minimum password length in Group Policy to 20 characters.
• Addresses an issue that displays name-constraint information incorrectly when displaying certificate properties. Instead of presenting properly formatted data, the information is presented in hexadecimal format.
• Addresses an issue that blocks failed NTLM authentications instead of only logging them when using an authentication policy with audit mode turned on. Netlogon.log may show the following:
  • SamLogon: Transitive Network logon of [[ domain ]] \ [[ user ]] from [[ machine2 ]] (via [[ machine1 ]] ) Entered
  • NlpVerifyAllowedToAuthenticate: AuthzAccessCheck failed for A2ATo 0x5. This can be due to the lack of claims and compound support in NTLM
  • SamLogon: Transitive Network logon of [[ domain ]] \ [[ user ]] from [[ machine2 ]] (via [[ machine1 ]] ) Returns 0xC0000413
• Addresses an issue that generates a certificate validation error 0x800B0109 (CERT_E_UNTRUSTEDROOT) from http.sys.
• Addresses an issue in which resetting the Windows Hello PIN at the logon prompt puts the system in a state that makes resetting the PIN again impossible.
• Addresses an issue where the right-click context menu for encrypting and decrypting files using Windows Explorer is missing.
• Addresses an issue that suspends BitLocker or Device Encryption during device unenrollment instead of keeping the drive protected.
• Addresses an issue that causes Microsoft Edge to stop working after a few seconds when running a software restriction policy.
• Addresses an issue that may cause a file system mini-filter to fail to unload because of a leak in Filter Manager, which requires a restart.
• Addresses an issue that causes the connection bar to be missing in Virtual Machine Connection (VMConnect) when using full-screen mode on multiple monitors.
• Addresses an issue that prevents certain devices from working on Windows 10, version 1709, machines when the "Disable new DMA devices when this computer is locked" Group Policy is active. The non-working devices are internal, PCI-based peripherals (wireless network drivers and input and audio peripherals). These peripherals can fail on systems whose firmware blocks the peripherals from performing Direct Memory Access (DMA) at boot.
• Addresses an issue that might cause Windows Server 2016 Domain Controllers to log Microsoft Windows Security audit events ID 4625 and ID 4776. The username and domain name in the events may appear truncated, only showing the first character for logons coming from client applications using wldap32.dll.
• Addresses an issue in which users may exist in a domain that is trusted using transitive trust, but are unable to locate a PDC or DC for the Extranet Lockout feature. The following exception occurs: "Microsoft.IdentityServer.Service.AccountPolicy.ADAccountLookupException: MSIS6080: A bind attempt to domain 'globalivewireless.local' failed with error code '1722'". Also, the following message appears on the IDP page: "Incorrect user ID or password. Type the correct user ID and password, and try again."
• Addresses an issue that prevents you from modifying or restoring Active Directory objects that have invalid backlink attributes populated in their class. The error you receive is "Error 0x207D An attempt was made to modify an object to include an attribute that is not legal for its class."
• Addresses an issue that prevents the AdminSDHolder task from running when a protected group contains a member attribute that points to a deleted object. Additionally, Event 1126 is logged as "Active Directory Domain Services was unable to establish a connection with the global catalog. Error value: 8430. The directory service encountered an internal failure. Internal ID: 320130e."
• Addresses an issue that occurs when Volume Shadow Copy is enabled on a volume that hosts a file share. If the client accesses the UNC path to view the properties in the Previous Version tab, the Date Modified field is empty.
• Addresses an issue that occurs when a user with a roaming user profile first logs on to a machine running Windows 10, version 1607, and then logs off. Later, if the user tries to log on to a machine running Windows 10, version 1703, and opens Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Edge will stop working.
• Addresses an issue that makes a Japanese keyboard unusable in remote assistance sessions.
• Addresses an issue that causes the cursor to unexpectedly move to center of the screen when changing the display mode.
• Addresses a potential leak caused by opening and closing a new web browser control.
• Addresses an issue that causes the ContentIndexter.AddAsync API to throw an unnecessary exception.
• Addresses an issue with the first launch performance of UWP Desktop Bride apps.
• Addresses an issue with the Search tab of Microsoft Outlook 2016 during the upgrade from Windows 10, version 1703, to Windows 10, version 1709.
• Addresses an issue that causes updates for large game apps to fail.
• Addresses an issue that removes user-pinned folders or tiles from the Start menu in some cases
• Addresses an issue that causes invisible apps to appear in the Start menu.
• Addresses an issue that might cause some users to experience unexpected panning or scrolling in certain apps while using the pen.

In addition to the above fixes, this update includes a single known issue in which Windows Update History may show that "KB4054517 failed to install because of error 0x80070643" even though it was successfully installed.

For PC users on the Fall Creators Update, you should be able to grab this update via Windows Update now. Alternatively, the update is also available to manually download and install on the Microsoft Update catalog.

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is now installed on more than 90 percent of Windows 10 PCs, according to AdDuplex's latest monthly report on the Windows ecosystem. This comes just weeks ahead of when Microsoft is expected to ship its next big feature update in April. For comparison, the Creators Update only managed to reach 72 percent coverage during a similar period before the Fall Creators Update's launch.

The Fall Creators Update has seen a pretty rapid release compared to its predecessors. "Fall Creators Update is undeniably the fastest spreading update in a long time," the AdDuplex reports. The update reached full availability in early January, helping it to jump 20 percentage points between December and January, hitting 75 percent coverage. Growth slowed a bit after, but still maintained a 10 percent boost to 85 percent coverage in February.

As for past releases, March saw their share shrink by quite a bit as well. The Windows 10 Creators Update is now a 4.3 percent, while the Anniversary Update comes in at 3.6 percent. Below that are Windows 10 versions 1511 and 1507, each at 0.8 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively.

AdDuplex also offers an interesting look at PC OEM share. HP remains in the lead, keeping hold of a share of 26.1 percent of active Windows 10 PCs. Dell follows up with 17.3 percent, and Lenovo comes in at a 12.6 percent share. Asus and Acer round out the top five with 8.7 percent and 8.6 percent each. Toshiba (4.4 percent), Microsoft (2.5 percent), Samsung (1.8 percent), and MSI (1.6 percent) all come in below five percent.

AdDuplex's numbers are based on a sampling of data collected from around 5,000 Microsoft Store apps that make use of the firm's SDK. Actual figures likely differ, but these reports are a solid way to track trends. The numbers for March were collected on March 26.

AdDuplex has released its monthly report for February, giving us another look at how the Fall Creators Update rollout process is going. According to the report, the Fall Creators Update is now on a total of 85 percent of Windows 10 PCs. That pushes higher the healthy majority that the Fall Creators Update achieved when it hit just under 75 percent coverage in January.

It's not entirely surprising to see 85 percent coverage at this point, as Microsoft announced the Fall Creators Update had hit full availability in early January. Since its release, the Fall Creators Update has appeared to enjoy a sharper rate of adoption than its predecessors, but the 10 percent jump over the past month is slower than the 20 percent jump we saw between December and January. While a release date isn't available for it just yet, we are drawing closer to the public release of Windows 10's next big update, codenamed Redstone 4, so the rollout process will soon start all over again.

In terms of past releases, AdDuplex's numbers show that the Windows 10 Creators Update is now at 8.1 percent coverage, while the Anniversary Update and Windows 10 version 1511 are at 5.1 percent and one percent, respectively. Meanwhile, version 1507 is currently at half a percent, where it has remained for the past few months.

AdDuplex also highlights other interesting tidbits, such as the Fall Creators Update's coverage by country. "In some countries (Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, etc.) FCU has over 90% market share," AdDuplex says. "In other countries (China, India, and others) it's still in the 60% range. But the majority is around the global 85% mark."

The report offers a peek at the distribution of various Surface devices as well. The most popular Surface continues to be the Surface Pro 4, which makes up a 34.6 percent share of Surface devices when measured by usage, according to the report. The Surface Pro 3 isn't far behind at 19.6 percent coverage, and the Surface Pro (2017) follows up in third with 13.3 percent coverage. Curiously, the Surface Laptop, which debuted in 2017, is stuck at two percent, AdDuplex says.

Keep in mind that AdDuplex's numbers are based on a sampling of 5,000 Windows Store apps that make use of its SDK. Actual figures likely differ, but these monthly reports are handy for tracking trends. The numbers for the February report were collected on February 20.

Microsoft has been busy releasing patches outside of its standard Patch Tuesday cycle in January, and it's ending the month with another. This time, a small cumulative update is available for PCs on the Fall Creators Update, bringing along a handful of fixes (via Neowin).

This release ticks the build number up to version 16299.214 (KB4058258). Here's a look at all of what's new, according to Microsoft:

• Addresses a compatibility issue where colors are distorted when the system is connected to displays that support wide color gamut.
• Addresses a condition where a second monitor that is connected to legacy AMD display adapters flashes after waking from sleep.
• Addresses issue that causes delays when switching keyboard languages using Alt+Shift.
• Addresses compatibility issues when rendering certain closed captions or subtitle formats during video playback.
• Addresses issue where the Microsoft Edge Allow Extension Group Policy for the disabled state was not working.
• Provides additional protections for 32-bit (x86) versions of Windows 10, version 1709.
• Resolves the issue reported by some customers on a small subset of older AMD processors where the processor entered an unbootable state after installing January 3, 2018—KB4056892 (OS Build 16299.192).

In addition to the handful of fixes, there are a few known issues in this build as well. You can find the complete rundown in Microsoft's release notes. Otherwise, if your PC is on the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you can grab these fixes now by checking with Windows Update.

AdDuplex's first monthly report of 2018 is here, offering a look at the rollout progress of the Fall Creators Update and more. According to the latest numbers, the Fall Creators Update is now on 74.3 percent of Windows 10 PCs. That's up from the 53.6 percent share that the Fall Creators Update held in AdDuplex's previous report, continuing a pace of adoption that appears sharper than its predecessors. The rise to just under 75 percent isn't too surprising, as Microsoft recently announced that the Fall Creators Update has now reached full availability.

Once again, the sharp increase for the Fall Creators Update has mostly come at the expense of the Creators Update. It's down to a 17.2 percent share, which is a healthy drop from the 33.7 percent share it still held in December. Similarly, the Windows 10 Anniversary Update is down to 6.6 percent from 10.5 percent. Windows 10 version 1511 is down from 1.3 percent to 1.1 percent, and Windows 10 version 1507 has remained steady at 0.5 percent.

In terms of manufacturer spread, AdDuplex's numbers suggest that the fall creators update is installed across a global average of 80 percent of Windows 10 machines from each manufacturer. Some companies, like Dell, Toshiba, and MSI, are slightly above that average, while HP, Samsung, and Lenovo come in slightly lower. In terms of Microsoft's own devices, the Fall Creators Update has reached a higher share of newer Surface devices. The new Surface Pro and Surface Book 2, for example, show coverage above 80 percent. Meanwhile, Surface Pro 3, 2, and 1 are well below.

It's worth noting that AdDuplex's numbers are based on a sampling of 5,000 Windows Store apps that use its SDK. Real figures are likely slightly different, but these reports are a good for tracking trends. The numbers from the January report were collected over the course of the day on January 22, AdDuplex says.

Microsoft has today announced that it has completed the full rollout of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update to compatible devices. This means that every device running a version of Windows 10 that isn't the Fall Creators Update, and is compatible with the Fall Creators Update, is now able to receive the latest version of Windows via Windows Update.

The company claims the Fall Creators Update is the fastest version of Windows 10 ever to reach 100 million devices. The full availability milestone is the final rollout phase that Microsoft puts Windows releases through.

Microsoft appears to be picking up the pace when it comes to releasing new versions of Windows 10 to the public. The Windows 10 Anniversary Update took a long time to rollout completely, so it appears Microsoft is doing things faster these days. This is a good thing, as it means Windows 10 releases are getting more stable as time progresses, and more users are getting the latest version of Windows 10 quicker.

Of course, each new version of Windows 10 is offered to Windows 10 users as a free update, meaning all you have to do is press "check for updates" in Windows Update and have the rest taken care of for you. The upgrade will arrive like any other update, but may take a little longer to install. Make sure you apply the upgrade when you won't be needing to use your device for a short time.

Microsoft is currently working on the next major version of Windows 10, codenamed Redstone 4, that's expected to launch in April this year. The update will rollout much the same as the Fall Creators Update, targeting a smaller release circle first, and then expanding to full availability once it's clear there are no major issues. Let us know if you've received the Fall Creators Update in the comments!

AdDuplex has released its latest monthly report concerning the Windows ecosystem, giving us another look at how far the Fall Creators Update has spread since launch. According to the firm's latest numbers, the Fall Creators Update is now installed on 53.6 percent of Windows 10 PCs. That's up sharply from the 20.4 percent share that the Fall Creators Update commanded in November.

The biggest share that suffered in the latest numbers is that of the Creators Update, which first started rolling out this past spring. It's down to a 33.7 percent share, which is significantly lower than its 63.5 percent share in November. The Anniversary Update is down much less dramatically, moving from 13.6 percent to 10.5 percent. Windows 10 version 1511 is down from 1.5 percent to 1.3 percent, and 1507 has remained virtually static, moving from 0.6 percent to 0.5 percent.

In terms of worldwide spread, Europe is seeing the most installs with more than 60 percent of PCs running the Fall Creators Update "in many countries," AdDuplex says. The U.S. and Canada are showing a similar percentage of installs. Overall, the Fall Creators Update's rollout is showing a much sharper rise over time than the Creators Update, but it's still slightly behind the pace of the Anniversary Update.

As always, keep in mind that AdDuplex's numbers are based on a sample of 5,000 Windows Store apps that use its SDK. Real figures likely differ, but AdDuplex's monthly report is a useful tool for tracking trends. The numbers for the December report were gathered on December 20.

Coming outside of the standard Patch Tuesday schedule, the latest cumulative update adds another batch of fixes for PCs running the Fall Creators Update (via OnMSFT). As is typical for cumulative updates, this one doesn't pack in any new features, but it does tick the build number up to 16299.98.

Here's a look at what's new in KB4051963:

• Addressed a script-related issue that caused Internet Explorer to stop working in some cases.
• Addressed issue with the Input Method Editor's (IME) text input window for Internet Explorer.
• Addressed issue with rendering a graphics element in Internet Explorer.
• Addressed issue with form submissions in Internet Explorer.
• Addressed issue where the Location-hash is lost when navigating back if you previously navigated to an invalid URL.
• Addressed issue where applications may stop responding for customers who have internet or web proxies enabled using PAC script configurations. This is a result of a reentrancy deadlock in WinHTTP.dll. This can result in the following:
  • Microsoft Outlook cannot connect to Microsoft Office365.
  • Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge cannot successfully render any content (including local computer content, local network content, or web content).
  • Cisco Jabber stops responding, which blocks messaging and telephony features.
  • Any application or service that relies on WinHTTP is impacted.
• Addressed a performance regression when users run full-screen Microsoft DirectX 9 games and applications.
• Addressed issue that prevents Forza Motorsport 7 and Forza Horizon 3 from running on some high-end gaming laptop configurations.
• Addressed issue where user selections for Feedback Frequency in Settings > Privacy > Feedback & diagnostics aren't saved.
• Addressed issue where RNDIS5 networking devices don't get a valid IP address or don't show network connectivity. If the issue continues after installing the update, you may need to uninstall and reinstall your Remote NDIS network adapter using Device Manager.
• Addressed issue where if a user manually changes the system's time zone and doesn't log off or restart, the new time doesn't display on the Lockscreen clock.
• Addressed issue that impacted some Epson SIDM (Dot Matrix) and TM (POS) printers, which were failing to print on x86 and x64-based systems. This issue affects KB4048955.

There's also a single known issue in this build for Internet Explorer 11 users who use SQL Server Reporting Services. You can see the full workaround in Microsoft's detailed release notes.

This is the second cumulative update to release in November outside of the normal Patch Tuesday cycle, following up on a similar update pushed out to Anniversary Update PCs this week. If you're running the Fall Creators Update, you should be able to grab it from Windows Update now.

Alongside the slew of new features and improvements included with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, the Windows Console (Command Prompt) is getting a color overhaul update after 20 years.

In this updated version of Command Prompt, Microsoft is changing the default color values to improve the text legibility on modern high-contrast monitors. Also, it's now possible to customize the console with an entirely new color scheme for a more modern look and feel.

The only caveat is that you'll only see the new colors if you are running a clean installation of Windows 10. If you're using an upgrade, to preserve your old settings, the legacy colors will be applied instead. However, Microsoft has released a tool to install the new color scheme along with many others to personalize your experience.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to customize Command Prompt with a new color scheme, and we even tell you how to get more schemes from the web.

• How to change the color scheme of Command Prompt
• How to get even more color schemes for Command Prompt

How to change the color scheme of Command Prompt

1. Download the Microsoft Color Tool from GitHub (click the colortool.zip link to get the tool).
2. Unzip the content of the colortool.zip compressed file. (If you need help, use this guide to extract all the files.)
3. Open Start.
4. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the result, and click Run as administrator.
5. Type the following command to navigate to the folder that contains the Color Tool executable and press Enter:cd c:\path\to\colortoolIn the above command, make sure to change c:\path\to\colortool with the path to the folder where you extract the "colortool" folder.
6. Type the following command to change the Command Prompt color scheme and press Enter:colortool -b scheme-nameIn the above command, make sure to change scheme-name with the name of the color scheme you want to use. You can figure out the name of the colors available in the "schemes" folder inside the "colortool" folder. For example, the current release, includes eight different schemes:
   • campbell.ini
   • campbell-legacy.ini
   • cmd-legacy.ini
   • deuternopia.itermcolors
   • OneHalfDark.itermcolors
   • OneHalfLight.itermcolors
   • solarized_dark.itermcolors
   • solarized_light.itermcolors
   The -b switch is optional, but it makes the scheme you choose the system default. Otherwise, you'll only see the new colors when opening the Windows Console using the Start menu or Run command.

7. Right-click Command Prompt's title bar, and click Properties.

8. In the "Properties" section, you don't need to change any settings; you simply need to click OK to apply the changes.

Once you've completed the steps, restart Command Prompt to start using the console with the new color scheme.

At any time, if you want to go back to the new default color settings, you can apply the campbell scheme, or use the cmd-campbell scheme to go back to the legacy colors.

How to get even more color schemes for Command Prompt

Although the Color Tool includes a few color schemes, it's possible to use many other colors using .itermcolors scheme files, which you can find on the internet.

The one that Microsoft recommends is the iTerm2 Color Schemes, which is an open project found in GitHub that offers more than 150 color schemes that you can use with Command Prompt.

If you want to use these schemes, do the following.

1. Download iTerm2-Color-Schemes from GitHub (click the green Clone or download button and select Desktop ZIP).
2. Unzip the content of the iTerm2-Color-Schemes.zip compressed file. (If you need help, use this guide to extract all the files from a zip file.)
3. Open the schemes folder inside the iTerm2-Color-Schemes uncompressed folder.
4. Select everything inside schemes folder (Ctrl + A) and copy the content (Ctrl + C).

5. Open the schemes folder inside the colortool folder and paste the files (Ctrl + V).

After completing the steps, use the steps to use Color Tool to apply a new color scheme, including Batman, Darkside, Atom, C64, FirefoxDev, and many others.

Which color scheme did you choose for your installation? Tell us in the comments.

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

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update includes a brand new emoji picker, which gives keyboard and mice users easy access to the large emoji catalog available in Windows 10. Unfortunately, Microsoft made the decision to disable the picker on devices that aren't running an en-U.S. version of Windows 10, which sucks. Lucky, it turns out there's a way to enable it on Windows 10 devices that aren't running an en-U.S. install.

This workaround only works on certain non-U.S. versions of Windows 10, so you'll have to give it a go and let us know in the comments if it works for you. We can confirm this works on en-GB and nl-NL installations. It will boil down to your keyboard layout more than anything, as the key-combination to enable the emoji picker might not work on your keyboard.

It's also worth noting that enabling the picker on non-US devices will mean that translations are wrong, and as such the search function within the emoji picker doesn't work. You can still use the picker to find emoji manually, however, which is more than fine for most.

Open the Windows Registry

First, you need to open the Windows Registry to be able to edit the values necessary to enable the emoji picker on your device.

1. Right-click on the Windows Start button.

2. Select Run.
3. In the Run dialog box, type "regedit."

4. Select OK.

Enable the emoji picker

Now that you're in the Windows Registry, you need to navigate to the folder that allows you to enable the emoji picker on your device.

1. Navigate to:Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Input\Settings
2. In the Settings folder, right click and select "New > DWORD (32-bit) value."

3. Name the DWORD, "EnableExpressiveInputShellHotkey"

4. Double-click the newly created DWORD.
5. Set its "Value data" to 1.

6. Select OK.
7. Restart your computer.

And there you have it. Now whenever you're active in a text field, pressing either the Windows key and period key or Windows key and semi-colon key on your physical keyboard will popup the emoji picker! If it doesn't then, unfortunately, this workaround likely doesn't work on your particular language installation.

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update introduces a new feature called My People, that allows you to pin your favorite contacts directly to the taskbar for quick and easy access to instant messaging services, email, contact details and more. Unfortunately, Microsoft imposed a limit of just three contacts that can be pinned to the taskbar, which just isn't enough for some people.

If you're one of those people longing for more pinable contacts, you've come to the right place. The three-people limit isn't fixed and can be adjusted via a simple Registry edit. As always, fiddling around with the Registry can be dangerous, so you should proceed with caution if you're not already familiar with the Windows Registry.

Step No. 1: Open the Windows Registry

First, you need to open the Windows Registry to be able to edit the values necessary to increase the number of people you can pin to the taskbar.

1. Right-click on the Windows Start button.

2. Select Run.
3. In the Run dialog box, type "regedit."

4. Select OK.

Step No. 2: Unlock more pinable contact spaces

Now that you're in the Windows Registry, you need to navigate to the folder that lets you change a number of people you can pin to the taskbar.

1. Navigate to:Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\People
2. In the People folder, right click and select "New > DWORD (32-bit) value."

3. Name the DWORD, "TaskbarCapacity."

4. Double-click the newly created DWORD.
5. Set its "Value data" to 10.

6. Select OK.
7. Restart your computer.

You should now be able to pin up to 10 contacts to the contacts area on the taskbar. We haven't tried increasing the value data past 10, so we're not sure if it's possible to continue pushing a number of people you can pin. If you give it a go, make sure to let us know in the comments.

It's likely Microsoft imposed the original limit of three people because most screens aren't big enough to accommodate more, and pinning more than three can make the user's taskbar feel cluttered. If you're someone with a big monitor with more space, pinning more than three people may make sense.

During the installation of the Fall Creators Update, Windows 10 makes a backup of the current setup that can be used to restore the previous configuration in case of problems during and after the upgrade.

The only caveat is that even after the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update was successfully installed, and it's working without a glitch, the copy of the previous version stored in the Windows.old folder is still around on your drive — wasting gigabytes of space that can be used by more important files.

Although this might not be an issue for devices with large hard drives, if you have a laptop or tablet with limited storage, you can reclaim that storage space (and more).

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through three different ways to delete the previous installation saved on your computer after upgrading to the Fall Creators Update to free up storage space.

• How to free up space using Storage sense
• How to free up space using Temporary files
• How to free up space using Disk Cleanup

How to free up space using Storage sense

The quickest way to free up space on your device after installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is to use the Storage sense option.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Storage.
4. Under "Storage sense," click the Change how we free up space link.

5. Under "Free up space now," check the Delete previous version of Windows option.
6. Click the Clean now button.

After completing the steps, Windows 10 will delete the backup files from the previous installation, including any other temporary files options you may have checked, such as temporary files from apps, files that have been in the recycle bin for over 30 days, and files that haven't changed in the last month in the Downloads folder.

