Microsoft gamifies Windows 10 bug hunting
Microsoft promised to deliver builds faster to Windows 10 insiders and it certainly kept its word so far as Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14332 has just been released.
Considering that the company released a massive update in the beginning of April already, it is understandable that this new build concentrates mostly on bug fixes and improvements rather than another batch of new features.
Microsoft wants Insiders to test, find and report bugs to the company so that it can address those before the Anniversary Update this Summer.
While the functionality is already there, in form of the Feedback Hub application, the company just announced the launch of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update April 2016 Bug Bash.
With it come quests that users can complete on the system. Each quest tasks the user with certain things, such as using the computer for a day without mouse or trackpad, or testing Windows Pen Inking functionality.
There are three types of quests: normal, limited time, and advanced.
Limited time quests are only available for a certain period of time before they run out and are replaced with new quests. This works similar to Daily Quests that you find in computer games such as World of Warcraft.
Advanced Quests on the other hand are technical in nature. Microsoft notes that they may "require changing the system configuration on your device and require an understanding on how to revert the changes after the Quest is done". For instance, you may be asked to reset your PC.
Quests instruct you to do something on the system. Once done, you mark the quest as completed, and may provide feedback to Microsoft. You may provide feedback right away as well which is useful if you cannot complete the quest.
The gamification is rather limited right now. You don't get experience points or levels, and there is no benefit to completing quests. Still, users may find it appealing to complete as many quests as possible.
As far as improvements are concerned, there are three that Microsoft mentions explicitly over on the official Windows Experience blog.
Bash and Command Prompt improvements
Microsoft fixed connectivity issues when you run Bash commands such as apt-get that access the Internet.
Another issue where the mv command did not work correctly between /mnt and non-/mnt drives has been fixed as well, and files and folders will move correctly now.
The command prompt improvements include "improved windows scaling on PCs with high-dpi displays", better font selection and rendering for international characters, improved scrolling for nano and EMACS editors, and more.
Cortana supports searching Office 365 content now.
This includes emails, contacts, calendar data as well as files in OneDrive for Business and SharePoint.
Microsoft notes that users need to add a Office 365 work or school account in "the Connected Accounts section of Cortana's Notebook" for that.
A server issue is preventing this from working on systems currently, but Microsoft is on it already and will fix the issue shortly.
Improved battery life for Connected Standby PCs.
PCs that support Connected Standby, Microsoft Surface devices for instance, benefit from improved battery life with the build.
Connected Standby, a feature introduced in Windows 8, basically keeps the PC connected to the Internet so that it can perform certain activities such as fetching new emails or updating notifications.
You can check if your PC supports Connected Standby in the following way:
- Tap on the Windows-key, type cmd.exe, hold down Ctrl and Shift, and hit enter.
- Confirm the UAC prompt.
- Type the command powercfg /a and hit enter.
- If you see "Standby (S0 Low Power Idle) Network Connected listed under the power states that are available on the system, then it is supported.
Windows testers who notice issues with the new behavior can restore the old behavior in the following way on the command prompt:
- powercfg /setdcvalueindex SCHEME_CURRENT SUB_ENERGYSAVER ESPOLICY 0
- powercfg /setactive scheme_current
If you want to re-enable the new scheme later on, run the command again and replace the value of 0 in the first command with 1.
Fixes
Microsoft fixed many issues in the most recent desktop and mobile builds of Windows 10. Most notably on the desktop:
- Fixed an issue when large file downloads in Microsoft Edge would stop at 99%.
- Fixed an issue that prevent going back to a previous Insider Build if Bitlocker/Device Encryption was enabled.
- Fixed an issue where Library folders would appear twice in File Explorer.
The known issues list is as large as the fixed issues listing. I suggest you check out the official blog post before you update a PC or mobile device to the most recent Insider Build.
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help