Windows 10 April Update - Here is everything you need to know - OUT NOW!

[GoodBytes]

Microsoft will soon release a new Windows 10 update. This new update is called April Update. This new version of Windows 10 which was code name Redstone 4 will bring you to version 1803 Build 17134.

 

OUT NOW!

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Download:

• It will start coming out through Windows 10 Update starting May 8.
• If you want to get it now:
  • You can use Microsoft Download Assistance: (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 - Pick "Update Now")
  • You can use Media Creation Tool: (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 - Pick "Download tool now")

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What’s New?
 

The Exciting Stuff:

Fluent Design

 

Pushing forward with resigning and polishing the user interface of Windows 10, Microosft continues the implementation of the Fluent design language. Previously we only had a hint of it, but now it is more prominent, where you have glass frosted effect on the start menu, task bar, calendar (from the clock on the task bar), and so on. There is also a reveal effect which I can’t show properly via screen shots, but you’ll notice when you get the build. Basically, button edges reveal itself around the cursor. It is on everything UWP, so basically the Settings panels, Start menu, and so on.
 

Nearby Share

 

With Nearby Share enabled on your PC (Bluetooth required) from the Action Center, you can send via the Share menu a link or file to a PC near you. Simply hit the Share button and pick the PC from the list, and boom that selected PC will get it. The option is also found in the right-click menu when you right-click on a file on your system. This is a great way to send something to someone next to you without the need to use a USB flash

 

Quick Bluetooth Pairing

Windows 10 will now show a notification when it detects a Bluetooth device that is trying to be paired to, and from a quick press to the 'Connect' button on the notification, it will connect to it as expected. No need to go through the Settings panels, navigate to Devices, pick add Bluetooth, pick the type of Bluetooth devices it is, and wait for Windows to search for it. This should make connecting to your Bluetooth device for the first time much simpler.

(image source: https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/30/17301142/microsoft-windows-10-april-2018-update-features-review)

 

PWA - Progressive Web Apps

 

Joining Google, Microsoft introduces Progressive Web Apps (PWA) support. PWA are web apps, but is a big step forwards compared to the old web apps models. It is more than just a direct link in a web browser. The idea of PWA is to allow developers to make 1 app and be availible on all platform without having any limitations as if it were be a standard dedicated app with the same level of responsiveness, at least that is the idea.

To achieve this goal, PWA supports:

• Offline mode (no internet connection to access the app and view its content.. of course the content won't be updated if it never has internet connectivity)
• Notification support. It can send notification even if the app is running on the background.
• Access sensor (assuming you give it permission)
• Access to Microphone and Webcam (permission required)
• Access to Contacts and other information (permission required)
• Access to Share menu
• Installable like normal apps

Twitter is the first big app working on a PWA version for Windows 10. It will be available in the Store app soon. Please note that currently, Twitter app that is available now, is not the PWA version. It is expected that this same app, once complete, will be available on Android for those with the supported version, and replace the dedicated app.

 
 

Multi-GPU performance control on a per game/app basis.
 

If your system has a system with 2 non-identical GPUs, say a laptop with an Intel integrated graphics and a dedicated one, or external GPU (yes, it supports that) that you plug. You can tell Windows which graphics card to use game or application to use, for both UWP games/apps and Win32 games/programs.  The option is found under Settings > Display > Graphics settings (bottom of the page). All you have to do, is pick if you want to add a “Classic app” (standard Win32 game or application) or “Universal app” (a UWP), then pick on Browse, pick your executable file (for Universal apps, you’ll have a list of install UWP apps on your system instead), pick it, and add it. Now you can select the game or application in question, and select “Options”, and now you can pick which GPU you want it to use.
 

If you have the option in the Nvidia and AMD driver panel, those will remain and still works, however the Windows one (if defined) will take precedent. This was added to have an easier time in select UWP apps, and have a central, common location to set this up no matter the GPU setup you have.

Activity History (Timeline) in Task View

 

Task View now feature a new feature called: Timeline. When you Win+Tab or hit the Task View button, you now not only get the currently running program you can switch as normal, but also past programs used (up to the past 30 days). Picking one of the past programs will open program (if it is not running already) and load the project file that was worked on, or what article you were viewing last, if it is something like the News app. It can even resume where you left off if the program supports that.

Timeline also sync between your PCs running Windows 10 with this new update. You can add multiple accounts too if you want or use a different account than the one you are using now. Up to you. You can also disable it as well. You can also clear the history, and remove an individual app, and you can set it to keep all activity to this PC only, and not sync it to MS cloud to reach your other systems.


