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Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19033 (20H1) to Windows Insiders in BOTH the Fast ring and Slow ring. If you want a complete look at what build is in which Insider ring, head over to Flight Hub. You can also check out the rest of our documentation here including a complete list of new features and updates that have gone out as part of Insider flights for the current development cycle. NOTE: We are looking to begin releasing new builds from our development branch. This means we will be releasing builds to Insiders in the Fast ring from the RS_PRERELEASE development branch again instead of the VB_RELEASE branch. This also means the desktop watermark will be returning with these builds. As is normal with pre-release builds, these builds may contain bugs and be less stable. Now is the time to check your Windows Insider Settings and switch to the Slow ring before if you wish to remain on 20H1. For Insiders in the Fast ring who have selected to stop getting Insider Preview builds when the next major release of Windows 10 is available under Windows Insider Settings, we will be moving you to the Slow ring as part of honoring this setting. You will remain here until 20H1 is finalized. This only applies to Insiders in the Fast ring who selected this. General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is no longer present in this build.This doesn’t mean we’re done… Eagle-eyed Windows Insiders will notice that that as of this build, 20H1 officially shows it is version 2004. We have chosen to use 2004 as the version to eliminate confusion with any past product names (such as Windows Server 2003). We fixed an issue that could result in Settings crashing for some users if you navigated to About when in Safe Mode. We fixed an issue resulting in some paired Bluetooth audio devices unexpectedly displaying with a cellphone icon in Bluetooth Settings. We fixed an issue where preferred Focus Assist automatic rules settings weren’t persisting upgrade. We fixed an issue where pressing the WIN + P keyboard shortcut twice in a row could result in ShellExperienceHost crashing. We fixed an issue that could result in the Start menu crashing on launch if a Windows update was pending restart. We fixed an issue where if you were using night light and weren’t already signed into a Microsoft Account, and subsequently attached your MSA, it would result in night light no longer working. We fixed an issue where if you quickly toggled Magnifier on and back off in Settings it would result in Magnifier.exe crashing. At this point, we’re removing the known issue that Settings still isn’t available outside of launching via the URI (ms-settings:) – so far we have not seen any reports from Insiders in the Slow ring that bypassed the impacted build range. If you are in the Fast ring, were on the impacted build range, and are one of the few still experiencing this issue, you will need to reset your PC. We appreciate your patience. We fixed an issue where you wouldn’t be able to type Chinese punctuation with the Pinyin IME after moving focus to and from a password field. Some users may have experienced error 80092004 when attempting to install build 19025.1052. This was isolated to that specific Cumulative Update and should not prevent installing build 19033. We have fixed an issue resulting in Start Code 38 with certain external USB 3.0 drives. Known issues BattlEye and Microsoft have found incompatibility issues due to changes in the operating system between some Insider Preview builds and certain versions of BattlEye anti-cheat software. To safeguard Insiders who might have these versions installed on their PC, we have applied a compatibility hold on these devices from being offered affected builds of Windows Insider Preview. See this article for details. We’re looking into reports of the update process hanging for extended periods of time when attempting to install a new build. Some Insiders are reporting that after successfully installing printer drivers from the Optional Updates section, the same driver is still showing as available for install. We’re looking into the issue. We’re looking into reports of certain external USB 3.0 drives not responding with Start Code 10 after they’re attached. 2019 American Music Awards Did you know that the 2019 American Music Awards aired this past Sunday? No need to worry if you missed it. As always, Bing has everything you need to stay up to date. Check out our 2019 AMA carousel that features all the Award winners, nominees and additional background information of each artist. If you want to be among the first to learn about these Bing features, join our Bing Insiders Program. Thanks, BLB The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19033 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19030 (20H1) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. If you want a complete look at what build is in which Insider ring, head over to Flight Hub. You can also check out the rest of our documentation here including a complete list of new features and updates that have gone out as part of Insider flights for the current development cycle. Not seeing any of the features in this build? Check your Windows Insider Settings to make sure you’re on the Fast ring. Submit feedback here to let us know if things weren’t working the way you expected. Other updates for Insiders Cortana on Windows (Beta)–Now with more productivity! Earlier this week, we rolled out some changes to Cortana on Windows for Insiders in the Fast ring. As part of evolving Cortana from a general digital assistant to a personal productivity assistant that helps you in the Microsoft 365 apps, we’ve made several changes that will give you a glimpse into how your assistant will help you manage tasks and time and connect with people. Read more about these changes. General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is no longer present in this build. This doesn’t mean we’re done… We fixed an issue where if you started to reset your MSA pin from the sign-in screen and left it without interacting with it for some time, it would result in a black screen, requiring a reboot to recover. We fixed an issue that could result in night light settings getting lost on the primary monitor when the system is connected/disconnected from a secondary monitor. We fixed an issue that could result in an out of memory message when watching a long HEVC video. We fixed an issue resulting in certain apps not fully filling the screen when maximized in recent builds. Knowns issues BattlEye and Microsoft have found incompatibility issues due to changes in the operating system between some Insider Preview builds and certain versions of BattlEye anti-cheat software. To safeguard Insiders who might have these versions installed on their PC, we have applied a compatibility hold on these devices from being offered affected builds of Windows Insider Preview. See this article for details. We’re looking into reports of the update process hanging for extended periods of time when attempting to install a new build. We’ve heard that Settings still isn’t available outside of launching via the URI (ms-settings:) for some Insiders and are investigating. Some Insiders are reporting that after successfully installing printer drivers from the Optional Updates section, the same driver is still showing as available for install. We’re looking into the issue. We’re looking into reports of certain external USB 3.0 drives not responding with Start Code 10 or 38 after they’re attached. Anniversary badges are here! As a small way to show our appreciation for your participation in the program over the years, we’ve released new fifth anniversary badges for our active Insiders in all rings. Learn more about the criteria we used to award these badges. You can view new badges by visiting Feedback Hub > Profile > Achievements. We would also love to see you share these new badges on social with the hashtag #WIPTurns5. October Windows Insider Leaderboard now available See if you topped our lists on the new October 2019 Windows Insider Leaderboard, and try to make next month’s by giving us feedback for new builds, completing quests through the Feedback Hub, and more! Learn more about how you can be on the Leaderboard. Thanksgiving Recipes on Bing Thanksgiving is just around the corner for our American Insiders, and there is much to prepare. One of the most time-consuming aspects is Thanksgiving recipes, and Bing is here to help. Check out our Thanksgiving recipes feature, including total time, nutrition information, ratings, and more. If you want to be among the first to learn about these Bing features, join our Bing Insiders Program. Thanks, BLB The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19030 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Black Friday deals from Microsoft Store kick off today in the U.S. Save big on Surface, Xbox, Windows 10 PCs and more this holiday! Whether you shop online from the comfort of home, line up before dawn with the holiday crowds, or like most people, mix it up and shop online and in stores – our Microsoft Store Black Friday deals* are here to solve all your shopping needs. The first Black Friday deals are available starting today in the U.S., and we’ll continue to introduce even more great holiday gift deals through Cyber Monday. This holiday season Microsoft Store is offering shoppers our best guarantee ever. With our new Give Wonder Guarantee, you are promised our best price of the season no matter when you shop.** If something you purchased at Microsoft Store is offered at a better price later in the season, you can receive savings back for the difference. Plus, with free 2-3-day shipping, free extended holiday returns through Jan. 31, 2020, options to buy online and pick up in stores, we’re making it easier than ever to shop at Microsoft Store. And our Store associates are ready to help you find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. No matter how you shop this holiday, Microsoft Store has great deals for every type of holiday shopper – read on for our top deals starting today! Visit microsoft.com or your local Microsoft Store to purchase. The “Early” Buyer Eager to get a jump start on your shopping list even before Thanksgiving? Start crossing off your list today with great deals including: Save $230 on Surface Pro 7 – $799 for i5/8GB/128GB + Type Cover Save $300 on Surface Laptop 3 across all new colors and finishes for the 13.5” Get the first 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for only $1 *** Save up to $300 on Dell XPS 15 Save $200 on Samsung Note10/10+ phones + Get Free Samsung Galaxy Buds Save $250 USD on Samsung HMD Odyssey+ Save up to 55% on popular movies and TV shows Save $100 on the Dell 24 Touch Monitor Save up to $80 on Samsung Galaxy Fit, starting at $79.99 https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/bbaf539bf3c3a25226d0ea29b0ab7cdd.jpg The “Treat Yourself” Gift Giver What better way to “treat yourself” than to get a gift that keeps on giving – sleek new technology. Starting Nov. 24, save hundreds on the best deals of the season and find a little something for yourself like the Surface Pro 7 or the Surface Laptop 3. Other offerings include: Save $429 on Surface Pro 7 (i5/8GB/256GB) + Type Cover + Pen bundle Save $300 on select Surface Laptop 3, including both sizes, all colors and finishes Starting Nov. 26, get up to 40% off top apps and other offers https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/8f7ca32b27615c18ed8d8e31ef2b05fb.jpg The “Game On” Gift Giver Whether you’re stocking up your game library or buying gifts for the gamer in your life, incredible deals on Xbox consoles, games and accessories also start on Nov. 24. Save up to $150 on all Xbox One consoles Save up to 67% on digital games for Xbox One plus Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Gold members save up to 10% more. Discounts open to everyone starting Nov. 24. Save $20 on select Xbox one controllers, starting at $39.99 Starting Nov. 26, save up to 50% on popular PC games and special in-game deals https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/2a163777bd7a459532791a13c79841bd.jpg The “First One in Line” Shopper Set your alarm clock, grab your coffee and get ready to shop the best