How to free up space using Temporary files

Alternatively, the Storage page in the Settings app allows you to delete the previous version of Windows using the Temporary files settings.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Storage.
4. Under "Local storage," click your device main drive labeled "This PC."

5. Click on Temporary Files.
6. Check the Previous version of Windows option.
7. Click the Remove files button.

Once you've completed the steps, the previous installation files will be deleted from your device, reclaiming several gigabytes to store more important files.

In addition to deleting the previous version backup, you can also choose to remove a number of other junk files to free up space, including temporary files from apps, Downloads folder, and those files in the recycle bin.

How to free up space using Disk Cleanup

In addition to using the Settings app, you can use the Disk Cleanup tool to remove the previous installation backup files.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click on This PC from the left pane.
3. Right-click the Local Disk (C:) drive, and select Properties.

4. Click the Disk Cleanup button.

5. Click the Clean up system files button.

6. Check the Previous Windows installation(s) option.
7. Click OK.

After completing the steps, the Disk Cleanup tool will properly get rid of the Windows.old folder containing the previous installation.

While in Disk Cleanup, it's also a good idea to select other unnecessary files wasting space on your device, such as Windows Defender Antivirus, Windows upgrade log files, Downloaded Program Files, Temporary Internet Files, System created Windows Error Reporting files and others.

Wrapping things up

While there are multiple ways to delete the old Windows 10 installation to free up storage space on your computer, bare in mind that these files are required to rollback in case the new version is not working correctly.

After freeing up disk space using any of these methods the option to go back to an earlier build will no longer be available in the Settings app recovery options. You should only consider getting rid of these files if your device is running low of space and you're not experiencing any issues after installing the Fall Creators Update.

If you delete the previous version, the only way to rollback is to do a clean installation of Windows 10. However, if you don't delete these files manually, the system eventually will delete them automatically after ten days of the upgrade.

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 10 sets the first day of the week during setup based on your region settings, but it can't adjust the setting automatically if you're visiting another country, or your work schedule starts on a different day.

Fortunately, you can use the Settings app or Control Panel to set the start of the week to any day you want.

In this Windows 10 guide, we walk you through the easy steps to change the first day of the week on your device.

• How to set the first day of the week using Settings
• How to set the first day of the week using Control Panel

How to set the first day of the week using Settings

In order to change when your week starts on Windows 10, do the following:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Time & Language.
3. Click on Date & Time.
4. Click the Change date and time formats link.

5. Using the "First day of week" drop-down menu, select the day you want to start the week.

Once you complete these steps, when you open the clock flyout (Windows key + Ctrl + D) it will display the newly configured first day of the week in the calendar. In addition, apps like the built-in Mail and Calendar that use the system configuration will also show your new first day of the week.

How to set the first day of the week using Control Panel

If you feel more comfortable using Control Panel, you can use these steps to set the first day of the week:

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Click on Clock, Language, and Region.
3. Click on Region.

4. In the "Formats" tab, under "Date and time formats," use the First day of week drop-down menu to set the day you want your week to start.

5. Click Apply.
6. Click OK.

After completing these steps, the clock flyout and apps like Mail and Calendar will display the new first day of the week you selected.

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 10 has been able to track the physical location of your device for quite a while in case it gets lost, which is particularly useful for laptops and tablets. Now, with the Fall Creators Update, the feature expands to help you track your pen as well.

Although it's impossible for Windows 10 to know your pen's current location (due to the fact that they don't include GPS), because they connect to your device using Bluetooth, the OS can tell the last location you were using the pen, and saves that information to help you track it down.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to use the pen tracking feature included with the Fall Creators Update.

How to find your pen using the Settings app

In order to find your Surface Pen (or any supported pen) use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Find my device.
4. Click the Change button, and turn on the Save my device's location periodically toggle switch.

Once you've completed the steps, use the pen so that Windows 10 can start tracking its physical location.

Finding my pen

If you ever lose the Surface Pen, you can use these steps to track it down:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Find my device.
4. Under "Where's my pen?" click the Go here to track it link.

After completing the steps, the Maps app will open letting you know the last location that Windows 10 was able to record you using the pen.

Of course, this feature will only tell you the approximate location. You won't see a message that says: "Your pen is under the couch." So, you'll have to do some digging. And this doesn't take into account the pen being moved while you were away from said location, but it's better than noting.

Also, note that enabling this feature, you'll be giving Windows 10 permission to periodically record the physical location of your device as well. If your Surface or laptop ever get lost, you can go to https://account.microsoft.com/devices, and click the "Find my device link" for the computer you want to locate.

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 happens to everyone. You start your PC, type your password as usual thinking that is the correct one, but then the account won't unlock. You continue trying different combinations, and even different passwords, but nothing works until you finally realize that you have indeed forgotten your password.

If you're having trouble signing in to your account, starting with the Fall Creators Update, Windows 10 includes a new option that makes it super easy to reset your password when using a Microsoft account.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the easy steps to quickly regain access to your device after forgetting your password or PIN.

• How to reset password from the Lock screen
• How to reset PIN from the Lock screen

How to reset password from the Lock screen

If you no longer remember your Microsoft account password to sign in to Windows 10, you can use these steps to get a new one.

Although you'll be resetting your password through Windows 10, you'll be technically resetting the one from the email you're using on your Microsoft account. This means that after this process, you'll have to use the new password to check your emails on the web.

1. In the Lock screen, click the I forgot my password link. (If you have multiple accounts, make sure to select the correct account first.)

2. Type the captcha letters to prove that you're not a robot.
3. Click Next.

4. Select the recovery email address from the drop-down menu.
5. Complete the hidden part of the email challenge.
6. Click Send code.

7. On your phone or using another computer, using the recovery email account check for the Microsoft account code and enter it to verify your identity.
8. Click Next.

9. Enter a new password.
10. Click Next.

11. Click Next again to go back to the sign-in screen.

After completing the steps, you can once again unlock your PC with the new password. If the new password doesn't work right away, restart your computer, and try to sign in one more time.

How to reset PIN from the Lock screen

While you can alternatively sign in to your account using your password, you might be in the situation where you may need to reset your PIN to access your account.

If you must reset your Windows 10 PIN, use these steps:

1. In the Lock screen, click the I forgot my PIN link. (If you have multiple accounts, make sure to select the correct account first.)

2. Type your Microsoft account password.
3. Click Next.

4. Select the recovery email address from the drop-down menu.
5. Complete the hidden part of the email challenge.
6. Click Next.

7. On your phone or using another computer, using the recovery email account check for the Microsoft account code and enter it to verify your identity.
8. Click Next.

9. Click Continue.

10. Set up your new PIN.
11. Click OK.

Once you've completed the steps, you'll be back on the sign-in screen, where you can use the new PIN to unlock your device.

The only caveat is that these options are only available using a Microsoft account or Azure AD Premium (AADP). If you're using a local account, the Lock screen option won't work.

In the case the password reset option isn't available on the Lock screen, it's likely because you're not running the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

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

Starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, in order to give you more control over file downloads, you'll now see a toast notification with the file description, download progress, and an option to cancel the download when an app tries to open a file only available online from services, such as OneDrive or Dropbox.

The only problem is that after blocking the app, future downloads will trigger "The cloud operation was aborted" message preventing you from accessing the file, which in some cases it can make the app unusable.

If you change your mind, or you block automatic file downloads on an app by mistake, the updated Settings app now provides a new option to quickly unblock apps on your device.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the easy steps to remove the block and allow apps to download files stored from cloud storage services to your computer.

How to allow automatic file downloads on Windows 10

In order to unblock apps to request file downloads automatically from OneDrive or other cloud storage services, use the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Privacy.
3. Click on Automatic file downloads.
4. Click the Allow button.

In the "Automatic file downloads" page, you won't see a list of apps that you blocked, instead there only one button that unblocks all apps to previously blocked to requests automatic file downloads.

Quick Tip: If you haven't seen this feature in action, you can try uploading a music track to OneDrive, make the file available only-online, and then try open the file using Windows Media Player.

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

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709) has been out for a few weeks now, and it's already installed on over five percent of devices — making the this one of the fastest Windows rollouts yet.

In this new version, you'll find a lot of features and changes, such as Fluent Design implementation, improved input experience, support for emoji, OneDrive Files On-Demand, a new version of Microsoft Edge, and much more. But not everyone has had a smooth upgrade; there are plenty of reports about problems during and after the update, in addition to numerous complaints. When you're updating millions of computers, not everything will go perfectly and not everyone will be happy.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll highlight some of the significant complaints and problems users have experienced with the Fall Creators Update.

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update problems and complaints

• Installation problems with the Fall Creators Update
• Microsoft Edge problems with the Fall Creators Update
• Drivers problems with the Fall Creators Update
• Experience problems with the Fall Creators Update

Installation problems with the Fall Creators Update

Although upgrading to a new version of Windows 10 is a straightforward process, it's very common to come across errors and different problems during the early days of a new release.

With the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, there have been already some reports of the update failing to install, or least some type of problem during the installation process — especially using the Media Creation Tool and Update Assistant.

Some users also have complained about the Fall Creators Update failing to install when using a particular hardware configuration causing error 0xc00000bb.

At the ASUS forums, Superbowl warns users to be aware trying to upgrade using ASUS and Samsung hardware:

A similar issue can also be found on the Microsoft forums, where AaronOppedyk reveals:

On Windows Central, reader FabioRJ noted a specific error trying to upgrade using the Media Creation Tool:

And this wasn't the only report. On Windows Central, reader kevin lamarche said that he had the same issue that also caused the installation to roll back to the previous version:

Also, some users have been feeling the frustration of not being able to install the new version using Windows Update. According to a post on Reddit, the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update downloads successfully, but upon restart, the update never installs.

Alongside these problems, there have been reports across the internet complaining about the installation taking more than two hours, and in some cases more than 10 hours.

Microsoft Edge problems with the Fall Creators Update

In the new version of Windows 10, you're also supposed to find a vastly improved version of Microsoft Edge with new features and changes, but unfortunately, many users have found more problems than improvements.

And KhaotikDream wasn't the only one, yingpao also notes:

Drivers problems with the Fall Creators Update

After installing version 1709, a number of users have been experiencing some driver problems with network adapters and graphics cards.

For example, on Reddit, many users have complained that after installing version 1709, Windows 10 changes or resets the monitor color profile.

In the Reddit PCGaming community, many users also complained about the new version resetting the RGB color range to limited on NVidia graphics.

On graphics, some users even reported losing the ability to set the native screen resolution on their monitors.

Razer laptops have experienced some hiccups with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update too, and according to users, after installing the new version, the keyboard, trackpad, and USB ports became useless.

Some people noted that simply rebooting or reinstalling the drivers fixed the problem, but it's not always the case. The good news about this problem is that Microsoft is actively working with Razer to permanently resolve these issues.

Experience problems with the Fall Creators Update

While everyone expects a new version to be better than before, a small number of users have come across several problems with the experience, including issues with apps, performance issues, missing features, and bugs with the user interface.

Missing apps

Perhaps one of the biggest complaints reported about the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is the problem with missing apps after installing the update.

After the upgrade, a lot of users noticed app entries missing in the Start menu, and they won't appear in the App list or the Live Tile section. Additionally, searching for the app will only show the result to get it from the Microsoft Store, but the Store would say that the app is already installed on your PC.

The same problem has been reported many times in many forums, including at the Windows Central and Microsoft forums.

Fortunately, Microsoft has already acknowledged this problem, and while it's actively working on a permanent solution, the company is offering a workaround for affected users.

Interface bugs

There have been various complaints filed regarding bugs in the user interface as well. For example, in File Explorer, after the upgrade, items inside "This PC" don't have the proper width adding a significant empty space to the left side.

Although, the Settings app in the Fall Creators Update gets a lot of changes, it's been found that trying to see the list of updates getting installed causes the scrollbar to misbehave.

from Windows10

Some users have even complained about problems where after right-clicking on the desktop, the context menu will appear, but without any available option.

According to users, it happens consistently and randomly, and restarting the computer fixes the problem in some cases.

OneDrive Files On-Demand

OneDrive Files On-Demand is a new feature that allows you to access all your files stored in the cloud without having to download them first and waste local storage.

Although the feature is available with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, after the upgrade many people found out that the feature was missing. However, this is not a bug with OneDrive or Windows 10, Microsoft simply had a communication problem with users. As it turned out, the real issue is that the company is just rolling out Files On-Demand slowly, and it'll just take some time to reach every device.

Apps reopen after reboot

Short after installing the Fall Creators Update, a few reports have been filed, including on the Microsoft forums, complaining that after shutting down or restarting a device certain apps from the last session will reopen automatically.

While many users have been categorizing this behavior as a bug, it's actually a new feature with the new version that aims to make the sign-in experience faster.

Windows 10 already includes a feature that allows using your sign-in credentials to finish setting up updates, and now the same functionality expands to regular restarts and shutdowns. In addition, supported apps (e.g., Chrome, Task Manager, and Registry) will restart automatically during sign-in.

The good news is that you can always disable this feature using the Settings app.

Missing emoji

Another great feature included with the new version is native support for emoji using a hardware keyboard. However, after the upgrade, various users have complained that the emoji picker is missing from their installation.

Unfortunately, this is not a bug with Windows 10. The issue is that the new emoji support is currently only available for users located in the United States.

If you can't wait to use this feature, there is a workaround that involves changing the keyboard settings after the upgrade.

Performance problems

Although Windows 10 is getting a number of enhancements, there are some reports describing that the Fall Creators Update is actually affecting performance.

Digitoxin on Reddit describes the new version as "horribly broken," and notes:

After a few tries, Digitoxin gave up and said going back to the previous version was the only method that fixed the problems.

Other reports suggest that the Fall Creators Update is making computers slower.

At the Windows Central forums, user Mehrdad Aria, reveals that the "update increased boot time," brightness will change without user interaction, and some parts of the experience don't look correctly.

On Reddit, users have complained of a similar problem, as ItsKittay says:

Also, user ryivan shares his reaction after seeing noticeable performance issues on a Surface Book packing an Intel Core i7 processor and dedicated graphics:

You can read his full experience here.

GhostEchelon, a Windows Central forum member, also notes slowness after installing the Fall Creators Update saying:

Mobile Hotspot not working

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update seems to be affecting the Mobile Hotspot feature, as users in different forums have struggling to get it to work.

On Reddit, user decaaring_egg says:

A Windows Central forum member also shares a similar experience with Mobile Hotspot:

Wrapping things up

The Fall Creators Update is the fourth major update that Microsoft is making available for Windows 10 with a slew of improvements, and even though it might seem like there are a lot of problems with the new version, it's actually the opposite.

Since the original release of Windows 10, we have been seeing the number of bugs and issues reducing with every rollout to the point that it's becoming somewhat hard to find significant problems.

It's all suggests that Microsoft is getting better releasing more stable versions of Windows 10, but even with development and rollout process improvements, plus Microsoft proactively blocking the update on devices that are not compatible, there is still a lot of work to be done.

Yes, of course, some people continue to see problems as they move to a new version, but this is expected, especially during the early days. Also, you need to consider that building software that runs across many hardware configurations is not an easy task.

In this guide, we're highlighting many issues with the new version, but it's worth noting that most of them are only affecting a small number of devices, and in many cases just on devices with particular hardware and software configurations.

Getting the new version of Windows 10

If you haven't installed version 1709, remember that the best way to upgrade is to wait until it's automatically offered through Windows Update. Otherwise, if you use the Media Creation Tool or the Update Assistant during the early days, you're likely to come across some hiccups.

You can always defer the new version and wait a little longer until Microsoft pushes out a few quality updates to make Windows 10 more compatible.

However, if you can't wait, and you want to upgrade immediately, at least make sure to prepare your device to reduce the chances of coming across any issues. You can do this by creating a backup, uninstalling conflicting apps, disconnecting unnecessary peripherals, or performing a clean install when everything fails.

During my time researching the Windows Central forums, Reddit, Microsoft Community, and across the internet, I've read reports from many users, and not surprisingly, most problems were caused by drivers, apps, bugs with the release, and from users who opt to upgrade manually.

How is the Fall Creators Update working on your device? Tell us in the comments.

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 10's Fall Creators Update (version 1709) has been officially out since October 17, 2017, and it's gradually rolling out to millions of compatible devices across the globe.

In this new release, Windows 10 brings a new set of small and big features and improvements, including visual changes, support for emoji, and even a better handwriting experience. OneDrive Files On-Demand brings placeholders back. You can now link your phone to your PC for a new cross-device experience. Microsoft Edge gets vastly improved. You can now shut down your device with voice commands, there are better accessibility tools, and much more.

Whether you're already running the latest version of Windows 10 or you're planning to install it soon, in this guide, you'll find answers to the most common questions to get to know everything that is new with the Fall Creators Update.

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

Here's everything you need to know to master the new version of Windows 10:

• How do I get the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update?
• Why is my device not getting the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update?
• Is there a way to block the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update?
• Are there any problems with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update?
• Do I still need to use a workaround to reset network usage stats?
• Are there any new features and enhancements in the Settings app?
• What's new with Cortana in the Fall Creators Update?
• Why the option to set up Cortana to respond to my voice is grayed out using Settings?
• Are there any new features and enhancements with Microsoft Edge?
• Does the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update include new security features?
• Is OneDrive getting any new features with the Fall Creators Update?
• Why OneDrive Files On-Demand is missing on my device?
• Are there any hidden features in the Fall Creators Update?
• What are the top features I can find in the Fall Creators Update?
• Is Microsoft removing features with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update?

How do I get the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update?

The best way to download and install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is to wait until the update is offered to you automatically through Windows Update.

If you can't wait, or it has been too long since the update released, Microsoft offers a few options to upgrade manually. You can use the Media Creation Tool to do an in-place upgrade or a clean installation and start with a fresh copy of Windows 10.

It's also possible to use the Update Assistant, which is similar to the Media Creation Tool, but it only allows you to do an in-place upgrade. The tool has been designed to upgrade systems that have issues connecting to the Microsoft's update servers, but anyone can use it.

Why is my device not getting the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update?

While there could be problems with your current installation, the primary reason your device isn't seeing the new version is that the update is rolling out slowly only to devices that are known to work with the update.

Usually, if the update is not available through Windows Update, the chances are that the update isn't yet compatible with your computer.

Is there a way to block the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update?

Yes. Although you can't completely skip a new release of Windows 10, it's possible to temporarily block the Fall Creators Update in several ways, depending on the version you're using.

If you're using Windows 10 Pro, you can block the new version up to 16 months using the "Current Branch for Business" option. Unfortunately, this option isn't available for Windows 10 Home, but you can use a metered connection to block the update.

In the case you're running Windows 10 S, you can use these instructions to defer or postpone the installation of the Fall Creators Update.

Are there any problems with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update?

No, there aren't significant problems with the new version of Windows 10, only a few isolated issues, which are always expected during the early days of a rollout.

For example, some users have reported app entries missing from the Start menu after the upgrade to which the company already offered a workaround.

Other users noted Microsoft Edge being sluggish or failing to connect to the internet. And there have been reports about OneDrive Files On-Demand missing after the upgrade, but it turned out to be that the company is simply slowly rolling out the feature.

If you come across any problems during and after the installation of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, make sure to check our comprehensive guide, which can help you solve many common problems as you make the jump to the new version.

Do I still need to use a workaround to reset network usage stats?

No, you no longer need to resort to workarounds to reset the data usage on your device if you're connected to a capped internet connection. In this new version, Windows 10 adds a new button in the Settings app to reset data usage at any time.

Are there any new features and enhancements in the Settings app?

Yes. The Settings app is an essential part of Windows 10, and it's usually the experience that receives the most improvements.

In this release, the Settings app includes visual changes with Fluent Design touches. You can now limit the amount of bandwidth Windows 10 uses to download system and app updates, and you can allow updates even if you're using a metered connection.

Storage sense settings have been updated with new options to free up disk space, and it's easier to configure network discovery for Wi-Fi and Ethernet adapters. In addition, there is a new Color filters feature that makes it easier for users with color blindness to see the difference between colors, and to help users with light sensitivity to work with applications and consume content.

Check out our guide with everything that is new and changed with the Settings app.

What's new with Cortana in the Fall Creators Update?

In this release, there are a lot of things changing with Cortana. Starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, the Cortana settings are relocated to the Settings app to make it easier to find and customize the experience.

You can use voice commands to shutdown, restart, lock, or sign out from your device. The Taskbar search box now shows results previews without having to open the web browser. There are notification improvements, Cortana can now connect to smart home accessories, and much more.

For more details, you can read our guide highlighting all the features and changes for Cortana in this new version of Windows 10.

Why the option to set up Cortana to respond to my voice is grayed out using Settings?

If you're trying to configure Cortana to respond only to you when using voice commands, you'll notice that the "Try to respond only to me" option is grayed out in the Settings app. However, this is not a bug or something wrong with your device. Windows 10 just doesn't make the feature intuitive to configure.

You can quickly resolve this issue following these instructions.

Are there any new features and enhancements with Microsoft Edge?

Yes. In this release, Microsoft Edge brings a number of new features and improvements, including a revamped interface with elements of the Fluent Design System. There is a new experience to save favorites, you can finally pin sites to the taskbar, control site permissions, and use the browser in full-screen.

The default web browser for Windows 10 also introduces new functionalities to view and edit PDF documents on your device as well as to work with EPUB files.

Does the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update include new security features?

Yes. On pretty much every release, Windows 10 introduces new security features. In the case of the Fall Creators Update, there is a new updated version of the Windows Defender Security Center that introduces a new feature to secure your device against ransomware, and another feature to mitigate vulnerabilities even before there is a patch available through Windows Update.

Is OneDrive getting any new features with the Fall Creators Update?

Starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, OneDrive introduces Files On-Demand, which is a feature that allows you to access your entire collection of files stored in the cloud without having to download them first to your device speeding up the process and saving local storage.

Why OneDrive Files On-Demand is missing on my device?

Although OneDrive Files On-Demand is available with the Fall Creators Update, Microsoft is rolling out this feature gradually, and even if you install the latest version of Windows 10, it could take weeks before you get it.

If you can't wait, after installing the new version, you can follow these instructions to get OneDrive Files On-Demand now.

Are there any hidden features in the Fall Creators Update?

If you've been following our Windows 10 coverage, you probably know pretty much everything about this new update, but there are about five great features that you might have overlooked.

What are the top features I can find in the Fall Creators Update?

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update delivers a slew of new features, tweaks, and improvements, but we consider these to be the top five features in this release.

Is Microsoft removing features with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update?

Yes. Although new versions are known to mostly include new features, it's also a good time for Microsoft to deprecate and remove features that are no longer popular or were using old technologies.

In the case of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, Microsoft is deprecating and removing more than 20 features.

In the case you come across any issues, don't forget to check the Windows Central forums, and remember to 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

Microsoft is touting the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update as a new version to inspire the creativity within all of us, and one way the company is doing just that is with the new Photos app.

Alongside the visual changes incorporating Microsoft's Fluent Design, the Photos app introduces Story Remix, which is a new experience that makes it super easy to take your pictures and videos to create videos that bring your content to life with transitions, 3D effects, soundtracks, and styles.

Story Remix is very similar to the old Windows Movie Maker but reimagined for Windows 10 with Microsoft's deep learning technology and AI (Artificial Intelligence) that finds relevant content and automatically creates videos that you can keep, share, edit, and delete. Of course, with the Photos app, you can always create your own videos.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll show you the new Photos app Story Remix and everything you can do in the experience from creating a video automatically to creating and editing a project from start to finish.

