Windows 10 build 18298 (and earlier) for PC: Everything you need to know

Windows ten build 18298 is now available for download on PCs enrolled in the Fast band of the Windows Insider programme. This is the fifteenth preview that Microsoft releases for the 19H1 development, and even though it's a relatively small update, we're getting a number of features and improvements expected to go far in the first half of 2022.

This flight brings a couple of tweaks for File Explorer. Using the Settings app, you tin can now configure a security primal. Notepad receives a agglomeration of welcome improvements. If yous use Command Prompt or another console, you can now configure more than settings using the new Terminal tab. Build 18298 also unveils a new interface when installing Windows 10 using an ISO, Narrator gets a slew of changes, and a lot more.

Alongside build 18298, Windows 10 build 18290 recently released to testers every bit well, without significant changes, but with some interesting improvements.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll accept a closer look at the latest changes and improvements coming one-time next year.

Windows ten build 18298

Here'southward everything that the Windows team has been working in the final two Insider preview builds for the next version of Windows ten.

Start menu and search

Starting with build 18290, when you click the Power button, y'all'll notice a new set of icons for Sleep, Close down, and Restart.

The new iconography as well expands to the profile menu, including for Change business relationship settings, Lock, and Sign out options.

When using the Search interface in the taskbar, now there's a new landing page to display your contempo activities. In addition, the experience now includes light theme support with the acrylic effect at the peak of the page where the filters are located.

Finally, the power button will now prove an orange indicator to let you know that a restart is required to apply an update.

Taskbar

The taskbar isn't getting a lot of changes, but the orange indicator will also appear in the notification for the Windows Update icon letting you lot know that a reboot is awaiting to apply a cumulative update.

Too, starting with the preview build 18290, when hovering over the microphone icon that appears in the notification expanse, it now shows the proper name of the app accessing your microphone. If there is more than 1 app accessing the mic, you'll see the number of apps accessing the device. Also, if y'all double-click the icon, you tin access the Microphone folio in the Settings app.

File Explorer

Windows 10 build 18298, File Explorer is getting a new default icon with a blueprint that aligns with the iconography design that Microsoft has been showing off for its Office apps.

In addition, the "Downloads" folder now has been configured to sort the content to show the most recent downloaded files at the top. While information technology'southward a minor adjustment, information technology's a welcome change that will aid users to find content faster as most users don't change the default name of internet files, and then it becomes almost impossible to notice them.

As well, using the folders options, it's now possible to select an choice to show dates in a conversational format. For instance, "12 minutes ago," instead of "12/12/2018 10:58 AM," which makes information technology harder to sympathize.

Game bar

If you play games on Windows 10, beginning with build 18298, yous're getting an updated version of the Game bar, which introduces a new gallery experience, which allows you to view screenshots and videos without having to step out of the game. And there's even an choice to share images directly to your Twitter followers.

Image source: Microsoft

Settings

Windows 10 build 18298 and build 18290 are also bringing several changes to the Settings app.

Colors

On Settings > Personalization, the Colors isn't getting new settings, but with build 18298, the "Transparency furnishings" choice has been updated so that when you lot plow off the toggle switch, information technology will too disable the transparency with blur effect in the Sign-in screen.

Accounts

On Settings > Accounts, the Sign-in options page is getting another update with Windows 10 build 18298 to include an pick to configure a security key (physical key) that you can use to securely sign in to your account.

To set up a new key, select the "Security Key" selection, click the Manage push, and follow the on-screen directions.

Also, you'll notice that the sign-in options now announced at the top of the page, instead of below the "Require sign-in" settings.

Engagement & Time

On Settings > Time & Language, the Engagement & time settings page introduces a new pick to synchronize your clock with the time server. Co-ordinate to the company, this option volition come in handy if the clock goes out of sync, or when the fourth dimension service has been disabled.

One time you click the Sync now button, you'll notice that the exact time when the clock was successfully updated and the time server that your device is using. (The pick was originally introduced with Windows 10 build 18290.)

Cursor & pointer

On Settings > Ease of Access, the Cursor & pointer page now includes a slider to specified the pointer size, and under the "Change arrow color" section, you can at present pick the color wheel option to change the color of the pointer. Yous'll run across a list of suggested colors that you tin can cull, only y'all tin always click the plus (+) push button to create a custom color.

Narrator

On Settings > Ease of Access, the Narrator page now includes an option to remove the "Narrator Abode" from the "Alt + Tab" list, instead of minimizing the experience in the notification area.

Under the "Alter what you hear when reading and interacting" section, at that place are five new verbosity levels to command the amount of data you hear, and you can now cycle through all them using the Narrator + V shortcut.

