Latest Windows 10 Creators Update PC test build enables update pausing and lots more
More often that not, Windows 10 test builds include only a few, incremental feature tweaks and updates since the previous build. But Windows 10 Creators Update Build 15002 for PC testers in the Fast Ring includes quite a few new features across all facets of the system.
As leaks over the past week or so indicated, there is now a new option for users to pause updates for up to 35 days in this build. To enable this, testers should go to Advanced options of Windows Update Settings. This will be available only to those with Professional, Education and Enterprise editions of Windows.
Microsoft also added an option to allow users to decide whether or not to include driver updates when updating Windows. Again, this is only for Professional, Education and Enterprise versions.
Windows Information Protection (WIP) improvements are part of Build 15002, including the ability to place work files on removable drives. Users will get a warning when opening WIP files in un-allowed applications.
A "small set" of Insider devices also will be enabled to test a coming Windows 10 Creators Update feature meant to improve WIndows battery life. Those involved in this test may see one or more applications reported as "throttled" in the task manager.
There's a new "Refresh Windows" on demand inside the Windows Defender app as of Build 15002. This is an option for those whose PCs are running slow, crashing or unable to update Windows. This option reinstalls and updates Windows while keeping personal files and some Windows settings. More details on this Refresh Windows option are in this Forum post.
Microsoft is planning to make Cortana part of the out-of-the-box setup experience for users who want to use Cortana to get their PCs set up initially. The first steps toward this goal are part of today's test build.
There are improvements inside Settings meant to help users get to the right option. There's a new category called "Apps" which includes app-related settings that used to be under System Settings. There are also new device settings for managing devices and peripherals. Windows can lower the amount of blue light emitted from PCs at night using a new Blue light settings option with this build.
For Edge browser users, there's now a Tab preview bar feature allowing users to see visual previews of all the tabs they have open without leaving their page. The ability to set a group of tabs aside is another Edge feature new to this build, as is the ability to launch a new window for Edge straight from its Taskbar icon.
As Microsoft said would happen, untrusted Flash content is now blocked by default, as of this build, unless a user makes an explicit choice to play it. And with 15002, Edge now includes preview support for a new Payment Request application programming interface that makes checkout easier from inside a browser.
With 15002, users can now group Start tiles into folders if they prefer to do so by dragging and dropping a tile on top of another tile in the Start menu. There are also more new sharing options so that users get more options to share from inside the apps they are using.
Users who want to capture a particular region of their screens and copy to the clipboard for pasting now have that option, as of Build 15002. This option works like OneNote 2016's screenshot feature and can also be activated using Win+Shift+S.
Microsoft is continuing to try to improve high-DPI support in this build for desktop apps. Some Windows desktop apps will get these enhancements by default, but users also can opt to enable them for other apps, using the instructions in the January 9 blog post outlining what's new in 15002. There are also improvements in this build to make resizing Universal Windows Platform apps smoother during resizing.
Today's build includes improvements aimed at making VPN access simpler via changes to the Network flyout. There's a new "set as metered connection" option for Ethernet LAN connections, as well.
Today's PC test build has more options for Windows Ink controls, and some tweaks designed to make discovery of Cortana's app-specific commands easier. With 15002, the keyboard shortcut to invoke Cortana in listening mode is changing to Win+C (though this shortcut is off by default).
The built-in Windows Defender app in Windows 10 is getting updated with 15002 with new options for running scans, improvements to family options and general bug fixes. In Insider test builds, the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is now a Green Screen of Death (GSOD). Released versions of Windows 10 will include BSODs, not green ones.
The January 9 blog post on 15002 includes a list of other various improvements, changes and known issues and is worth reading before installing this build. Microsoft is working on making installation media (ISOs) available for 15002 "in the next week" to Windows Insiders, officials said.
Windows 10 Creators Update is due out this spring. The original ship target of March 2017 is now looking like April 2017, according to reports.