Windows 10 build 17704 for PC: Everything you need to know

Microsoft is releasing Windows x build 17704 to testers with devices enrolled in the Fast ring and Skip Ahead lane. This is the seventeenth preview that the company is rolling out, and it tin be considered i of the virtually pregnant rollouts that Insiders had received equally part of the Redstone 5 evolution with a slew of improvements and new features.

In this flight, Windows 10 ships with significant visual changes on Microsoft Edge. The typing experience gets new Bogus Intelligence (AI) insights to help y'all type more than efficiently. Video playback works improve in very bright environments. You tin can now install fonts on a per-user basis. Microsoft continues its gradual rollout of Fluent Design. Windows Defender can at present stop suspicious behaviors, and a lot more than.

In this Windows x guide, we'll swoop deep and prove you lot the latest improvements and features included in the latest preview, which are expected to arrive with the Redstone five update.

Windows 10 Redstone 5 latest changes

Here are the most disquisitional changes that Microsoft has been working on the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview:

Start and Search

On the search experience, Windows x is updating the search logic with new keywords to make information technology easier to find settings. For example, search for "rename" will display View your PC name, which y'all can use to change your device'due south proper noun.

File Explorer

Staring with this flight, you lot'll notice that the night theme for File Explorer has received some tweaks making the feel a trivial more consummate. You lot'll encounter a new lighter shade of dark color in the background and ribbon, and the File bill of fare now includes a darker black color.

Also, the size filter sorting in File Explorer has been updated with new options, including Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Huge, and Gigantic are now defined as 0 – 10KB, 16KB – 1MB, 1MB to 128MB, 128MB – 1GB, 1GB – 4GB, and > 4GB.

Clipboard

In this Redstone 5 preview, Windows ten is updating its new deject-powered clipboard experience with a few new features. When using the Windows key + V keyboard shortcut, you'll at present exist able to enable the clipboard history if disabled.

Within the Windows key + 5 experience, you'll likewise now see an selection to clear all your clipboard history, instead of having to use the Settings app.

In addition, when using the touch keyboard, you lot'll find the clipboard push visible in the candidate pane. If you tap the push button, it'll open up the clipboard history.

Interface

The Windows x user interface is also getting some tweaks. For instance, in the Settings app, when accessing driblet-down menus, you'll notice that the menu now uses the transparent Acrylic result part of the Fluent Design System.

Likewise, Windows 10 is updating the inbox text controls using the CommandBarFlyout control, which allows a new modern design context menu that includes the Fluent Design Acrylic effect and options, such as cut, copy, paste, undo, and select all using touch on, likewise every bit options to bold, italicize, and more.

Organization

Previously, to install fonts required administrator permissions, and fonts always installed for all users. Starting with the Redstone v update, fonts tin can be installed per account, and users no longer require admin rights to install them from the Microsoft Shop or font file.

Likewise, when right-clicking a font file that you may have obtained from another source, you lot'll meet an Install option that doesn't crave summit, and a new Install for all users that will require administrator permissions.

Settings

Windows 10 build 17704 delivers many improvements and changes to the Settings app.

On Settings > System > Brandish, the Advanced display page now includes a drib-down menu that allows you to select and change settings when you have multiple monitors.

On Settings > System > Sound, the Device properties page for output and input devices include an option to disable your speakers or microphone.

If supported, Windows x volition listing DTS:X in the list of spatial audio technology that you can apply.

Besides, in that location'south a new Manage audio devices page with options to exam and disable output and input devices.

On Settings > System > Notifications & actions, the Add or remove quick deportment page lists a agglomeration of new button that tin appear in Action Center, including Brightness, Colour profile, Cellular, Mobile Hotspot, and Wi-Fi.

On Settings > Organisation > Storage, the Change how we free up space automatically page has been updated to include an option to make unused OneDrive files and folders online-only to help y'all free upwardly space on your device.

Using this new option, you tin can decide if content should go online-only when they haven't been used in the final twenty-four hours, or 14, thirty, or lx days.

In addition, under Storage sense, the Run Storage sense driblet-downward menu renamed the When windows determine pick to During low free disk space.

On Settings > System, the Clipboard page reveals a new option "Get an app to sync clipboard items to your phone" when enabling the Sync across devices pick.

Clicking this option opens the experience to link your Android or iPhone to your estimator. Yet, information technology appears that the clipboard history across platforms isn't even so enabled.