By default, the cursor always stays in the place you left information technology, simply now, under the "Use Narrator Cursor" section, you accept a new option to have it follow the Narrator cursor with the Motion my cursor with the Narrator cursor as Narrator reads text option.

Microphone and Camera

On Settings > Privacy, the Microphone and Photographic camera pages volition at present show which apps are using your camera or microphone with a "Currently in utilize" label. (This comeback is bachelor starting with build 18298.)

Delivery Optimization

On Settings > Update & Security, the Evangelize Optimization page isn't getting new settings with build 18290, but the feature at present supports LEDBAT to forestall congestions and allow peer-to-peer upload traffic to ho-hum downwards instantly when the network is utilized for college priority traffic.

Input

In the latest 19H1 preview for Windows ten, the touch on keyboard feel is getting an update to help y'all type faster with more than accuracy.

Basically, the on-screen keyboard now can analyze your typing and dynamically adjust the hit target for the keys to accurately predict the cardinal you intend to printing.

Image source: Microsoft

Too, there are some new improvements that should assist prevent the touch keyboard from getting in the mode of a text field.

If y'all use dictation, the timeout period when dictating has been modified from five to 10 seconds.

Accessibility

In a continued effort to make Windows 10 more than inclusive, build 18298 introduces additional improvements for Narrator, including a new "Narrator Home" that will appear every time that you start the feel, and it features everything you need to know to use Narrator.

If yous want to read aloud the unabridged link, you can now use the Narrator + 0 shortcut.

Narrator no longer announces "not-selected" in a table when the aria-selected isn't set, when you exit and re-enter a tabular array if reading a single table continuously, or when navigating to a nested tabular array.

You tin can now apply capitalization reading in all reading modes, and you lot tin plough this characteristic on or off using the Narrator + 4 shortcut.

When viewing web content, the reading and navigation commands will now stay in the page for most browsers. This feature is besides available when reading emails with the Postal service or Outlook apps.

Starting with Windows 10 build 18298, the Narrator text-reading commands now work to read a full window, and you can take Narrator read groups of keyboard keys when pressed.

Narrator at present includes support for combo edit controls, and information technology'll refer them as "combo edit." In add-on, Narrator is available through the entire PIN or password reset process.

Console

Whether you use Control Prompt, PowerShell, Linux Bash, or any other panel, Windows ten build 18298 is introducing a new "Terminal" tab in the properties, which you lot can use to configure the concluding and cursor colors as well as an option to prepare the cursor shape and terminal scrolling.

These changes are a piece of work in progress, and y'all can learn more in this Microsoft back up website.

Notepad

Windows 10 build 18298 includes an updated version of Notepad. In this new version, the note-taking app adds support to save files using UTF-8 without a Byte Order Mark, which is simply a grapheme marker at the start of the text stream that can signal pieces of data to the app reading the text. In add-on, Notepad is making the new support the new default beliefs, and the encoding of the certificate volition now announced in the condition bar.

If the text file has unsaved text, you'll now see an asterisk (*) next to the file name in the title bar.

This flight also introduces a few new keyboard shortcuts that y'all tin can use with the note-taking app, including:

• Ctrl + Shift + N — opens a new Notepad window.
• Ctrl + Shift + Due south — opens the Relieve as dialog.
• Ctrl + Westward — closes the current Notepad window.

Additionally, the app can at present open and save text files with a path longer than 260 characters (MAX_PATH).

Finally, fifty-fifty though, you can just burn upward the Feedback Hub, y'all can at present click the Aid menu, and select the Send Feedback selection to open the Hub to transport feedback to Microsoft about Notepad.

Windows 10 Setup

As part of the 19H1 development, Microsoft is also updating the design of the Windows x Setup experience with a light background, instead of the purple color. But other than the color and font touches, it seems that everything else will be kept the same.

Wrapping things up

Although we're even so many builds abroad from the final release, nosotros're quickly starting to see how the Windows 10 19H1 update is taking shape with many small incremental improvements rather than significant new features.

If you're planning to install this or other previews, think that these are not complete versions of Windows 10. As a issue, errors, bugs, and things not working are expected occurrences.

As usual, it'south recommended to install pre-releases of Windows x on a spare machine or virtual automobile. In the instance that you lot're thinking of upgrading your principal reckoner, you should create a full backup before the installation if something happens and y'all need to rollback.

What are your thoughts in the improvements and features included with this flying? Permit usa know in the comments.

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions nearly Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All yous need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows ten forums on Windows Central

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/windows-10-build-18298-and-earlier-pc-everything-you-need-know

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