Windows
Feature Update Version 1803
Windows
Feature Update Version 1803
By Wayne Maruna
Microsoft has committed to sending out major feature updates to Windows 10 on a semi-annual basis. The prior update was called the Fall Creators Update and came out in October, 2017 even though its version number 1709 suggests it was targeted for September of last year. The most recent update, dubbed version 1803, was similarly a month tardy in its actual release date of April 30, 2018. I assume that by the time this article hits the presses, the majority of readers will have had their Windows 10 computers updated to 1803. Most feedback I am getting is that the update has been uneventful, but in some cases people have had issues with their web browsers, printing, monitor display, or other unintended quirks. Such is life in the Windows world.
Is the risk of update woes worth it? That is debatable. In my humble opinion, the actual feature updates are beneficial to a relatively small number of users. Although my computers came through the update unscathed, I can empathize with those who did not fare as well and wish Microsoft would just leave well enough alone.
While you would be hard pressed to identify any of the latest changes, there are actually quite a few, too many to list here. The following website provides a pretty comprehensive list of what was contained in the update (note that if you print the article, it will run to thirty pages!):
Let me highlight a few of the changes that might benefit the typical casual user.
Timeline
This is actually helpful. The icon which appears two places to the right of the Start icon (4-pane windows) is still called TaskView, but it has taken on more functionality. The icon now looks (to me) like a film strip. Click it and you will still see mini-windows of any open application, but now you will also be presented with a list of documents you’ve accessed over the past several days. I find it a handy way to access frequently used documents. If you are concerned about privacy, you can modify how Timeline works by going to Settings > Privacy > Activity History to turn the feature on or off or delete Timeline data.
Disk Cleanup
This functionality has been a part of Windows for a long time. Doing a search for Disk Cleanup would take you to the desktop app. Now, Windows has also built it into its settings, accessed by the gear icon just above the power button at the left side of the Start Menu. “Windows Settings > System > Storage >Free Up Space” will take you to the new version. Both old and new work by removing accumulated temporary files and more to free up disk space. The new version also offers something called Storage Sense that will run automatically based on settings you can modify. By default, Storage Sense is turned off, but I recommend turning it on. The defaults call for running "When Windows Decides" but I would change that to weekly, and another default is to clean out temporary files monthly, but I would change that to every 14 days. I use to load a program called CCleaner from Piriform.com on any machine I set up that would do pretty much the same thing, but the free version has become intrusive, so in the future I will instead go with Windows' built-in Storage Sense.
Security Questions for Local Accounts
Microsoft tries hard to get everyone to create a Microsoft Account, and with it a sign-in password. Some people refuse to do that and just create what is called a ‘Local Account”. Now personally, I’m not sure why people with local accounts create log-in passwords, especially if they are empty nesters. But people do, and then if they forget their password they are in deep trouble because Microsoft previously provided no way to recover a local account password, whereas they do so for Microsoft Accounts. With version 1803, they now provide the ability to create three security questions which will aid in recovering your local account password, assuming you can remember your security questions. This is a significant improvement, because the alternative meant starting from scratch, which can be ugly.
Accessibility
As Richard Hay of Windows Secrets points out, the main settings page at “Windows Settings > Ease of Access” has received a makeover which categorizes accessibility settings into Vision, Hearing, and Interaction. Updates include changes to cursor, pointer, narrator, and sound settings. If you have severe vision or other handicaps, it is an area worth looking into.
Startup Apps Control
If you think you have too many apps or services slowing the startup of Windows, you may want to look into this. Go to “Windows Settings > Apps > Startup” to peruse those items starting up with Windows. You could do this in the past using something called MSCONFIG, but it was geeky to run. This utility provides easier access, but caution is advised in being very selective before making changes.
There are changes to the Microsoft Edge browser and to the Cortana search assistant, but I don’t use either product. There are a host of other additions and changes which I just don’t see the average user ever taking advantage of, things like Mixed Reality, App Execution Aliases, Focus Assist, and Nearby Sharing. In fact, I sometimes wonder if the developers are running out of improvement ideas. Better to focus more on system stability and trouble free updates, in my opinion.
I think the situation is the same at Apple. Their iOS 11.4 update for iPhones and iPads trumpeted that it includes AirPlay 2 multi-room audio, support for HomePod stereo pairs, and Messages in iCloud. That got me wondering how many iPhone or iPad users know what AirPlay is, or owned one, let alone two, HomePods, the $350 answer to the Amazon Echo. I doubt many have a clue as to what Messages in iCloud means. The update also said it included bug fixes and improvements. Does that mean they removed the bugs or improved them? Sometimes you wonder.