deals of the holiday season. Starting Nov. 28, you can shop all our Black Friday deals, from Surface Pro 7 to HP Laptop 15, with offers including: Starting at $599, save up to $330 on select Surface Pro 7 + Type Cover bundles Save up to $150 on select Surface Go, starting at just $299 Up to $500 off select Surface Book 2, our most powerful 13.5” or 15” touchscreen laptop Save $50 on Office Home & Student 2019, now $99.99 Save up to $200 on HP Laptop 15 (10th Generation Intel Core i5) for $399, or choose the HP Laptop 15 (i3) for just $299 or HP Laptop 15 (10th Generation Intel Core i7) for $499 Save up to $400 on Lenovo Legion Y540 Gaming PC powered by Windows 10 with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card Save up to $300 on Asus ROG Strix G GL531GT (Core i7) Gaming PC powered by Windows 10 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card Save up to $300 on Acer Predator Triton 500 (i7) powered by Windows 10 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/fdc984d2bd4efef5acf48f6309715bb4.jpg The “Bargain” Shopper In addition to the great deals above, Microsoft Store offers a collection of gifts under $100, so you can stock those stockings or find gifts for less than $20. Here are bargain ideas for anyone on your list: Save $100 on JBL Live 650 Bluetooth Headphones for just $99.95 Save $30 on Bose SoundLink Micro Speaker for $69 Save $20 on JBL Go 2 Bluetooth Speaker for $19.98 Kano Coding Kits for $49.99 Save $20 on Play Impossible Ball for $59 See our Microsoft Store Black Friday Deals page for full details on all the best deals this holiday. Start shopping today at your local Microsoft Store or online at microsoft.com, and rest easy knowing you’ll get the best price of the season with our Give Wonder Guarantee. Stop into your local Microsoft Store to join activities and festive celebrations all season long. Some local Microsoft Store locations are open on Thanksgiving Day. See full holiday operating days and hours. Happy shopping! Visit your local Microsoft Store or microsoft.com for more details on availability and pricing. Follow Microsoft Store on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. * Black Friday offers shown are available online and in Microsoft Stores while supplies last. U.S. prices are shown. Offers and content varies by market and may change at any time. Not valid on prior purchases. May not be combinable with other offers. Other exclusions may apply. **Offer valid from 12 a.m. PT Nov. 1, 2019 to 11:59 p.m. PT Jan. 3, 2020 (“Offer Period”) on qualifying purchases of select physical goods made at Microsoft retail and online stores in the United States (including Puerto Rico) and Canada during the Offer Period. Excludes certified refurbished devices, Surface for Business devices, and all digital services and products. Offer not valid on purchases made at third-party retailers. Customer eligible for price adjustment only if 1) Customer purchases eligible item during the Offer Period, (2) the price of the item is reduced during the Offer Period, and 3) Customer requests a price adjustment while the item’s price is currently reduced and in-stock for purchase. For purchases made at a physical store and online, Customer can go to any physical store and present receipt to get a qualifying price adjustment. For purchases made online, Customer must contact Microsoft Store Sales and Support at 1-877-696-7786 with order number and any other information requested by the Store Sales representative. Refunds will be provided to Customer in same manner as item was purchased (credit card use will be credited to original card). Maximum of one price adjustment per item will be granted during Offer Period. Bulk buys of more than two of the same device, per customer’s Microsoft Account, will not qualify for price adjustments. Price adjustments do not include taxes, or shipping or other fees. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Microsoft reserves the right to modify or discontinue offers at any time. Other exclusions and limitations may apply. *** Not valid for existing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members, other exclusions apply. Credit card required. After promotional period, subscription continues to be charged at the then-current regular price (subject to change), unless cancelled. Plus applicable taxes. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Limit 1 offer per account. Game catalog varies over time and by country. The post Microsoft Store Black Friday deals start today! appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19025.1051 (20H1) to Windows Insiders in the Slow ring. For details on what is included in this build and known issues, see this blog post. For a summary of all the new 20H1 features, see this article on Microsoft Docs. Thanks, BLB The post Releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19025 into the Slow ring appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19028 (20H1) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. If you want a complete look at what build is in which Insider ring, head over to Flight Hub. You can also check out the rest of our documentation here including a complete list of new features and updates that have gone out as part of Insider flights for the current development cycle. Not seeing any of the features in this build? Check your Windows Insider Settings to make sure you’re on the Fast ring. Submit feedback here to let us know if things weren’t working the way you expected. General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC We fixed a recent issue that could result in Settings crashing when docking/undocking your device. This issue may have also impacted Action Center launch performance. We fixed an issue impacting the performance of the Printers & Scanners section of Settings loading. We fixed an issue resulting in the Other People section under Storage Settings not displaying the correct size used. We fixed an issue that could result in Windows Update history in Settings saying a Cumulative Update required a reboot, despite it already being installed. This occurred when a Feature on Demand had installed while the cumulative update was originally pending reboot. We fixed an issue that could result in the Photos app crashing when interacting with HEVC images. Knowns issues BattlEye and Microsoft have found incompatibility issues due to changes in the operating system between some Insider Preview builds and certain versions of BattlEye anti-cheat software. To safeguard Insiders who might have these versions installed on their PC, we have applied a compatibility hold on these devices from being offered affected builds of Windows Insider Preview. See this article for details. We’re looking into reports of the update process hanging for extended periods of time when attempting to install a new build. We’ve heard that Settings still isn’t available outside of launching via the URI (ms-settings:) for some Insiders and are investigating. Some Insiders are reporting that after successfully installing printer drivers from the Optional Updates section, the same driver is still showing as available for install. We’re looking into the issue. We’re looking into reports of certain external USB 3.0 drives not responding with Start Code 10 or 38 after they’re attached. NFL Fantasy Football Calling all Fantasy Football fans! Bing has made it easier to stay up to date with your favorite players. By using our Fantasy Football highlight, stay in the loop with rankings, positions, and points. In addition, you can use our compare feature to get an even better look at how your favorite players are performing against others. If you want to be among the first to learn about these Bing features, join our Bing Insiders Program. Thanks, BLB The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19028 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders! Today we are pleased to release a new Insider Preview build of the Windows Server VNext Semi-Annual Channel Datacenter and Standard editions. Available Content Windows Server vNext Semi-Annual Preview Build 19008 The Server Core Datacenter and Standard Editions are available in the 18 supported Server languages in ISO format and in VHDX format in English only. Matching Windows Server Core App Compatibility FoD Preview Matching Windows Server Language Packs [*]Windows Admin Center Preview 1909 Symbols are available on the public symbol server – see Update on Microsoft’s Symbol Server blog post and Using the Microsoft Symbol Server. Containers: For more information about how to obtain and install Windows Server containers and Insider builds, click here. Quick start information, here. Keys: The following keys allow for unlimited activations of Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel Previews Server Standard: V6N4W-86M3X-J77X3-JF6XW-D9PRV Server Datacenter: B69WH-PRNHK-BXVK3-P9XF7-XD84W The Windows Server Preview will expire July 31st, 2020. How to Download Registered Insiders may navigate directly to the Windows Server Insider Preview download page. See the Additional Downloads dropdown for Windows Admin Center and other supplemental apps and products. If you have not yet registered as an Insider, see GETTING STARTED WITH SERVER on the Windows Insiders for Business portal. We value your feedback! The most important part of a frequent release cycle is to hear what’s working and what needs to be improved, so your feedback is extremely valued. For Windows Server, use your registered Windows 10 Insider device and use the Feedback Hub application. In the app, choose the Windows Server category and then the appropriate subcategory for your feedback. In the title of the Feedback, please indicate the build number you are providing feedback as shown below: [server #####] Title of my feedback See Share Feedback on Windows Server via Feedback Hub for specifics. We also encourage you to visit the Windows Server Insiders space on the Microsoft Tech Communities forum to collaborate, share and learn from experts. For Windows Admin Center, Send us feedback via UserVoice. We also encourage you to visit the Windows Admin Center space on the Microsoft Tech Communities. Terms of Use This is pre-release software – it is provided for use “as-is” and is not supported in production environments. Users are responsible for installing any updates made available from Windows Update. All pre-release software made available to you via the Windows Server Insider program are governed by the Insider Terms of Use. Thanks, BLB The post Announcing Windows Server vNext Insider Preview Build 19023 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Some people are able to do what they love for a living. For them, modern technology empowers their professional creativity – and helps them share their work with a much larger audience. Actor, TV host, bestselling author and bilingual influencer Lizza Monet Morales started out on TV. As a child, she was already doing a talk show at the age of 10 called “One To One with Lizza,” which was on public access across the country. Morales says she interviewed politicians, notable figures in the Los Angeles community, educators and celebrities. From there, she expanded her brand by microblogging in 2007, then got into social media, travel and lifestyle blogging and vlogging, just as those channels were gaining traction as daily must go-to’s for more and more people. She also continued to act and host TV shows in English and Spanish. Originally from Los Angeles, California, she travels the world and shares her stories and adventures on and off set with a community she calls #LoveBugNation. Wherever she goes, she takes one of her Lenovo devices that she uses to help her stay on top of her many personal and professional interests. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/6b67d274748b6d06ef5129d4e285e651.jpg Meanwhile in Philadelphia, Juan Dimida, 40, creates graphic art and electronic music on touchscreen devices, working them into beats with other songs or multimedia pieces. He recently created an album of electronic music on his Motorola G3 over the summer and has been performing it on his Lenovo Yoga PC, connected to drum machines and synthesizers. He’s playing this music live in November. Find out more about both of them on Microsoft Stories. The post Professionals stoke their passions with Lenovo’s smarter devices appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19025 (20H1) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. If you want a complete look at what build is in which Insider ring, head over to Flight Hub. You can also check out the rest of our documentation here including a complete list of new features and updates that have gone out as part of Insider flights for the current development cycle. Not seeing any of the features in this build? Check your Windows Insider Settings to make sure you’re on the Fast ring. Submit feedback here to let us know if things weren’t working the way you expected. Other updates for Insiders Improving Windows Search As Insiders know, over the releases, we’ve been continuing to work on improving search results based on your feedback. Including adding Enhanced search mode (adding an easy option to expand search across all folders and drivers) in 19H1, as well integrating Windows Search into File Explorer, to ensure more consistent results regardless of where you start your search. In 19H1, we asked Insiders why they were turning off the search indexer. Your feedback helped us make improvements then and helped us focus on three key areas of improvement in 20H1: excessive disk and CPU usage, general performance issues, and low perceived value of the indexer. Based on this, we’re introducing an algorithm that detects high disk usage and activity, so it can better identify peak usage times and manage the indexer accordingly. We’re also making changes for developers to prevent searches of certain repositories and project folders to improve disk usage. Learn more about these features that we’ve been working on throughout 20H1 and get helpful tips and troubleshooting info to help you make the most of Windows Search in our Supercharging Windows Search article. General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC We fixed an issue from the previous flight preventing Sandbox and WDAG from working. We fixed an issue resulting in certain fingerprint readers no longer working as of Build 19013. We fixed an issue that could result in VPN Settings hanging after upgrade. We’ve done some work to help address an issue that could result in certain modern UI components (including notifications and the network flyout), scaling either too large or too small after attaching an external monitor or remoting into the machine from a monitor with a different DPI. We fixed an issue impacted login performance for some users in recent builds. We fixed an issue resulting in Windows Hello authentication not working with certain apps in recent builds. We fixed an issue that could result in the mouse pointer not displaying when logging in to a PC locally after remoting in. We fixed an issue where, when using the touch keyboard docked on a large screen, the keys would stretch out to span the width of the monitor, rather than staying an optimal width for touch interaction. We fixed an issue that could result in ctfmon.exe crashing when using reconversion with the Japanese IME in certain text fields. We fixed an issue that could result in web activities in Timeline not opening if you had new Edge installed. We fixed an issue where a high number of app deployment failures in a short period of time could result in an unexpectedly large volume of disk space being used by evtx files saved under %windir%\temp. We fixed an issue resulting in some apps failing to update with error 0x8007000A. We fixed an issue resulting in jitters when using Magnifier in certain multi-monitor configurations. We fixed an issue where the mouse pointer did not start from where the Magnifier viewport was if it had moved from typing. We fixed an issue impacting Narrator performance reading aloud in Outlook after switching focus from an email back to the list of emails in your inbox. We fixed a memory leak in EoAExperiences.exe after using the text cursor indicator for prolonged periods of time. Knowns issues BattlEye and Microsoft have found incompatibility issues due to changes in the operating system between some Insider Preview builds and certain versions of BattlEye anti-cheat software. To safeguard Insiders who might have these versions installed on their PC, we have applied a compatibility hold on these devices from being offered affected builds of Windows Insider Preview. See this article for details. We’ve heard that Settings still isn’t available outside of launching via the URI (ms-settings:) for some Insiders and are investigating. Some Insiders are reporting that after successfully installing printer drivers from the Optional Updates section, the same driver is still showing as available for install. We’re looking into the issue. We’re looking into reports where, when certain external USB 3.0 drives are attached, they stop responding with Start Code 10 or 38. Get Ready for Black Friday Black Friday is just around the corner! Check out our Black Friday feature, keeping you updated with Black Friday ads and the ability to view by top stores. Bing is here to make things easier for you. Happy Shopping! If you want to be among the first to learn about these Bing features, join our Bing Insiders Program. Thanks, BLB The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19025 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/d4aa7c53c74a9355c488feeaf25380cc-1024x578.jpg Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is available now on Windows 10, Xbox Game Pass for PC and Ultimate, and Steam. The announcement came Thursday at X019 in London, where the Xbox team also revealed a first look at Age’s next chapter, Age of Empires IV. Both releases are from World’s Edge, a dedicated studio for Age of Empires that’s led by Shannon Loftis and is now a part of the Xbox Games Studios family. “We know that our community has been eager to learn more about Age of Empires IV since we announced it at gamescom in 2017,” says Adam Isgreen, creative director for the Age of Empires franchise in a post on Xbox Wire. “We’ve been hard at work on the game and we’re excited to share some of it with the world today.” Regarding the game released on Thursday, Isgreen notes it truly is the definitive version, bringing back everything that made the original game so special and wrapping it in a modern package. “We’ve listened to the community to learn what they loved most about the game and where we could improve the experience, and have also added brand new content in the form of The Last Khans to delight both existing and new players,” Isgreen says. Head over to Xbox Wire to find out more about the Age of Empires news at X019. The post World’s Edge studio releases Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition at X019, plus new trailer for Age of Empires IV appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/a0b73116dedad363b73c876939b7f2bb-1024x578.jpg Bleeding Edge, the 4v4 online team brawler, will launch March 24 with Xbox Game Pass, the Xbox team announced Thursday at X019 in London. You can also buy it for $29.99. During the “Inside Xbox” episode taped at the event, the team showed off its latest trailer, revealed a brand-new fighter named Cass and details about the pre-order bonuses for Bleeding Edge. Bleeding Edge is now available for pre-order on Xbox One, Windows 10 PC and Steam, and supports cross play and cross save for all three platforms. Players who pre-order or play with Xbox Game Pass can be the first to experience the Bleeding Edge closed beta on Feb. 14 and March 13. Players who pre-order, or play with Xbox Game Pass within the first week of launch (until March 21, 2020), will also receive The Punk Pack bonus content, available when the game launches on March 24. Head over to Xbox Wire to learn more. The post Bleeding Edge to launch with Xbox Game Pass on March 24 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Today at X019, our annual global celebration of all things Xbox, we unveiled an extensive set of deals for the holidays. I’m excited to be here at the London flagship Microsoft Store for the unveil, surrounded by games and gamers. I’ve got the holiday spirit and there is no better place to get your holiday shopping started than the Microsoft Store. You can get started right now and save up to 70% off amazing games during the X019 Xbox Flash Sale,* including Gears 5 Ultimate. But hurry – these deals are only good for the next 24 hours – starting now! At X019, we also announced the Xbox Black Friday deals and get ready to save big! These deals will be available Nov. 24 – Dec. 2 in the US. Some of my favorites? Three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for only $1, including unlimited access to more than 100 great games for PC and console, plus Xbox Live Gold. Up to $150 off Xbox One devices and amazing deals on bundles with titles like Gears 5, NBA 2K20 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. $20 off select Xbox Wireless Controllers, including special and limited edition controllers. More amazing game deals with up to 67% off titles like Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, Sea of Thieves: Anniversary Edition, State of Decay 2 and more. What are you waiting for? At the Microsoft Store, you can buy risk-free with their Give Wonder guarantee**, which promises you their best price of the season. If something you purchase at Microsoft Store is offered at a better price later in the season, you can receive savings back for the difference. And, you can take advantage of free 2-3 day shipping, free extended holiday returns through Jan. 31, 2020, and buy online, pick up in stores options. You can get started right now! Save up to 67% with the X019 Xbox Flash Sale The X019 Xbox Flash Sale is one of our best ever. You can start clicking to save nearly 70% on select titles, such as Gears 5 Ultimate, Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe, NBA 2K20 Legends Edition, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint Gold Edition and Destiny 2: Shadowkeep Deluxe. Don’t delay though, the X019 Flash Sale ends tomorrow, Nov. 15 at Midnight PST. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/39f8416108a32e04fca8143d24f5b764-1024x578.jpg Here’s the full list of X019 Xbox Flash Sale items: Game Current Price Percent Off Sale Price Gears 5 Ultimate $79.99 30% $55.99 Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe Edition $119.99 30% $83.99 GHOST RECON BREAKPOINT GOLD EDITION $99.99 30% $69.99 FIFA 20 Champions Edition $79.99 20% $63.99 NBA 2K20 Legends Edition $99.99 40% $59.99 MADDEN NFL 20 SUPERSTAR EDITION $79.99 20% $63.99 Shadowkeep Deluxe $59.99 25% $44.99 ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY GOLD $99.99 55% $45.00 ASSASSIN’S CREED ORIGINS GOLD $99.99 70% $30.00 CODE VEIN DELUXE EDITION $79.99 30% $55.99 Control $59.99 25% $44.99 FAR CRY 5 $59.99 75% $15.00 FAR CRY 5 GOLD EDITION $89.99 75% $22.50 FAR CRY NEW DAWN DELUXE EDITION $49.99 50% $25.00 Forsaken $24.99 40% $14.99 Forza Horizon 4 Ultimate Edition $99.99 50% $50.00 NHL 20 DELUXE EDITION $69.99 20% $55.99 PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS $19.99 33% $13.39 RAINBOW SIX SIEGE GOLD YEAR 4 EDITION $69.99 50% $35.00 Red Dead Redemption 2: Ultimate Edition $99.99 55% $45.00 Sea of Thieves: Anniversary Edition $49.99 50% $25.00 The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man Of Medan $29.99 33% $20.09 THE DIVISION 2 GOLD EDITION $99.99 70% $30.00 WATCH DOGS 2 GOLD $89.99 75% $22.50 Mortal Kombat 11 Premium Edition $89.99 50% $45.00 Amazing Black Friday deals coming to Microsoft Store This Black Friday, the Xbox deals start Nov. 24 at Microsoft Store in the U.S. But don’t delay, these are limited time offers and some items will sell out fast. You can learn more about the Xbox Black Friday deals on Xbox Wire. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/c5f428c368392dd87b271cef7efff7d3-1024x576.jpg Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $1 – This incredible deal gives you three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $1. This includes unlimited access to more than 100 high-quality games for console and PC plus Xbox Live Gold. Even better, members this holiday also get one month of EA Access – providing discounts for all digital EA games and access to the Vault to download and play great games from series like Battlefield, FIFA, Mass Effect and more. You also receive three months of Discord Nitro, so you can boost your server strength and enjoy bigger downloads on the voice and message app that so many gamers and their friends call home. And, you’ll rock six months of Spotify Premium so you can listen ad-free, download tracks and playlists for on the go, and enjoy on-demand playback. Restrictions apply, see here for details. Xbox One device savings up to $150 – In the market for a new console? Save big this holiday with up to $150 off Xbox One devices, including $150 off the world’s most powerful console, Xbox One X, available at $349.99. Xbox One S starts at $199.99 and the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition starts at $149.99. Or take advantage of incredible deals on bundles with packages that include a console, controller, games and more. And with bundles around titles like Gears 5, including the Limited Edition Xbox One X, NBA 2K20 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, there is a bundle of joy for everyone for both Xbox One X and Xbox One S. $20 off select Xbox Wireless Controllers. You won’t want to miss these savings – with $20 off select Xbox Wireless Controllers, including Night Ops Camo Special Edition, Sport Blue Special Edition, Kait Diaz Gears 5 Limited Edition, Fortnite Special Edition and Phantom White Special Edition. And if you want to get creative, Xbox Design Lab controllers are $10 off! Up to 67% off games. After you load up in our X0 Flash Sale, come back for more on Black Friday with up to 67% off titles like Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, Sea of Thieves: Anniversary Edition, State of Decay 2 and more. The holiday is a great time to be a gamer, or to treat your favorite gamer with the perfect gift. The Microsoft Store has something for everyone – you can easily buy online or visit your local Store to try out the hottest games. You can also take advantage of incredible deals on Gaming PCs powered by Windows 10, saving up to $400 on devices like the Lenovo Legion Y540 15 (i7), Asus ROG Strix G GL531GT (i7) and Acer Predator Triton 500 (i7). Or, just swing by your local Store to play and compete in Gaming Community events – from Fortnite Fridays to Minecraft Mondays to League of Legends Saturday, and monthly events with Gears 5, Halo and Hearthstone, they’ve got something for everyone. Happy Shopping! * Black Friday offers shown are available online and in Microsoft Stores while supplies last. U.S. prices are shown. Offers and content varies by market and may change at any time. Not valid on prior purchases. May not be combinable with other offers. Other exclusions may apply. **Offer valid from 12 a.m. PT Nov. 1, 2019 to 11:59 p.m. PT Jan. 3, 2020 (“Offer Period”) on qualifying purchases of select physical goods made at Microsoft retail and online stores in the United States (including Puerto Rico) and Canada during the Offer Period. Excludes certified refurbished devices, Surface for Business devices, and all digital services and products. Offer not valid on purchases made at third-party retailers. Customer eligible for price adjustment only if 1) Customer purchases eligible item during the Offer Period, (2) the price of the item is reduced during the Offer Period, and 3) Customer requests a price adjustment while the item’s price is currently reduced and in-stock for purchase. For purchases made at a physical store and online, Customer can go to any physical store and present receipt to get a qualifying price adjustment. For purchases made online, Customer must contact Microsoft Store Sales and Support at 1-877-696-7786 with order number and any other information requested by the Store Sales representative. Refunds will be provided to Customer in same manner as item was purchased (credit card use will be credited to original card). Maximum of one price adjustment per item will be granted during Offer Period. Bulk buys of more than two of the same device, per customer’s Microsoft Account, will not qualify for price adjustments. Price adjustments do not include taxes, or shipping or other fees. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Microsoft reserves the right to modify or discontinue offers at any time. Other exclusions and limitations may apply. The post Xbox holiday deals start today at the Microsoft Store appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19023 (20H1) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. If you want a complete look at what build is in which Insider ring, head over to Flight Hub. You can also check out the rest of our documentation here including a complete list of new features and updates that have gone out as part of Insider flights for the current development cycle. Not seeing any of the features in this build? Check your Windows Insider Settings to make sure you’re on the Fast ring. Submit feedback here to let us know if things weren’t working the way you expected. Other updates for Insiders We’re continuing to look at ways we can improve the update experience on Windows 10 PCs for our customers. As part of this effort, we are conducting an experiment related to how we deliver driver updates through Windows Update. During this experiment, drivers categorized as “optional” will not be automatically downloaded and installed on Windows Insider’s PCs running 20H1 Build 18980 and newer. To install any new optional drivers available for a PC that’s involved in this experiment (including drivers for new devices that might get plugged in to a PC), Insiders can go to Settings > Windows Update > Optional Updates and manually download these drivers. This experiment will be running now through November 25th, 2019. General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC We resolved an issue where, if a build attempted to download and install before you had completed the first log in of a prior install (such as Build 19013), you would experience a 2-hour window before you could install this new build. We fixed an issue resulting in a lag processing input when running a video fullscreen. We fixed an issue where the quick action section in the Action Center was slightly off-center in the last few builds. We fixed an issue that could result in Cortana’s voice activation setting switching from on back to off after explorer.exe restarted, or if you rebooted your PC. Just a reminder for Insiders, that as of the previous flight, based on feedback, we’ve decided to remove the downloads folder from Disk Cleanup. If you liked having this option, it’s still available via Storage Settings. Known issues We’ve identified an issue preventing Sandbox and WDAG from working. If you rely on these features, you may consider pausing updates before taking this build. We know what’s causing this issue, and we’re working hard to get another flight out with the fix as quickly as possible. BattlEye and Microsoft have found incompatibility issues due to changes in the operating system between some Insider Preview builds and certain versions of BattlEye anti-cheat software. To safeguard Insiders who might have these versions installed on their PC, we have applied a compatibility hold on these devices from being offered affected builds of Windows Insider Preview. See this article for details. We’ve heard that Settings still isn’t available outside of launching via the URI (ms-settings:) for some Insiders and are investigating. Some Insiders are reporting that after successfully installing printer drivers from the Optional Updates section, the same driver is still showing as available for install. We’re looking into the issue. We’re investigating reports that certain fingerprint readers are no longer working as of Build 19013. If you’re impacted, for now you’ll need to log in with a password instead–appreciate your patience. Celebrate Thanksgiving with Bing This year, Bing has everything you need to make your Thanksgiving holiday (U.S.) simple and fun! With our Thanksgiving feature, we provide recipes, kitchen essentials, seasonal crafts, and more. We take pride in being the ultimate guide for a wonderful Thanksgiving day. If you want to be among the first to learn about these Bing features, join our Bing Insiders Program. Thanks, BLB The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19023 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

By Alysa Taylor, Corporate Vice President, Business Applications & Global Industry, and Hayden Stafford, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Business Applications We’ve seen incredible growth of Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform just in the past year. This momentum is driving a massive investment in people and breakthrough technologies that will empower organizations to transform in the next decade. We have allocated hundreds of millions of dollars in our business cloud that power business transformation across markets and industries and help organizations solve difficult problems. This fiscal year we are also heavily investing in the people that bring Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform to life — a rapidly growing global network of experts, from engineers and researchers to sales and marketing professionals. Side-by-side with our incredible partner community, the people that power innovation at Microsoft will fuel transformational experiences for our customers into the next decade. Accelerating innovation across industries In every industry, we hear about the struggle to transform from a reactive to proactive organization that can respond to changes in the market, customer needs, and even within their own business. When we talk to customers who have rolled out Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform, the conversation shifts to the breakthrough outcomes they’ve achieved, often in very short time frames. Customers talk about our unique ability to connect data holistically across departments and teams — with AI-powered insights to drive better outcomes. Let us share a few examples. This year we’ve focused on a new vision for retail that unifies back office, in-store and digital experiences. One of Washington state’s founding wineries — Ste. Michelle Wine Estates — is onboarding Dynamics 365 Commerce to bridge physical and digital channels, streamline operations with cloud intelligence and continue building brand loyalty with hyper-personalized customer experiences. When we talk to manufacturers, we often zero in on ways to bring more efficiency to the factory floor and supply chain. Again, it’s our ability to harness data from physical and digital worlds, reason over it with AI-infused insights, that opens doors to new possibilities. For example, Majans, the Australian-based snackfood company, is creating the factory of the future with the help of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, Power BI and Azure IoT Hub — bringing Internet of Things (IoT) intelligence to every step in the supply chain, from quality control on the production floor to key performance indicators to track future investments. When everyone relies on a single source of truth about production, inventory and sales performance, decisions employees make drive the same outcome — all made possible on our connected business cloud. These connected experiences extend to emerging technologies that bridge digital and physical worlds, such as our investment in mixed reality. We’re working with companies like PACCAR —manufacturer of premium trucks — to using Dynamics 365 Guides and HoloLens 2, as well as Siemens to enable technicians to service its eHighway — an electrified freight transport system — by completing service steps with hands-free efficiency using HoloLens and two-way communication and documentation in Dynamics 365 Field Service. For many of our customers, the journey to Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform started with a need for more personalized customer experiences. Our customer data platform (CDP) featuring Dynamics 365 Customer Insights, is helping Tivoli Gardens — one of the world’s longest-running amusement parks — personalize guest experiences across every touchpoint — on the website, at the hotel and in the park. Marston’s has onboarded Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Insights to unify guest data and infuse personalized experiences across its 1,500-plus pubs across