Connect with us

Editorials

5 Things to Know About the Windows 10 Creators Update

Published

on

After months of quiet, things are getting exciting for Windows users again. The company is preparing a new software upgrade, the Windows 10 Creators Update. Within the week, the software upgrade will begin rolling out and users will have to decide whether they want to embrace the Windows 10 Creators Update or avoid installing it on their Windows 10 PC for as long as possible.

The Windows 10 Creators Update takes its name from a general theme Microsoft had for the features it adds. Eager to enable people who create things, teams inside the company set about introducing new apps and new features for them. The Windows 10 Creators Update isn’t a massive new refresh, but it does add some interesting things. Users can now start streaming an internet radio station or shut down their PC with just their voice and Cortana. Microsoft Edge, the web browser designed to replace Internet Explorer has new tab management tricks and extra upgrades. Night Light attempts to help users get a good night’s sleep.

The Windows 10 Creators Update is on its way.

The Windows 10 Creators Update is on its way.

Almost no one will be spared the Windows 10 Creators Update. Windows enthusiasts have been able to get the operating system update for days now. Anyone that has a PC with Windows 10 installed on it can expect to upgrade in due time.

Read: Windows 10 Creators Update Info

Here are 5 things you need to know about the Windows 10 Creators Update as Microsoft prepares to unleash it on millions of notebooks, desktops and tablets around the world.

Windows 10 Creators Update Review

The Windows 10 Creators Update consists of features Microsoft thinks will enable people to do more with their PC. It’s the culmination of months of work for the software company. This is the same update that the company discussed back in late October.

On our Surface Pro 4 and a second test machine, the Windows 10 Creators Update took about 30 minutes. Unfortunately, Microsoft Edge is still as buggy after the Windows 10 Creators Update. Both upgrades ended successfully, but it did cause Microsoft Edge to lose passwords and personalization options on one of them. Turning password syncing off in Microsoft Edge’s settings then turning it back on seemed to fix the issue.

New tab management features coming to Microsoft Edge.

Read: Windows 10 Creators Update VR: What We Know

The rest of the operating system runs smoothly. The update hasn’t harmed battery life on the Surface Pro 4 at all, though your experience could be different. It’s worth noting that Microsoft released a firmware update for the Surface Pro 4 around the same time we installed the upgrade on it. It seems to have helped performance a great deal. Before that update, Windows Hello sign in and Bluetooth connections gave us trouble.

What’s New in the Windows 10 Creators Update

Once you’ve got the update installed on your Windows 10 PC, it can be hard to discern what the company spent six months working on. There’s very little in the way of new experiences. Microsoft Paint now has a counterpart in Microsoft Paint3D. Paint 3D lets you create 3D objects and share them with an online community. They can also be printed. Windows Defender Security Center gives you a single place from which to make sure your PC is safe. Xbox games can be streamed for others to watch without installing a separate app or program.

Read: Best Windows 10 Browser: Microsoft Edge vs Chrome

Existing apps and settings have been improved in big ways. Get Office provides quick links to documents and presentations you use frequently. Previously, this app was useless once you subscribed to Office 365 or purchased Office 2016 outright. The Windows Store has a better look and now stocks digital books. These digital books can be opened in Microsoft Edge for reading, which also has some new tab management features. The Settings app has a streamlined design with icons to help users sort through what they do.

The new Cortana experience in the Windows 10 Creators Update.

Read: 27 Coming Windows 10 Creators Update Features

Research studies show that too much blue light from a device’s screen can keep you up at night. Microsoft has added a Night Light feature that changes the hue of displays on a set schedule to help users wind down. Cortana has a full-screen experience when you ask her to do something on a device that’s been sitting idle. She’s also baked into the Windows 10 setup experience.

Dynamic Lock allows users to have their Windows 10 PCs lock themselves when they step away. Groove Music and Microsoft Movies & TV are easier to navigate. Music Pass subscribers can finally stream music videos on their PC. Previously, this was only available on Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Windows 10 Creators Update Problems

Microsoft will slowly roll out this update to prevent Windows 10 Creators Update problems from harming too many PCs. That’s a tactic the company has used for previous updates. Aside from the issues with Bluetooth and losing personalization settings, a lot of Windows 10 Creators Update problems haven’t turned up just yet. We’ll have to wait a few days before any widespread issues begin to trend on support forums and blogs.

Read: 23 Windows 10 Upgrade Problems & Fixes

Windows 10 Creators Update Upgrade Details

Again, the Windows 10 Creators Update has already rolled out to members of the Windows Insider Program.

On April 11th Windows 10 Creators Update will start rolling out to those with newer PCs that Microsoft has tested already, according to a post on the Windows Experience Blog. How well that initial rollout goes will determine how quickly Microsoft starts updating other devices as a part of its second update phase. It’ll take “several months” for everyone to get the Windows 10 Creators Update, the company notes.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 should be among the first PCs to get the Windows 10 Creators Update.

Anyone that has a PC running Windows 10 will get offered the update. That’s one of the perks Microsoft promised users who updated from Windows 8 and Windows 7. Users can skip waiting for the notification and manually download the Windows 10 Creators Update. The update should be listed within the Settings app, under updates. If it’s not, Microsoft offers the necessary files through the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.

What’s Next for Windows 10

Even as it is releasing the Windows 10 Creators Update, Microsoft is preparing for what comes after. Early builds of what Microsoft is calling Windows 10 Redstone 3 internally are already going out to members of the Windows Insider Program.

We know only that this update will also be made available completely free of charge. We’re sure that a People area for keeping in contact with those that matter most is coming with Windows 10 Redstone 3. We’re also reasonably sure that Windows 10 Redstone 3 will include an overhaul of how Windows 10 looks. This update will get detailed in full at Microsoft’s BUILD 2017 conference in May.

Good luck with the Windows 10 Creators Update.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.