A search button at the top right is there to allow you to search for an app in your activity history/timeline.

 

DPI scaling improvements

 

A new setting called “Fix scaling for apps” found under Settings > System > Display > Advanced scaling, can be enabled, to give you pop-up notification on apps that are already opened when you do a display scaring change (which can occur when you do a remote desktop on a PC, or change the display scaling on the fly without logging out and back in), which detects blurry apps and can restart the app in such a way to appear no more blurry

 

Notification that will show will look like this:
 

 

Another feature added to help improve DPI scaling of apps, is an option to override defined global settings on a per app basis. Simply go to the properties of a program executable or its shortcuts. Then under “Compatibility” tab, hit the “Change High DPI Settings” button, and in this panel you’ll find an option to override the scaring for that specific application.

 

 

 

Per application audio output and input

 

You can now set each program you have the audio source you want to use coming in and out of your system. So, if you have 2x sound card, and you want 1 app to use Sound card 1 and the other sound card 2, but you want both to use the same microphone. Well, you now can! A better example, is that you have a USB headset and speakers, and you can have your games go through your USB headset, but use your Blue Yeti Microsoft instead of the one from your headset, and all other programs use your speakers of your system. The list shows you currently running programs that outputted audio or registered itself to output audio. The app/game will disappear once it is closed, but the settings is kept in memory.

 

 

Swipe to type on the large keyboard layout

 

The on-screen touch keyboard of Windows now supports shape-writing. Now you can swipe your finger on letters as you do with WordFlow or Swift Keyboard on your mobile device, to type. This features was only available on the tiny thumb keyboard, now it is available on the big one.

 

More privacy options

 

•           New options for Windows
•           Can now give permission rights to apps for access to the Picture, Video and Document folder. By default, apps no longer have access to these folders.
•           Delete diagnostic data collected. You can now delete diagnostic data collected within Windows at the press of a button. The new option is found under Settings > Privacy > Diagnostics & feedback.

What else has changed:

Windows Update.

 

o   Not going to sleep on you anymore. When Windows Update kicks in, and you are away, you will no longer need to fear that your system will go to sleep by itself, only to resume, and see that the system is updating (and have the update be corrupted). Windows will disable Sleep on idle timeout during this time. Please note that you can manually sleep your system at this time. It will not prevent this. This only occurs when you leave your system idle. Once the update is complete the computer will go to sleep as normal when idle after the specified time.

o   Reduce downtime. Microsoft has re-worked partially the Windows update process to reduce system downtime to apply an update. Once you have the Spring Creator Update, in the future, the next OS update will be faster. Basically, Microsoft was able to move operations it does during the update process from the actual update phase to the “installing update” phase while being in Windows. This means that the time the system need to restart to apply the update will be reduced dramatically than before., allowing you to be back up and running far quicker, reducing your down time.

 

Game Bar layout improvements.

Game Bar has a new look to be easier to use, nicer looking, and support dark and light theme.

 

Bye-Bye HomeGroup

 

Microsoft pulled the plug on the Home Group feature that introduced back in Windows 7 as a way to make it easier to network share between computer in a home environment. This was removed as now you have OneDrive, OneDrive Files On-Demand, Nearby Share, and Share feature, which all together makes HomeGroup not needed. As Microsoft put it

 "HomeGroup was terrific for the pre-cloud and pre-mobile era, but today this functionality is built right into Windows 10 and apps"

 

Calibrate your display for HDR.

For some displays, in order to have HDR support, the display needs to be calibrated at the factory. Microosft added a new option in Windows, which, if you have the tools, allows you to calibrate your display to make it HDR ready.

Startup Settings in Settings panel

 

The Settings panel now have the ability to manage your startup apps. You can find the option under: Settings > Apps > Startup

 

Adjust the brightness of SDR content on your HDR display

 

Windows now lets you adjust how bright SDR content appears when running in HDR mode on the desktop. On an HDR capable system, you will see a slider in the “HDR and advanced color settings” page under Settings > System > Display. This is one of the improvements to HDR image quality that we have planned based on feedback from Insiders.

 

 

 

Dictation

Win+H on your keyboard will show the new dictation bar which you can use with any app. Use it to enter text in any program text field or Word document.

 

File Explorer

 

Cloud state icon on Navigation Pane.

 

 

 

 

 

Focus Assist

 

•                 Quiet Hours is now called Focus Assist

   

•                 It will automatically turn on once you connect your system to a second display, so you will no longer be getting pop-up notifications when you do a presentation.
•                 It will also automatically turn on when you play a full screen exclusive DirectX game.