the U.K. The value of Dynamics 365 is compounded when coupled with the Power Platform. In late 2019, there are over 3 million monthly active developers on the Power Platform, from non-technical “citizen developers” to Microsoft partners developing world-class, customized apps. In the last year, we’ve seen a 700% growth in Power Apps production apps and a 300% growth in monthly active users. All of those users generate a ton of data, with more than 25 billion Power Automate steps run each day and 25 million data models hosted in the Power BI service. The impact of the Power Platform is shared in the stories our customers share with us. TruGreen, one of the largest lawn care companies in the U.S., onboarded Dynamics 365 Customer Insights and the Microsoft Power Platform to provide more proactive and predictive services to customers, freeing employees to spend more time on higher value tasks and complex customer issue resolution. And the American Red Cross is leveraging Power Platform integration with Teams to improve disaster response times. From the Fortune 500 companies below to the thousands of small and medium sized businesses, city and state governments, schools and colleges and nonprofit organizations — Dynamics 365 and the Microsoft Cloud are driving transformative success delivering on business outcomes. https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/2019/11/Partners-OMB-blog.png Partnering to drive customer success We can’t talk about growth and momentum of Dynamics 365 and Power Platform without spotlighting our partner community — from ISVs to System Integrators that are the lifeblood of driving scale for our business. We launched new programs, such as the new ISV Connect Program, to help partners get Dynamics 365 and Power Apps solutions to market faster. Want to empower the next generation of connected cloud business? Join our team! The incredible momentum of Dynamics 365 and Power Platform means our team is growing, too. In markets around the globe, we’re looking for people who want to make a difference and take their career to the next level by helping global organizations digitally transform on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. If you’re interested in joining our rapidly growing team, we’re hiring across a wealth of disciplines, from engineering to technical sales, in markets across the globe. Visit careers.microsoft.com to explore business applications specialist career opportunities. The post Tallying the momentous growth and continued expansion of Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

In July, we announced that the Windows 10 November 2019 Update would be a scoped release for select performance improvements, enterprise features and quality enhancements. Today, we are announcing that the Windows 10 November 2019 Update is now available for users on the most recent versions of Windows 10 who seek the new update via Windows Update. My post today covers details on how you can get the November 2019 Update, as we have worked to make this a great experience for all devices, and an exceptionally fast update process for devices running the May 2019 Update. I’ll also cover how commercial organizations can begin targeted deployments and provide an overview of new features. How to get the update Beginning today, the November Update is available for customers seeking to install the latest release. If you are ready to install the update, open your Windows Update settings (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update) and select Check for updates. Once the update appears, you can select Download and install now. (Note: If you follow these steps and do not see “Feature update to Windows 10, version 1909” on your device, you might have a compatibility issue and a safeguard hold is in place until we are confident that you will have a good update experience.) Once you have downloaded the update, you will need to restart your device to complete the update installation process. Make sure to first save your files and close any open apps, then select Restart now. If you’re not ready to restart, no problem! Simply select Schedule the restart, then pick a day and time that best suits your schedule. If you haven’t had time to schedule the restart, Windows will automatically schedule it for you outside of times you’re actively using your device. You can also choose a time that is convenient for you and pause the update for up to 35 days (seven days at a time, up to five times). For more information on how to get the November 2019 Update, watch this video. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/98663eb6bda321ea71b254c3e822ebf1.jpg Semi-Annual Channel release for commercial customers With today’s release of the November 2019 Update (Windows 10, version 1909), IT administrators should begin targeted deployments to validate that the apps, devices and infrastructure used by their organizations work as expected with the new release and features. Windows 10, version 1909 is available through Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Windows Update for Business, and the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC)1 for phased deployment using Microsoft Endpoint Manager (the combination of Configuration Manager and Intune plus cloud-powered features into an integrated management solution) or other systems management software. (Note: The next Semi-Annual Channel release of Windows Server—Windows Server, version 1909—is scheduled for general availability later this month via the Azure Portal and the Volume Licensing Servicing Center.) For information about the latest features for commercial customers, including the 30 months of service support for Enterprise, IoT Enterprise and Education editions, see What’s new for IT pros in Windows 10, version 1909. For specific information on the update mechanics of Windows 10, version 1909, see this blog post. Windows 10 and Windows Server, version 1803 Home and Pro editions reach end of service For Windows 10 devices that are at, or within several months of reaching end of service, Windows Update will automatically initiate a feature update (with users having the ability to choose a convenient time); keeping those devices supported and receiving the monthly updates that are critical to device security and ecosystem health. The Windows 10 April 2018 Update (Windows 10, version 1803) has reached end of service for Home and Pro editions. The November 2019 Update provides the latest features As I have often noted, being on the latest version of Windows 10 provides you with the latest features and the most secure version of Windows. New features include capabilities for: Quickly creating an event directly from the Calendar flyout on the Taskbar. Better managing notifications, including a new button at the top of the Action Center and the ability to sort notifications by most recently shown. Integrating OneDrive content online with traditional indexed results in the File Explorer search box. The navigation pane on the Start menu now expands when you hover over it with your mouse to better inform where clicking goes. Using your voice to activate third-party digital assistants from the Lock screen. Update control, quality and transparency We continue to provide you with more control over updates, making it largely up to you to initiate when an update occurs and increasing transparency throughout the update experience. To keep Windows 10 devices supported and receiving monthly updates, Windows Update will automatically initiate a feature update for devices that are at, or within several months of reaching, end of service. We continue to work to improve Windows 10 quality and will be closely monitoring and sharing the current status of the update via the Windows release health dashboard and following @WindowsUpdate on Twitter. We encourage you to tell us about your experience by providing comments or suggestions via the Feedback Hub. Note: 1 It may take a day for downloads to be fully available in the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) across all products, markets, and languages. The post How to get the Windows 10 November 2019 Update appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. 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Along with Tuesday’s release of the Windows 10 November 2019 Update, small and medium-sized businesses can find updates for Windows 10 Pro, which includes ways for IT pros and business owners to better manage their organization’s devices. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/412f31f331df9e7913e72acffd36ef0a-1024x810.png As support ends for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020, there has never been a better time to get acquainted with Windows 10 and modern devices. With comprehensive security, business-class tools, flexible management and the freedom to choose your own hardware, Windows 10 Pro is a solid foundation for the modern workplace. It helps that Windows 10 is the most secure Windows ever. Windows 10 Pro includes built-in protections for your data, equipment and people, securing business information and personal identities even on lost or stolen devices. Business essentials like firewall, secure boot and file-level information-loss protection come standard on every device [1]. With the Windows 10 November 2019 Update, hard encryption is now easy with a key-rolling feature that securely rotates recovery passwords on Mobile Device Management (MDM)-managed devices. Whenever Microsoft Intune/MDM tools or a recovery password is used to unlock a BitLocker-protected drive, it activates this feature. As a result, the recovery password will be better protected when users manually unlock a BitLocker drive. Windows 10 Pro provides compatibility with more business systems, seamlessly works with the most trusted productivity and collaboration suites, and dramatically improves performance. With the Windows 10 November 2019 Update, Windows 10 Pro gets several updates that boost users’ productivity: Calendar, Cloud Clipboard, Search your PC and OneDrive. Calendar is designed to help users save time and work more efficiently. For example, they can check schedules and create events directly from the taskbar without opening the Calendar app. Just click on the date and time to activate the Calendar flyout, where they’ll see their agenda and can begin typing in the text box for whatever day they choose. Cloud Clipboard delivers the ability to copy multiple items to paste later. Copied text is synced across devices, so users can copy on one device and paste it on another. With this update, employees can sign-in with either Azure Active Directory or Microsoft Accounts, so it can improve both business and personal productivity. Get to all clippings, which are kept in chronological order, with a simple keystroke combination [Windows + V]. For content that’s going to be pasted often, such as contact information or a project description that must be sent to multiple parties: pin it. Another highlight of the Windows 10 Pro update: having one place from which to find everything online, in OneDrive and on your PC. Use search in Windows – found on the taskbar – to locate apps, documents, email messages, company resources, or even people. With files as likely to be stored in the cloud as they are on PCs and local file servers, Windows 10 powers File Explorer updates to help integrate users’ online OneDrive content with indexed results from their locally stored files, giving search results for content and files that live on both PCs and OneDrive. Take advantage of keyboard-free interactions, which increase accessibility and help streamline work flow [2]. With voice control, you can operate your entire PC with spoken commands, eliminating the need for manual inputs. For those who like writing and drawing manually, a broad array of pens and styli enable expression across a multitude of apps. Fingers (and gestures, through them) as well as digital pens control touchscreens on modern devices, expanding the possibilities without additional hardware. For IT pros, Windows 10 Pro simplifies identity, device and application management. With flexible management capabilities, such as Windows Autopilot, you can control your IT infrastructure intuitively, without hassles. Windows 10 Pro comes pre-installed on a large selection of business