How to work with the Story Remix editor in the Photos app

Before diving into this guide, let's just clarify that you won't find the "Story Remix" reference anywhere in the Photos app. Instead, within the Create menu, you'll find two new options: Video remix and Video project to create a remix.

• How to create a Story Remix project automatically
• How to create a Story Remix project from scratch
• How to edit a Story Remix project
• How to add 3D effects to a Story Remix project
• How to share a Story Remix project

How to create a Story Remix project automatically

In the new version of the Photos app, there are two ways to create a video project in addition to the automatically generated content. You can select the option to let the app create a video automatically with transitions, themes, and soundtracks, or you can create and edit a project from start to finish.

To create a new video remix project automatically, use the following steps:

1. Open Photos.
2. Click the Create button in the top-right corner.
3. Click the Video remix option.

4. Select the image and videos you want to use in the project.
5. Click the Add button in the top-right corner.

6. Type a name for the project.

7. Click the Create video button.

Once you've completed the steps, the Photos app will scan the content, and it'll create a video automatically with transitions, styles, and music. Then you'll be able to preview the final project.

If you don't like the current customization, you can click the Remix it for me button, and the app will re-arrange the content, change the style, and soundtrack.

At the top of the preview experience, you have a few controls to undo and redo changes, and at the bottom, you can easily export or share the video. In addition, there is a button that allows you to jump to the editor to customize the project just the way you like.

How to create a Story Remix project from scratch

If you want to create a video with images and videos from scratch, you can use these steps:

1. Open Photos.
2. Click the Create button in the top-right corner.
   • Quick Tip: You can also select the images first, and then click the Add to button to create a new project.
3. Click the Video project option.

4. Select the image and videos you want to use in the project.
5. Click the Add button in the top-right corner.

6. Type a name for the project.
7. Click the Create video button.

After completing the steps, the video editor will open so you can edit, preview, and share your creation.

How to edit a Story Remix project

The video editor for Story Remix is made up of three main sections. On the top-left, you'll find the media bin with files you selected in the previous steps, and those already included in the card-based timeline will appear with the top-right corner folded.

On the top-right side, you can preview your project with all the current changes, and as you play the video, you'll see the timeline highlighting the card that is being played.

At the bottom, you'll find the timeline. Here you can drag and drop any card from the media bin on the top-left. Also, depending on the content you're editing, you'll get a different set of features you can use to edit your video.

For example, editing only images, the tools available will include Duration, Filters, Text, and Motion. However, if you're editing a video (or images and videos), the set of tools will include Trim, Filters, Text, Motion, and 3D effects.

Adding more media files

While editing a video, you can always add more media files to your project, just click the Add photos and videos button in the media bin and select the files from your collection.

Adding a new theme

In the Photos app, a theme is a pre-defined set of customization options, including filters, music, and text styles that you can apply to your project.

If you don't want to spend the time picking a text style, soundtrack, and transition, you can apply a theme, make sure to add all the pictures and videos you want to the timeline first, and then from the toolbar, in the top-right corner, click the Themes button.

Then simply pick one of the themes included in the Photos app, including:

• No theme.
• Adventure.
• Chilled.
• Classic.
• Electric.
• Loved.

As you select a new theme, a preview will play from the left side, and if you like your pick, you can then click the Done button to apply it.

Adding a soundtrack

Using Story remix on Windows 10, you can also add custom soundtracks to your videos, just click the Music button from the toolbar in the top-right corner.

You can pick from the tracks available within the app.

Or you can add music from your own library by clicking the Your music button.

Quick Tip: It's also possible to click the Add items to Music folder link to include songs in your library for quicker access.

Adding image duration

As you add media to the timeline, you'll notice that every image includes a default time duration in the project. If you want the image to have shorter or longer duration, then click the Duration button, and either select another value or specify the time in seconds manually.

Adding filters

Filters are a way to change the look of the images or video clips in your project. In this updated version of Photos, you can pick from twelve different filters, some of which include Adventure, Iceberg, Sepia, Inky, and Loved.

Applying filters is a straightforward process, click the Filters button located in the timeline toolbar, then select the filter you like, and click the Done button in the top-right corner.

Adding custom text

While creating a video, you can also add a custom title or caption to an image or video, just select the card from the timeline, and click the Text button.

In the text editor, enter your custom text using the box on the right side, and select change the style using the available animated text styles.

If you want the title or caption to appear in a different area, you can use the layout options at the bottom of the page, and select the new location.

Once you've completed making the changes you want, click the Done button.

Adding motion

It's also possible to add camera motion styles, and to do this, select the content in the timeline, and click the Motion button.

In the motion editor, you can select the camera motion style you want to add to an image or video, such as Zoom in center, Zoom in right, Pan left, Tilt up, and others.

After making your selection, you can preview the changes, and then click Done to apply the motion.

Trimming video clips

If you want to make a video shorter or just want to show a specific part of the clip, the new Photos experience includes a trimming option to edit your project.

To trim a clip, simply select the video from the timeline, and click the Trim button from the toolbar.

Use the controllers to select a trim area, and before applying the changes, make sure to click the play button to preview the area.

After making the changes you like, click the Done button to trim the clip.

How to add 3D effects to a Story Remix project

Perhaps one of the most exciting features in the Photos app is 3D special effects that you can add (only) to video clips.

In order to add 3D effects to a video clip, select the video clip in the timeline, and click the 3D effects button.

Inside the 3D effect editor, drag and drop any effect where you want it to appear.

Once the effect is in its proper position, use the preview panel to specify the effect's range to only a few second or apply to the entire clip, and use the controllers to rotate its Y and Z axis to put the effect in place.

In this update, some effects can be applied to the whole scene, but there are also some effects that are more location-based, which you can place on a specific area in the scene.

In addition, you'll also notice a Attach to a point toggle switch in the settings. This is an option that allows you to attach the effect to an object in the video clip, so even if the camera was moving the effect would stay in the correct place, and if the effect was anchored to a moving object, the effect would follow the object. Pretty cool.

Quick Tip: 3D effects come with sound. If you don't want to hear them, use the audio slider in the effect settings to mute the sound.

Of course, it's possible to click the Delete button to remove or change the effect at any time. Also, using this feature, you can add one or multiple special effects to a video clip.

After adding the effects you want, click the Done button to apply the new changes and go back to the editor.

How to share a Story Remix project

Once you've finished editing, the project will save automatically, but if you want to share it with other people, you'll need to export the project as a video that you can quickly send out over the internet or USB media.

Quick Tip: To rename the project, just click the current name in the top-left corner, type a new name, and hit Enter.

To share the project with someone else, click the Export or share button in the top-right corner of the screen.

Select one of three choices, including:

• S — Creates a small remix video file very quickly, which is best suited to send over email and watch on phones.
• M — Creates a remix video file that is considered the best option to upload and share via social media.
• L — Creates a large remix video file, and while it can take a long time to produce and upload, it's the best option to showcase the video on the biggest screen in the house.

After the Photos app produces the video, you'll be able to see the path where it was saved along with the option to watch the video in the app, open the file location in File Explorer, and the option to share using your email account or social media.

If you want to share the video, click the Share to social media, email, or other apps option to open the Share experience, select the app or contact, and send the video away to its destination.

The video you recently created can also be found at the top of the Photos app in the Collections section, where you'll also find videos that were automatically generated based on your activities. However, the permanent home for your albums and remix videos will be in the Creations section, where you can not only view them, but you can easily delete them from your collection.

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

The Fall Creators Update allows you to quickly share files and folders with other users on a network using the "Give access to" option in the right-click context menu.

Using the feature, you can easily access a number of options to set network permissions, stop sharing elements, and even create or join a homegroup. However, if you never use this feature and you feel the menu is getting too cluttered, you can use the Registry to remove it.

In this Windows 10 guide, we walk you through the steps to remove the new "Give access to" option from the right-click context menu.

How to remove 'Give access to' context menu option

If you want to remove the new sharing option from the context menu on Windows 10, use the following steps:

(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. We recommend making 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\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions
4. Right-click the Shell Extensions (folder) key, select New, and click on Key.

5. Name the new key Blocked and press Enter. (If the key already exists, you don't need to recreate it.)
6. Select the Blocked (folder) key, and right-click on the right side, select New, and click on String Value.

7. Name the new String {f81e9010-6ea4-11ce-a7ff-00aa003ca9f6} and press Enter.
8. Restart your computer.

You don't need to change the value of the String once you've completed the steps. You only need to reboot your computer, and then when right-clicking a folder or a file, you'll no longer see the "Give access to" option.

At any time, you can revert the changes by following the same instructions mentioned above, but on step No. 6, right-click the String you previously created and select Delete to remove it. You can also delete the Blocked (folder) key if it didn't exist before and you created it.

Although the "Give access to" to option is new to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, the sharing capability is not. This option has been available in previous versions, and it was known as Share with, but to avoid confusion with the new Share option to share files using the new experience, Microsoft simply renamed the 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

The latest monthly report on the Windows ecosystem from AdDuplex has arrived, giving us our first peek at how the Fall Creators Update rollout is going. Though the update has only been out for a week, AdDuplex reports that the Fall Creators Update is already installed on 5.3 percent of Windows 10 PCs. Though it's only based off of a week of data, the firm says the rollout is off to a "more aggressive start" than its predecessor.

As for the previous release, the Creators Update is now installed on 74.6 percent of Windows 10 PCs. That's just barely higher than the 72.5 percent coverage AdDuplex reported for the Creators Update a month ago. That's not too surprising given the that the Creators Update rollout had been slower than its predecessor, the Anniversary Update. For comparison's sake, the Anniversary Update claimed a 92 percent share of the pie when the Creators Update was released in April.

AdDuplex also provides an interesting look at the Fall Creators Update's spread among Microsoft's own Surface devices. As a whole, the rollout among Surface machines is ahead of the average, with Surface Book and Surface Pro claiming the top spots at around 20 percent coverage.

Keep in mind that AdDuplex's numbers are based on a sampling of 5,000 Windows Store apps that use its SDK. Real world figures most likely differ, but AdDuplex's reports are handy for tracking trends. The numbers for the October report were gathered on October 24. For more, including a final look at the landscape of mobile Windows OS versions, check out AdDuplex's full report.

Windows 10 users connected to a limited internet connection have to regularly monitor their data usage to prevent going over their current plan. Usually, users turn to the built-in "Data Usage" feature in the Settings app, which tracks network consumption for Windows Update, services, and apps.

Although the feature automatically resets the stats every 30 days, those 30 days might not line up with your data plan's billing period, rendering those default stats useless to you. Starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709), the users can now reset the stats at any time to track their data usage over a period that makes more sense for them.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to quickly reset data usage statistics without having to resource to complicated workarounds.

How to reset network adapter data usage

To reset the data usage statistics on Windows 10, do the following:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Network & Internet.
3. Click on Data usage.
4. Click the View usage details link.

5. Click the Reset usage stats button.

Once you've completed the steps, the data counters will reset and continue track network activity as a rolling total of the last 30 days.

If you're using a limited data plan, it's also recommended to set your network adapter as metered to have more control over your data usage and to avoid extra charges.

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 10 includes a feature that allows you to configure a network connection as metered. This option comes in handy when you're connected using a limited data plan, and you want to reduce usage to prevent going over the data cap.

However, the feature prevents updates from downloading and installing, which over time can make your device vulnerable to malware, and it blocks your system from getting performance enhancements.

Of course, you can always install updates manually, or temporarily disable a metered connection, but the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update introduces a new option that allows you to set a network connection as metered while letting you keep your device secure and updated with automatic updates.

In this Windows 10 guide, we walk you through the steps to continuously keep your computer updated over a metered connection using the Settings app and the Group Policy Editor.

• How to allow updates of over a metered connection using Settings
• How to allow updates of over a metered connection using Group Policy

How to allow updates of over a metered connection using Settings

If you must use a metered network connection, but you still want to get updates, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Windows Update.
4. Click the Advanced options link.

5. Under "Pause Updates," check the Enabling this policy will automatically download updates, even over metered data connections option.

Once you complete these steps, your device will continue to have restricted access to the internet, but updates will be allowed to download automatically as soon as they're released.

How to allow updates over a metered connection using Group Policy

If you're running Windows 10 Pro, you can also manage Windows Updates over metered connections using the Group Policy Editor.

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 Update
4. On the right side, double-click the Allow updates to be downloaded automatically over metered connections policy.

5. Select the Enabled option.
6. Click Apply.
7. Click OK.

After completing these steps, Windows 10 will still conserve data, but as soon as a new updates are available they'll download over a metered connection.

It's important to note that using this option may cause additional charges depending on your data plan.

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

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709) has arrived, and it's slowly rolling out to millions of desktops, laptops, and tablets around the world. This new release is the fourth feature update that Microsoft is making available, and it includes a new set of features and changes.

The only caveat is that feature updates are not your usual quality updates that release every other week, and the chances to come across problems during and after the installation are much higher.

Although Microsoft has been getting much better on releasing more stable versions of Windows 10 out of the gate and prioritizing which devices are getting the update first, building software that will run on countless different hardware configurations is not an easy task. As a result, it's expected that during the early days some devices (especially if you're upgrading older machines manually) may stumble upon bugs, error messages, and a number of other issues.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through a number of fixes and workarounds to successfully install the Fall Creators Update on your desktop, laptop, or tablet.

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update problems and fixes

Before diving into this guide, it's worth pointing out that during the installation of a new feature update, you may come across two types of issues. Depending on the path you take to upgrade, you may see errors that are common issues that are not bugs, and you may also come across errors which could be caused by bugs.

This guide features recommendations and solutions for both types of scenarios.

• How to fix Windows Update problems with the Fall Creators Update
• How to fix USB bootable media problems with the Fall Creators Update
• How to fix storage problems with the Fall Creators Update
• How to fix software and hardware compatibility problems with the Fall Creators Update
• How to fix problems finalizing the Fall Creators Update installation
• How to fix missing OneDrive File On-Demand after upgrade
• How to fix Microsoft Edge freezing problems on the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• How to fix black screen with loading animation preventing the upgrade
• How to fix error 0x80070490 - 0x20003 trying to upgrade using Media Creation Tool
• How to fix no emoji panel after upgrading to Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• How to fix touch keyboard on startup after installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• How to fix black screen problem with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• How to fix 'ms-resource' problem with the Start menu
• How to fix Start menu problems on the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• How to fix networking problems after installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• How to fix Store problems after installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• How to fix Mail not syncing problem with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• How to fix error 0xc00000bb installing with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• How to fix System File Checker (SFC) with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• How to fix apps reopening after restarting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• How to properly install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

How to fix Windows Update problems with the Fall Creators Update

How to fix Windows Update errors downloading installation files

About this problem

If you see the 0x800F0922 error message, it could mean that your computer isn't connecting to the Microsoft update servers, or there might not be enough available space in the System Reserved partition.

Solution

You can try to resolve this problem by making sure your device isn't disconnected from the internet. Error 0x800F0922 may appear if you're using a VPN connection. If this is the case, disconnecting the device will help to update your system.

It rarely happens, but sometimes applications, such as security software, may store data in the System Reserved partition which may prevent your device from updating.

You can use third-party tools to resize the partition and make it larger (at least 500MB).

How to fix Windows Update errors during installation

About this problem

During the installation process of a new update, you may get an error that will prevent Windows Update from installing the latest version.

Solution

While there are a number of reasons that can cause this problem, usually, you can use the Windows Update troubleshooter to reset the service.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Troubleshoot.
4. Select the Windows Update troubleshooter.
5. Click the Run the troubleshooter button.

6. Click Apply this fix if applicable to resolve the issue.

In the case your device generates a 0x80245006 error, then it indicates that files required are missing or damaged. The Windows Update troubleshooter can help you to fix this issue as well.

If the troubleshooter couldn't resolve the problem, you can also try upgrading to version 1709 using the Media Creation Tool.

How to fix unexpected error during installation update download

About this problem

When an unexpected problem is found as your device is trying to download the new feature update using Windows Update, you're likely to see the error 0x80190001.

Solution

If you see this error message, you can try using the Disk Cleanup tool to delete the temporary installation files and try again, but using the Media Creation Tool is the best option to update to the Fall Creators Update.

You can use these steps to clear temporary files or to free up space on your device with the Disk Cleanup tool:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for cleanmgr and click the result to open Disk Cleanup.
3. If you have multiple drives, select the C: drive.
4. Click OK.
5. Click the Clean up system file button.

6. If you have multiple drives, Click OK, making sure the C: drive is selected.
7. Depending on the scenario, select the files you want to delete, including:
   • Recycle Bin.
   • Temporary Internet Files.
   • Temporary Files.
   • System error memory dump files.
   • Previous Windows Installation.
   • Temporary Windows installation files.
   • Windows Setup temporary files.
8. Click OK.

9. Click the Delete Files button to complete the task.

Once you've completed the steps, proceed to install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update one more time.

How to fix USB bootable media problems with the Fall Creators Update

How to fix updates not downloading using Media Creation Tool

About this problem

If you're trying to use the Media Creation Tool to upgrade to the latest release of Windows 10, sometimes it might get stuck trying to download updates before the installation begins.

Solution

The quickest workaround for this problem is to restart the Media Creation Tool, and then proceed with the on-screen instructions as directed. However, after the application finishes downloading the files, quickly disconnect your device from the network by unplugging the network cable or turning off the Wi-Fi adapter.

Disconnecting from the network will cause your device to timeout trying to download the updates, which will cause the Media Creation Tool to skip the step and continue with the installation.

Once the device has been upgraded to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, and you're in the out-of-box experience (OOBE) finishing the setup, reconnect your device to the network. Then the final thing left to do is to go Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and click the Check for Updates button to install any missing updates.

How to fix installation errors using Media Creation Tool

About this problem

When using the Media Creation Tool to do an in-place upgrade, you may get a DynamicUpdate error message, and even after restarting the application your device will get stuck trying to download the files.

Solution

The workaround to install the new version of Windows 10 is to launch the install process manually.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Navigate to the following path:C:\$Windows.~WS\Sources\Windows\sources
3. Double-click the Setupprep.exe to launch the update process again.

Once you've completed the steps, follow the on-screen directions to upgrade to the latest release of Windows 10.

How to fix problems with a USB installation media

About this problem

If you're using a USB bootable media to do an in-place upgrade or clean installation with the Windows 10 Fall Creators update, the installation may fail due to corrupted files on the installation media.

Solution

Redownload the ISO file and recreate the USB bootable media again. If you're using the Media Creation Tool, use the Disk Cleanup tool and delete the Windows Setup temporary files before re-downloading the installation files, and then use the application to create a bootable media one more time. (If you skip the Disk Cleanup step, you're likely to see the same problem again.)

How to fix update isn't applicable to your device problem

About this error

You may see this error message when trying to upgrade:

• Error: The update isn't applicable to your computer.

This means that your computer doesn't have the necessary updates installed to support the new version.

Windows 10 always updates automatically, but if your device hasn't been connected to the internet for a while, and you're trying to use a bootable media to upgrade, you may stumble upon this issue.

Solution

Simply make sure to install the latest updates before trying to upgrade, using these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Windows Update.
4. Click the Check for update button.

Alternatively, you can install the required updates manually using these instructions.

How to fix storage problems with the Fall Creators Update

How to fix storage issues during installation

About this problem

If there isn't enough available space to complete the installation, Windows 10 will fail the process, and you'll see one of these error messages:

• 0x80070070 – 0x50011.
• 0x80070070 – 0x50012.
• 0x80070070 – 0x60000.
• 0x80070070.
• 0x80070008.

Solution

You can resolve this issue by connecting a removable storage device with at least 8GB of available space that Windows 10 can use as temporary storage to complete the installation.

Alternatively, you can use the built-in Disk Cleanup tool to free up space by deleting temporary files and files in the recycle bin.

Important: If you use the Disk Clean up tool, remember not to delete "Windows Setup temporary files," because these are the files needed to install the new version of Windows 10 on your computer.

How to fix damaged or missing files during installation

About this problem

If your computer generates the 0x80073712 error message while trying to install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, some of the files required to install the new version are missing or damaged.

Solution

Use the built-in Disk Cleanup tool to delete the Windows Setup temporary files, and use Windows Update to install the new version of Windows 10.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Windows Update.
4. Click the Check for updates button.

If this workaround doesn't fix the problem, you can try to install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update using the Media Creation Tool.

How to fix software and hardware compatibility problems with the Fall Creators Update

How to fix compatibility problems during installation

About this problem

The 0x800F0923 error message indicates that an app or driver isn't compatible with the upgrade process.

Usually, the problem can be caused by the graphics driver, but it could also be an older driver installed in your computer. In addition, the error can indicate a compatibility issue with an older program not designed for Windows 10 or security software like your third-party antivirus (excluding Microsoft's Windows Defender Antivirus).

Solution

The solution to this should be a straightforward process. Install the latest update or uninstall the driver or application causing the problem. However, if your device is working properly with the current version of Windows 10, it may not be easy to identify what's causing the issue using Windows Update.

If you're seeing this issue on your device, you can use the Media Creation Tool to upgrade, and during the process, the application will let you know the driver or program causing Windows 10 to fail.

In the case that the driver is the latest available, and it's the one causing the problem, you should consider uninstalling it, then go through the installation process, and after the upgrade, you can reinstall the driver in question.

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Device Manager and click the result.
3. Expand the device category causing the issue.
4. Right-click the device and click Uninstall.

5. Follow the on-screen directions to finish removing the driver.

After completing the steps, use your preferred method to install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

In the case that the error message can be traced to an application, make sure to check the software company support website to download the latest update. However, if there isn't a new update available, you should consider uninstalling the application and reinstalling after the upgrade.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Select the app with the problem and click the Uninstall button.

5. Follow the on-screen directions to complete the process.

How to fix driver problems during installation

About this problem

If there is a problem with a device driver installed on your computer, you'll see one of these error messages:

• 0xC1900101 - 0x20004.
• 0xC1900101 - 0x2000c.
• 0xC1900101 - 0x20017.
• 0xC1900101 - 0x30018.
• 0xC1900101 - 0x3000D.
• 0xC1900101 - 0x4000D.
• 0xC1900101 - 0x40017.

It's worth noting that error messages listed above are just some of the possible errors, and you may encounter other errors that start with the same 0xC1900101 code.

Solution

When you see one of these error messages, depending on your system configuration, the solution may have different instructions. Here are five workarounds you can try.

Install updated driver

The quickest way to resolve this issue is to install the latest driver version, which you can download from your hardware support website.

After downloading the files, try their recommended steps first, but you can always use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Device Manager and click the result.
3. Expand the device category causing the problem (likely to appear with a yellow exclamation mark).
4. Right-click and select Update Driver Software to check for updates. Or you can click the Uninstall button to remove the device and suppress the error message.

Disconnect device

Sometimes the problem will happen with the peripheral you have connected to your device. In this case, you don't have to go through the tedious process of updating the driver, just disconnect the peripheral and reconnect it after the upgrade.

In fact, you should always disconnect non-essential peripherals, such as printers, Bluetooth devices, and removable storage to help the installation go smoother.

Run System File Checker command

You can try using the System File Checker (SFC) built-in command to repair your system before the upgrade.

Alternatively, you can use the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) command, which is a more advanced tool to fix issues with your current installation.

Free up storage space

It could also be the case that you're getting one of these errors because there is not enough space available on your computer to complete the upgrade.

The Windows 10 installation requires at least 16GB of available space. If you're running out of space, use the Disk Cleanup tool to free up storage.

Upgrade manually

If nothing has worked, as a last resort you should try using the Media Creation Tool to perform a clean installation of version 1709.

