What would you like to see in the Windows 10 September 2017 feature update?
The Creators Update is still being rolled out to users. Anyone who wanted it desperately probably has it as this point in time, and hopefully did not run into too many issues during or after the upgrade.
Microsoft started work on the next feature update for Windows 10 already, and Windows Insiders on the Fast Ring got the first builds already on their machines that they can play around with. Not much to see though there currently, but this is going to change.
We know only a couple of features and improvements that Microsoft plans to land in the update that runs under the Redstone 3 codename.
This article is therefore about what I would like to see in the Windows 10 feature update that is targeted for a September 2017 release.
Feature 1: Simple on/off switches
I know, telemetry is useful according to Microsoft, and it probably is to a degree. Privacy is a hot topic however, and Microsoft adds to the confusion by restricting information -- it just revealed what data Telemetry collects in the Creators Update -- and by changing privacy setting and preferences with every feature update.
That's not the only section of Windows 10 that is plagued by this. Windows Update too is in serious disarray. Features get removed, added, changed, and a lack of control over updates is apparent.
I get it that systems benefit from being up to date, especially when it comes to security patches, but giving users an option, is the right thing to do in my opinion.
So, simply on or off switches for privacy and Windows Updates are my number one feature.
Feature 2: End the Control Panel / Settings application confusion
Having to juggle between the Control Panel and Settings application ever since Windows 10 was released results in a bad user experience.
Users miss clarity, especially since preferences get moved around frequently, and renamed, so that it becomes difficult to keep an overview about what is where in Windows 10.
I want a central location for all preferences. This will be the Settings application, as Microsoft has no plan to keep the Control Panel around for longer than it absolutely has to. Still, it is almost two years after the release of Windows 10, and users still have to juggle between Control Panel and Settings application.
Feature 3: Slow down on the recommendations/suggestions/ads
There is a reason why users don't use certain programs, or use them. If a user made the deliberate decision to use Firefox or Chrome, and not Microsoft Edge, it is quite the affront to recommend Edge in the Start Menu, or on the taskbar.
At the very, very least, add a simple on/off switch that turns off all past, current and future advertising efforts on the system.
Use blog posts to highlight advantages of your programs, but please, keep the operating system clean.
Feature 4: Open up Edge extensions for all developers
There are only 27 extensions available for Microsoft Edge in Windows Store more than half a year after the introduction of extension support.
I don't know whether developer interest is really that low, or if Microsoft limits releases. I cannot imagine that it is the former, and think the latter is more likely.
Edge needs extensions to compete on an eye to eye level with Chrome. What about the purported feature to install Chrome extensions in Edge? Nothing was ever heard of it again it seems.
Feature 5:Â Add controls to properly remove or move any default application
You can uninstall some of the applications that Windows 10 ships with using the Apps section in the Settings application. Others cannot be uninstalled this way however, and the Move apps option worked for a short period of time but has been inactive for the most part of its existence.
While you can remove apps using PowerShell, or add them again in case you made a mistake, it would be the user friendly thing if those options would be right in the Settings UI.
You may throw warning messages for important apps that other applications or features may depend on, but unless you remove the PowerShell options to remove application packages, users will continue to use it to remove apps. An officially sanctioned and probably also safer way would improve the user experience significantly.
Closing Words
Generally speaking, I would like to see a return to more user control over their computer systems running Windows 10. Also, I'd like confusion to end in regards to managing preferences and features using the Control Panel and Settings application.
Now You: What would you like to see in the next feature update?
I would like to see a return to a fair and straightforward partnership between the enduser and MS. Yes, yes, I know ………………
Hello, Martin.
The day this happens – Feature 4: Open up Edge extensions for all developers – (not only open up but expose their icons on the top of the browser just like Firefox and Chrome do), I will be Edge’s number one enthusiastic user!
Another suggestion is to bring back the F8 key to access Security Mode.
All my best.
You can show the icons on the top bar by clicking on the 3 dots, right clicking on an installed extension and selecting ‘Show next to address bar’.
I would like much more stability in this OS , how many times do we have to make our settings again…………??
I’m with you on that one
Yeah, I’d go along with pretty much all of your suggestions.
I though they said they were going to make it easier to remove default applications in the Creators update, but many still have the uninstall button greyed out like OneNote, the 3D apps, etc. Users shouldn’t need to use PowerShell to remove programs they never use. Even though it’s possible to just ignore them, every time UWP apps are updated they still download these new versions, which is just a waste of bandwidth if they’re not going to be used anyway.
As per one of your previous articles, I’d still like to be able to delete apps from the Windows Store permanently, instead of just hiding them. Like all those old Lumia apps such as MixRadio that they discontinued…
Microsoft Edge still needs the option that was present in IE to ‘Always Switch to New Tabs When They Are Created” for those of us who use the middle mouse button to open links in new tabs.