On Settings > Devices, the Typing folio has been updated with a new feature that uses Microsoft'due south AI to help you lot type more efficiently.

In this page, you'll notice a new How AI helped y'all department. When clicking the Typing insights selection, you volition access a new page that shows you lot stats on the number of times Windows x has helped you lot to auto-complete and suggested words, the number of keystrokes that have been saved, spelling corrections, and swiped words.

According to Microsoft, this new feature only covers stats for typing insights for hardware and software keyboard predictions features.

If you don't like the insights, you can always turn off the Typing insights toggle switch to disable it.

Nether the More keyboard settings section of the Typing page, you lot'll now discover the new Suggestions, and autocorrections option to admission the page to control in which languages should the SwiftKey feature should show suggestions and autocorrections.

On Settings > Apps > Apps & features, the Installing apps department replaces the Let apps from anywhere options with the Plow off apps recommendations, and adds the Testify me app recommendations option.

On Settings > Apps, the Video playback pane now includes a new Adjust video based on lighting toggle switch, which when enabled, improves the visibility of videos when viewing them in a very bright environment. However, for this characteristic to work, your device must include a light sensor.

On Settings > Time & Language, the Region page now shows your current settings for regional format data.

If you want to change these settings, you lot need to click the Change information formats selection. (Previously, you lot're able to modify these settings from the chief Region's page.)

On Settings > Ease of Access, the Display settings page includes some tweaks that make the Make text bigger settings a picayune clearer.

On Settings > Ease of Access, the Narrator folio has been updated to include a new Choose keyboard settings section with a driblet-downward menu to select the desired keyboard layout, and there's some other drib-downwards menu to choose the desire Narrator modifier cardinal.

Also, as part of Windows 10 build 17704, when launching Narrator, you lot'll get a new Quickstart tutorial feel to help y'all start using Narrator with essential features.

If y'all demand boosted aid, at the bottom of Quickstart, you'll observe a link to a more comprehensive User Guide to larn more than near Narrator.

Finally, on build 17704, Microsoft has updated the Ease of Access flyout in the sign-in screen to enable or disable Narrator more than easily.

On Settings, the Cortana & Search department goes back to being just Cortana.

As well, in the Cortana beyond my devices page, you'll no longer discover the "Help me pick up where I left off on other devices" pick.

On Settings, the Spoken language, inking, & typing page is divided into two pages, including Spoken language and Inking & typing personalization, but at that place are not any new changes in the set of options.

On Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, in the Avant-garde options page there's a new choice that allows you to control whether to run into a notification when your device requires a restart to complete the update and show an alert later on a successful update.

On Settings > Update & Security, the Troubleshoot page has been updated with a new recommended troubleshooting characteristic to allow Windows x to use the troubleshooting steps when known problems appear automatically.

The page fifty-fifty includes an pick to see a history of the times that Windows 10 ran troubleshooting steps automatically.

Microsoft Edge

The software giant is likewise pushing a slew of improvements for Microsoft Edge.

Kickoff of all, Border version 43.17704 (with EdgeHTML version 18.17704) introduces a new app icon that reads "BETA" to make it articulate that testers are using a piece of work in progress products.

As part of the design improvements, y'all'll find small changes in the look of the tab bar that adds a new depth event to emphasize the active tab meliorate.

The main bill of fare (...) has been reworked to brand settings more comfortable to navigate and brand it faster to find common options. For example, the new carte at present includes the "New Tab," "New window," and "New InPrivate window" buttons front end and center in a horizontal alignment.

Using the Evidence in toolbar carte du jour, you can now add and remove items from the toolbar, including extensions.

You'll likewise notice that options, such as "Add notes," "Cast media to device," "Open with Internet Explorer," "Pin this page to the taskbar," "Pin this page to Start," and "Developer Tools" now announced nether the More than tools sub-bill of fare. Also, there's a tertiary sub-bill of fare at the bottom to admission help, written report sites, tips, and more than.

Perhaps i of the most meaning changes on build 17704 for Microsoft Border is the new Settings experience, which uses the same blueprint found in the Hub experience with a broader interface and collapsible navigation pane on the left.

Also, the Edge settings are now broken down into four pages, including "General," "Privacy & security," "Countersign & autofill," and "Advanced" to better organize the options with less clutter on each page.

Alongside the facelift in the Settings, Microsoft Edge is also gaining a new characteristic that allows you to control whether media can play automatically.