How to fix app compatibility problems during installation

About this problem

The 0xC1900208 – 0x4000C error message means that the device has an incompatible application, and it's preventing the upgrade to complete successfully.

Solution

The fastest way to prevent the error message from appearing is to uninstall any application that may be causing the problem, which could include antivirus and other types of security software or traditional desktop applications that haven't been updated in a long time.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Select the app from the list, and click the Uninstall button.

Then follow the on-screen direction to complete the removal. After the upgrade, you can install those applications one more time.

How to fix problems completing installation

About this problem

During the installation process, you may get two error messages without a code, including:

• Error: We couldn't complete the updates. Undoing changes. Don't turn off your computer.
• Error: Failure configuring Windows Updates. Reverting changes.

These errors are general messages that usually appear as you try to install a "quality update" as well as during a "feature update," which can have different sets of instructions depending on what's causing the problem.

Solution

The quickest way to find out the cause of the issue is to view the update history log to see the specific error.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Windows Update.
4. Click the Update history link.
5. Click the link for the update that failed to install and see the error message.

Once you've identified the error, you can use the Windows Central forums, or use your preferred search engine to fix this problem.

How to fix hardware requirements errors during installation

About this problem

Usually, if you're already running Windows 10, version 1709 should also work on your device. However, depending on your system hardware configuration, your device may not meet the minimum requirements, and you'll come across one of these error messages:

• 0xC1900200 – 0x20008.
• 0xC1900202 – 0x20008.

Solution

Check that your device has the minimum hardware requirements to install Windows 10.

• Processor: 1GHz processor.
• Memory: 2GB for 32 bit or 64 bit.
• Storage: 16GB for 32 bit or 20GB for 64 bit.
• Graphics: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver.
• Display: 800 x 600.

While most devices won't be affected by hardware requirements, it could be a problem on low-end systems. Typically, the problem is RAM, which you can upgrade to install the new version, but it might also be time to just buy a new computer.

How to fix problems finalizing the Fall Creators Update installation

How to fix licensing activation problems after installation

About this problem

Although Windows 10 does a pretty good job reactivating, there is a chance that your installation won't activate after the update, and you'll see the Windows not activated message with a 0x803F7001 error in the Settings app.

Solution

Windows 10 includes an option in the Settings app to run the Activation Troubleshooter to reactivate your new installation automatically. (An internet connection is required to complete the process.)

If you still can't get your computer fully activated, it's also recommended to wait a few days, as Windows 10 machines with a digital license should eventually activate automatically.

How to fix missing OneDrive File On-Demand after upgrade

About this problem

Although OneDrive File On-Demand is a new feature included with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, a number of users on Twitter and Reddit have been the reporting it missing after the upgrade.

Solution

The quickest way to resolve this issue is to manually download and reinstall the latest version of the OneDrive client on your device:

1. Download the latest version of OneDrive.
2. Double-click the file to launch the setup.
3. Follow the on-screen setup to complete the installation.
4. Restart your computer.
5. Open OneDrive.
6. Using to Microsoft account credentials, sign-in, and setup OneDrive as you would usually do.
7. Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area, and select Settings.
8. On the "Settings" tab, select the Save space and download files as you use them option to turn on File On-Demand.

How to fix Microsoft Edge freezing problems on the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

About this problem

Alongside the new features and changes, the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update ships with a new version of Microsoft Edge that includes a number of visual changes as well as performance improvements. However, some users have been reporting that Microsoft Edge freezes constantly while browsing the web.

One Reddit user notes:

Solution

While Microsoft hasn't yet acknowledged this as an issue with the Fall Creators Update, you can try repairing the Microsoft Edge with the new option included in the Settings app.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Select Microsoft Edge from the list.
5. Click the Advanced options link.
6. Click the Repair button to fix the freezing issue.

Once you've completed the steps, if you're still experiencing freezing or other problems, you can try using the Reset button. However, note that you'll lose your data, including history, cookies, and settings.

How to fix black screen with loading animation preventing the upgrade

About this problem

During the upgrade process to the new version of Windows 10, the installation starts, and after the device reboots, some users are getting a black screen with loading animation, and the installation never completes.

Solution

Usually, this problem happens because of a conflict with one of the peripherals connected to the device.

If it's been more than 30 minutes or one hour, you can try pressing the Power button for five to ten seconds to perform a hard shutdown. Then you can try to fix this problem by disconnecting all the peripherals connected to your device, including external storage, printers, camera, phone, USB receivers for mouse and keyboard, etc.

Finally, Power on your computer again, and see if upgrade resumes and completes the installation. In the case your device goes back to the previous version, try again one more time, but this time with all peripherals disconnected.

How to fix error 0x80070490 - 0x20003 trying to upgrade using Media Creation Tool

About this problem

On Windows Central, a number of readers have been reporting the error 0x80070490 - 0x20003 message trying to upgrade to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update using the Media Creation Tool, which causes the process to roll back to the previous version.

Solution

While the best way to upgrade to a new version of Windows 10 is to wait until it's automatically offered to you, there are a number of things you can do to fix this problem.

Use the Disk Cleanup tool and make sure to delete all the temporary files including "Temporary Windows installation files" and "Windows Setup temporary files".

Disconnect all the peripherals connected to your computer, including external storage, printers, camera, and phone, etc. During the upgrade, you only need an internet connection, monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

After disconnecting the peripherals, use the System File Checker (SFC) built-in command to repair your system before the upgrade.

Alternatively, you can use the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) command, which is a more advanced tool to fix issues with your current installation.

Once again trying using the Media Creation Tool, but this time create a USB bootable media and try to upgrade one more time.

If the installation fails, use the Disk Cleanup tool to remove all the temporary files again, and use the Update Assistant to install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

In the case that every attempt fails, create a backup of your entire system and files, and then try to upgrade doing a clean install of Windows 10 with the Fall Creators Update.

How to fix no emoji panel after upgrading to Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

About this problem

Starting with the Fall Creators Update, Windows 10 introduces native support for emoji using a hardware keyboard using the Windows key + "." or Windows key + ";" keyboard shortcut. However, there has been reports from a number of users that after install the latest feature update the emoji picker is nowhere to be found.

Solution

This is not an issue with Windows 10. Unfortunately, the problem is that the emoji support is currently available only for users in the United States.

If you want to use this feature, the workaround this inconvenience is to have the EN-US language keyboard active.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Time & Language.
3. Click on Region & language.
4. Under "Languages," select your language, and click Options.
5. Under "Keyboards," click the Add a keyboard button.
6. Select the US keyboard.

Once you've completed the steps, the emoji panel should appear when using any of the supported shortcuts. If the emoji panel still isn't working, make sure to switch the keyboard to English (United States) US keyboard using the option in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar.

How to fix touch keyboard on startup after installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

About this problem

Although the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update was successfully installed, every time you start your device the touch keyboard will appear on-screen after signing in.

Solution

While Microsoft has yet to acknowledge this problem as a bug, there are a couple things you can try to fix this issue.

A Reddit user suggested that terminating the process in Task Manager will fix the touch keyboard popping up every time you restart your device, but the problem will re-appear if you reopen the touch keyboard.

1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
2. In the "Process" tab, right-click the Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel process, and click End Task.

Alternatively, you can disable the touch keyboard service from running at startup on Windows 10.

1. Open Start.
2. Search Services and click the result.
3. Inside "Services," double-click Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service.
4. In the "General" tab, change the Startup type to Disabled.

5. Under "Service status," click the Stop button.
6. Click Apply.
7. Click OK.

After completing the steps, restart your computer, and the touch keyboard should no longer start automatically.

When there is an update available that fixes this problem, remember to undo the changes using the same instructions mentioned above, but on step No. 4 select the Automatic option.

How to fix black screen problem with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

About this problem

As you go through the upgrade process or after installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, there is a chance that you may see a black screen affecting the experience.

Usually, a black screen appears on Windows 10 because of a problem during the feature update installation process, a quality update that didn't install correctly in the past, or it may also be an issue with graphics driver or your device hardware.

Solution

If moving to the new version of Windows 10, you're experiencing a black screen, you can follow these steps to troubleshoot and fix the problem.

In the case, everything you try doesn't fix the problem, you can remove the update and go back to the previous version of Windows 10 using these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Recovery.
4. Under "Go back to a previous version of Windows 10", click the Get started button.
5. Select the reason you're rolling back.
6. Click Next.
7. Click No, thanks.
8. Click Next.
9. Click Next again.
10. Click Go back to earlier build to begin the process.

How to fix 'ms-resource' problem with the Start menu

About this problem

After installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you may notice in the Start menu, more specifically in the All apps list that one more app entries show up with the "ms-source:" along with the name of the app as reported in Reddit.

There is a number of reasons for this to happen, but it's a sign that you may need to reinstall the built-in Windows Store apps on your device.

Solution

You can try to resolve this issue by using PowerShell.

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the result, and select Run as administrator.
3. Type the following commands to re-register the missing built-in Windows 10 apps and press Enter on each line:reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\TileDataModel\Migration\TileStore" /va /fget-appxpackage -packageType bundle |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + "\appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml")}$bundlefamilies = (get-appxpackage -packagetype Bundle).packagefamilynameget-appxpackage -packagetype main |? {-not ($bundlefamilies -contains $_.packagefamilyname)} |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + "\appxmanifest.xml")}

After the process completes, restart your computer, and you should no longer see entries like "ms-resourceappDisplayName" in the Start menu.

Alternatively, you could also try to use a local account to troubleshoot and fix this problem after upgrading to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

How to fix Start menu problems on the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

About this problem

After upgrading to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, a number of users have been reporting a few problems with the Start menu. Some users have been complaining about app icons and Live Tiles are missing, and even doing a search icons won't come up in the result, but apps are still installed and working. Also, a few other people have said that the Start menu is simply not working after installing version 1709.

Microsoft has officially acknowledged this as an issue with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, it's offering a workaround until there is a more permanent solution.

Solution

If you're noticing some apps missing or the Start menu is just not working, there are a few things you can try to fix this problem on the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

Solution 1: If you're seeing some built-in apps (e.g., Mail and Calendar, Calculator, Feedback Hub, etc), you can try reinstalling the apps so that they can register properly with the Start menu.

You can try to resolve this issue by using PowerShell.

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the result, and select Run as administrator.
3. Type the following commands to re-register the missing built-in Windows 10 apps and press Enter on each line:reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\TileDataModel\Migration\TileStore" /va /fget-appxpackage -packageType bundle |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + "\appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml")}$bundlefamilies = (get-appxpackage -packagetype Bundle).packagefamilynameget-appxpackage -packagetype main |? {-not ($bundlefamilies -contains $_.packagefamilyname)} |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + "\appxmanifest.xml")}

If you're dealing with an app you installed using the Store, you can reinstall the app using the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Select the app in question, and click the Uninstall button.
5. Click the Uninstall button again to confirm.

Once you've completed the steps, open the Store, search for the app, and click the Install button, and now the app should appear in the Start menu.

Solution 2: If the Start menu isn't working completely, reset the menu to its default settings and layout using this guide. Just note that if the workaround fixes the problem, you'll need to reconfigure the Start menu manually.

Solution 3: If the first two solutions didn't fix your problem, you can try to use a local Windows 10 account to see if the problem is your account. If there is a problem with your account, you can simply migrate your settings and files to the new account, and then delete the account with the problem.

Solution 4: In the case nothing has worked, you can try to reset your PC keeping your files, settings, and apps.

Important: After using this process, you won't be able to revert to the previous version of Windows 10. If you want to go back to the previous version, follow the steps in Solution No. 5.

1. Open Windows Defender Security Center.
2. Click on Device performance & health.
3. Under "Fresh start," click the Additional info link.

4. Click the Get start button.

The follow the on-screen direction to reinstall Windows 10.

Solution 5: You can alternatively, go back to the previous version, and wait a little longer to install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update until Microsoft makes available a few updates to improve the OS.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Recovery.
4. Under "Go back to a previous version of Windows 10", click the Get started button.
5. Select the reason you're rolling back.
6. Click Next.
7. Click No, thanks.
8. Click Next.
9. Click Next again.
10. Click Go back to earlier build to begin the process.10.

How to fix networking problems after installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

About this problem

After successfully upgrading to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, there is a chance that you may not be able to connect to the internet, or you may experience a very slow connection using a Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter.

Solution

These problems can be caused by a number of issues, including a bug in the new version of Windows 10. It could be the case that the upgrade process didn't preserve your networking settings. Also, there a chance that there are problems with the network adapter driver, and many other reasons.

Although troubleshooting networking problems can sometimes be overwhelming, the best way to fix this issue is by using the network troubleshooter tool and let Windows 10 automatically fix the problem.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Network & security.
3. Click on Status.
4. Under "Network status," click the Troubleshoot button.

5. Follow the easy on-screen direction.

If you're still having networking issues, refer to our guide that includes a comprehensive set of instructions to get you back online quickly.

How to fix Store problems after installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

About this problem

After installing the Fall Creators Update, a small number of users have been reporting problems with the Microsoft Store app. In the Feedback Hub app, users are saying that the Store will no longer start correctly showing a "Something bad happened - Unknown layout specified in manifest" error message.

A Microsoft engineer from the Store team said that they're investigating the problem, but the company hasn't acknowledged this as an issue with Windows 10.

Solution

Solution 1: It appears that users affected by this problem are those running Windows 10 outside the United States, and it's been suggested that simply changing the region will temporarily address the problem until there is a permanent solution.

You can change the Microsoft Store region using these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Click on Time & language.
3. Click on Region & language.
4. Under "Country or region," select the country you want to use from the drop-down menu.

Once you've completed the steps, try opening the Store again, and now it should start working again.

Solution 2: If you're experiencing problems with the Microsoft Store, you can also reset the app using the Settings app or using the WSReset command to clear the cache (try both).

In order to reset the Microsoft Store app do the following:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Select the Microsoft Store app.
5. Click the Advanced options link.
6. Click the Reset button.

After completing the steps, open the Store app again, and you should no longer get the "Something bad happened - Unknown layout specified in manifest" error message.

If you're still having an issue with the Store, using the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command, type wsreset.exe, and click OK. As you run the command, the Store data will reset, and app you launch again.

Solution 3: Alternatively, you can also use the Windows Store Troubleshooter to fix most common problems with the app. You can refer to this guide to repair the Microsoft Store on your PC.

How to fix Mail not syncing problem with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

About this problem

If you're a participant in the Windows Insider Program who upgraded to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update using the latest preview, you may experience syncing problems with the Mail app or adding a new email account.

Solution

Solution 1: According to Microsoft, "this issue occurs due to a bug in our servicing stack where the Feature-on-Demand (FOD) packages are incorrectly dead-ended," and the components need to be re-installed.

If you're having this problem, you can try the following recommended workaround:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the result, and click Run as administrator.
3. Type the following command and press Enter:dism /online /Add-Capability /CapabilityName:OneCoreUAP.OneSync~~~~0.0.1.0
4. Restart your computer.

After restarting, open the app to confirm your account is syncing. If the account doesn't appear to be syncing correctly open the Mail Settings > Manage Accounts, select the account, and if the Account settings dialog is available, the component was successfully reinstalled.

In the case the account is still not syncing, you should delete and add the account again opening the Mail Settings > Manage Accounts, select the account, click the Delete account from this device option and click Delete. After removing the account, click the Add Account button to re-add it.

Solution 2: Alternatively, if you're experiencing syncing problems, you can also try resetting the Mail and Calendar apps using the Settings app.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Select the Mail and Calendar apps.
5. Click the Advanced options link.
6. Click the Reset button.

After completing the steps, you may need to re-add all your accounts again.

How to fix error 0xc00000bb installing with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

About this problem

It's been reported by a number of users that the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update fails to install when using a particular storage drive and motherboard.

Basically, during the upgrade process, the computer reboots to continue the installation, and suddenly, users are greeted with the 0xc00000bb error message.

The biggest problem is that after the error message pops up, users can't rollback or reset their device. In one case, a user at the Microsoft forums notes being unable to access the recovery settings, the SSD got locked, and after unlocking it using Command Prompt, Windows 10 will no longer find the drive.

It appears that this issue is affecting a small number of users using the Asus X299 motherboard in combination with a Samsung NVMe Solid-State Drive (SSD).

Solution

Until there is a permanent fix to this issue, it seems that creating a bootable installation media and performing a clean install of Windows 10 with the Fall Creators Update is a workaround that is working for most people to avoid error 0xc00000bb.

If you need assistant with this process, you can use our guide that walks you through step-by-step how to perform a clean installation of Windows 10.

How to fix System File Checker (SFC) with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

About this problem

After installing Windows 10 version 1709, if you try to repair the installation using the SFC command tool a message that the corrupted files have been repaired will appear again and again running the tool multiple times.

Solution

A small number of users have been reporting this problem, and it appears to happen when using third-party antivirus, such as AVG, Kaspersky, Avast, BitDefender, and others.

Microsoft hasn't reported this as an issue with the new version of Windows 10, but affected users have suggested that uninstalling the third-party antivirus returns everything to normal.

If you have a third-party antivirus, you can try uninstalling it, and temporarily let the Windows Defender Antivirus protect your device.

In the case that removing the security software doesn't fix the problem, you can use the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) command to fix problems in the installation.

How to fix apps reopening after restarting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

About this problem

After shutting down or restarting a device certain apps will reopen automatically during login with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

Solution

While many users are claiming this behavior as a bug on Windows 10, but it's not. It's actually a feature included with the Fall Creators Update.

Windows 10 already includes an option that allows to use your sign-in information to finish setting up updates, and in this new version, the feature expands to regular restarts and shutdowns. Furthermore, supported apps (e.g., Chrome, Task Manager, and Registry) will restart automatically during sign-in.

If you want to prevent Windows 10 from restoring apps you have previously opened, you can use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Accounts.
3. Click on Sign-in options.
4. Under "Privacy," turn off the Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up my device after an update or restart toggle switch.

How to properly install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

Although the transition to a new version of Windows 10 should be a simple process, because creating an OS that runs on millions of devices is complex, problems are always expected (at least) in the early days.

However, there are a number of things you can do to minimize the chances of errors as you install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

Create backup

Windows 10 by design has a mechanism to automatically roll back any changes during the installation in case something goes wrong. However, you can't expect the feature to work every time, which is why you should always have a recovery plan that involves creating a backup of your system before trying to install Windows 10 version 1709.

If the installation process goes south, you can use the backup to revert the changes in minutes. You can use our step-by-step instructions to create a full backup of Windows 10.

Uninstall apps

An installation of a new release of Windows 10 may fail as a result of an app that is not compatible. The best way to avoid these problems is to uninstall any application you may think will cause problems (such as older desktop [win32] and security apps) before starting the upgrade process.

Uninstalling apps on Windows 10 is a straightforward process, just follow these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Select the app you want to remove and click the Uninstall button.

Once you clicked the Uninstall button, simply follow the on-screen directions to complete the process. If you have more than one app that's causing problems, repeat the steps mentioned above to remove them.

While we're mentioning to remove your antivirus, it's assumed that you understand that it's not recommended to have your device unprotected.

If you're using the Windows Defender Antivirus, you can use these steps to disable it:

1. Open Windows Defender Security Center.
2. Click on Virus & threat protection.
3. Click the Virus & threat protection link.

4. Turn off the Real-time protection toggle switch.

After the upgrade, Windows Defender Antivirus will activate again automatically, or you can always install your preferred antivirus again.

Windows Firewall may also cause problems during a feature update installation, but you can always temporarily disable it using these steps:

1. Open Windows Defender Security Center.
2. Click on Firewall & network protection.

3. Click the Private (discoverable) network link.
4. Turn off the Windows Firewall toggle switch.

5. Click the Public (non-discoverable) network link.
6. Turn off the Windows Firewall toggle switch.

Stop blocking updates

If you're trying to download the new version using Windows Update, and you're running Windows 10 Pro, you also want to check that you're not blocking the Fall Creators Update from downloading on your computer.

You can check that your device is not blocking the update using the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & security.
3. Click the Advanced options link.

4. Under "Choose when updates are installed," make sure that settings are configured to Current Branch and 0 days for both of the deferred options.

Also, make sure that the Pause Updates toggle switch is turned off.

On Windows 10, a device that uses a metered connection will be excluded from getting the new release. If you have a limited internet connection, make sure you have enough data in your plan or connect to an unlimited network connection and disable metered connection for your Wi-Fi or Ethernet network adapter.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Network & Security.
3. Click on Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

4. Click the network connection you're using.
5. Turn off the Set as metered connection toggle switch.

Remove non-essential drives

Sometimes your computer won't be able to upgrade to a new version, because of hardware or driver compatibility problems with connected peripherals.

Before installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709), it's a good idea to disconnect peripherals that are not essential during the process. This means that you should disconnect removable storage devices like USB flash and hard drives, SD cards, printers, scanners, and Bluetooth devices.

You only need an internet connection, display, keyboard, and mouse to upgrade your system. After the installation, you can reconnect your peripherals.

Record special settings

Users have complained in the past about losing settings after installing a new version of Windows 10. If you're using a special configuration on your device, you should record it in case you need to re-apply the same configuration.

Typically, you want to record settings, such as default applications and privacy settings, Registry tweaks, and policies configured using the Local Group Policy Editor.

Perform a clean installation

When nothing else has worked, and you still can't install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you can upgrade your system by doing a clean installation.

The process of performing a clean installation involves wiping the primary hard drive of your computer, deleting the current installation, settings, apps, and personal data, and then reinstalling Windows 10 with the Fall Creators Update.

In order to go through this process, you'll need to download the Media Creation Tool to create a bootable media that you can use to start your device to install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. You can check our guide to get the step-by-step instructions to do a clean installation of Windows 10 on your computer.

Wrapping things up

While every new release of Windows 10 is meant to improve and address the shortcomings of the previous version, keep in mind that it's not easy to build a bug-free OS, and initially there are chances that you may come across issues during and after the installation.

Microsoft is aware that unexpected problems may occur, which is why the company always begins rolling out the update at a slow pace to devices that are known to work with the new version first and then pushes it to other devices only when the update is ready.

If you're planning to jump to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update as soon as it comes out, remember that the best way to upgrade is to wait until it's automatically offered to you through Windows Update to minimize the risk of problems.

When installing the new version, if you experience any errors, bugs, or a unique issue that you're able to figure out, you can help other users by noting the problem and solution in the comments. Or better yet, you can use the Windows Central forums to share the knowledge or ask for help.

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

Updated October 30, 2017: We added more common Fall Creators Update problems and fixes to our list.

The Fall Creators update (version 1709) is finally available and gradually rolling out to millions of compatible PCs around the world. Along with all the new features and changes, this release also introduces new security enhancements — just in time to fight back the recent increase of malware and cyber attacks targeting Windows 10.

In this new version, Microsoft is focusing on making Windows 10 more secure against ransomware with "Controlled folder access," and it's attempting to help organizations, as well as regular users, to mitigate vulnerabilities before a patch becomes available through Windows Update with "Windows Defender Exploit Guard."

In this Windows 10 guide, we give you a closer look at the new features in the Windows Defender Security Center app included with the Fall Creators Update.

Controlled folder access

Starting with build version 1709, Windows Defender Antivirus introduces Controlled folder access, a feature designed to add an extra layer of security to protect your files against malicious programs and threats, such as ransomware.

When enabled, the new security feature monitors the changes apps make to your files stored in specific protected folders. If a blacklisted app tries to manipulate a file, controlled folder access will stop the attempt, and you'll get a desktop notification about the suspicious activity.