Edge F12 developer tools should also allow users to view website TLS certificates (like in Chrome).
Application icons need to be sorted out, as they are an inconsistent mess. Some are single colour icons, some are multi-colour icons, with some the whole tile is coloured, some they aren’t. They look all over the place.
Biggest feature I wish is an opt-out button of ‘basic’ telemetry. All I want.
Features taken away such as font size and weight options, should be clearly documented in Release Notes. Since Edge is a UWP application, its implemented shortcuts should be separately and completely documented, like Shift – Win – Enter for full screen.
Honestly I don’t need any features. Just bug and performance improvements.
There’s nothing they can add or remove at this point that will fix it and as usual they will only realize this when its too late. Hey M$, you forgot the oldest rule in business, the customer is always right!
What’s the point of even asking? they aren’t going to give us what we want, they’ll give us what they want us to have, and it’ll be things that helps them further monetize the OS.
They have actually been listening to user feedback. Most of the top requested features in the Feedback Hub app have been implemented over the past 2 years.
@ Jed
“They have actually been listening to user feedback”.
Really !? Then why has MS not installed an off switch for telemetry and auto updates. Why are users denied the capability to uninstall irrelevant apps ?
Before MS “improves” the “User Experience” any further, perhaps it should fix ALL the bugs and ALL the poorly implemented updates.
How many times have new Win 10 updates releases borked PCs/Laptops and made them inoperable ? From the complaints on ghacks, Ask Woody, etc, the count is in the thousands.
MS should hire a few thousand QA software engineers, instead of depending on feedback from “qualified” Insiders who do not seem able or willing to submit cogent reports so that MS can fix problems.
I’m leaving windows and installing Linux mint and ubuntu!
A windows thread on Ghacks is never complete until someone does the dramatic “I’m going to Linux!” exit.
I would like for all users to be able to kill Cortana regardless of which version of Windows 10 they have. Just because someone has the home edition should not force them to use Cortana or any other feature for that matter.
Stable updates: My four year old computer was destroyed (wrecked CPU) thanks to build 1511. On some of the sites I visit we are told to always create an image of the computer before installing Windows 10 updates. Never in the past have users needed to worry about having their computer trashed by a Microsoft update. Clearly, Microsoft does not care who or how many computers they mess up – ranging from minor issues to major ones.
I know this won’t happen but I would like to have a stable operating system NOT a service that changes constantly. Microsoft should also allow us to decide which version of Windows we want and not force us to use Windows 10.
Linux =D
I seriously could not resist…
But seriously as long as CMD still works and I can still use the Volume Shadow Service, I can still make use of windows and as long as I have the virtual boxes of previous builds (Thanks to archive.org) I can still run legacy applications and put them to good use.
A way to update/upgrade system without losing chosen settings.
There is a converter from Microsoft that will convert some Chrome extensions. Its called the MIcrosoft Edge Extension Toolkit. When I was testing out Edge, I converted the Cookie Monster extension with the converter and it worked.
The problem is… even though the source code was locally on my system, you have to turn it on every single time you launch the browser because it didn’t come from the Store(or maybe because it wasnt signed. I forget). Now if I do a conversion and install it… you’d think it might be smart enough to figure out that I want it on but no…
I also tried to convert a VPN I sometimes use in Firefox, Hoxx, but that failed to work. Although it did get it installed in the browser and appeared in the toolbar but it wasn’t able to connect with any of the vpn’s servers.
I want tabs in explorer and an easy way to sort programs into categories and then alphabetical.
Like QtTabBar?
Not like that it’s too busy and kind of ugly. I used it once and after I uninstalled it there were pieces left all over my hard drive.
Stop making it worse secretly and stop forcing the bad changes. Oh wait they are doing this since Windows 8. Might as well just forget about Windows. They can’t even get the update size back to small MB. Currently even after the “delta updates”, it is several hundreds of MBs and regularly a GB patch comes along. HELL.
More control over updates.
Just a personal comment from one who enjoys your writings. It seems that Win 10 is now a priority here. A shame really because in the past you dealt with many other things. Check your % the last few months per subject & compare to 1 or 2 years ago. The reason I bring this up is today I had a problem with thunderbird not opening links in a browser. I did the usual search & after reading the first 5 that came up there was one you had written some time ago. The info is still valid & with your help I fixed the problem. Maybe others here would also like other subjects besides win 10. IMHO
Fena, understood.
This is what I’d like.
– More rather than less control.
– A way to change the UI to my own specifications.
– A way to turn off updates altogether and a way to choose which updates to install.
– A way to keep MS from changing anything in my system.
– A little privacy.
