Windows 10 Spring Creators Update features

Microsoft plans to release the next feature update for the Windows 10 operating system in March/April of 2018. The company switched to a "two feature updates per year" release schedule which means that it will release a feature update in the Fall as well.
Leaked documents suggest that Microsoft calls the update Spring Creators Update. The company has not revealed the name officially yet, though.
We have a pretty clear picture of the changes and new features in the Spring Creators Update thanks to the Windows 10 Insider program and the updates that Microsoft pushes to systems running on the update channel regularly.
What can you expect? The new version introduces many changes to the system, many of them under the hood. Microsoft continues its migration from the Control Panel to the Settings application, Fonts or Sound settings for instance, but it is still happening in snail speed. Microsoft continues its habit of renaming features and moving settings around.
The new version lacks major features. There is Windows Timeline, an update to Task View, but that is about it. Microsoft Edge and other areas did receive lots of improvements but none that I'd call major.
There is plenty to discover, however, despite the lack of major new features.
Spring Creators Update: the major feature(s)
What are the major new features of the Spring Creators Update for Windows 10?
Windows Timeline
Timeline improves Task View, a feature of all recent versions of Windows that users can activate with the keyboard shortcut Windows-Tab.
A visual representation of open program windows opens when you use the shortcut in earlier versions of Windows. Timeline improves the view by adding information of past activities to it. Think of websites that you opened in Edge in the past or music you listed to on Spotify. This works across devices so that you may re-open websites, documents or music playlists even if you are on another device.
The feature is limited to select programs like Microsoft Office or apps like Edge, Maps or Sports. Microsoft plans to extend the functionality to its mobile apps.
My favorite features
- Diagnostic Data Viewer and option to delete diagnostic data.
- If you use a local account to sign-in to Windows, you may recover that account from the lock screen in the new Windows 10 version.
- Windows Defender Application Guard for Windows 10 Pro.
Skipped features
Windows Sets won't be introduced in the Spring update. Sets introduces tabs to program windows so that you may "merge" multiple programs or apps in a single window using tabs. This works similarly to how programs such as Stardock Groupy work.
Cloud Clipboard, a new cloud-based clipboard to access the clipboard across devices, won't (likely) ship in Windows 10 Redstone 4.
Other changes in the next version of Windows 10
Accessibility
- Eye control improvements: easier navigation, quick access to common tasks and pause function.
- Narrator is enabled in Safe Mode.
- Turn automatically hiding scrollbars off under Settings > Ease of Access > Display.
Gaming and Media
- Game Bar improvements: settings easier to use, clock display.
- HDR functionality unlocked on more Windows PCs.
- Multi-GPU systems graphic settings to set application preferences under Settings > System > Display > Advanced graphics settings.
Microsoft Edge
- Autofill cards on web forms. Edge prompts to save card information and if you accept, may offer the card information in the future. Also, form fill for address fields.
- Clutter-free printing support. Enable the "clutter-free printing" option int the print dialog to enable it.
- Developer Tools: dock the Developer toolbar vertically.
- Edge supports OGG Vorbis and Theora thanks to the Web Media Extensions package.
- Full screen mode (F11) displays the address bar so that you can navigate to other sites using it.
- Free EPUB ebooks can be saved in Edge.
- Hub View: improved to show more content. Navigational elements such as favorites or history listed to the left of the content.
- inPrivate Mode: run extensions and autofill passwords.
- Mute audio for individual tabs.
- Passwords: never save passwords for sites.
- Reading View enhancements: Grammar Tools to "enable new comprehension aids", full-screen reading experience, improved roaming for process and notes across devices, improved library experience, EPUB Media Overlays support, and more.
Misc
- Access UWP options from Start (right-click > More).
- Application execution aliases in Settings to run apps from the command prompt.
- App version numbers are shown now in Settings.
- Bluetooth: streamlined pairing and connecting to "certain" Bluetooth devices. Windows 10 shows a notification when it detects a compatible device so that users can initiate the pairing process from the desktop.
- Cortana collections merged with lists.
- Cortana notebook has a new look.
- Cortana suggests activities that you may want to resume.
- Customize list of folders that you use often in the Start Menu.
- Display preferences moved to Settings app
- Embedded handwriting panel.
- Fluent Design effects across the board.
- Fonts moved to the Settings application and fonts are offered on Windows Store.
- Localization changes: Language Packs are available through the Microsoft Store, and Region & Language section of the Settings app.
- My People: drag and drop rearrange, change number of contacts, and more.
- Near Share to share data between two devices wirelessly using Bluetooth.
- New keyboard settings page.
- Quiet Hours renamed to Focus Assist. Access is now available from the Action Center icon, may turn on automatically (when playing DirectX games, presentations).
- Settings app has a new look.
- Sound Settings with new "app volume and device preferences" page, moved to Settings.
- Storage Settings with disk cleanup functionality.
- Touch keyboard multi-lingual text support to write in multiple languages without switching keyboard languages.
- Touch keyboard and handwriting panel improvements.
Privacy and Security
- Control access to pictures, videos and documents folders for UWP apps.
- Diagnostic Data: data that was collected by Microsoft can be deleted under Settings > Privacy > Diagnostics & feedback.
- Diagnostic Data: you can view the collected diagnostic data now.
- File System Access permissions for UWP. Block UWP applications from accessing the file system and display a prompt to give or deny consent.
- Privacy Settings are sorted in categories in the Settings app.
- Security questions for local accounts.
- Settings > Update & Security > Windows Defender renamed to Windows Security and redesigned.
- View and delete the personal user dictionary under Settings > Privacy > Speech, Inking & typing.
- Windows Defender: New account protection pillar and device security pillar functionality. The first will encourage users to use different login methods for faster sign-in, the second lists security features integrated into the Windows device.
- Windows Defender Application Guard for Windows 10 Pro.
- Windows Hello setup improvements by setting it up straight from the sign in screen.
Enterprise-specific
- Enterprises can run custom actions and scripts during feature updates.
- Enterprises can run post rollback scripts.
- Ultimate Performance power scheme for Windows 10 Pro for Workstations: even better performance but requires more power and may impact hardware.
- Windows 10 Pro for Workstations systems get a different set of default UWP tiles and apps after setup than consumer versions of Windows 10.
Now You: Did we miss a change? What are your favorite changes in the update?


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