Windows Defender Antivirus protects the Documents, Pictures, Movies, and Desktop folders by default, which are locations that you can't change, but it's possible to include additional locations, such as from external hard drive, network shares, and mapped drives.

Although most of the apps you use on a regular basis will be allowed on your system, if one of those you trust gets blocked, Controlled folder access also includes an option to whitelist the app to enable it to make changes in the protected folders.

Enabling Controlled folder access

Controlled folder access comes disabled by default, and you'll need to enable it manually, Navigate to Windows Defender Security Center > Virus & threat protection > Virus & threat protection settings, and turn on the Controlled folder access toggle switch.

Adding new locations

If you need to add more locations to monitor, while in the Virus & threat protection settings, click the Protected folders link, and then click the Add a protected folder button to include new locations.

Whitelisting apps you trust

In the case that one of your trusted apps gets blocked, while on the Virus & threat protection settings page, click the Allow an app through Controlled folder access link, and then click the Add an allowed app button to add the executable for the app you want to allow.

This feature only works when Windows Defender Antivirus is your main security software; if you're running third-party antivirus on your machine, this feature won't be available.

Windows Defender Exploit Guard

Although security has always been a priority for Microsoft, before Windows 10 it took the company several years to release new versions of the OS, making the response to new threats very slow. In order to help commercial customers deliver mitigations against specific vulnerabilities, Microsoft created the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET), which allowed customers to keep devices secure without waiting until the next version of Windows.

However, because EMET was never part of Windows, and it was also limited in many ways, starting with the Fall Creators Update it is now possible to audit, configure, and manage system and app exploit mitigation settings within the Windows Defender Security Center app.

The best part is that you can take advantage of Windows Defender Exploit Guard settings even if you're running third-party antivirus.

Customizing exploit protections settings

Windows 10 ships with a configuration that will suit most users, but you can always customize the settings (as long as you know what you're doing) on Windows Defender Security Center > App & browser control > Exploit protection, and clicking the Exploit protection settings link.

Inside Exploit protection, you'll find two tabs, including "System settings" and "Program settings."

In the System settings tab, you can configure protection settings, including:

• Control Flow Guard (CFG) — Ensures control flow integrity for indirect calls.
• Data Execution Prevention (DEP) — Prevents code from being run from data-only memory pages.
• Force randomization for images (Mandatory ASLR) — Forces the relocation of images not compiled with /DYNNAMICBASE.
• Randomize memory allocations (Bottom-up ASLR) — Randomize locations for virtual memory allocations.
• Validate exception chains (SEHOP) — Ensures the integrity of an exception chain during dispatch.
• Validate heap integrity — Terminates a process when heap corruption is detected.

In the Program settings tab, you'll see a list of applications that are currently protected using the Exploit protection settings.

If you need to modify the current settings for a particular application, just select the executable from the list, and click the Edit button. Inside the page, you'll find some security features with an option to override system settings and set your own rules.

In this update, there are 21 different rules you can customize, some of which include:

• Arbitrary code guard (ACG) — Prevents non-images-backed executable code, and code page modification.
• Block low integrity images — Prevents loading of images marked with low-integrity.
• Block remote images — Prevents loading of images from remote devices.
• Block untrusted fonts — Prevents loading any GDI-based fonts not installed in the system Fonts directory.
• Code integrity guard (CFG) — Ensures flow integrity for indirect calls.

These settings are meant to add an extra layer of security against new threats even before they get an official fix through security patches or anti-malware solutions.

Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection

We're just scratching the surface, and the Exploit protection settings on Windows 10 are part of a more complex topic. Microsoft is also adding more security enhancements to its Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) service for enterprise customers to create an antivirus using Microsoft's cloud-based security intelligence to detect infections faster than ever before.

In addition, Microsoft is now offering new tools, a security analytics view, and an updated detection dictionary to identify the latest attack techniques, which will enable network administrators to respond to attacks more quickly.

Initially, these security features will be available for commercial customers, but the company is looking into integrating Windows Defender ATP to the Windows Server platform and all customers in the future.

For more details about the Exploit protection settings, you can refer to the Microsoft Docs pages, and to learn about Microsoft's EMET, you can check out this Security TechCenter article.

Additional improvements and changes

Another minor change can be found in the Firewall & network protection section of the Windows Defender Security Center dashboard, where you can now see more clearly which network profile is currently active. The page also lists firewall settings for domain networks.

On Windows 10 Enterprise, Microsoft is finally delivering Windows Defender Application Guard, which is a new feature that sandboxes web pages using Microsoft Edge to prevent internet malware and zero-day attacks from infecting your computer.

Windows Defender Application Guard was originally scheduled to release with the Creators Update, but it got pushed back, and now it's available with the Fall Creators Update.

Wrapping up

In this guide, we highlighted the new features and changes coming in the Windows Defender Security Center dashboard for the consumer version of Windows 10. Microsoft is also starting to offer a lot of additional features, but they're aimed at enterprise customers, such as Windows Defender Threat Protection and Windows Defender Application Guard.

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

The Fall Creators Update is here and as with every major new version of Windows 10 the responses are mixed. Deploying to tens or hundreds of millions of PCs at once is no small task and as such, there are always teething problems.

Over in our forums, there's a whole thread dedicated to folks experiencing problems. It's also documented that hardware makers have been affected by the Fall Creators Update, with Razer and Elgato just two brands that spring to mind.

More: Windows 10 Fall Creators Update common installation problems and fixes

Personally speaking, the Fall Creators Update took six attempts to install, but aside from the onscreen keyboard coming up on my desktop, it's been pretty good.

Which is also the case for lots of other people.

So, are you suffering from issues or is everything smooth sailing? Choose the relevant forum thread below and let us know!

• From the Forums: Fall Creators Update screwed up my system
• From the Forums: Fall Creators Update Working so far

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update has arrived, bringing many awesome changes to our favorite OS. One ease-of-use feature getting some attention is the new ability to use a digital pen — like the Surface Pen — as a remote with a 200-foot range to click through PowerPoint slideshows. Want to take advantage? Here's what you need to know.

Which digital pens work with this feature?

Before we get too far into this guide, let's make sure your digital pen works with this feature. Not just any stylus will work here; the pen must follow the Windows Pen Design and must connect to your PC via Bluetooth. Perfect examples of pens that work with this feature are the Surface Pen and the Wacom Bamboo Ink.

Note that you must also have the Fall Creators Update installed on your PC, and you must have a valid Office 365 subscription. If you're currently using Office 2016 without the Office 365 subscription, it appears that this is one of the ongoing additions and updates that you miss out on.

See at Microsoft Store

How to pair a digital pen with your PC

If you purchased a digital pen separately from your PC, you might be wondering how to pair it. Here are the steps required.

1. Right-click the Start button.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Devices.

4. Click Bluetooth & other devices.
5. Click Add Bluetooth or other device.

6. Click Bluetooth.
7. Click and hold the top button on your pen until it shows up in the list of devices.
8. Click your digital pen.

That's all it takes. You should now be ready to use your digital pen as a clicker remote in PowerPoint.

How to use a pen with PowerPoint

As long as your PC has the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you have a digital pen paired with your PC, and you have a valid subscription to Office 365, you should now be able to use the pen to click through a slideshow.

1. Launch PowerPoint 2016 from your Start menu, desktop, or taskbar.
2. Open a presentation.
3. Click the Slide Show button. It's located near the bottom-right corner of the window.

4. Click the pen's top (eraser) button once to go forward.
5. Click and hold the pen's top (eraser) button to go back.

More Fall Creators Update resources

Wondering what else is new with the Fall Creators Update? Be sure to check out these links.

• The definitive Windows 10 Fall Creators Update review
• Microsoft Edge features and changes in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• How to get OneDrive Files On-Demand in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• How to enable color filters in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• What's new with the Settings app in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• Windows 10 Fall Creators Update common installation problems and fixes
• What's new with Cortana in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update recently began its public rollout, bringing an end to months of testing with Windows Insiders. Unsurprisingly, Microsoft is performing this rollout in phases, and it has taken to a new blog post to clarify what devices will get the update first and how it intends to proceed from there.

Essentially, Microsoft explains, we can expect newer devices to get the update first. "The Fall Creators Update begins rolling out to newer devices tested by us and our device partners," Microsoft explains. "By starting with machines which we believe will have the best update experience, we are able to get focused feedback on application compatibility and how Windows works with the rich ecosystem of available peripherals like Bluetooth devices or cameras."

From that initial wave of devices, Microsoft says that it continues to monitor feedback from Windows Insiders and device partners to choose when and where to accelerate the rollout to additional devices. That process is simply repeated until the update is available to all devices running Windows 10 around the world. Microsoft does note that it has increased the number of Windows 10 devices it tested with partners ahead of release, so the net is presumably a little wider this go-around.

We've seen the usual smattering of bugs as the Fall Creators Update began its rollout, and the phased approach should help Microsoft catch the worst issues before they have a chance to spread to the Windows 10 user base as a whole.

For more, including an overview of Microsoft's approach to enterprise deployment, check out Microsoft's full blog post. And for a deep dive, give our full Fall Creators Update review a look.

Alongside the new features and changes included in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, to make Cortana settings easier to find, Microsoft has now relocated them to the Settings app in its own section.

However, making the settings easier to find doesn't necessarily mean easier to configure. If you've been trying to enable Cortana to recognize your voice and only respond to your commands, you probably noticed that the option is grayed out. But this is not a bug or something wrong with your device, Windows 10 just doesn't make the feature intuitive to configure.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the easy steps to enable Cortana to respond only to you when using voice commands.

How to get Cortana to respond to your voice commands

In order to enable Cortana's Try to respond only to me feature, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Cortana.
3. Click on Talk to Cortana.
4. Under "Hey Cortana," turn on the Let Cortana respond to "Hey Cortana" toggle switch.
5. This is the tricky part. Once you've enabled "Hey Cortana," the Respond when any says "Hey Cortana" option will be selected, but the Try to respond only to me option will remain grayed out. Windows 10 doesn't make it very obvious, but you need to click the Learn how I say "Hey Cortana" link and go through the voice recognition training to make the option available.

6. On Cortana, click the Start button.

7. Repeat the six phrases that Cortana will ask to get familiar with your voice.

8. After the training, go back to the Settings app, and now select the Try to respond only to me option.

Once you've completed the steps, you'll be the only one that Cortana will respond when using voice commands.

As you can see it's not a complicated process, but it's not intuitive. In my opinion, what Microsoft should have done in the Settings app is to make the option available for selection, and as you change the settings, the training wizard should appear to set up the feature. Then if you close the wizard without going through the training, the option should revert to its default state. That simple.

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

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709) is now slowly rolling out to compatible devices delivering a new set of features and enhancements, but it appears that not everyone is having a smooth upgrade experience. Alongside a number of problems already reported, some users have also been complaining about apps going missing after installing this release.

At the Microsoft forums, the company explains that after installing the Fall Creators Update, you may notice some app entries missing in the Start menu, and they won't appear in the App list or the Live Tile section. In addition, searching for the app will only show the result to get it from the Microsoft Store, but the Store would say that the app is already installed on your PC.

Microsoft is currently investigating the problem, but until there is a permanent solution, the company is offering a few troubleshooting tips to fix the issue on your device.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the Microsoft's recommendations to resolve the problem of missing apps after installing the Fall Creators Update.

• How to repair missing apps on Windows 10
• How to reinstall missing apps on Windows 10
• How to re-register apps using PowerShell on Windows 10
• How to go back to previous version of Windows 10
• How to reset your PC to its default settings

How to repair missing apps on Windows 10

The first thing you can do to restore any missing app is to use the Settings app to repair or reset the app in question.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Select the app with the problem.
5. Click the Advanced options link.

1. Click the Repair button. If the option isn't available, or it didn't fix the problem, click the Reset button, which will delete the app's data along with settings and preferences.

After completing the steps, the app should once again appear in the App list and pinned in the Start menu.

How to reinstall missing apps on Windows 10

If the repair and reset options didn't fix the problem and app still missing, you could try reinstalling the app.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. Select the app with the problem.
5. Click the Uninstall button.

1. Click the Uninstall button to confirm.
2. Open the Store.
3. Search for the app you just uninstalled.
4. Click the Get button to reinstall.

Once you've completed the steps, the app should now appear in the Start menu again.

How to re-register apps using PowerShell on Windows 10

The two methods outlined above are more suited if you only have a few apps missing, but if your Start menu has a lot of apps missing, it's recommended to re-register them all in bulk using PowerShell.

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the result, and select Run as administrator.
3. Type the following commands to re-register the missing apps and press Enter on each line:
   • Quick Tip: Make sure to close all running applications, including My People from the taskbar on Settings > Personalization > Taskbar to prevent seeing error message 0X80073D02 during the process.
   reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\TileDataModel\Migration\TileStore" /va /fget-appxpackage -packageType bundle |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + "\appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml")}$bundlefamilies = (get-appxpackage -packagetype Bundle).packagefamilynameget-appxpackage -packagetype main |? {-not ($bundlefamilies -contains $_.packagefamilyname)} |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + "\appxmanifest.xml")}

After completing the steps mentioned above, all the missing apps should now appear in the Start menu. However, according to Microsoft, if you've already tried the repair, reset, and reinstall options, the PowerShell commands are likely not going to fix the problem.

How to go back to previous version of Windows 10

If you have already tried all the troubleshooting steps to restore the missing apps on your device and nothing has worked, you may have to consider to go back to the previous version of Windows 10.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Recovery.
4. Under "Go back to a previous version of Windows 10", click the Get started button.
   • Note: If you don't see the option in the Settings app, you won't be able to rollback, but you can use the Reset this PC feature to try to fix the problem

1. Select the reason you're rolling back.
2. Click Next.
3. Click No, thanks.
4. Click Next.
5. Click Next again.
6. Click Go back to earlier build to begin the process.

After going back to the previous version, it's a good idea to block the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update on your device until Microsoft releases a more permanent fix for this problem.

How to reset your PC to its default settings

Alternatively, if the above instructions didn't fix the problem, and you still have missing apps in the Start menu, you can try resetting your device to remove all the apps, drivers, and settings on your current installation.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Recovery.
4. Under "Reset this PC," click the Get Started button.

1. Select the Keep may files options.

1. Click Next.
2. Click Reset to begin the process.

Once you've completed the steps, your device will reset to its default settings fixing all the missing apps in the Start menu. However, you'll need to re-install any other app you may have downloaded previously from the Microsoft Store, and any traditional (win32) applications. Also, you'll need to re-apply your settings and drivers as needed, but your personal files will be kept.

Have you come across this issue after upgrading to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update? Did any of these solutions fix the problem on your PC? Tell us in the comments.

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

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update recently started making its way to PCs around the world, bringing a number of changes and improvements in its wake. As happens with most major updates, this one appears to have introduced some bugs as well. One particularly annoying example involves apps seemingly going missing for some after installing the Fall Creators Update. However, if you're someone impacted by the bug Microsoft has detailed some workarounds you can try (via Neowin).

The issue in question seems to cause apps to go missing from the Start Menu after installing the Fall Creators Update. In addition to no longer being pinned or listed in Start, searching for a missing app returns no results. Instead, users are pointed to the Store in order to install the app, only to be told that the app is already installed. According to a support representative on the Microsoft Answers forum, Microsoft is investigating the issue, but there are a few potential workarounds that you can try now. Here's a look:

Repair or Reset the missing apps

• Open Settings, and select Apps.
• On the Apps & features tab, find the name of the missing app. Click the app and select Advanced options (if available).
• If a Repair option is available, click Repair. If this option is not available, or if Repair does not resolve the issue, you may also try the Reset option, though you might lose any app data that was saved.
• Once the repair or reset is completed, the app should again appear in the app list and can be pinned to the Start Menu.

Uninstall and reinstall the missing apps

• Open Settings, and select Apps.
• On the Apps & features tab, find the name of the missing app. Click the app and select Uninstall.
• Open Store and then reinstall the missing app. Once installed, the app should appear in the app list, and can be pinned to the Start Menu.

Re-register the missing apps using PowerShell – If you have a lot missing apps, advanced users can instead attempt to restore all of them at once using the following PowerShell commands. Note, however, that if Steps 1 and 2 were already attempted and did not restore your missing apps, this PowerShell solution will also likely not succeed.

• In Cortana, type PowerShell. In the search results, right-click Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator.
• In the Powershell window type the following commands. These steps may take a few minutes to complete.
• reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\TileDataModel\Migration\TileStore" /va /f
• get-appxpackage -packageType bundle |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + "\appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml")}
• $bundlefamilies = (get-appxpackage -packagetype Bundle).packagefamilyname
• get-appxpackage -packagetype main |? {-not ($bundlefamilies -contains $.packagefamilyname)} |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($.installlocation + "\appxmanifest.xml")}
• Once the PowerShell commands are completed, the apps should appear in the app list, and can be pinned to the Start Menu.

If none of the above steps work, Microsoft recommends that users roll back to the previous version of Windows (Settings > Update & security > Recovery > Go back to your previous version of Windows) then reinstall the Fall Creators Update. And if that doesn't solve things, a full reset is recommended by heading to Settings > Update & security > Reset this PC > Get started.

A full reset, even as a last resort, is likely not an attractive option most people, so hopefully Microsoft has a more permanent fix available soon. In the meantime, you can give the above options a shot if you're experiencing the missing apps bug. Microsoft says it will provide updates as "better solutions become available."

Windows 10 has a mechanism to dynamically measure and optimize the bandwidth your device uses to download and upload system updates, as well as for apps acquired from the Store, and numerous other products to make sure these activities don't interrupt your experience.

However, the delivery optimization mechanism can only analyze the network activity of your device, and it's not aware of the bandwidth usage on other computers on the local network. As a result, if you have a limited connection to the internet, other devices may experience noticeable speeds reduction during update activities.

Starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709), Microsoft is addressing this issue by introducing new options that allow you to limit the bandwidth your device uses to download and upload updates.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to manually throttle background download and uploads speeds while getting new system and app updates on your device – even if you're running the previous version of the OS.

• How to limit bandwidth for Windows Update using Settings
• How to limit bandwidth for Windows Update using Group Policy

How to limit bandwidth for Windows Update using Settings

If you want to minimize your internet connection impact during updates, you can use the new Delivery Optimization options to limit the bandwidth usage on your device.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click the Advanced options link.

4. On "Advanced options," click the Advanced options link.

5. On "Delivery Optimization," click the Advanced options link.

6. Under "Download settings," check the Limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the background option.
7. Use the slider to specify (in percentage) the amount of bandwidth you want your device to use.
8. Under "Upload settings," check the Limit how much bandwidth is used for uploading updates to other PCs on the Internet option.
9. Use the slider to set (in percentage) the amount of bandwidth you want to dedicate for uploads.
10. If you want to limit the amount of data your device uploads per month, you can also check the Monthly upload limit option.
11. Use the slider to set the upload limit in gigabytes.

It should be noted that the upload settings will only work if you have the "Deliver Optimization" settings configured to Allow downloads from other PCs using the PCs on my local network, and PCs on the Internet option. However, if you're looking to minimize the data speed usage, you should be using the PCs on my local network option instead.

If there are multiple devices connected to the same internet connection, it's also recommended to configure each device to limit the bandwidth usage with the above instructions.

Viewing activity monitor stats for Windows Update

The Delivery Optimization feature also includes a page to view the overall bandwidth usage for feature and quality updates, as well as for app downloads and updates from the Windows Store.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click the Advanced options link.
4. On "Delivery Optimization," click the Advanced options link.
5. Click the Activity monitor link.

On the Activity monitor page, you'll see two sections. The Downloads Statistics shows you the overall amount of data that your device has downloaded from Microsoft, local network, and other PCs on the internet in the last month along with the average download speed based on the current settings.

And then there is the Uploads Statistics section, which includes the overall data information that has been uploaded from your device to other computers on the local network and the internet within a given month.

How to limit bandwidth for Windows Update using Group Policy

If you're not running version 1709 on your machine, but you're using Windows 10 Pro (version 1703), it's also possible to change the Delivery Optimization settings to limit the download and uploads bandwidth using the Group Policy Editor.

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 > Delivery Optimization

4. Double-click the Maximum Download Bandwidth (percentage) policy (the equivalent to the "Download settings" option in the Settings app).
5. Select the Enabled option.
6. Under "Options," enter the download bandwidth in percentage.
7. Click Apply.
8. Click OK.

9. Double-click the Download Mode policy.
10. Select the Enabled option.
11. Under "Options," use the "Download Mode" drop-down menu, and select the LAN (1) option (the equivalent to "PCs on the local network" option in the Settings app).
    • Important: You only need to configure this option and follow the remaining steps if you want to allow your device to upload updates to other PCs on the internet.
12. Click Apply.
13. Click OK.

14. Double-click the Max Upload Bandwidth (in KB/s) policy.
15. Select the Enabled option.
16. Under "Options," specify the bandwidth speed you want to dedicate for uploads – unlike the download settings, you must specify this option in kilobits per second.
17. Click Apply.
18. Click OK.

19. If you want to specify a month quota, double-click the Monthly Upload Data Cap (in GB) policy.
20. Select the Enabled option.
21. Under "Options," specify the upload data cap in gigabytes.
22. Click Apply.
23. Click OK.

Once you've completed the steps, your device will reduce bandwidth usage during updates, thus minimizing the impact on other computers in the local network.

You can always revert the changes following the same instructions, but on step No. 5, step No. 10, step No. 15, and step No. 20, select the Not configured option.

It's worth noting that using the Group Policy option will cause the Settings app to display a Some settings are managed by your organization message, which will go away sometime after disabling the policies.

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

Cortana is one of the biggest features of Windows 10, which has been designed to perform a wide range of tasks to help you get things done. The only caveat is that it's been rather confusing to know where to find its settings, as many users have been looking into the Settings app to customize its options. But only to realize that the assistant has its own settings page inside the app, which it's not a very obvious place.

However, the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is changing that, and it's finally relocating the Cortana customization options to the Settings app to make them more discoverable.

Cortana in the Settings app

After installing the new update, opening the Settings app, you'll notice a new Cortana section that is divided into four pages.

The Talk to Cortana page includes all the basic options, such as "Hey Cortana," the ability to enable the assistant about the Lock screen, and change language settings.

The Permissions & History page allows you to set the search filter levels, omit cloud content on searches, control history settings, and you even get the option to decide whether Cortana can access your location and other information to improve the experience.

Then there is the Notifications page, which includes the options to control sync notifications, and finally, you'll find the More details page that really doesn't include any configurable settings — just privacy details.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the new settings changes to manage and personalize your Cortana experience.

• How to enable microphone access on Cortana
• How to enable 'Hey Cortana' hands-free feature
• How to enable Cortana listening mode keyboard shortcut
• How to enable Cortana above the Lock screen
• How to change the default language on Cortana
• How to change search filters on Cortana
• How to show cloud content on search results on Cortana
• How to clear device history data on Cortana
• How to clear search history data on Cortana
• How to clear personal information on Cortana
• How to manage permissions on Cortana
• How to manage cloud services on Cortana
• How to control notifications on Cortana
• How to manage additional Cortana settings

How to enable microphone access on Cortana

If Cortana is having trouble hearing you, or you're just setting up the assistant for the first time on your PC, use the following steps to troubleshoot microphone issues:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Cortana.
3. Click on Talk to Cortana.
4. Under "Microphone," click the Check the microphone link.

1. Click the Cortana can't hear me option to set up your microphone, or click I can't hear Cortana option to troubleshoot any microphone problems.

1. Follow the on-screen directions to complete the process.

How to enable 'Hey Cortana' hands-free feature

Although you can use Cortana with your keyboard and mouse, and touch, you can also use the assistant hands-free with voice commands.

