Windows 10 Spring 2018 Update

As of April 30, 2018, a new update is rolling out. It was once upon a time to be called the Spring Creator’s Update. I am not sure what happened to that name. Whatever, the update will bring your version number up to 1803.

Here it is May 7 and I am still running Version 10.0.16299 Build 16299…

Fierce...

Fierce…

If you really want the update you can get it here: download instructions.

This version will have the Timeline Feature. This feature will enhance what you see when your press Windows-key + Tab. Try it. Mine shows the programs I currently have running. The newer version will show the current programs and previously run programs, opened docs, and viewed web pages.

A future version of this feature is to include a history of what has been happening on all your devices… 

The feature Nearby Sharing is getting an enhancement. If your Win 10 device has Bluetooth, it will have more ability to share files among your devices.

The Windows Diagnostic tool will be able to show you what information Windows sends to Microsoft… Sure. Microsoft is trying to be ‘transparent’. So, part of the feature will allow you to look into the Microsoft database to see what info they have about your device…

This update will improve the Win 10 device to more easily pair with other Bluetooth devices.

In the Windows Store, we will have Progressive Web Apps… This is a whole big thing. The idea is to improve web apps that behave like local apps. So, I take it they mean more cloud-apps that behave like local apps.

I suppose this means you could run a GMAIL app like you run Outlook now…

Microsoft is improving the speed of update installs. The idea is to reduce the time you spend waiting for updates to install. I doubt they can make the install faster. But, they may be able to push the update into the background and allow you to continue working.

In line with this, there is a change to block SLEEP. Your computer will stay awake longer if an update needs to install.

This coming version will get better fonts management and easier font installs from the MS Store. I have something like 3,000+ fonts that I manage with Extensis Suitcase.

You’ll be thrilled to hear Microsoft Edge, the Internet Explorer replacement, is being improved. It will gain the ability to remember your name and address and fill in forms… O.O  I think that feature was added to Google Chrome when Thomas Jefferson was editing his Bible…

Another thrill is the browsers ability to allow push notifications to be injected into Windows Notifications sidebar even with Edge is closed…

Those with touchpads get gestures.

Cortana gets an organizer that lets you better manage lists… and you will no longer be able to disable Cortana’s web search feature.

Win 10’s People app is getting updates. Previously you could pin 3 people (contacts) to your taskbar. That updates to 10.

Win 10 gets a calibration tool for HDR (High Dynamic Range) video… Whether you can see HDR is more dependent on your monitor and graphics card than it is Windows.

Win 10 gets a graphics settings page to balance performance and quality on an app by app basis. Think individual game control. If you have an NVIDIA or AMD/ATI card you have this already.

Win 10 is going to give you control over which apps can access your device’s camera.

The Windows HomeGroup used by many home networks is going away. I am curious how well they will handle this. Windows network is still part of Windows. You’ll be able to network. But, if you are using the HomeGroup, things will have to change.

Apple’s HEIF, High-Efficiency Image Format, is built into this version. So, those Apple iPhone images will be everywhere. Google is said to be adding the format to Android.

Win 10 will allow you to use no-password access. It requires an app on your iPhone or Android. Also, login gets challenge questions that appear on the lock screen. So, forget your password and you have a chance to answer the challenge questions and still get in.

OneDrive is likely going to be more annoying.

The Game Bar is redesigned.

The snipping tool gets an ‘edit’ feature that pops you into 3DPaint.

…and a whole bunch more geeky changes that are putting me to sleep…

So, do we want this update? Fortunately, it is free. But, no word yet about the update and how well it does or doesn’t work with Second Life. My assumption is it won’t be a problem.

2 thoughts on “Windows 10 Spring 2018 Update

  1. “You’ll be thrilled to hear Microsoft Edge, the Internet Explorer replacement, is being improved. It will gain the ability to remember your name and address and fill in forms… O.O I think that feature was added to Google Chrome when Thomas Jefferson was editing his Bible…”

    That paragraph was an emotion roller coaster of eye-rolling surprise to nod-worthy amusement. 🙂

    I replaced my excruciatingly slow laptop a few weeks ago, with another HP Pavilion refurb. It’s one of the newest machines I’ve ever had, just 1-2 years from its initial release. But that gap was more than enough. Between normal routine patches, the fall 1709 update, and the spring 1803 update, I was in a near constant loop of updates and reboots for days.

    But what really irked me the most was all crapware games the updates put on my computer, and that it kept putting the Edge icon back on the task bar every-time another big update was done. But since all of that, I have had zero interruption from updates and it’s all run smoothly in the background. So there are pros to it – the new gaming bar is actually kinda slick. Though it would be nice to really be able to uninstall anything I don’t need, like Edge and Cortana, without major updates forcing them back onto my hard drive.

    But overall I’d say the spring creator’s update was a lot less hassles than it could’ve been. Which is often the best thing you can say about all Windows OS bits and bobs.

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