devices, from the world’s leading manufacturers. If you’re in business, you know that one size doesn’t fit all. From premium 2-in-1s to powerful workstations, the Windows 10 Pro device ecosystem has what you need. You can head over to this curated collection of business devices to check them out, but here are some examples: https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/0126b9cdbeae8a40d1180edb6532835c-1024x768.jpg Acer Swift 1 Pro https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/c6d6378f2ce20a023be499e1a1018b00-1024x768.jpg Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/225b3c203d8e1d72c6825a84e479eb1a-1024x768.jpg HP Elitebook X360 1040 https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/afe7a97b1888b2b9f31e3d64069e649a-1024x768.jpg Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 4th Gen Learn more about Windows 10 Pro. [1] Windows Information Protection requires either Mobile Device Management or System Center Configuration Manager to manage settings. These products are sold separately. Active Directory makes management easier but is not required. [2] Check with device specifications, as some features are hardware-dependent. The post Updates for Windows 10 Pro can help businesses work even smarter appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Today, I’m sharing the progress we’re making toward our goal to increase diversity at Microsoft globally. Our 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Report is our most comprehensive to date, and reflects our data, our journey, our learnings, and our employees’ stories. With this year’s report, we renew our commitment to our mission to consciously and intentionally include everyone. In 2019, we made progress on our diversity and inclusion objectives, as reflected in the numbers. But there is another part of our journey that year-over-year data can’t convey: the depth of our commitment and the range of programs in place to keep diversity and inclusion at the heart of the work we do. And although we’re gratified to see the movement, we know we cannot take our focus off the work that needs to continue. In addition to the numbers, the report reflects day-to-day learnings, and how we’re applying this knowledge to build trust and adapt as we go. For example, this year we enhanced some of the ways we measure and analyze our data to give us a more detailed look at specific areas where we’re hoping to improve. Here are some of the new additions to this year’s reporting: The Inclusion Index, shared publicly for the first time in this report, is an internal sentiment measure that helps us understand the effectiveness of company efforts by measuring employee perceptions about their experiences at Microsoft. Equal pay data is being expanded to reflect the global representation of men and women in the five largest markets outside the U.S. based on employee population. This data represents almost 80% of our workforce, giving us a more nuanced understanding of our pay practices globally. We’ve distinguished directors and executives from each other in the category we previously labeled as “Leadership,” and called out metrics for women and racial and ethnic minorities among managers and individual contributors, to better examine representation throughout the workforce. I do want to note that the data listed below does not include our broader Microsoft family of companies — LinkedIn, GitHub, Compulsion, Playground Games, Ninja Theory, InXile, Obsidian Entertainment and Undead Labs. The full report shows snapshots of data with and without these companies as well as a look at LinkedIn’s and GitHub’s reports that were also released today. From June 2018 to June 2019 we saw encouraging gains in the representation of our employees. In terms of race and ethnicity, we saw modest year-over-year growth in total representation in all categories, including in tech and in leadership roles at both the director and executive level. Overall, racial and ethnic minorities represent 46.7% of the U.S. workforce, up 2.2 percentage points from 2018. This year, continuing a positive trend dating back to 2016, there were steady increases in the representation of women globally at the company in all the aspects we measured, including tech and leadership roles. Overall representation of women increased 1.1 percentage points to 27.6%. At leadership levels, women currently represent 37% of our company’s executives responsible for leading a geographic market, with women currently leading three of our largest global markets. We aspire to a workforce and culture that truly reflects the societies where we work, around the world, and there is clearly more we need to do. Equal pay In the U.S. women earn $1.001 for every $1.000 earned by their counterparts who are men, and racial and ethnic minorities earn $1.006 for every $1.000 earned by their white counterparts. As we expanded our equal pay data to include data on women and men from the five largest markets outside the U.S. — collectively representing about 80% of our workforce — we see that women in those combined geographies earn $0.999 for every $1.000 by their counterparts who are men. At Microsoft, we are committed to the principle of equal pay for equal work for our employees and strive to pay employees equally for substantially similar work. Inclusion Index Our Microsoft Inclusion Index, shared publicly for the first time, reflects that 88% of employees agree that they experience positive aspects of inclusion at Microsoft. With our scale and global reach, this is a positive indicator, but we know we have a responsibility to engage those who are not part of that 88%. Our broad responsibility With our corporate mission, our scale, and our global reach, we have a responsibility to do far more than just raise awareness about inclusion. We are uniquely positioned to drive the conversation, to have a meaningful, tangible impact on how people experience Microsoft products and services, and how they engage within our workplace and with the company in general. Our responsibility is not just to those who work with us, but to the larger technology industry, the industries we serve and the communities where we live. I encourage you all to read the full report to explore much more detailed data, insights, employee stories, and initiatives, as well as our learnings to see how we’re applying this knowledge. The post The Microsoft Diversity and Inclusion Report reveals momentum and learnings for the future appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19013.1122 (20H1) to Windows Insiders in the Slow ring. For details on what is included in this build and known issues, see this blog post. For a summary of all the new 20H1 features, see this article on Microsoft Docs. Be sure to check out the known issues below! Build 19013.1122 includes a fix for the issue where the Settings app would hang or crash when accessing the System or Ease of Access sections. Thanks, BLB The post Releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19013 into the Slow ring appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Each year before the holidays, I take a look at all the Windows PCs our partners brought to market over the past 12 months and make a list of some I think would be great gifts for family and friends. In 2019 Windows PC capabilities and the experiences they enable continued to evolve, resulting in beautiful, sleek and powerful devices that offer outstanding displays, high-quality sound, more connectivity options than ever and exceptional battery life. There are lots of PCs to choose from, so it’s easy to find a great Windows PC for everyone on my list. Here are a few of the PCs that stood out for me this year. These devices meet the demands of people who are on the go, expect great user experiences, want great media and gaming features, and want best-in-industry security and privacy. Today’s students: work-play mashup power required https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/50fb01d7ba5458641a769fd33c55e045-300x200.jpg Nicole Dezen For teens and college students, versatility and connectivity in a PC are must-haves. They want devices powerful enough to produce their best schoolwork, with high-quality sound and video to bring their favorite games and movies to life, and with enough battery life to do it all without having to carry a charger around all day. And their parents don’t think a PC meant primarily for kids’ schoolwork should break the bank. My nephew is a good student and a PC gamer, and I know he would love the HP ENVY x360 laptop because he can use it to do homework while listening to his favorite Spotify playlist, and then, when the work is done, he can game with friends using Microsoft Game Pass for PC. HP ENVY x360 13 This is a powerful, versatile convertible, a PC that morphs into a tablet. It lets people work using keyboard and touch and has exceptional battery life up to 15 hours and 15 minutes. The ENVY x360 security features include biometric login, a privacy switch to turn off the webcam, and HP Sure View privacy screen technology that makes it difficult for onlookers to see what you’re working on from the sides. It offers rich, authentic sound and a gorgeous, high-resolution display. Shop now. Black Friday deals: At HP.com, take $700 off the HP Envy Laptop 17t and save $300 on the HP Spectre Laptop 13T. Samsung Notebook 9 Pen Another choice popular with students is the Samsung Notebook 9 Pen. Offered in a striking ocean-blue color, the Notebook 9 Pen has a built-in S Pen with three tips that mimic the experience of writing, sketching, or painting on paper. With 16 GB of memory, this laptop is ready to tackle the most complex video and graphic design projects. And the screen rotates 360 degrees, converting into a tablet for presenting, viewing video, or browsing the web using the touchscreen. With amped-up audio from dual speakers tuned by AKG, it delivers cinematic-quality sound for games, movies, music and shows. And it’s fast, from boot-up to multitasking to recharging. Shop now. Multiminders: machines that tackle to-do lists I’ve got a lot of friends juggling work, kids and aging parents who need connectivity, so they can keep up with their busy schedules. They want PCs with the power to run their family life and manage a business. One of my childhood friends is a multitasker — kids, pets, job and a side hustle! She is a power user who wants access to her files, web content and favorite digital assistant on her phone and her PC, so she can easily find out if a work meeting conflicts with her daughter’s gymnastics or her dad’s doctor’s appointment. When they put their feet up at the end of a long day, users such as my friend really appreciate a PC that offers an entertainment experience that does justice to their favorite shows. And they don’t have time to deal with malware, phishing schemes, or the threat of identity theft, so automated security updates are a must. Dell Inspiron 27 7000 AIO This space-efficient, all-in-one (PC with monitor and speakers) is a multimedia powerhouse. What I really like about the 27-inch AIO is that it can be set up anywhere, thanks to the latest wireless connectivity and a slick, TV-inspired design that includes a stand that lets the keyboard nest underneath the display. And it’s superpowerful, with a 10th Generation Intel Core processor and DDR4 memory that let users tackle multiple tasks quickly and easily. It includes awesome security and privacy features: a hideaway webcam; robust encryption technology; and Windows antivirus, malware and spyware protection across email, apps, the cloud and the web. Shop now. Black Friday deals: At Dell.com/blackfriday, take advantage of savings on the Dell XPS 13 starting at $799.99, and the Dell 24 Gaming Monitor for $99. Lenovo Yoga C940 14 This two-in-one works as a PC or a tablet, and I love that it combines outstanding multimedia features with smart tech that adapts to individual lifestyles. It tents and rotates 360 degrees, making it easy to seamlessly switch between keyboard, touch, or pen. It stays powered up with a garaged pen charger and battery life of up to 15 hours. Two supercool features: the Dolby rotating soundbar that delivers immersive sound with two sets of speakers, and realistic video on a display that’s 50% brighter than standard software-defined radio