In this month of Halloween, Microsoft tries to scares us all with a new major update.

That said, we will have customers trying to install it on their personal computers and it becomes an Automatic Update on October 9th.

There is a KB article going over known issues when updating (and how to fix them!) here:  https://oregonstate.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/KB/ArticleDet?ID=63439

Now for what they changed or added to Windows 10!

Dark mode.

This feature is one that I am personally happy to see. While Windows 10 has dark themes already, the update allows the theme to apply to File Explorer.

Windows Update Changes.

After the update is installs, Windows will change the way it does updates. You will see less unexpected restarts, more third-party firmware updates, and less interruption as Windows will download and apply updates during low usage times. There will also be less restarts as the AI has improved functionality in determining if the update needs a restart.

Improved full scope search.

Now a single search term can turn up results from the Web, apps from the Store, and files from local storage or the cloud. The menu options beneath a file include options that save you from having to right-click.

Settings search from the Start menu.

That pane on the right is open automatically in the new search view. For settings, it gives you an easy option to open Settings and jump directly to the relevant page. For apps, you get a menu of additional options.

Snip & Sketch replaces the Snipping Tool.

The old Snipping Tool is still present but will deprecate in the future. Snip & Sketch allows a user to copy a rectangle, a freeform region, or a full screen, with a delay of up to 10 seconds. After the clip is complete, annotate it in the app and then save, share, or paste it.

Clipboard Manager (Cloud Clipboard)

Clipboard can now remember multiple items. In settings, go to System, then choose Clipboard and turn the history feature on. The sync feature allow the clipboard to work across multiple devices but requires a Microsoft ID. Win+V will bring up the Cloud Clipboard interface.

Changes to Edge

Edge received many feature updates, including the ability to adjust the way Edge looks and changes to the menu options and allows the user to block videos from automatically playing. They also significantly improved the e-Reader functionality.

Text from your PC.

The “Your Phone” app lets you text from the PC and can instantly access photos from your phone. Some features are restricted on iPhones due to Apple’s platform restrictions. However Android phones reportedly work great.

Disk Cleanup

Microsoft made some changes to the Disk Cleanup utility, most notably is that it now offers a checkbox to clean up the user’s download folder. Be really sure that you want to do that!

Other enhancements are improved Accessibility options and features, the ability to view Problem and Data Diagnostic reports, battery details for Bluetooth devices, and new emoji.

Lastly, the humble Notepad app gets an update. It will now have the tap functionality like that found in NotePad++ and finally supports unix line breaks (https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/2018/05/08/extended-eol-in-notepad  -Thanks Ben!). Huzzah!