If I could have all that, I might even install it. Without it, I never will.
Common Sense, What does the average user do with their computer? For people ages 40-60 Lot of people rite! Browse the internet and go to favorite sites, read email and maybe watch a few shows, order from amazon. Pretty basic stuff.
What do we need? Windows 7!!!!!!!!! A good basic operating system, reliable, easy to understand, comfortable to work with. Give us options!!! and control over our user experience. I don’t want adds, my data being tracked and stolen, being spied on (Not happening with Trump in office). For power users and tech guys who use all the latest and greatest technology give THEM windows 10. Stop the madness! Microsoft!
We need Mozilla to come up with an operating system modeled after windows 7 (Probably Fantasy) but if they did I would switch and never touch another Microsoft product again EVER if I had the choice. Choice is what it’s all about!!
You don’t need to wait on Mozilla. Take a look at https://zorinos.com/
Note that I’ve never used it. I just was looking at different Linux distributions websites the other day and had come across it.
edit to add: I just noticed they are charging for an ultimate version.
Mozilla is not an operating system manufacture.
I think feature 2 is very overrated. For 90% users everything important is in the Settings, moreover with Creators Update, Microsoft added on the right side “related settings” from the Control panel, so I think there is almost 100% coverage of every needed setting from the Settings.
Yes merge is neccessary, but situation is a bit different than it was 2 years ago. It’s not that bad as it used to be.
I disagree. Windows 10 has been out for nearly 2 years, yet the settings/control panel is a huge mess. It feels like a step backwards from Windows 7 where all the settings were in the same place. After 2 years, MS really should have been able to finish this properly and provide a coherent and unified interface, rather than a split and mis-matched mess.
My wife is not a geek, yet finds using Windows 10 a pain as it’s difficult to find settings due to them being spread all over the place.
If you can’t trust MS, what’s the point of having telemetry “off” switches?
windows 98…it was lean and fast…just make it to take bigger hd and more memory…
Easily disable ALL telemetry and data upload to Microsoft. That’s all.
A return of OneDrive placeholders!
It would be better if they implemented it sooner than the next feature update though
The creepy spying and sneaky uploading are what keeps Windows 10 and Microsoft online products in general out of my home and office. Yuk.
Start Menu: I would like the ability to adjust the start menu more to my liking. For one, being able to have the all apps button back like it was in an earlier version and have the Documents, Music, Video icons be complete words like they were as well.
I would also like the ability to add/delete change folders in the all apps list like we are now able to do with the UWP apps on the right side of the start menu. I dislike having the all apps list be simply an alphabetical list. I want to group similar apps in the all apps list in folders.
Cortana: I would like the ability to change Cortana’s name since I have multiple computers. Using “Hey Cortana” causes both to want to answer me.
I would like to have the option of changing “her” voice to a man’s voice (preferably with a baritone or bass tone). A British accent would be even better.
I would like Cortana to be able to close programs as well as open them. This should be a no-brainer. If you’re able to turn something “on” you should also be able to turn it “off” as well.
Windows Live Mesh
Features of Windows Live Mesh included:
Ability to sync up to 200 folders with 100,000 files each (each file up to 40 GB) for PC-to-PC synchronization
Ability to sync up to 5 GB of files to “SkyDrive synced storage” in the cloud
Remote Desktop access via Windows Live Mesh and the Windows Live Devices web service
PC-to-PC synchronisation of application settings for applications such as:
Windows Internet Explorer – synchronisation of favorites and recently typed URLs between computers
Microsoft Office – synchronisation of dictionaries, Outlook email signatures, styles and templates between computers
Probably one of the best services MS developed and abandoned. Replaced with an anemic “thing” called One Drive.
More control over updates.
Unified “settings” panel, or, better yet, move everything back into Control Panel.
Support for (vetted) third-party themes, instead of continually breaking UxStyle/UxTheme Patcher. Or, at the very least, a clean Vista/7 theme, instead of the flat, ugly theme.
Remove the self-advertising and spyware.
More control over “telemetry.”
An operating system. Anyone still remember what that actually means???
That’s to say, the very minimum required to fire up and run a computer. With nothing added the user hasn’t chosen and installed for themselves. Or at the very least with nothing added the user can’t remove.
Never going to happen, of course. Especially since MicroCrap seems increasingly to refuse to understand the meaning of the words ‘goose’ and ‘golden egg.’
Not so much “feature” updates but wish they made Edge more reliable. Sessions keep randomly disappearing. on multiple PC’s so not a hw issue or anything. Also fix the sound level settings (remembering them) for again Edge (all tabs) and the like, they know about it but just haven’t bothered to fix it which is ridiculous.
I will skip the Creators-upgrade and go for Redstone3 in September…………..