displays. Shop now. Black Friday deals: At Lenovo.com, get up to 45% off all Lenovo ThinkPad laptops. At 9 a.m. ET, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 laptop will be on sale for $999 ($1,349 in Canada); price valid while supplies last. Just-the-facts folks: make it hassle-free, please My mom isn’t interested in having the latest graphics card or Wi-Fi technology. All she wants is a PC that’s intuitive, easy to use, hassle-free, and that protects her information. And she’d like to take it with her on vacation to share photos with friends, write emails, or Skype with the family at home. That said, she recognizes a great user experience when she sees it. Easy access to digital assistants like Cortana or Alexa for instant answers about the weather or upcoming birthdays is very handy, as are accessibility features like built-in graphics scaling settings, backlit keyboards and large, bright touchscreens. ASUS ZenBook 13 UX333FA Just 0.7 inches thick and weighing less than 3 pounds, this ultraslim, ultralight notebook with next-generation wireless connectivity is easy to carry with you. I also like its innovative NumberPad touchpad: When activated, the pad lights up with number/character cutouts and functions as a calculator — great for making quick calculations on the go. The backlit keyboard is also great on the eyes if you’re typing in low light. The 13-inch screen might be compact, but the ZenBook delivers an impressive picture. The four-sided frameless NanoEdge bezel maximizes screen size for immersive, easy-to-see visuals, while the built-in HD webcam with array microphone makes you look and sound great on Skype calls with the fam. Shop now. Black Friday deals: Save $200 on an ASUS ZenBook 14 UX434 at the Microsoft Store, and get the ASUS VivoBook 15 F512 for $299 at Walmart.com. Take $100 off the ZenBook 13, selling for $899 at Amazon.com. Acer Swift 5 This laptop is ultralight but a heavy hitter on performance, storage and battery life, all wrapped up in a stylish and sleek design. It’s also got Wake on Voice tech, allowing you to control it with just your voice, even when the screen is off. No need to remember a password: Windows 10 lets you sign in with just a fingerprint. Some models have the option for NVIDIA GeForce graphics, making the Swift 5 superpowered for smoother graphics and for editing photos and video on the go. This slim laptop’s picture is so vivid, your video calls will be crisp and clear. Shop now. Black Friday deals: Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 27, the Acer Predator Triton 700 will be half off, available only at Acer.com for $999.99. Starting Monday, Dec. 1, the Acer Predator Helios 500 will be on sale at Acer.com for $999. That preholiday buzz All the Windows 10 PCs on my list run Microsoft’s operating system and applications to maximize productivity. With cloud-enabled Office 365 and industry-leading security, these modern PCs move seamlessly between work and play. Plus, they look cool. I hope my PC gift list is helpful for everyone who wants to give a PC that’s just right for that special person! The post That’s a wrap! 6 great Windows PCs for the holiday season appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Imagine an autonomous vehicle navigating a smoke-filled mine looking for survivors, personal belongings or any other clues to find anyone who might be alive. It identifies objects it sees and decides which paths to take first. As it reaches the limit of where it can explore, a drone sitting on the vehicle flies off to explore the hard-to-reach corners of the mine. All of this is done without any communication with the outside world. Believe it or not, this isn’t science fiction! Team Explorer from Carnegie Mellon University and Oregon State University did exactly this to win the first event of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Subterranean Challenge. Today we live in the age of data-driven artificial intelligence (AI), where machine intelligence systems solve difficult problems by considering hundreds of millions of trials or training episodes. Hard problems in perception and decision making that were considered too tough by the community even in the recent past are today being successfully solved using techniques such as reinforcement learning (RL). I’ve often thought about how advances like these in machine perception and automated decision-making could help us do things like build intelligent robots, and in particular tackle the challenges of optimal control of dynamical systems. And since my early days as a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon, I’ve been fascinated by the tight loop between perception — using computer intelligence to sense surroundings — and action — using this feedback and data to make decisions. Today, our work teaching computers to play games (e.g., mastering Ms. Pac-Man) has the ability to fundamentally change the way we will build control systems in the future. The potential applications could impact a wide range of industries with profound impact on safety and productivity — going well beyond just the self-driving cars that dominate today’s news cycles. Today’s engineered devices and systems use rules-based logic to bring together the scientific principles, technology and mathematics which have been painstakingly discovered over time by subject matter experts and engineers. But what if our engineers of the future could build control systems infused with machine intelligence that go beyond rules-based logic, and respond in real-time to changing environments to accomplish their goal? Technologies such as RL that are seeing tremendous success in solving video games will be key to building real-world sequential decision-making mechanisms and will power our next generation of autonomous systems. Helping engineers build action-perception loops for the real world Translating the success of RL in video games to real-world autonomous systems carries big challenges — for example, no one loses a life making the wrong move in a video game! AI can’t learn from its failures as easily in the real world, where the potential cost of mistakes can be huge. Additionally, newer AI techniques are data hungry. For example, it takes hundreds of millions of tries before a seemingly respectable policy can be trained for many of these gaming tasks. So, operating physical systems like machines or chemical processes for millions of cycles to generate data to train AI can be a very expensive proposition. Today, I’m excited to talk about how new breakthroughs in the world of machine teaching and creating high-fidelity simulations will enable you to tackle these challenges. Machine teaching – a new paradigm to infuse domain knowledge to help improve learning Our researchers have been hard at work on developing machine teaching, which infuses expert domain knowledge and harnesses human expertise to break a big problem into easier, smaller tasks. It also can give AI models important clues about how to find a solution faster, dramatically accelerating model training time. There’s still AI underneath the hood, but you as the expert provide examples, or lesson plans, to help the learning algorithms solve the task at hand. Since you are the one giving the lessons, describing the goals, desired behavior, and safety boundary conditions, the resulting AI models are also far more explainable and auditable once they are deployed. I know I wouldn’t want a “black-box” AI model running the control loop for my systems! Borrowing a quote from Alfred Aho and Jeffrey Ullman, “Computer Science is the science of abstraction, creating the right model for thinking about a problem and devising the appropriate mechanizable techniques to solve it.” I think of machine teaching as the abstraction we are creating, the right model for thinking about applying domain expertise to AI systems. It can help you to bridge between the model-first mindset of engineers and the code-first mindset practiced by software developers. High-fidelity simulations – A critical path to gather experiences at scale Similar to machine teaching, simulations offer a way to generate synthetic data that can train machine intelligence systems at scale and without taking unnecessary risks. Simulations are a safe and cost-efficient way to train AI models, if you can model the key elements like the devices, the sensors and the environment interacting with your system. That allows you to simulate all possible scenarios, including edge situations — such as when a certain sensor or actuator fails — to teach the AI how to adapt to those situations. For example, we built an open source simulator for aerial and other robotic vehicles called Aerial Informatics and Robotics Simulation, or AirSim for short. AirSim allows the simulation of a wide variety of environments, lighting conditions, sensors and fusion of sensor data. AirSim’s ability to create near-realistic autonomy pipelines is how Team Explorer secured its win. Most of our customers use highly specialized simulation software for their specific use cases. We’re working with leading simulation makers in the industry like MathWorks to bring these simulators to Azure. MathWorks is the leading developer of mathematical computing software, including MATLAB and Simulink, used by millions of engineers and scientists to design complex embedded and multidomain systems. These partnerships will enable you to easily produce the large volumes of synthetic data needed to quickly train AI models for your specific use case. The possibilities are endless, and the time is now We’re continuing to bring AI to engineers and designers that will harness their expertise and trustworthy autonomy as the foundation for accelerated innovation. Customers like Delta, Shell and Toyota are already starting to use and benefit from this approach. From industrial applications to search and rescue operations like in the DARPA challenge, the applications of this technology will be endless. We hope you will join us on this journey to start inventing the future! Related: Visit: Autonomous systems with Microsoft AI Read: How autonomous systems use AI that learns from the world around it Read: Helping first responders achieve more with autonomous systems and AirSim Read: Machine teaching: How people’s expertise makes AI even more powerful Learn more: Game of Drones Competition at NeurIPS 2019 Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19018 (20H1) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. Starting today, Windows Insiders who have opted into Skip Ahead are being migrated back into the Fast ring. This means that Skip Ahead will no longer be reflected under Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program. Going forward, we will not be offering Skip Ahead as an option for Insiders to sign-up for. Our goal is to provide everyone in the Fast ring the freshest builds at the same time. IMPORTANT: As is normal with pre-release builds, these builds may contain bugs that might be painful for some. If you take this flight, you won’t be able to switch Slow or Release Preview rings without doing a clean-install on your PC. If you want a complete look at what build is in which Insider ring, head over to Flight Hub. You can also check out the rest of our documentation here including a complete list of new features and updates that have gone out as part of Insider flights for the current development cycle. Not seeing any of the features in this build? Check your Windows Insider Settings to make sure you’re on the Fast ring. Submit feedback here to let us know if things weren’t working the way you expected. Other updates for Insiders Quick searches now in Search Home To help you find the info that matters even faster, we’ve added four quick web searches to your Search Home: Weather: Get current conditions and the upcoming forecast Top news: Read the latest headlines from popular news sites Today in history: Explore four events that happened on this day New movies: Find out what’s playing in theaters near you https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/6b2b150b6626f1abeb61b069d49b4970.png To preview these web answers and results, select the search box to open Search Home, then choose one of the quick search buttons. Need quick answers about other topics or searches? Just enter a query into the search