If you want to use voice commands hands-free, use the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Cortana.
3. Click on Talk to Cortana.
4. Under "Hey Cortana," turn on the Let Cortana respond to "Hey Cortana" toggle switch.

After enabling the feature, you'll notice two additional options, including Keep my device from sleeping when it's plugged in so I can always say "Hey Cortana." And an option that allows you to select whether you want Cortana to respond to anyone that says "Hey Cortana," or to train the assistant to answer only to you.

Starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is also possible to shutdown, restart, lock, and sign out of your device using these voice commands:

• Hey Cortana — restart PC.
• Hey Cortana — turn off PC.
• Hey Cortana — sign out.
• Hey Cortana — lock PC.

Just remember that using the commands to shutdown, restart, sign out will require a Yes voice command confirmation to complete the process.

Additionally, it should be noted that this feature will impact your device battery life, which is one of the reasons it's disabled by default.

How to enable Cortana listening mode keyboard shortcut

While you can simply enable the hands-free feature to interact with Cortana, you can also open the digital assistant in listening mode manually using a keyboard shortcut. However, you need to enable this feature using the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Cortana.
3. Click on Talk to Cortana.
4. Under "Keyboard shortcut," turn on the Let Cortana listen for my commands when I press Windows logo key + C toggle switch.

How to enable Cortana above the Lock screen

You can also use the digital assistant even if your computer is locked to ask for weather, play music, create reminders, and more without having to access your computer.

Cortana above the Lock screen should be turned on by default, but you can check or disable the feature using the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Cortana.
3. Click on Talk to Cortana.
4. Under "Keyboard shortcut," turn on the Use Cortana even when my device is locked toggle switch.

The tasks that Cortana can perform above the Lock screen are limited for security reasons, but you can always check the Let Cortana access my calendar, email, messages, and Power BI data when my device is locked option if you want the assistant to have more access above the Lock screen.

How to change the default language on Cortana

In the Cortana settings, you also get an option to select a specific region language. For example, if your device primary language is English (United States), but you're from Canada, you can configure Cortana to use English (Canada) to better understand you.

Typically, most users won't have to deal with this option, but if it's something you want to customize, you can use the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Cortana.
3. Click on Talk to Cortana.
4. Under "Cortana Language," use the drop-down menu to select the correct language.

It's worth saying that Cortana will always work best when the language selected matches the region configured on your device.

How to change search filters on Cortana

One of the best features of Cortana is the ability to offer instant search results without having to open the web browser. However, sometimes results may show content that is not suitable for the younger audience, which is the reason Cortana also offers search filters.

If the default search option is not optimal, you can change this option using the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Cortana.
3. Click on Permissions & History.
4. Under "SafeSearch," select the search filter that is more appropriate for you, including Strict, Moderate, or Off.

How to show cloud content on search results on Cortana

Starting with Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you can prevent Cortana from showing cloud content in search results using the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Cortana.
3. Click on Permissions & History.
4. Under "Cloud Search," turn on the Windows Cloud Search toggle switch to include cloud content, such as from OneDrive in search results.

How to clear device history data on Cortana

Cortana by default collects searches you do on apps, settings, and other history from devices that you sign-in with your Microsoft account. If you want to stop the assistant from accessing this data, you can easily disable the feature and even clear the history on your device.

To turn off and clear your device history, use the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Cortana.
3. Click on Permissions & History.
4. Under "History," click the Clear my device history button.

In the same section, you can also turn off the My device history toggle switch to prevent Cortana to keep collecting on-device searches on apps, settings, and other history from other devices you sign in with a Microsoft account.

How to clear search history data on Cortana

In order to improve the experience when searching on your device, Cortana collects search history from devices you sign-in with your Microsoft account, but you can always disable the feature and clear your search history data.

To disable and remove the search history on your account, use the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Cortana.
3. Click on Permissions & History.
4. Under "History," turn off the My search history toggle switch to stop Cortana from collecting your search history.

If you want to clear your search history and customize the settings, click the Search history settings link. Then in your Bing account, you can stop recent search from appearing in Search History, you can see your recent history, and you can access the settings to manage your history in your Microsoft account.

When you click the Manage my search history link, you can clear your browsing history, as well as search history, location activity, and edit your Cortana data and the data on Microsoft Health.

How to clear personal information on Cortana

Cortana depends on information about you in the cloud, such as from messages, apps, and other sources to improve the experience, but it's possible to delete everything the assistant has learned about you to start over or leave the service.

If you want to erase the data Cortana stores in the cloud about you, use the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Cortana.
3. Click on Permissions & History.
4. Click the Change what Cortana knows about me in the cloud link to open the Cortana experience in the Taskbar.

1. Scroll down, and click the Clear button.

How to manage permissions on Cortana

Microsoft's digital assistant can access certain information, such as location, contacts, emails, calendar, and browsing history to perform a wide array of tasks, such as find directions, track packages, and personalized suggestions. However, you can customize the experience to manage what Cortana can see and use.

To change permissions on your device, use the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Cortana.
3. Click on Permissions & History.
4. Click the Manage the information Cortana can access from this device link.

1. Turn on or off the toggle switch for the feature want Cortana to see and use, including:
   • Location — Current location and location history allows Cortana to remind you of places, find directions, and alter you of nearby places.
   • Contacts, email, calendar & communication history — Accessing this data, Cortana can suggest reminders, track packages and flights, and more.
   • Browsing history — Allows the assistant to provide personalized suggestions and pick up where you left on Microsoft Edge websites.

How to manage cloud services on Cortana

Cortana can assist you with tasks from many different cloud services (e.g., Skype, Uber, Xbox Live, LinkedIn, Office 365), but you need to connect those services manually.

To add or remove cloud services on Cortana on your device, use the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Cortana.
3. Click on Permissions & History.
4. Click the Manage the information Cortana can access from other devices link to open the Cortana experience in the Taskbar.

1. Click the Add a service button.
2. Select a service from the list.
3. Click the Connect button.

1. Type your service credential and follow the on-screen directions to connect the service.

If you want to remove a service, select the service from the list, and click the Disconnect button.

How to control notifications on Cortana

If you have the Cortana app installed on your iPhone or Android phone, you can allow the assistant to let you know when the battery is getting low, missed a call, text, or there is a new app notification.

To manage cross-device notifications with Cortana, use the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Cortana.
3. Click on Notifications.
4. Turn on or off the Send notifications between devices toggle switch.

If you need more granular control, click the Manage notifications button to open the Cortana experience in the Taskbar.

There you can select a device to manage notifications. On a mobile device, you can allow Cortana to alert you on battery, call, incoming messages, and specify apps notifications.

How to manage additional Cortana settings

Although Windows 10 now better organize the Cortana settings inside the Settings app, some options to customize the experience are scattered around.

How to change Cortana presence on the Taskbar

You can always open Cortana by clicking the search box next to Start button. However, if you want to optimize the space in the taskbar on your PC, or you simply don't want the search box to be visible, you have some options available through the Taskbar settings.

1. Right-click the Taskbar to open the context menu.
2. Select Cortana.
3. Choose one of the three options:
   • Hidden — Removes Cortana from the taskbar, but you can always open the Start menu and start typing to bring up the app.
   • Show icon only — Removes the search box, but you'll still can click the Cortana button to start a search.
   • Show search box — Places the search box in the taskbar for quick access to Cortana (default).

How to improve Cortana voice recognition

Cortana's default voice recognition settings may suit most people, but if the language configured on your device isn't your native language, the assistant may find it a bit difficult to understand you.

To improve voice recognition using Cortana you can use the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click Time & language.
3. Click Speech.
4. Check the Recognize non-native accents for this language option.

Once you've completed the steps mentioned above Cortana will be able to understand more accurately when using voice commands.

Wrapping things up

While we're focusing this guide to customize Cortana using the Settings app, to make this guide more complete, we also include some instructions that been around in previous releases, but they're part of Cortana settings.

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

Starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, OneDrive gets a new feature called "Files On-Demand," which lets you access your entire catalog of files stored in the cloud with File Explorer without having to download them and use local storage on your device.

In other words, OneDrive Files On-Demand is very similar to what placeholders used to be and Microsoft later deprecated, but that feature now works more intelligently.

Unfortunately, after upgrading to the new version of Windows 10, some users have been reporting that the feature is nowhere to be found. Although this may seem like a problem, it appears that Microsoft is rolling out Files On-Demand slowly and not everyone will it immediately.

In this Windows 10 guide, we walk you through the easy steps to get OneDrive Files On-Demand after upgrading to the Fall Creators Update.

How to install OneDrive Files On-Demand

You're probably not getting the feature because the upgrade process didn't install the latest version of the OneDrive client, and in order to use Files On-Demand you must have version 17.3.7064.1005 or later.

To get OneDrive Files On-Demand use these steps:

1. Download the latest available OneDrive client.
2. Double-click the OneDriveSetup.exe file to install new client.
3. Restart your computer.
4. Open Start.
5. Search for OneDrive and click the result to launch the app.
6. Follow the on-screen directions to complete the setup as necessary.
7. Right-click the OneDrive (cloud) icon in the notification area, and select Settings.
8. On the "Settings" tab, you should now see the Files On-Demand section, and make sure the Save space and download files as you use them option is checked to enable the feature.

Once you complete these steps, OneDrive Files On-Demand will be enabled on your device running the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. You can check out our guide to learn more about this feature.

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 turns out the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update contains an interesting new gaming feature that has largely flown under the radar. Called TruePlay, the feature, which was first spotted by VG247, can be used by developers to catch and combat cheaters in PC games. As noted by The Verge, TruePlay was first described in an Insider build over the summer, but Microsoft provided very little in the way of details at the time.

As described in its MSDN page){.nofollow}, TruePlay can run as a "protected process," monitoring gaming sessions for manipulations commonly used in cheating scenarios. TruePlay can then generate an alert and share data with developers when cheating behavior is detected. From Microsoft:

Microsoft says that developers can choose to exclude certain parts of a game from monitoring, which indicates this is likely geared more towards preventing cheating in online modes, rather than single-player. The feature can also be toggled off altogether at the system level by the users, but doing so can prevent gamers from playing portions of a game that require TruePlay to be turned on. TruePlay is currently toggled off by default, and it's not entirely clear whether any games are currently using it.

Microsoft has made the API available to developers, and TruePlay is currently limited to Universal Windows Platform (UWP) games on the Microsoft Store for now. The feature looks like it could be interesting going forward, but it will require developer adoption to be effective in any way.

Alongside the new features and changes included in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, Microsoft is also delivering a number of improvements to the Edge web browser.

In this new version, Microsoft Edge revamps the look and feel with elements of the new Fluent Design System. It improves support for PDF and EPUB files. There is an updated experience to manage your favorites. You can finally pin sites to the taskbar, and there are several new tweaks under-the-hood to enhance the overall experience and save battery life.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll give you a closer look at the most important changes that you'll find with Microsoft Edge for the Fall Creators Update.

Microsoft Edge new features and improvements

Fluent Design

Microsoft Edge receives some noticeable visual changes around the frame using Fluent Design elements. Starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, the browser uses Acrylic material across the tab bar and other controls adding transparency and a sense of depth.

PDF support

In this new version, the browser introduces better support for PDF files.

Along with previously available PDF reader features, it's now possible to edit, print, and save PDF forms on the web, or files locally stored on your device.

You've been able to annotate web pages since the browser was first introduced with Windows 10, but starting with the Fall Creators Update, Windows Ink is also expanding to PDF files with features like a ballpoint pen and touch writing, highlighter, and eraser.

On long documents, Microsoft Edge can now display its table of contents for easier navigation. If the file includes this feature, you'll see a Table of Contents button on the top-left side of the PDF toolbar, which you can click to quickly jump to a particular part of the file.

When working with scanned documents that don't have the proper orientation, you can now use the option on the top-right corner of the toolbar to rotate the file.

In the toolbar, you'll also find a new Layout menu with options to switch between one-page to two-page layout, and an option to use continuous scrolling.

Another interesting feature with this update is the ability of Microsoft Edge to read PDF files aloud. The option is available in the toolbar or using the Ctrl + Alt + R keyboard shortcut. While using this feature, you will get access to controls, including to play/pause, jump to the next or previous line, and an option to change the voice and speed.

In addition, when working with PDFs, selecting text will get you access to a new context menu that allows you to use the highlighter, copy, ask Cortana or add notes.

EPUB support

Microsoft Edge is also getting better handling EPUB files. Alongside internal improvements, starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you can now annotate EPUBs using highlighter, underlining, and adding comments.

You can use these new annotation features by selecting text on the e-book to access a new context menu with options to use the highlighter, underline text, copy, ask Cortana, and add notes.

Additionally, when creating notes, you can use the keyboard or Windows Ink using your digital pen. (Though, it's not possible to use your pen to annotate directly into a page like in PDF files.)

If you're reading books you've purchased from the Windows Store, then your reading progress, bookmarks, and notes will sync automatically across devices.

Favorites improvements

This new version of the default web browser for Windows 10 is also updating the Favorites experience with a new folder-three view that you can drill-down to quickly select where you want to save a new link, instead of using a drop-down menu.

Saving a new favorite, you'll also notice a new animation making it clear that your link got saved in your Favorites list.

Additionally, it's now possible to right-click and select Edit URL on saved link from favorites bar to modify the site URL.

Finally, when accessing the right-context menu for tabs, you'll find a new option to Add tabs to favorites, which when selected will create a new folder in Favorites with all the sites that you have open in the tab bar.

Website permissions

As more websites start supporting push notifications and location-based services, you'll see more requests for permissions to enable notifications, access to camera, or track your location. In order to help manage the permissions you grant to the sites you visit, Microsoft Edge now introduces a new Show site information page to review permissions.

Once you've upgraded to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, on any website, you can click the lock or "i" icon on the right-side of the address bar to see and manage the site permissions.

Alternatively, you can go to Microsoft Edge settings > View advanced settings, and under Website Permissions, click the Manage button to see and change the permissions you've already granted to websites.

Microsoft Edge new 'about:flags' settings

Similar to other modern web browsers, Microsoft Edge includes an "about:flags" page with settings and experimental features meant for developers and advanced users, and this time around Edge is eliminating most of the options, instead of adding more.

On the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, when accessing "about:flags," you'll find that the page is now divided into two sections: "Developer settings" and "Standards Preview."

In the Developer settings section, the available options remain the same as before with the exception that you'll now find the "Hide my local IP address over WebRTC connections" option.

Under Standards Preview, you can control only a few experimental features, including touch events, VP9 video format, JavaScript features, service workers, standard fullscreen API, individual transforms, and CSS Masking.

Microsoft Edge new settings

In the settings page for Microsoft Edge, you won't find significant changes, but there a few new improvements. For example, in the section to import settings from other browsers, if you're switching from Chrome, you can now bring your Cookies and Settings, in addition to bookmarks, browsing history, and save passwords.

The "Advanced settings" section now adds an option to show search history, and another one to show site you frequently visit on "Top sites."

Other improvements

Along with the new enhancements, Microsoft Edge incorporates some other minor tweaks.

When launching the browser, you'll notice a new splash page that allows smoother color transitions to the Start and new tab pages.

Opening the tab preview bar your current tab stands out from the rest with a subtle highlight, while inactive tabs will show a slightly transparent preview. Also, in this new version, tabs will open and close more smoothly to feel faster and more responsive than before, and when closing tabs the close "X" button will remain clickable even when a JavaScript dialog is open.

In the main menu, you'll now find turn on to enable Read aloud, pin a page to the taskbar -- just like using Internet Explorer --, and a new button to use the browser in fullscreen mode (F11).

Buttons introduce a new click animation to feel more responsive, Hub has been updated with a new star icon, and the share experience has been tweaked to appear below the Share button, instead of in the center.

Starting with this new version, WebVR adds support for motion controllers to interact with digital objects while using virtual reality.

As part of the ongoing effort to bring Progressive Web Apps to the browser, Microsoft Edge now includes a preview of Service Workers support, which can be enabled in the about:flags page.

If you're not familiar with Service Workers, these are event-driven scripts to enable features (e.g., notifications, background sync, local storage) previously only available in native apps.

Under-the-hood Microsoft is updating the Payment Request API to match most up-to-date W3C Payment Request API specification.

The DevTools is getting a few interesting changes that developers will appreciate, including the ability to set DOM mutation breakpoints, view ancestor event listeners and CSS "@" rules in the Styles page, and more.

The Console and Debugger receive several improvements and preview support for developers to start debugging Progressive Web Apps. Also, the browser introduces support for unprefixed implementation of CSS Grid Layout, CSS properties object-fit and object-position.

Additionally, on Windows 10 Enterprise, Microsoft Edge will include Windows Defender Application Guard, which is a new feature that offers a sandbox experience for web pages to protect against zero day attacks and malware.

The new feature also provides data persistent, which means that once an Application Guard session is open, users will be able to safely and seamlessly access favorites, Cookies, and saved passwords.

Wrapping things up

As you can see, the new features and changes included in this version of Windows 10 are not significant, but they're welcome additions that should help to improve the experience while browsing the web and working with PDF and EPUB 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

Alongside the new set of features and changes to make you more productive and secure, the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update also introduces a few new improvements to make the OS a little more accessible for users with disabilities, and "color filters" is one of them.

Color filters are designed to make it easier for Windows 10 users with color blindness to see the difference between colors and help those with light sensitivity to work with applications and consume content. In addition, color filters work at the system level, which means that they will not only work with Windows 10 elements but also with apps, including traditional (Win32) desktop programs and apps from the Windows Store.

In this Windows 10 guide, we walk you through the steps to apply a color filter to improve the usability of the OS on your device with the Fall Creators Update.

How to apply a color filter on Windows 10

Applying a system level color filter on Windows 10 is a straightforward process. Just follow these easy steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Ease of Access.
3. Click on Color & high contrast.
4. Under "Color filters," turn on the Apply color filter toggle switch.
5. Use the drop-down menu to select the color filter you need to use. Available filters include:
   • Grayscale
   • Invert
   • Grayscale Inverted
   • Deuteranopia
   • Protanopia
   • Tritanopia

Once you've completed these steps, the filter will apply to your device automatically to help you see elements on the screen more clearly.

At any time, you can use the Windows key + Ctrl + C keyboard shortcut to enable or disable color filters on Windows 10 on demand without having to open the Settings app.

Color filters are available starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709). If you can't find it, chances are that you don't have the latest release installed on 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

Alongside all the new features and improvements Windows 10 is introducing with the Fall Creators Update, this new release also delivers a lot of changes in the Settings app.

In this new version, the experience to customize system-level features and personalization options continues to improve bringing new features and tweaks to the interface with Fluent Design elements. Cortana's settings are now also part of the experience, more Control Panel features have been migrated over, and a lot more.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll give you a closer look at the changes the Fall Creators Update is bringing to the Settings app.

What's new in Settings

Starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, the Settings app includes an updated interface featuring Reveal highlight element, part of the Microsoft Fluent Design System. (This new improvement is more noticeable while using the system dark theme, but it's also present when using the light color scheme.)

Also, in this release, the Settings app makes it a bit easier for users to learn more about the options available with tips, videos, and more related links on the right side.

While you'll see the new help across the experience, videos are only available in some pages, such as in Notifications & actions, Multitasking, and Color & high contrast pages.

There are two new sections, including Phone and Cortana.

The Phone section still under development, but it allows you to connect your phone to your computer to enable cross-devices experiences. And the new Cortana section includes all the options previously available when opening the settings in the Taskbar.

Along with these new changes, the Settings app includes updates to some pages and introduces new options.

Here are all the new improvements you'll find in the Settings app in more detail:

• System
• Phone
• Network & Internet
• Personalization
• Apps
• Accounts
• Gaming
• Easy of Access
• Cortana
• Privacy
• Windows Update

System

On Settings > System, the Display page now includes settings for HDR monitors. Unless you have a display with support for HDR, you won't see the settings.

On Settings > System, the Battery page removes the settings to optimize battery life. This option is now located in the new "Video playback" page.

On Settings > System > Storage, the Storage sense page has been updated, and now options are arranged with check marks instead of toggle switches.

Storage sense now introduces a new option to delete files inside the Downloads folders that haven't changed in the last 30 days.

Additionally, after each upgrade, you can now remove the previous version of Windows 10 when you're running low on space.

On Settings > System, the Remote Desktop page is new, and it allows you to configure your device to allow remote access connections using the Remote Desktop app or the built-in Remote Desktop Connection utility.

Once the feature is enabled, the Settings app will surface additional information, including your computer's name to connect from a remote host, and a link to access the "Advanced settings".

In the Advanced settings page, you'll get access to configure network level authentication, and you can also see the current port your device is using.

On Settings > System, the About page has been redesigned to show you the protection status of your device with information from Windows Defender.

The information available on this page has been rearranged and divided into two sections. Under "Device specifications," you'll find an overview of your device hardware and the button to rename your computer, and under "Windows specifications," will be listed the edition, version, and OS build information of Windows 10.

Phone

On Settings, the Phone section is new, and it contains a Phone page that allows linking your iPhone or Android phone with your computer using the same Microsoft account to enable cross-device web-browsing.

When you link your phone to your computer, you can quickly share a link from your phone and pick up where you left off on your computer.

This feature still under development, but Microsoft is expected to include more features in the future.

Network & Internet

On Settings > Network & Internet > Status, the "Network status" section shows whether your connection is set to Private network or Public network.

On Settings > Network & Internet, the Wi-Fi and Ethernet properties pages removes the "Make this PC discoverable" section and replaces it with two radio buttons to select whether the network profile should be Public or Private.

Also, you'll find a link to configure the firewall and security settings using Windows Defender.

On Settings > Network & Internet > Data usage, inside the Usage details page, you'll now find a a Reset usage stats button to clear the stats manually.

While it's a small change, previously, many users using a limited internet connection needed to use a less than friendly workaround to reset the counters.

Personalization

On Settings > Personalization, the Start page doesn't include new options, but the page no longer shows the desktop preview. Instead, it'll only be shown on the Themes page.

On Settings > Personalization, the Taskbar page introduces a new section to manage My People settings, including the ability to disable the feature entirely, and control notifications and sounds.

Apps

On Settings > Apps, the Apps & features page doesn't include new features, but now it lists Microsoft Edge, and while you can't uninstall the browser, inside the "Advanced options" page, you'll find two new options to reset and repair the web browser.

You can use the Repair button to resolve issues without losing your data. If the repair doesn't fix the problem, you can then use the Reset button, which will reset the browser, and delete your history, cookies, and settings.

On Settings > Apps, the Video playback page is new on the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, and it allows you to change video settings for apps that use the playback capability built on Windows 10.

The new page includes settings to control HDR video streams, options to allow Windows 10 to enhance video automatically, and an option to play videos at a lower resolution to save bandwidth.

Also, in this page, you'll find the battery options to optimize video playback for quality or battery life. These options were previously located in the Battery settings page.

Accounts

On Settings > Accounts, the Sign-in options page, under "Privacy" includes a new Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up my device after an update or restart toggle switch.

The new option allows Windows 10 to sign-in automatically to finish setting up your device even after a regular reboot or shutdown when using the available power options on the Start menu and elsewhere.

Using this new feature not only speeds up the boot experience, but Windows 10 will also be able to restore accessibility apps and other apps that have been designed to restart automatically in this type of scenario.

The new feature is enabled by default, but you can use the option in the "Sign-in options" page to disable it.

Gaming

On Settings > Gaming, the Game DVR page adds a Record game audio only option under "Recorded audio" that allows you to prevent to record your voice during game recording.

On Settings > Gaming, the Broadcasting page adds a Broadcast game audio only under "Broadcast audio" to broadcast only the game's audio and not the audio for the entire system.