Cortana improvements

• Cortana notifications and pop-ups are now all regrouped in the Action Center. No longer split between Cortana panel and Action Center.
• Notebook area got a cleanup and new look:
  
   
• New Cortana commands to control your music:
  • Play Christmas music on Spotify
  • Play my discover weekly playlist on Spotify
  • Play <Artist/Track/Title/Genre/Mood> on <AppName>
  • Play some Drake
  • Play focus music
  • Play rock music
  • Play my tracks
  • What’s playing?

 

 

My People

 

•         You can now pin more contacts on the task bar
•               You can now drag and drop a contact from the People list to the task bar
•               You can now re-arrange people in the task bar

Settings

 

Settings panel home screen got redesigned

 

 

Disk Clean up now in Settings panel (old one still there, for now)
Under Storage Settings, you can now clean your disk freeing up storage. You can clean, like the old Disk Cleaner utility of Windows, old Windows installs, Temp files, Thumbnail cache, Recycling Bin, Temp. Internet Files (for IE and Edge), etc.

 

Fonts

 

 

Font management has been added to the Settings panel under Personalization > Fonts.

Designed for developers, the Font preview panel allows you to preview your own text, and not some generic one, by typing what you want to see in the preview in a box, and you can adjust the width and size via sliders.

You can also now download and purchase fonts from the Store app.
 

Revamp Ease of Access Settings

 

Ease of Access section of the Settings panels got revamp and reorganized, with the inclusion of group separation in the menu navigation. The changes reflect the ongoing effort to implement Fluent Design language that the company is going with, and to have the Settings panel be the central to manage all OS options. Expect more of this in the future.

Chinese text appears better than ever.

 

Microsoft has reworked the Microsoft Yahei Font to improve readability of simplified Chinese.

 

Touch Keyboard

•              Touch screen keyboard Fluent Design

   

  •         The on-screen touch keyboard got the Fluent Design treatment
•              More language

   

  •          Over 190 keyboard layouts have been added to the OS

Handwriting panel Improvements

 

•              Streamlined text insertion and removal
  •           You can now insert/remove spaces and commit an entry via new pen gestures. Draw a “split” gesture between two words in the handwriting panel by drawing a vertical line between them. More space will be created where you drew the line so that you can write more in the newly-created space. As a reminder you can also draw a split gesture inside a word to break apart the word and ink more characters in the new space.
    
       
    
    

 

•  

           Improved re-recognition of words including Hindi
•         Embedded Handwriting panel on UWP apps, as you tap a text box with your pen, the text box will grow and allow you to write inside.
•            Improved Text suggestions for Japanese language
•   You can now choose a different font for the text being displayed in the input panel. The choices are now: Segoe UI (default), Segoe Print, and Segoe Script

 

Text suggestions as you type on a physical keyboard

 

Text suggestion on supported apps used to be only for touch screen keyboard. Now it is coming even if you use an actual keyboard. To enable the feature, make sure English (United States) language is added in Settings > Time & languages > Region & languages, then set this feature to “On” by enabling the “Show text suggestions as I type on hardware keyboard” setting under Settings > Devices > Typing.

 

Emoji Panel

 

You can now insert multiple emoji’s at once from the emoji panel, and supports more languages

 

 

 

Start menu

 

            Jump to the UWP app Settings from the right-click menu
           

 

 

 

Data settings for cellular usage

 

A variety of options has been added to Windows 10 to improve data management of LTE powered devices. Like your cellphone, you can now make your system switch to LTE if Wi-Fi is poor, force switch to Wi-Fi if you are close to your limit on your data plan, and more.

From there you can directly configure the app Privacy options related to it, force terminate it, Reset, manage the app DLC and add-ons if any, and Uninstall the app.

 

 

High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF).

 

Windows now support HEIF formatted image. This means that now the Photo app can view them.

 

Edge

Edge isn't left out, of course, and got a nice set of features

• You can now mute a tab from the right-clicking on the tab, or hitting the speaker icon on the tab.
• Auto Fill forms (here is a demo video of it:
  )
• Push notification. Edge now support Service Workers and push notifications
• Offline website. Edge finally support offline websites.
• Ability to adjust the text spacing like on eBooks in Reading View
• Ability to save free EPUB (eBooks) books on your system.
• Managed acquired EPUB books in Edge by right-clicking on them:
  
• Fluent Design
• Redesigned Favorites/History/Download/Reading List/Books panel. The new look is no longer a cram mess, but rather, a polished experience.
• EPUB and Reading View now has some grammar options, where you can have Edge highlight adjectives or verbs or Nouns
• New full screen reading experience
• Improve roaming of Table of Content and inserted Notes and highlights.
• EPUB Media Overlay support
• Option to never save passwords for a site
• In Private Mode, you can now have Edge auto fill passwords that were previously saved
• In Private Mode now supports Extensions
• Dev tools of Edge can now be dock not only at the bottom of the web browser, or make it a floating panel, but it can be put on the right side.

