The hidden gems of the Windows 10 April 2018 Update
If things go as planned, Microsoft will start the distribution of the April 2018 Update for the Windows 10 operating system on April 30, 2018.
The company postponed the release of the first feature update of 2018 for Windows 10 earlier this month because of stability issues of the selected RTM build.
I wrote an article in March that listed the major features and changes of the then-called Spring Creators Update. It included information about the new Timeline feature, the ability to view and delete diagnostic data, or Windows Defender Application Guard in Windows 10 Pro.
The following list focuses on hidden gems of the update that are not known at all or relatively unknown.
Elevation in Run Box
You can launch the Run Box on Windows with the shortcut Windows-R and use it to run programs by typing program names or shortcuts. It was not possible up until now to elevate programs when using the Run Box.
The Windows 10 April 2018 Update changes that by adding the shortcut Ctrl+Shift to the Run Box. You may know the elevation shortcut from the Start Menu already as you may use it there to run any program with elevated rights when you hold down the two keys.
Less offline time during upgrades
Microsoft worked on reducing the time systems are offline during upgrades to a new version of the Windows 10 operating system.
Offline time describes the time in which users cannot interact with the system as the upgrade is processed.
Microsoft managed to reduce the offline phase to about 30 minutes. A noticeable improvement over the 51 minutes offline phase of the Fall Creators Update and 82 minutes of the Creators Update (both released in 2017).
Privacy Improvements
Microsoft is still under heavy fire when it comes to the collection of data on Windows 10. The company added several new features in this version of Windows that improves user control over certain privacy related features.
- Camera hardware settings affect Win32 programs now as well.
- Diagnostics & feedback lets you view the collected data and delete it.
- New Activity History page under Settings > Privacy to control "Let Windows collect my activities" feature.
- Users can now block system-wide access to Account Info, Calendar, Call History, Contacts, Documents, Email, Messaging, Pictures, Tasks and Videos to block permission requests outright.
Windows Update bandwidth limits in Settings
If you wanted to limit the update bandwidth for downloading updates in the foreground you had to use the Group Policy or other means for that.
Microsoft added a new option to the Windows 10 Settings application which integrates that option right into the Update preferences.
- Use Windows-I to open the Settings application.
- Go to Update & Security.
- Click on Advanced Options.
- Select Delivery Optimization on the next screen.
- Select Advanced Options.
- Check "limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the foreground" and use the slider to select a percentage value.
- You may set the limit for background bandwidth limits and uploads as well on the screen.
Other useful changes
The following changes may be useful to some Windows 10 users as well:
- Default operating system language and keyboard can be set individually under Settings > Time & Language > Region & Language.
- Language resource files are distributed via Windows Store which makes it easier to distribute updates.
- Limit background data for Windows and apps under Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage > Background data.
- You may set data limits for Ethernet or WiFi network connections under Settings > Network & Internet > Ethernet > Select Connection > Set a data limit to help control data usage on the network (replace Ethernet with WiFi if you want to control bandwidth for wireless connections)
Now You: What's your take on the Windows 10 April 2018 Update?
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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