On Settings > Gaming, the Game Mode page no longer includes a toggle switch to turn off the feature. The page now only reads "This PC supports Game Mode" message.

On Settings > Gaming, the TruePlay page is new, and it includes an anti-cheating feature for Xbox Live. Microsoft has yet to share more details on how it works.

On Settings > Gaming, the Xbox Networking page is new to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, and introduces a tool that allows you to troubleshoot and fix issues with voice chatting and problems preventing you from playing multiplayer games on Xbox Live.

The page includes connection status, network performance, and information about Xbox Live NAT type and server connectivity.

Easy of Access

On Settings > Easy of Access, the Magnifier page there is a new settings control for magnification zoom level. New options, such as "Invert colors" and "Enable bitmap smoothing" to improve scaling. It's also possible to change the magnifier mode to fullscreen, docked, and lens.

In addition, the page also includes a list of all keyboard shortcuts you can use with the magnifier.

On Settings > Easy of Access, the "High contrast" page has been renamed to Color & high contrast, and it introduces color filters that work at at the system level, and they allow people with color blindness to see the difference between colors (e.g., red and green). Additionally, this feature makes it much easier for users with light sensitivity to consume and create content.

Color filters available in this version, include grayscale, invert, grayscale inverted, deuteranopia, protanopia, and tritanopia.

Cortana

Starting with the Fall Creators Update, it's easier to find and manage Cortana settings because they're now located in the Settings app.

On Settings > Cortana, the Talk to Cortana page is new, and it's the equivalent to the main settings page previously accessible from the Taskbar.

Inside "Talk to Cortana," you'll find all the basic settings to configure the assistant, including the option to enable "Hey Cortana," listen mode keyboard shortcut, and Cortana above the Lock screen, and you can also pick Cortana's default language.

On Settings > Cortana, the Permissions & History page is new and includes the settings to changes search filter options, device and search history, and a new option called "Cloud Search" that allows to you omit cloud content when doing a search.

Clicking the Manage the information Cortana can access from this device link will take you to another page where you can control permissions, including Location, Contacts, email, calendar & communication history, and Browsing history.

If you need to control the data Cortana collects about you, you'll need to click the Change what Cortana knows about me in the cloud link, which will open the old experience in the Taskbar where you can get more information and the option to delete your data.

In the "Permissions" page, you'll also find a Manage the information Cortana can access from other devices link, which you can use to connect to other services like Office 365, Xbox Live, Dynamics CRM, and several others.

On Settings > Cortana, the Notifications page is new, and it includes an option to turn Cortana notifications on or off. You can also click the Manage notifications button to access related settings using the old Taskbar experience.

On Settings > Cortana, the More details page is also new, and it doesn't include anything interesting other than links to privacy information and how Cortana connects with Bing.

Privacy

On Settings > Privacy, the General page includes a new Show me suggested content in the Settings app option, but Microsoft has yet to share details about this switch.

On Settings > Privacy, Automatic file downloads is an additional page part of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update that allows you to unblock apps (e.g., OneDrive, Dropbox, Photos, etc.) that you previously blocked from downloading files from the cloud.

Update & Security

On Settings > Update & Security, the Windows Update page has been updated with tweaks and new features.

Alongside renaming the "Update history" link to "View installed update history", in the new Advanced options page for "Delivery Optimization," Windows Update introduces the ability to control how much bandwidth Windows 10 can use to download system and apps updates.

Starting with version 1709, you can manually set how much bandwidth is used for downloading and uploading updates in the background.

Once you enable the feature, you can use the slider to specify the exact percentage you want to reserve for downloads. You can't just slide the option all the way down to zero to block updates. You can only go as low as five percent.

If you're allowing Windows 10 to download and upload updates from other PCs rather than just from Microsoft's servers, you can not only limit the upload bandwidth, but it's also possible to set a monthly upload limit.

In the "Delivers Optimization" page, you'll also find a link to a new Activity monitor page where you can see monthly update download and upload statistics. The information available includes stats of data downloaded from the Microsoft servers, from PCs on your local network or from the internet.

Since the upload only comes from other PCs on the network, you won't see any information coming from the Microsoft update servers.

Another interesting option is the ability to allow Windows 10 to download updates even when a metered connection is enabled. This new option is found inside the Windows Update advanced options page under "Pause Updates." (Use this option carefully as charges may apply.)

Additional changes

Mixed reality

If you have a computer set up for Mixed reality, in this new version of Windows 10, the Settings app introduces a few improvements.

On Settings > Mixed reality, the Audio and speech page has been updated, and now, it removes the previous drop-down menus in favor of toggle switch options to control audio and microphone.

On Settings > Mixed reality, the Environment page is new, and it allows you to quickly reset the apps and content in the Windows Mixed Reality home to its default settings.

On Settings > Mixed reality, the Headset display page now is divided into two sections and adds a new option to adjust your headset's visual settings.

Eye Control

Starting with Windows 10 version 1709, Microsoft is also introducing Eye Control, a new feature that allows people with disability to control an on-screen mouse, keyboard, and text-to-speech tool using only their eyes.

Once you've connected the required hardware (e.g., Tobii Eye Tracker), you'll see a new option on Settings > Easy of Access > Other options to turn on Eye Control (beta).

Wrapping things up

While the changes found in the Settings app are smaller than the ones found in the previous release, in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, the Settings app includes a handful of welcome additions and migrates more features from Control Panel that further improves the experience.

What do you think about the new changes? Tell us in the comments.

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

Microsoft has released its second major update of the year for Windows 10, the Fall Creators Update, which is a continuation of the Creators Update that brings additional features and changes to improve the overall experience and security.

In the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709), you'll find interface design changes part of the Microsoft Fluent Design System. OneDrive File On-demand brings placeholders back. You can now connect and share files more quickly with My People. The update also delivers improvements on handwriting, native support for emojis, and more.

Along with the new enhancements, Windows 10 is also introducing a number of updates to Cortana to make it easier to customize the experience, shut down your PC with voice commands, and better interact with phone notifications on your PC.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll take a closer look at the most exciting features and enhancements you're getting with the Fall Creators Update.

Cortana new features and improvements

Cortana on the Settings app

Starting with version 1709, it's easier to find and manage Cortana settings because they're now located in the Settings app (where it should be).

Talk to Cortana

On Settings > Cortana, you'll find the new Talk to Cortana page, which includes the most basic settings to configure the assistant.

You can say that this page is the equivalent to the main settings page previously available from the Taskbar, but you won't find all the same settings because some the options have been relocated to another page.

In this page, you'll find all the settings to get started with the assistant, including the option to set up the microphone to make sure Cortana can hear you.

You can enable "Hey Cortana" listening mode using the Windows key + C keyboard shortcut, Cortana above the lock screen, and even select the default language you want to use with Cortana (though, the assistant works best when using the language that matches the region configured on your device).

Permission & History

At Settings > Cortana, the new Permissions & History page includes the remaining settings missing in the Talk to Cortana page.

On this page, you can set the appropriate search filter options to filter results that may not be inappropriate. The default option is Strict, but you can always use a moderate option or turn off SafeSearch completely.

Cloud search is a new option that is available starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, and allows you to suppress cloud content on search results.

Similar to previous settings, under "History," using the My device history option, you can clear the information that Cortana uses to improve search on your device, or you can disable the feature completely.

In addition, using the My search history option, you can prevent Cortana from using your search history to improve the experience with the assistant.

You can also click the Search history settings link to open your web browser and navigate to your Microsoft account online to see and clear your search history.

At the top of the page, you'll also find a number of links under the Permissions section.

If you need to control the data Cortana collects, you'll need to click the Change what Cortana knows about me in the cloud link, which opens the experience in the Taskbar to get more information and the option to delete your data.

Clicking the Manage the information Cortana can access from this device link will take you to another page where you can control permissions, including:

• Location – Lets the assistant collect and use your current history and location, you can use reminders based on places, find directions, and stay up-to-date of nearby places.
• Contacts, email, calendar & communication history – Allows Cortana access to this information, the assistant can help you be on time for meetings, suggests reminders, track packages and flights, and much more.
• Browsing history – Lets the assistant collect and use your search history to further personalize your experience, and you can pick up where you left off when using Microsoft Edge.

Then there is the Manage the information Cortana can access from other devices link to connect to other services like Office 365, Xbox Live, Dynamics CRM, and several others.

Notifications

On Settings > Cortana, the Notifications page includes the option to enable or disable notifications from other devices that allows Cortana to notify you about battery getting low, missed call, text, or app notification.

You can click the Manage notifications button to access related settings using the Taskbar experience.

More Details

On Settings > Cortana, the More details page is also new, but it doesn't include any features. You'll only find links to privacy information and how Cortana connects with Microsoft's Bing.

Cortana voice commands

The assistant is also getting a bit smarter. Starting with version 1709, you can use voice commands to turn off, restart, lock, and sign-out of your device.

Here are the voice command examples that you can use:

• Hey Cortana – restart PC.
• Hey Cortana – turn off PC.
• Hey Cortana – sign out.
• Hey Cortana – lock PC.

While using these new commands note that you'll need to confirm the action saying Yes to prevent quitting your work by mistake, except when trying to lock your device.

Unfortunately, you can't use the word "shutdown" to invoke the command, because Windows 10 already includes a Shutdown command line tool.

These new commands also work when your device is locked, but you must enable the assistant above the Lock screen in the Talk to Cortana settings page.

Cortana on search results

Cortana now shows results previews without having to open the web browser.

Starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, as you begin typing in the Taskbar search box, you'll see a new pane that expands automatically to show Bing search results.

If the assistant doesn't have an accurate answer, you won't see the pane expanding, but you can click the arrow button next to the search term to see relevant suggestions without opening Microsoft Edge.

Cortana notifications

If you use an Android phone, Cortana can now show cross-device notifications for incoming calls. You even get new buttons in the toast notification to send the caller a text or decline the call.

This new feature works as long as you have installed Cortana on your Android device, and you have enabled all the Cortana cross-device features on the Sync notifications settings.

Cortana's Notebook

Inside the Cortana's Notebook, you won't find a lot of changes, but you'll now find a new Connected Home section that allows you to add different smart home services to allow the assistant to control smart devices around the house.

The setup is a straightforward process, you simply need to turn on of the Enable Connected Home toggle switch to allow Cortana to help you manage smart devices. Currently, Cortana's Connected Home functionality works with five services, including Wink, Insteon, Nest, SmartThings, and Hue.

Additional Cortana improvements

Other interesting improvements coming to Cortana in this new release of Windows 10, include support for dedicated speaker devices, such as the Harman Kardon Invoke expected to be available in the fall 2017.

Microsoft is also enabling the ability to link your phone to your PC to pick up a website where you left off using the new Continue to PC feature. While this isn't particularly a Cortana feature, it's now something that connects and works through Cortana.

Wrapping things up

While these Cortana features are part of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, because the assistant can get updates from the cloud at any time, some of the new changes may have already appeared on Windows 10 even before the new version was officially available to everyone.

What do you think about the progress Microsoft is making with its digital assistant? Tell us in the comments.

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

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is now rolling out to to the general public. Like previous major updates, Microsoft will be rolling the Fall Creators Update out gradually in stages over the coming weeks and months.

You can manually check to see if the update is ready for your PC via Windows Update now. If it is, your machine will start downloading the update and you'll be asked to schedule a time to install. If the update isn't part of the rollout just yet, you can still force the Fall Creators Update to install with Microsoft's upgrade assistant by heading to the Windows 10 website and clicking "Update now." Microsoft has also made available ISO files for the Fall Creators Update for those who prefer a clean install.

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update has been months in the making, with Windows Insiders testing the update every step of the way. The biggest features arriving on PCs with the update include OneDrive Files On-Demand, support for Windows Mixed Reality headsets, and aspects of Microsoft's new Fluent Design language throughout the OS. There's much more as well, including the addition of the My People section in the task bar. While you're waiting for the update to download, check out all of what's new in our comprehensive Fall Creators Update review.

The definitive Windows 10 Fall Creators Update review

Starting today, Microsoft is beginning to roll out a brand new update for Windows 10, packing a whole new set of features and enhancements for users. Microsoft is calling this update the "Fall Creators Update," as a continuation of its efforts that started with the Creators Update earlier this year. Although its name implies this update is aimed at creatives; this update is actually for everyone, as it features new changes and enhancements that everyone will appreciate.

The Fall Creators Update is the fourth major update to Windows 10 since its original launch in July 2015 and is the final update scheduled for release in 2017. Microsoft likes to release two major updates to Windows per year, and that trend will continue into 2018 and beyond. For now, however, the Fall Creators Update is Microsoft's latest version of Windows 10, and this is our full review.

• Video Walkthrough
• Fluent Design System
• Start and Action Center
• My People
• Windows Mixed Reality
• OneDrive Files On-Demand
• Microsoft Edge
• Pen and input
• Cortana
• Story Remix
• Phone linking
• Other improvements
• Conclusion

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Walkthrough

Reading not your thing? Not to worry, we've thrown together a 22-minute video walkthrough showcasing all the best and noteworthy new changes in the Fall Creators Update. Give it a watch!

Windows 10 Fluent Design System

Starting with the Fall Creators Update, Microsoft is introducing a brand new design language called "Fluent Design System." This is the design language that Microsoft will be bringing to all its products and services over the next few years, and it starts with the Fall Creators Update. Admittedly, the Fluent Design elements in this update are minor, meaning you likely won't notice them unless they're pointed out to you.

In this update, the two major new design elements to keep an eye out for are "Acrylic" elements and "Reveal" effects. These new design elements are sprinkled throughout the Fall Creators Update in such a way that the OS may feel a little more inconsistent when it comes to design. This will be rectified over time, of course, as more areas of the system get the Fluent Design treatment.

The Acrylic element is an updated blur/translucency effect found in apps and throughout the system. It's similar to the original Windows Vista and Windows 7 Aero effect, but more updated to 2017 standards and far more subtle. Reveal is a new highlight effect that you'll notice when moving your cursor over certain app menus and elements. We'll point out where these new effects are in use throughout our review.

There are other Fluent Design elements at play within the Fall Creators Update too, such as parallax effects and fluid animations. Parallax effects can be found in a few built-in apps, but fluid animations are a little rarer at this time.

Overall, the new Fluent Design System is an exciting and beautiful prospect that starts with the Fall Creators Update. Right now, however, the changes that Fluent Design brings are small and subtle, and slightly inconsistent when mixed with the older design languages. Microsoft says the implementation of Fluent Design in Windows is a journey and will be implemented in more areas over the next few updates.

Windows 10 Start menu and Action Center

Continuing an apparent trend with new Windows 10 updates, Microsoft has done some more fiddling around with the Start menu and Action Center. With the Fall Creators Update, Microsoft has focused on smaller tweaks and changes over any major new features with the Start menu. This is appreciated, as I feel the Start menu as-is is already pretty feature filled, and a focus on smaller improvements is necessary at this point.

For example, the Start menu can now be resized diagonally, and the resize function itself has been improved with fewer frame drops. Resizing the Start menu horizontally will see the menu begin moving instantly instead of snapping to predefined widths. This makes for a far more smoother experience when resizing Start vertically, horizontally and now diagonally too.

Also new to the Start menu is the addition of the "Acrylic" blur effect. This is a change you likely won't notice unless compared side-by-side with the older Start menu, but the Start menu in the Fall Creators Update now has a slightly improved blur effect when transparency is enabled. Context menus in Start now have more icons too, a nice addition for those who notice that kind of thing.

The Action Center has seen more noteworthy changes with the Fall Creators Update, mainly being with its design and layout. Microsoft has changed how the Action Center displays notifications, putting new notifications into boxes that are grouped under app headers. This is supposed to provide a clearer view of all your notifications, but in reality, it means you see fewer notifications on screen at one time.

This is because the separation between headers and the notification boxes themselves are now larger. This, in theory, should allow for more text in a single notification, but it instead spreads out all the notifications and takes up more space within the Action Center. If you're someone who receives lots of notifications, you'll notice that less of them will be displayed on screen in the Action Center at one time. This likely won't be much of an issue for most, however.

Fluent Design elements can also be found in the Action Center too. Acrylic is present, as is the Reveal effect. Unfortunately, the Reveal effect is only present around the Quick Action buttons and doesn't appear to affect notification boxes themselves. This is just one example of the inconsistent design choices that are spread throughout the Fall Creators Update.

Notification popups have also received some design treatments. Acrylic is now present within notifications, and the notifications themselves are no longer attached to the bottom right of the display. Instead, they float just above the taskbar in the same location. I much prefer this design choice. Also, the X to dismiss notifications is now an arrow that points to the Action Center, which tells the user that you're putting the notification away instead of deleting it.

I like the improvements Microsoft has made to the Start menu. It's still missing some much-needed functions such as being able to select multiple tiles at once, but the improvements made to the Start menu in the Fall Creators Update are welcome. In regards to the Action Center, I don't mind the new design. Those with small screens may find it feels a little more cramped, but as someone who uses Windows on a big display, I like the spaced-out feel.

Windows 10 My People

Starting with the Fall Creators Update, You can now pin up to three of your favorite or most frequently contacted contacts directly to your taskbar. There's also a new People Hub that gives you quick access to your contacts list and apps that take advantage of the new My People feature.

This feature is accessible directly from the People Hub button found just to the left of the system tray. You can drop files directly onto a contacts pinned icon to send it to them, which makes for sharing content much quicker than manually going through a file picker to send something. You can also send and receive "My People notifications," which as of right now only work with Skype.

When using the Skype function in My People, you can send and receive animated emoji directly on your desktop. These emoji play a quick animation just above the taskbar and then disappear. Don't worry; you can turn this feature off. In fact, you can turn the entirety of the My People function off if it's something you're not going to use.

The appearance of the People Hub is pretty bad. It looks unfinished at best, even with some of the new Fluent Design elements in play. The People Hub features the Reveal effect in most of its menus, including the contacts list and apps list. It looks nice, and when you select a contact or app, gives you a quick circular-pulse animation.

The People Hub relies heavily on third-party app support if it's going to be useful, and as of right now there just aren't many apps that support it. Out of box, we have People, Mail, and Skype, and the only third-party app I've found with support is an app called Unigram.

If you're someone who uses Skype or the Mail app a lot, then this feature will be somewhat useful to you. But if you don't, then you will likely find no real use for it, at least not yet. If app developers, and that's a big if, decide to start supporting My People, then I can see infinitely more use in this feature. For now, though, you'll likely forget about it.

One area where the people integration in Windows does make sense is the Share UI. You can now see your most contacted contacts in the Share UI, right above the selection of apps to share too. This gives you quick access to sending a contact a web page, image, document or something else directly from the Share function built into Windows 10 without needing to select the app, and then the contact.

Windows Mixed Reality

Microsoft is continuing its journey into the world of AR and VR in the Fall Creators Update with a new platform called "Windows Mixed Reality." This is Microsoft's version of SteamVR or Apple's ARKit. The difference between what Microsoft is doing and what the others are doing, however, revolves around what Windows Mixed Reality covers. Instead of being AR or VR, it's both. It's HoloLens, the company's new dedicated head-mounted displays, and it's through the cameras on your Windows 10 PC or tablet.

With the Fall Creators Update specifically, Microsoft is focusing more on the VR side of things. Starting with this release, you can now go out and buy dedicated VR headsets built for Windows Mixed Reality, connect it to a compatible PC and then run Windows 10 apps in VR. Some apps will be standard 2D apps, and others will be fully immersive 3D experiences. Microsoft and Steam are even working together to bring SteamVR titles to the Windows Mixed Reality platform, which is great news for gamers.

Windows Mixed Reality is an entirely new experience and way of using your PC. It gives you a fully immersive 3D environment where you can use your PC to watch movies and TV, play games, browse the web, and even be productive with dedicated Mixed Reality controllers or a keyboard and mouse. Of course, being able to type on a physical keyboard in VR will depend on how good you are at typing without looking at the keyboard.

If you don't have the money to get yourself a new Windows Mixed Reality headset, fear not; you too can experience the Windows Mixed Reality platform in a less immersive way. Microsoft is bundling an app called Mixed Reality Viewer, which uses your device's webcam and maps the environment, allowing you to place 3D objects in the real world through your camera.

This is pretty much identical to Apple's ARKit platform on the iPhone, except built with Windows Mixed Reality in mind. You can create your own 3D models via the Paint 3D app, and place them into the real world. It's a neat feature, but as of right now it doesn't have much of a point. Once developers start utilizing the Mixed Reality platform, it will become a lot more useful.

You can even implement 3D models into other apps such as PowerPoint and Word, giving you the ability to spice up your documents or presentations with ease.

Microsoft thinks the future of computing is VR and AR, and that's incredibly exciting. The Windows Mixed Reality platform is a bold step into that future, and we're hoping Microsoft will continue venturing down this path in years to come. Microsoft says it envisions a future where head-mounted displays can do both VR and AR, which is the perfect blend of immersive experiences.

Windows 10 OneDrive Files On-Demand

One of Windows 10's biggest criticisms was the removal of OneDrive's file placeholder features, which gave the user the ability to see their entire OneDrive library without actually having that library downloaded on their PC. However, with the Fall Creators Update, Microsoft has brought this functionality back under a new name: "On-Demand Sync."

Microsoft says it has reworked the entire syncing system with the Fall Creators Update, making On-Demand Sync easier and more straightforward to use. Now in the Fall Creators Update, if you set up OneDrive, the app won't immediately start downloading your entire OneDrive collection for offline use. Instead, it'll show all your files, whether they're local or in the cloud, without you needing to download anything.

If you need to open a file, you just double-click it like normal. That file will then quickly download and launch like you'd expect. Then, once you're done with the file, it'll resync to your OneDrive and remove itself from your local disk, freeing up the space it took up when you double clicked it. You can see which files are in the cloud and which are available offline with new OneDrive icons that show up next to files in File Explorer.

The cloud icon means that file is not on your hard drive, which means you cannot access that file when offline. You can double-click that file to download it and open it when connected to the internet, or right click and select "Always keep on this device" to permanently store it locally. You should do this with files you know you'll need to access when away from an internet connection.

On-Demand Sync is a feature that will be most useful on devices with a low storage capacity, or those who have multiple Windows 10 devices and want files to sync between them instantly. I'm very excited to see the return of OneDrive cloud-files in Windows 10, and I encourage everyone to try it out when you upgrade to the Fall Creators Update. OneDrive will prompt you to switch it on automatically.

Windows 10 Microsoft Edge

As with every new Windows 10 release, Microsoft Edge is now a bit better than it was before. I've been a Microsoft Edge user since Edge was first introduced in beta back in early 2015, and I can say first-hand that Edge has improved so much since it was first introduced back in 2015. Lots of people prefer Chrome, and I understand that, but I think Edge is now good enough for users to make the switch.

The favorites system has been overhauled, allowing you to see all of your favorites in a directory UI when adding a new one. You can organize bookmarks into folders, rename and update links all from the new bookmark UI, making for a far more seamless bookmarking experience. You can now also pin websites directly to the taskbar like you could with Internet Explorer 11 and Google Chrome. Clicking on a pinned website in the taskbar will open that website up in a standard Edge window.

Microsoft Edge with the Fall Creators Update is also now a much better PDF and eBook reader. Improving on its efforts that started with the Creators Update, you can now annotate and virtually ink directly onto PDFs and eBooks in the Fall Creators Update. This means you can now sign PDFs, highlight books that you're reading, add comments, virtual sticky notes and more. There's also a new virtual narrator feature called read-aloud that works in PDFs, eBooks, and even web pages.