 

For the Devs

Windows Subsystem for Linux

·        You can now run WSL in the background

·        Elevated and non-elevated WSL instances can run simultaneously

 

·        WSL is now supported when connected via OpenSSH, VPN, Enter-PSSession, and/or other similar Windows remoting tools

·        Wslpath tool has been added to convert Linux path to Windows-friendly paths

 

Windows

·        Windows Command line now support CURL and bsdtar (tar)

·        Unix style socket are now available (AF_UNIX)

 

 

For the IT

·          New GPO can be set for Deliver Optimization options (Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Delivery Optimization)

·          New “Registry” Process in the Task Manager, showing you the registry hive loaded in memory by the registry.Microsoft says:

Quote

In recent Insider Preview builds, you may have noticed a new process labelled “Registry” in Task Manager. The purpose of this process is similar to that of the memory compression store process in that it is a minimal process whose address space is used to hold data on behalf of the kernel. However, while the memory compression process is used to hold compressed pages, the registry process is used to hold registry hive data (e.g. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE, HKEY_CURRENT_USER).

 

Storing registry hive data in the registry process gives the registry access to more powerful memory management capabilities which will allow us to reduce the registry’s memory usage in the future.

 

Today’s Insider Preview build is the first to store hive data in the registry process and this is visible in Task Manager as increased memory usage by that process. Since this data was previously in kernel paged pool there is also a corresponding decrease in paged pool usage so overall there is no net change in hive data memory usage.

 

 

Getting the Update

 

There is no exact release dates, but it should be coming in several days. As always, the update will be released in waves.

 

Here is a good overview of many of the changes in this new version:

 

 

Reminder

I recommend the following before upgrading the latest version:

• Backup your data before upgrading, if you are forcing it, as if it is not released yet for you, you are not part of the wave or your system configuration has been reported to have issue that needs to be resolved first by Microsoft.
• Uninstall your A/V and security software (beside Windows Defender), and restart your PC, before upgrading. Install them back once the update is complete. Normally it should be no problem if you ensure your security software are fully updated before starting the process, but just in case, as they are always reported issues since ever when it comes to these big updates (from Service Packs updates from the old days, to Windows 10 update builds)
• If you used a registry cleaner at some point, you increased your chances of having a broken experience after upgrade
• If you have had a virus or malware on your system that executed, as your A/V didn't catch it in time, then remember that your A/V doesn't fix registry changes or system file changes, and that can lead to broken Windows or failed update.
• Ensure that ALL your drivers are FULLY updated before starting the upgrade process (Keyboard (if any), Mouse (if any), Motherboard chipset, Audio, Graphics card, peripherals, and any other cards installed)

 

What's After?

• Code name Redstone 5. It will be the last version with the code name "Redstone" in the name.
• It is expected to further push the fluent design
• It is expected that Cortana to be moved from the Search box to the Action Center. We see part of it already being the case with this new update.
• Tabs everywhere, called Sets. You can create groups of apps Win32 and UWP, including mixing them, and folders, which you can switch between, save/restore.

 

What was Before?

Spoiler

 

 

Sources and pictures: https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/tag/windows-insider-program/#f20JRcOPBKi1PbX2.97

 

 

[ThreePinkApples]

A really great post, as always. I hadn't heard about the audio sources change before now, and I really dig it. 
Also, the SDR brightness on HDR, plus the HDR calibration is going to be nice.

[3 Lions]

I've just had it installed tonight and seems very stable so far. 

[Demonking]

I dread this update cause i know its going to break something i just know it. Last time it broke my video editing software so that every time i edited a video the video would be brighten for no reason. had to buy Vegas 14 pro that wasn't affected by it.

[Drak3]

Win Pro for Workstations also has a new power mode tuat is supposed to be higher performance than their highest option.

[Trixanity]

I was under the impression it was postponed at the last minute with no fixed release. Has Microsoft announced an actual timeframe yet?

[AshleyAshes]

4 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

Spring Creator Update (look like it may be called simply: Next)

[LAwLz]

Sigh... More stuff I don't care about or dislike, and barely anything I want.