This new option is available in the "Advanced settings" page, under the Media autoplay section, and it includes three options:

Allow — Default option that continues to play the video when a tab first viewed in the foreground.
Limit — Stops autoplay when videos are muted, but when clicking anywhere on the page, autoplay will exist enabled again.
Block — Prevents videos from car-playing until you interact with the video. However, this option may not work every bit expected on some websites due to enforcement design.

Finally, Windows ten will now prove a new icon for PDF documents in File Explorer when Border is the default app for this file format.

Windows Security

Microsoft is also announcing various changes for the Windows Security app.

In the Virus & threat protection section, inside the Virus & threat protection settings page (clicking the Manage settings option), you lot'll at present find a new Block suspicious behaviors feature, which uses Windows Defender Exploit Baby-sit to prevent specific apps and files behaviors that may infect your device.

In the Virus & threat protection section, inside the Ransomware protection page (clicking the Manage settings option) there's a new pick to whitelist apps previously blocked without having to completely disabled the Controlled folder access characteristic.

To whitelist an app that has been blocked, click the Permit an app through Controlled folder admission choice, click the Add together an allowed app button, choose the Recently blocked apps, and select the app you lot want to enable.

In the Device performance & health section, if the wrong time is detected on your device, and time-syncing is disabled, you'll now come across an choice to re-enable it.

In the Settings section of Windows Security, y'all'll notice a new Security providers section that allows you to see a list of all security software running on your device, including antivirus, firewall, and spider web protection.

The folio will help y'all to quickly open the apps, or find more than details to resolve issues reported through the Windows Security app. As a result of this change, the app will surface more links to other security apps on your devices.

Although Microsoft is touting some enhancements on Windows Security with this flight, some of them were already included in build 17692.

Diagnostic Data Viewer

As part of the Redstone v development, Microsoft is likewise pushing an updated version of its Diagnostic Data Viewer app with a new interface, and visual tweaks, such as the filter button relocated to the right side of the search box.

Also, this new version of the app lets you view trouble reports uploaded to the Microsoft servers likewise as the information that triggered the written report.

Job Manager

In this preview, Windows 10 is likewise improving the Processes tab of Task Manager, which at present includes two new columns, "Power usage" and "Power usage trend," to display the energy usage of running processes.

Co-ordinate to the company, this should assistance for users to determine which applications and services are using the about power.

Power usage: Provides a real-time view of the app or service power usage.
Power usage trend: Offers a ability usage tendency over the last two minutes of the app or service.

Snipping Tool

The Snipping Tool isn't getting new features, just as a result of the new Screen Sketch app taking over the screen captures on Windows 10, the old experience will brandish a alert that the app volition be removed in future updates. However, you'll still exist able to use it for the time being.

Additional improvements

Along with all the features and changes, build 17704 also ships with a few additional improvements.

In this flight, Windows Mixed Reality includes Quick Deportment while in an Immersive Application, which you can use to Go Habitation, check the time, or launch the Mixed Reality Capture tools (including Video, Photo, and more).

Shape writing support is now available for English (Commonwealth of australia).

On a related topic, the Microsoft Font Maker is being introduced, and information technology'southward a simple app that allows y'all to use the pen to create a custom font using your handwriting. If you want to give it a effort, the app is available through the Microsoft Store.

Aslope this preview, the software giant is rolling out a new version of Skype, which includes an improved one-to-i and grouping calling feel, better screen sharing, and new contact layout, new option to take screenshots, and the opportunity to personalize the interface with colour and theme.

Finally, starting with Windows 10 build 17704, Microsoft is removing the Sets feature as it'southward no longer expected to arrive with the release of the Redstone 5 update. However, the company says that Sets will return in the futurity, but didn't specify when it'll happen.

Wrapping things up

As we slowly begin to arroyo the conclusion of the Redstone v development, Windows x build 17704 arrives giving the states a more complete picture of the characteristic and changes expected to come later this yr.

However, there'southward still a lot of work to exist done, and information technology's not recommended to install pre-releases of Windows 10 on your primary automobile.

If you're thinking to test this preview, y'all should install it on a spare computer or virtual machine. Or at to the lowest degree, you should create a total backup of your entire system before installing any Windows Insider Preview, in case something doesn't go as planned, and you need to rollback to the previous version.

What are your thoughts on the progress that Microsoft has fabricated on Windows 10? Tell us in the comments.

More Windows x resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to mutual questions about Windows x visit the post-obit resources:

Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you demand to know
Windows ten help, tips, and tricks
Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

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