A lot of the improvements made to Edge in the Fall Creators Update are under the hood, meaning most users likely won't notice those changes. For example, Edge now supports many new protocols and standards, including things such as WebVR. There's also a pretty healthy library of extensions too, with big ones such as Grammarly and 1Password now available.

Windows 10 Pen, touch and other input methods

With the Fall Creators Update, Microsoft has put a lot of effort into improving the many input methods people use when using a PC. Some of us prefer using a traditional keyboard and mouse; others prefer the more modern approach of touch and pen. No matter what input method you use, there are improvements for everyone in the Fall Creators Update.

Let's start with pen and touch, which has seen some much-needed improvements with this release. There's a new "Find my pen" option in Settings that logs the last location you used your digital pen on your device. Using Bing maps and your Microsoft account, you can check online where your pen was last used, hopefully giving you a rough idea where your pen is if you've lost it.

If you're someone who is often presenting PowerPoints, you can now use your pen as a remote clicker to switch back and forth between slides when presenting on a stage or in a conference room as well, which is excellent for those who may not already have a dedicated clicker on hand.

Pen users can now also scroll web pages and lists within Windows without needing to grab the scrollbar first. In previous versions of Windows 10, scrolling with a pen was only possible with scrollbars as Windows itself treated a pen touching the screen as a click and hold. This has changed with the Fall Creators Update, as Windows now treats the pen making contact with the screen as a touch and drag instead, just like if you were using your finger on a touchscreen to scroll.

For those who use Windows with touch, there are improvements worthy of note here too. The biggest improvement for touch users is the introduction of Microsoft's "Shape Writing" keyboard on Windows 10 PCs and tablets. Users can now swipe between letters on the virtual keyboard and have that keyboard create words without you lifting a finger. It works just like SwiftKey on Android and iOS but updated for Windows 10.

If you're a keyboard and mouse user who also happens to love emoji, Microsoft has finally added a new emoji panel to Windows 10 that gives you quick and easy access to the entire emoji library on Windows 10. When in a text field, hitting the Windows key and period button (.) will pop up a dedicated panel where you can select emojis. There's even a search function for when you're looking for a specific emoji to insert into a sentence.

This is a small change, but one I'm certain will be appreciated once people learn to use it. macOS has had a feature similar to this for a while, and in a world where emoji use is on the rise; more and more people are going to find the inclusion of a dedicated emoji panel important. If you're not someone who cares for emojis, then don't worry, this panel won't ever show up unless you specifically insert the Windows key and period shortcut on your keyboard.

While Microsoft has been working hard to improve existing input methods in Windows, the Redmond-giant has also been working on adding native support for some new input methods too. Most notably, the Fall Creators Update features something called "Eye Control," which as of right now is an input method mainly for those who may be less capable of moving their hands or arms.

Eye Control in Windows 10 is truly fascinating. The feature requires dedicated hardware from Tobii, but once it's all setup you can control your PC with just your eyes. You can look around, select things on screen, and even type with a dedicated "eye keyboard" that also supports Shape Writing too. It's an incredible bit of tech that I'm sure ease-of-access users are going to appreciate.

Windows 10 Cortana

As with all Windows 10 updates, Cortana is now smarter and more capable in the Fall Creators Update. For example, Cortana can now intelligently suggest reminders for you when taking a photo of something. We've all taken a photo of a poster or document to remember specific dates, locations and times, and now Cortana will be able to add reminders to its notebook based on the photos you take.

If you're on a device without a camera, yet still want to save details from an image or web page, you can use your pen to circle the information you want, and Cortana will also be able to add that to its notebook too. These features are only going to be useful to you if you use Cortana reminders, and it's only available for users in the United States at this time.

The more interesting changes to Cortana are happening under the hood in the Fall Creators Update. Cortana Skills, a platform that allows developers to make apps and services that hook into Cortana is finally here, allowing you to control things such as Spotify or your internet connected lights via the Cortana app on your phone or PC.

Cortana Skills tie in heavily with dedicated Cortana speakers, which will start becoming available in the coming weeks. In the United States, the Fall Creators Update supports dedicated Cortana speakers that you can setup from your PC and use around the house. Just like the Amazon Alexa or Google Home, Cortana now has a platform for always-on speakers too.

This is arguably the most exciting new addition to Cortana in the Fall Creators Update and one that I can't wait to get behind. Since this is going to be U.S.-only at first, I haven't had a chance to try this out just yet. Hopefully, it will begin rolling out in other countries over the next few months.

Windows 10 Story Remix

Story Remix is one of the reasons why this update is a continuation of the "Creators" moniker introduced earlier this year. Microsoft has built a brand new video editor directly into the Photos app; something Windows 10 has arguably needed for some time. This video editor is only really good for short videos and isn't something you're going to be replacing professional video editing software with.

And that's okay because that's not what Story Remix is supposed to be. Instead, Story Remix is for sharing family videos and collages with friends and relatives. It's called Story Remix because it allows you to remix a story, whether that be video clips or photos that you've taken, with music and effects that come bundled with the Fall Creators Update.

There are a few different options to choose from, including a fully automated mode that will throw your clips and photos together for you, time it with some music and render it all out in just a few clicks. Then there's the manual mode, which gives you full control over the video project you're creating. You can add text, music, video transitions and effects. It's a neat little video editor that I'm sure will get some use, but I have no real need for it.

Windows 10 phone linking

The Fall Creators Update is the first version of Windows 10 that embraces iOS and Android devices. There's now a dedicated "Phone" area in the Settings app that allows you to link your phone with your PC, making it easy to share web pages between your phone and Windows device without missing a beat. No longer do you have to email yourself a link or image when you want to switch devices, just link your phone to your PC and use the dedicated "Continue on PC" function.

On iOS, this is done with a dedicated "Continue on PC," Microsoft Edge (coming soon) and Cortana apps on your phone. With Android, you can use Microsoft's new dedicated Launcher, along with Cortana and Microsoft Edge too. If you're an iOS or Android user who uses Windows 10, then I highly recommend you link your phone to your PC.

Android users will get additional benefits too, including the ability to sync notifications from your phone directly to the Action Center on your PC, and new with the Fall Creators Update; decline calls directly from your desktop.

Phone linking will only improve with newer Windows 10 updates over time. With the Fall Creators Update, Microsoft is just getting started with what it can do for the user when linking their phone to their Windows device.

Windows 10 other improvements

As with all updates, the Fall Creators Update comes with a bunch of smaller and uncategorizable improvements under the hood and on the surface. There are plenty of new security improvements for consumers and enterprises, with Windows Device Application Guard, Exploit Protection and more. Windows 10 is now safer from threats such as WannaCry, which is excellent. You can now also recover your Microsoft account directly from the lock screen, too.

Microsoft has also made several improvements to how Windows Update behaves. For example, no longer will Windows Update use all of your bandwidth when downloading updates by default. Instead, it'll dynamically adjust the amount of bandwidth it uses depending on how much bandwidth you need to do what you're doing.

This is helpful to those who have slow or limited internet connections. If you're trying to watch a YouTube video or play an online game and Windows has updates to download, Windows Update will respect that you're currently using the internet and will take up less bandwidth. You can configure this manually too, giving Windows Update a fixed percentage of bandwidth no matter what you're doing.

Other improvements include better performance, new video playback settings, and battery life enhancements. Devices with a battery can now click on the battery icon and find a new performance slider that favors battery life or PC performance. Sliding all the way to the left will favor battery, whereas sliding all the way to the right will favor performance at the expense of battery life.

A lot of built-in apps have been updated with the Fall Creators Update too. There's plenty of new Fluent Designs featured throughout all the apps, most notably Photos, the Microsoft Store, Calculator, and plenty more.

Windows 10 closing thoughts

The Fall Creators Update isn't what I would call a major update for most people; it's a minor one, with plenty of smaller improvements and tweaks that make for a well-rounded release. I will always recommend updating to the latest version of Windows 10 no matter what it includes, for security if anything else.

However, this update doesn't really include much in regards to "major" new features unless you're interested in Windows Mixed Reality, and that's a real shame. This is the nature of Windows as a Service, and it's something enthusiasts are going to have to get used to. For the most part, normal consumers actually prefer it when an update doesn't really add or change much, because people don't like change.

So yes, the Fall Creators Update is a good, albeit smaller update. That's fine for most, but for those who follow Microsoft and Windows closely, this update won't have the same level of significance as previous updates such as the Creators Update or Anniversary Update did.

Windows Mixed Reality is my favorite and most exciting part of the Fall Creators Update. I'd argue it's the biggest new part of Windows since Windows 10 began. Problem is, it's just getting started, and not many people know about it yet. So whether or not it'll be successful or used remains to be seen.

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is rolling out in waves starting today for free. If your Windows 10 device isn't seeing the update yet, don't worry. This can take several months to reach you, as Microsoft likes to make sure the update won't cause any issues for your device. If you don't have the update yet, there's likely good reason for it.

Pros:

• Nice tweaks to Start menu.
• My People has potential.
• Microsoft Edge is ready for prime-time.
• Mixed Reality!
• Ease of access improvements!

Cons:

• Still missing obvious options and functions.
• Inconsistent design language used throughout.
• Somewhat buggy at launch.
• Not as major as previous updates.

See at the Microsoft Store

More Resources

• Windows 10 Support Forums at Windows Central
• Windows 10 Fall Creators Update News
• Windows 10 Tips, Tricks, and How-tos

While Microsoft Edge has supported PDF documents for a long time, up until now, it only included a limited number of features that led users to choose alternative applications to cover all the basic functionalities to work with this type of file format.

However, starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709), Microsoft Edge is getting a number of significant improvements that now make the browser a good choice to view and edit PDF documents on a PC.

Alongside the new Fluent Design touches, performance improvements, and new features to work with EPUB files, Microsoft Edge adds many PDF enhancements, including better viewing, navigation, and annotation tools, Windows Ink as well as support for fill in forms, and more.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps and highlight the most important features on Microsoft Edge that make it a dream to work with PDF files.

• How to set Microsoft Edge as your default PDF reader
• How to navigate a PDF document using Microsoft Edge
• How to edit a PDF form using Microsoft Edge
• How to annotate a PDF document using Microsoft Edge
• How to print a PDF document using Microsoft Edge
• How to use Read aloud on a PDF document using Microsoft Edge

How to set Microsoft Edge as your default PDF reader

Although by default, Windows 10 sets Microsoft Edge as your default PDF reader, if you've been using another software to handle this type of document, you can quickly set the browser as your preferred PDF reader.

Simply go to Settings > Apps > Default apps, click the Choose default apps by file type link. Then scroll down and click the app that is currently set a default for .pdf, and select Microsoft Edge from the list.

Once you've completed the steps, you can simply double-click a PDF document, and it'll open in the web browser.

How to navigate a PDF document using Microsoft Edge

On the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, Microsoft Edge is getting a lot of PDF improvements, some of which you'll notice immediately in the toolbar.

Table of contents

On the left side of the toolbar, there is a new button to access the table of contents for the document in supported files. Inside the flyout, you can then click any heading to jump to that part of the PDF.

If the document doesn't include table of contents, you can always click the page number on the far left side of the toolbar to enter the page number you want to read. Or you can use the search button to query part of the text to find a specific section.

Rotate

Microsoft Edge also includes a number of options for better viewing and navigation. Alongside the "Fit to page" and "Zoom out" and "Zoom in" buttons, this new version adds a new Rotate button that will come in handy when you're working with scanned documents, which often don't have the proper orientation.

Layout

There is a new Layout menu, which you can use to switch between one-page to two-page view, and there is also an option to allow continuous scrolling for better navigation on long documents.

Quick Tip: In order to reveal the PDF toolbar, click anywhere in the file, and click anywhere again to hide it.

How to edit a PDF form using Microsoft Edge

Perhaps one of the biggest improvements on Microsoft Edge is the ability to fill in PDF forms on the web (or locally stored on your device) within the browser, and then save the form for printing.

Just open the PDF form, edit the fields and select the options using the drop-down menu as required. Then click the Save button in the top-right corner, or click the Save as button to keep a copy of the form.

How to annotate a PDF document using Microsoft Edge

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update also adds a version of Microsoft Edge that includes support for PDF annotation with a highlighter, notes, and the ability to ask Cortana.

When you open an unprotected PDF document, you can select some text to access the new menu with four buttons.

• Highlighter – Allows you to choose the highlight color and the option to remove a highlight.

• Note – Opens up a notepad (similar to Sticky Notes), which you can use to add comments. Once you're done typing the note, click the checkmark button in the top-right corner, or the trash can button in the bottom-right to delete.

• Copy – Lets you copy the selected text to the clipboard, which you can then paste into another document.

• Cortana – Selecting a word or some text, you can also click the Cortana button to open the assistant flyout and research the word or text.

It's also possible to select some text on the document and right-click to access the same options, but in a traditional menu style that includes the name of each option, instead of buttons.

Annotating PDF documents with Windows Ink

Another interesting feature coming with Microsoft Edge is the ability to add notes to PDF documents using Windows Ink.

This feature was previously only available for web pages, but you can use your digital pen, mouse, or touch to annotate PDF documents with natural handwriting.

Simply click the Add Notes button next to the Share button to get started. The tools available are limited compared to annotating a web page, but you can change the pen and highlighter color and size, and there is also a Touch Writing button that allows you to use your finger as a pen on touch-enabled screens. Additionally, you also get an eraser to undo strokes.

Once you're done annotating, you can just click the Save button from the toolbar to save your changes.

It's worth noting that you can only annotate unprotected PDF documents.

How to print a PDF document using Microsoft Edge

If you ever need to print a PDF form or document, Microsoft Edge makes it an easy task.

Just open the PDF, edit as required, click the Printer button in the toolbar, and click the Print button after selecting your printing preferences.

How to use Read aloud on a PDF document using Microsoft Edge

In order to make PDFs more accessible to everyone, Microsoft Edge also includes a new feature that users can use to hear text from PDF documents and forms aloud.

You can right-click the page and select the Read aloud option to hear the words of that page. Alternatively, you can click the Read aloud button from the toolbar to let Microsoft Edge read the text aloud.

While in "Read aloud" mode, a new toolbar will appear with controls to allow you to play/pause, skip to next or previous paragraph, and you can also click the Voice settings button to change the reading speed and voice.

Wrapping things up

Starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, Microsoft Edge includes a number of improvements that make the browser a suitable replacement for third-party PDF reader software.

However, the browser still lacks some professional features like the ability to create PDF files, add a watermark, compare file changes, export files as Office documents, and convert Office documents to PDFs. Though, seeing the way that Microsoft is continuously improving the experience, it wouldn't be a surprise to see at least some of these features being introduced in future releases.

While we're focusing this guide on the new PDF features on Microsoft Edge, in order to make the guide more complete, we also mentioned features that were previously available on the browser (e.g., Print, Fit to page, Zoom in and Zoom Out).

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

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709) is officially launching worldwide on October 17, 2017. This is the fourth major release rolling out to users, and it's a continuation of the Creators Update that introduces a new set of features and changes to enhance productivity while keeping your device more secure.

In this new version, you'll find new features, such as My People and OneDrive Files On-Demand. Windows 10 will also start the gradual implementation of the new Microsoft Fluent Design System. Windows Defender Security Center introduces a new data protection feature. The Settings app gets tons of new tweaks and now includes Cortana settings. Microsoft Edge gets several improvements, and much more.

Similar to previous releases, Microsoft plans to roll out version 1709 gradually, which means the update won't arrive on every device on day one. Usually, it takes days, or even months, before devices can see the new update automatically. However, if you don't want to wait, there are a number of ways you can force the update.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through four different methods to download and install the Fall Creators Update on your desktop PC, laptop, or tablet.

• How to get Fall Creators Update with Windows Update
• How to get Fall Creators Update with Update Assistant
• How to get Fall Creators Update with Media Creation Tool
• How to get Fall Creators Update with Windows Insider Program

Note: Although the new version of Windows 10 is officially available starting October 17, the update may not start showing up before 10am PT.

How to get Fall Creators Update with Windows Update

The best way to get the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is to wait until you receive a notification that the update is ready for your device. However, as soon as the update is generally available, you can force the install using Windows Update.

To use Windows Update to install version 1709, use the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & security.
3. Click the Check for updates button.

4. If your device is compatible, you should start seeing the update downloading, and you then just click the Restart Now button.

Once you complete these steps, the update will begin installing just like a regular update, but it'll take a little longer to apply. If a prompt appears, select your privacy settings, and continue with the installation.

Also, remember that in the previous version, Windows 10 introduced the Unified Update Platform (UUP), a new mechanism that makes updates up to 35 percent smaller and faster to install, which means the upgrade process should be a lot quicker than before.

How to get Fall Creators Update with Update Assistant

Sometimes a computer is compatible with the latest feature update for Windows 10, but for unknown reasons, it does not see the update using Windows Update. In this situation, it's possible to use the "Windows 10 Update Assistant" to install the latest version.

If you want to install the next release of Windows 10 as soon as it becomes available, or it's been several weeks and the update didn't show up in Windows Update, use these steps:

1. Download the Update Assistant from the Microsoft support website by clicking the Update now button on the page.
2. Double-click the Windows10Upgrade.exe file to launch the tool.
3. Click the Update Now button.

4. If your device is compatible, click the Next button to begin the upgrade.
5. Click the Restart Now button to start the installation.

After the process begins, Windows 10 version 1709 will install on your computer while preserving your settings, apps, and personal files. Once the installation completes, follow the on-screen directions to finish setting up your device with the out-of-box-experience (OOBE).

Usually, using the Update Assistant takes less than 30 minutes, but that will depend on your system's hardware and internet speed.

How to get the Fall Creators Update with Media Creation Tool

Microsoft also offers the Media Creation Tool that allows you to perform an in-place upgrade or clean installation of Windows 10 with the version 1709 manually.

However, sometimes Microsoft takes a little bit of time to make new releases available using this tool.

When the update becomes available, you can install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update using the following steps:

1. Download the Media Creation Tool from the Microsoft support website clicking the Download tool now button.
2. Double-click the MediaCreationTool.exe file to start the process.
3. Click Accept to agree to the terms.

4. Select the Upgrade this PC now option.
5. Click Next.

6. Confirm that the Keep personal files and apps option is selected. If it's not, click the Change what to keep link to modify the settings. Otherwise, your files, apps, and settings will be erased in the process.
7. Click the Install button to begin.

After completing these steps, the upgrade process will finish installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update on your device, preserving your files, settings, and applications.

If you're having problems with the Media Creation Tool, remember that you can use the tool to create a bootable media, which you can use to perform the upgrade or clean installation of Windows 10.

How to get the Fall Creators Update via the Windows Insider Program

If you're eager to install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update on your computer before anyone else, you can do so by joining the Windows Insider Program.

The program was designed to give developers and enthusiasts early access to the development of upcoming feature updates of Windows 10, but you can also use this route to get version 1709 as soon as it's ready.

The Windows Insider Program features three different level "rings:" Fast, Slow, and Release Preview. While you could enroll in the Slow ring to get the new version early, you may come across bugs, and things may not work correctly.

The level you want to select is the Release Preview ring, which allows you to get the new version days before it becomes generally available with minimal risks and without having to reinstall the OS if later on you want to opt-out of the program.

Microsoft created the Release Preview ring to give users early access to quality updates, as well as device drivers and Store app updates. But because every update, including features updates, must go through every ring, it's also an option to get the Fall Creators Update.

To be among the first users to get the Windows 10 version 1709, you can enroll your device in the program using these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & security.
3. Click on Windows Insider program.
4. Click the Get started button.

5. Click the Link an account option.

6. Select your Microsoft account, and click Continue.
7. In the "What kind of content would you like to receive?" page, use the drop-down menu, and select the Just fixes, apps, and drivers option.

8. Click the Confirm button.

9. Click the Confirm button again to agree to the terms.
10. Click the Restart Now button.

Once you complete these steps, you can use Windows Update to force the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update on your device. Just remember that new feature updates typically become available days before an official release.

Opting out of the Windows Insider Program

When you're ready to opt-out of the program, you can use the following steps without having to reinstall Windows 10.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & security.
3. Click on Windows Insider program.
4. Click the Stop Insider Preview builds button.

5. Select the Keep giving me builds until the next Windows release option.
6. Click the Confirm button.

7. Click the Restart Now button.

After you computer reboots, you can continue using the new version of Windows 10 while still receiving follow up quality updates.

Wrapping up

While it's always recommended to install new versions of Windows 10 to start taking advantage of its new features and security enhancements, it's best to wait until it becomes available automatically through Windows Update.

That's because, initially, new releases of Windows 10 are not fully compatible with all devices, which is one of the reasons Microsoft releases new updates gradually. In addition, during the early days, Windows 10 may still have unknown issues, which can cause problems on your device.

Although all the supported methods to upgrade have been designed to protect your data and preserve your settings and apps, it's recommended to create a full backup of your device before the installation, in case thing goes wrong and you need to rollback.

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

Staying on track with the semi-annual release schedule, Microsoft is expected to make the final version of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709) available on October 17, 2017. This is the fourth major refresh for the OS (and the second update in 2017), and while it's smaller than its predecessor, there are many new exciting features and improvements.

The Fall Creators Update will introduce visual changes with new elements part of the Fluent Design System. You'll be able to stay more connected with people close to your circle using the My People feature. OneDrive Files On-Demand will help to save storage space on your device. Windows Defender Security Center will introduce a new feature to make sure your files are more secure. You'll be able to configure even more options in the Settings app, and a lot more.

However, just because Microsoft is making the new version available on October 17 to millions of devices across the world, it doesn't necessarily mean that your device will be in the queue to get it on day one. Here's what you need to know.

Who is initially getting the Fall Creators Update?

Microsoft will be deploying Windows 10 version 1709 in waves, just like the previous version. Starting on October 17, the company will gradually start updating newer desktops, laptops, and tablets that are known to work with the new feature update first. (Usually, devices expected to get the new release first include Surface and devices that came pre-installed with Windows 10.)

During the initial rollout, Microsoft will collect telemetry feedback, and based on those results the rollout will continue to other devices.

Other factors that may prevent your computer from receiving the new version, include incompatible software, device drivers, or hardware. In fact, as part of the update experience, Microsoft is known to block the availability of new updates on devices identified to experience issues until the problem is resolved.

Your region and how Windows 10 was obtained will also define when you'll be getting the update.

How to get the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

In the case, your computer doesn't seem to be getting the update, and you don't want to wait, there are different ways to upgrade.

On a device that meets the minimum requirements of Windows 10, it's possible to use the Update Assistant to quickly skip the queue and install version 1709.

The Update Assistant is just a tool that Microsoft introduced during the rollout of the version 1703, and it allows you to force the new feature update when the automatic update mechanism isn't working correctly, but you can use it whether Windows Update is working or not.

Another tool you can use is the Media Creation Tool, which allows you to upgrade your device to the latest version of Windows 10 without having to wait for Windows Update. Using this tool, you can install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update keeping your settings, apps, and personal files.

If you're already noticing that your computer isn't running smoothly, you can even use the Media Creation Tool to perform a clean install of Windows 10 with the Fall Creators Update. However, after the process, you'll need to re-apply your settings, reinstall apps, and restore your files from backup.

Wrapping things up

On October 17, 2017, Microsoft is once again expected to release the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, but it'll be a slow rollout, and it will take months before every supported device gets the new version. While there are many ways to force the update on your device, it's always advised to wait until it's automatically offered to you through Windows Update to avoid potential problems.

If you decide to move forward manually, you can use the Windows Central forums to resolve any issues you may come across during or after the upgrade.

When will you be installing the new version of Windows 10 on your PC? Tell us in the comments.

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