I guess HEIF support is nice. I just hope this won't take any focus away from AVIF.

[Drak3]

9 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

Sigh... More stuff I don't care about or dislike, and barely anything I want.

Join the club. At the very least, they haven't taken away anything good.

[Orangeator]

Yes, better high DPI scaling... Finally! I am one of the rare ones that uses a 27inch 4k display at 200% scaling. I love that crispy high DPI look. Cannot see a pixel. Now this should fix a lot of applications that have poor high DPI scaling. I'm actually looking forward to this update.

[suicidalfranco]

more bloat

more things to disable

more things to try to remove

[Bcat00]

The two Gpu allocation update is very interesting for me.

i run 3 monitors and the extra pixel for the two extra 4k panels do eat into my frames when gaming despite not using them.

 

maybe I can use my old 760gtx for the other 2 when it comes out?

[Tieox]

Grabbed this update tonight as wanted to give a whirl, I have to admit the new privacy controls are a welcome measure, will spend sometime tommorow evening though and have a deeper looksie

 

 

[themctipers]

just a reminder to everyone to do this, now, please,

before windows:

-changes your hdd from gpt to mbr

-changes your SSD! from gpt to mbr

-moves your boot partition from SSD -> HDD
-unfixable because you cant just MBR to GPT without CLEAN and you can't just make a new one because it's MBR and not GPT on SSD ! need to fucking reinstall

[captain_to_fire]

7 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

Uninstall your A/V and security software (beside Windows Defender), and restart your PC, before upgrading. Install them back once the update is complete

I don't think one needs to uninstall his/her preferred AV program just to install the spring creators update. I was able to install the FCU with my preferred AV only that the AV needs to be up to date and that's the only time the FCU installation will proceed so I think it's the same thing with the current one.

 

Edit: The update is available now https://www.pcauthority.com.au/news/windows-10-spring-creators-update-is-due-to-launch-today-488728

 

7 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

With Nearby Share enabled on your PC (Bluetooth required) from the Action Center, you can send via the Share menu a link or file to a PC near you. Simply hit the Share button and pick the PC from the list, and boom that selected PC will get it.

I think this is similar to Apple's AirDrop. Just saying.

Edited April 11, 2018 by hey_yo_

[vanished]

That audio thing looks pretty cool.  Glad to see HomeGroup go away too, we don't need that.  Never understood it.  Renaming Quiet Hours was stupid imo, that name was better and people already knew it.

[Jito463]

7 hours ago, AshleyAshes said:

8 whole megabytes?  Wow!

 

Kidding aside, that's still 8 times more than my first computer (Commodore Amiga 2000) had, and nearly 13 times more than my first IBM compatible (AMD 486 DX/2 66MHz), which had a whopping 640 KB of RAM.

[Shadestones]

I was hoping we'd see the update today, but I can wait a little longer. These new improvements/features are very exciting!

[Doobeedoo]

Heh, another update with Creators name. Just kinda reminds me that they're updating many UI and UX things in fragments.

 

Fluent Design getting updated in chunks, so I guess it will take time until it's complete.

Activity History or Timeline can be handy. 

Windows update reduced downtime is neat. I wonder will they make it one day that restarts are no longer needed at all.

Good to see more work being done as far as DPI scaling and HDR support. 

Settings getting updated though it needs to merge with Control Panel all together and make good use of space and be intuitive more.

Edge is good but it needs to be separated as far as Windows updates so it can get improved more frequently and not so rarely.

 

Sets will be interesting once that's out later on. Also File Explorer native tabs. But what they also need to do for it is make an actual Dark theme for File Explorer already.

[Donut417]

So to hoping I dont get this update till very late in the year. Because you damn well know its going to be broken as shit, like every other major update for Windows 10. 

[Notional]

Apparently a breaking bug has delayed the release of this update. Who knows when it will be rolled out now.

[dionkoffie]

Paused my updates until May. I'll wait for the bugs to be fixed before I update my PC.

[Ginger_]

This looks really good. Lots of fixes and small details that make things easier, I really like it

[NumLock21]

The comments in that yt video is filled with morons. Want to disable every single feature mentioned in this new update. They might as well just throw away every single modern device they have and go back to using a type writer.

[captain_to_fire]

49 minutes ago, Doobeedoo said:

Heh, another update with Creators name. Just kinda reminds me that they're updating many UI and UX th

I’ll wait for Windows 10 Musicians Update with new features including voice recording app with built in auto tune