Windows 10 build 19043.985 rolls out to Beta and Release Preview Insiders

HP Spectre X360 14
HP Spectre X360 14 (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Windows 10 build 19043.985 is now available to Beta Channel and Release Preview Channel Insiders.
  • The build brings updates to the Windows App Platform and Frameworks, the Windows Kernel, Windows Media, the Microsoft Scripting Engine, and the Windows Silicon Platform.

Microsoft is preparing the Windows 10 May 2021 Update (version 21H1) for release, so it's not surprising that there aren't many changes in this Insider build. Microsoft said that it believed build 19043.928 was the final build of the May 2021 Update on April 28. This new build for Beta and Release Preview channel Insiders being "newer" is expected.

Microsoft explained this process in a blog post when discussing a previous build:

We are continuing to improve the overall experience of the May 2021 Update on customers' PCs through our usual servicing cadence. This means that Windows Insiders in the Beta and Release Preview Channels are already on "newer" 21H1 bits as of earlier this week with the release of Build 19043.964.

Here's the full changelog of Windows 10 build 19043.985:

Security updates to Windows App Platform and Frameworks, the Windows Kernel, Windows Media, the Microsoft Scripting Engine, and the Windows Silicon Platform.

The Windows 10 May 2021 update is the smallest Windows 10 feature update to date. It doesn't have any surface-level changes or new features to try out. The "news and interests" Taskbar widget will start shipping this spring, but it will also be on older versions of Windows 10, so it isn't exactly a feature of the May 2021 Update.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.