box for quick results about almost everything. Let us know what you think about quick searches and how you would like to see them evolve. Note: This is a server-side change that’s currently rolling out and will appear for users across builds from version 1809 to 20H1. Currently, quick searches are only available in the US, but will be available soon internationally. Updated design for web preview in search results We have made a few small tweaks to how it looks–here’s what you’ll see now: https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/fe39852a09ea8f98060e90fbd276ca56.png General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC For Insiders that did not take the Cumulative Update to Build 19013, just a note that this build, vvnmcflr (like that update), also includes the fix for the issue resulting in black screens and disconnects over remote desktop in the last couple of flights. We’ve fixed an issue where the Settings app was hanging or crashing when accessing the System or Ease of Access sections. We fixed an issue where if a new account profile picture synced down from the cloud, your old one might not be listed in the picture history in Accounts Settings. We fixed an issue where Windows Update history might show an update having failed with error 0x80240017 even though the update had actually succeeded. We fixed an issue that could result in Search sometimes not rendering in the enter space available within the Search window. We fixed an issue that could result in exe using an unexpectedly high amount of CPU when your device was unplugged in recent builds. We fixed an issue that could result in Cortana not responding to Hey Cortana. We fixed an issue that could result in Cortana not being visible in the taskbar right after upgrading, or being visible but not working, until you restarted your PC. We fixed an issue resulting in not being able to keep the Shift key pressed in order to type capital letters in certain languages recently when typing with the onehanded touch keyboard. As some Insiders know, a few releases ago we announced a new keyboard shortcut (WIN + Ctrl + Shift + B) in order to help troubleshoot black screens. With today’s build, in this vein, we’re announcing a new keyboard shortcut (WIN + Ctrl + Shift + L) to help investigate issues with the login screen. Simply press the keyboard shortcut while your PC is locked, reproduce your issue, and then press the keyboard short again–a reference number will be displayed that you can share when reporting your issue. Please note, currently this is only supported for local sessions that have connected to the network and power, and for whom Diagnostic Data is set to Full. Narrator no longer announces changes in fonts when they have not changed. We updated Narrator’s autocorrect sound to be more consistent with the editing experience. We improved Narrator’s navigation and reading experience within Chrome. We’ve improved the Outlook experience with Magnifier when Magnifier is set to track the text cursor in the center of the screen. Arrowing up and down in a list of emails will no longer force the viewport to the left of the list of messages. Known issues BattlEye and Microsoft have found incompatibility issues due to changes in the operating system between some Insider Preview builds and certain versions of BattlEye anti-cheat software. To safeguard Insiders who might have these versions installed on their PC, we have applied a compatibility hold on these devices from being offered affected builds of Windows Insider Preview. See this article for details. We’ve heard that Settings still isn’t available outside of launching via the URI (ms-settings:) for some Insiders and are investigating. Some Insiders are reporting that after successfully installing printer drivers from the Optional Updates section, the same driver is still showing as available for install. We’re looking into the issue. If this build attempts to download an install before you have completed the first login of a prior install (such as Build 19013), you will experience a 2-hour window before you can install this new build. Calling all League of Legends Fans! Are you a League of Legends fan? The 2019 World Championship is here, and Bing has everything you need to stay up to date. Check out our League of Legends feature including matches, brackets, standings and more. If you want to be among the first to learn about these Bing features, join our Bing Insiders Program. Thanks, BLB The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19018 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/b8bd7114c0f535ca85f9c8c9385d3945-1024x578.jpg In our mission to empower people with knowledge with Microsoft 365, one critical opportunity is the internet. We know that 60% of the time people spend on the PC is within the web browser, and it has become the primary way we work, learn and play. The internet has become an everyday utility, that we reach for automatically without thinking, yet two decades after its introduction, we are bumping into challenges and obstacles that raise questions for us. Is our data safe and our privacy protected as we surf the web? At work, why can’t we find our internal company information, like our pay stub or co-worker’s office location, right from within our browser or search engine like we do with web search? Why can’t the web work more seamlessly with the productivity tools we know like Office 365 so that we can be more productive with our research and collaborate with others? At Microsoft, we believe it is time to expect more from your web experience whether you are using it for personal or business use, an IT manager in a company, or a web developer. Today we begin with a focus on people in businesses and introduce the new Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Bing – the browser and search engine for business. We see a unique opportunity to bridge the tradeoffs of today’s web search with more complete solutions that Microsoft can uniquely address. We will unite the internet with your intranet with Microsoft Search in Bing so that you can increasingly access more of your important data in a single browse and search experience. We will provide you powerful default privacy protection, while still allowing you to benefit from web personalization. And we will enable you to move from great web research directly into Microsoft Office applications to enable you to be more productive. Today, we also introduced a new Microsoft Edge logo that is designed to capture the waves of innovation that we plan to bring to you. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/8c9568e0875e71b5c0397f39c50a87f8.gif The opportunity to empower people to be more productive at work One of the biggest problems for people at work is the difficulty in finding and accessing corporate information that is known to exist on company intranets. The irony is that it is easier to find an obscure piece of information on the much larger internet, than it is to find a simple document on your company’s intranet such as a paystub portal, a pet at work policy, or the office location of a fellow employee. As company information continues to expand to terabytes, petabytes and zettabytes of information, this will only get more complex. A McKinsey & Company research report validates this familiar challenge by showing employees waste nearly 20% of their time looking for information that they know to be there1. Imagine getting a full day of work back each week to either be more productive or get more time back with your family. For IT professionals, managing today’s web tools is heavy and costly with a majority of enterprise companies supporting at least two browsers to maximize compatibility across modern and legacy web sites across all the major device platforms. According to a 2019 study by the Ponemon Institute, the average cost of a data breach is $3.92M (USD)2. We see an opportunity to make security and manageability simple for IT professionals. To help people and IT professionals be more in control, secure and productive, today we are announcing: The release candidate of the new Microsoft Edge for Windows and macOS can be downloaded right now with general availability targeting Jan. 15 in more than 90 languages. Microsoft Edge runs on the same Chromium web engine as Google’s Chrome browser, offering you best in class web compatibility and performance. New experiences to Microsoft Search in Bing to save you time searching for information inside your company. Type in the address bar to search for people, using natural language, such as by their title, team name and office location. You can also search for office location, with answers that show floor plans for directions. You can get definitions for company acronyms and use a broad set of question and answers to find internal company information. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/c5ed1f9c09964d27a4048815934acfff-1024x683.jpg Along with three ecosystem partners – Accenture, BA Insight and Raytion – we are starting our Microsoft Graph connectors preview program today. This expands the reach of Microsoft Search for Microsoft 365 customers, with the addition of over 100 connectors including Salesforce.com, ServiceNow, Box and more, that will become available in H1 2020. Connectors bring more information to your employees’ fingertips through Microsoft Search. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/55e24649ae37ace4118fc9547c77279a.jpg The new ability to easily access Microsoft Search in Bing on your mobile phone. Knowledge workers will have the ability to search for company information on the go. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/2495b81959e58d052f95b24daa996ee7.jpg A new tracking prevention default in Microsoft Edge. We believe you should know who has access to your data and have the control to choose what you share. Microsoft Edge starts with tracking prevention on by default, so you don’t have to take any actions to immediately start having a more private browsing experience. With SmartScreen and Tracking prevention, we help protect you from phishing schemes, malicious software and new types of malware like cryptojacking. Microsoft Edge and Bing also now offer new InPrivate mode across your entire web experience so your online searches and browsing are not attributed to you, offering you more control over your personal data. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/c07f1c0c7fa225bdd8951eb9f46efe2c-1024x683.jpg New features such as Collections can be enabled as part of the Microsoft Edge preview builds, that let you more easily collect web content, organize your research and export that content into Word and Excel so that you can use the power of those applications to analyze information and collaborate. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/11/6530c1a9a5bfce0140d1047b0992268c-1024x683.jpg For IT Professionals, we are also announcing three new capabilities: The expansion of the Microsoft FastTrack deployment program to deploy the new Microsoft Edge in Q1 2020. The expansion of the App Assure program to cover Microsoft Edge in Q1 2020. If your site works in Internet Explorer 11, Google Chrome, or the current version of Microsoft Edge, then it just works in the new version of Microsoft Edge. And if it doesn’t work, we’ll help you fix it at no additional cost. We’re the only company that can make that guarantee. A new security baseline for the new Microsoft Edge. Security baselines are pre-configured groups of security settings and default values that are recommended by the relevant security teams. Microsoft Edge has its first security baseline now in preview, making it fast and easy for IT professionals to have a recommended starting point for security and compliance policies. These announcements build on top of a comprehensive Microsoft approach to control and security on Microsoft Edge, which utilizes core security architecture that IT professionals are already using and are familiar with. Today marks an important milestone as we head to the formal launch of Microsoft Edge and Bing for our commercial customers in January. As we enter the new year, we are excited to share more about how we will expand opportunities for developers, and later in the spring even more for consumers. It’s time to expect more from the web! 1 “The social economy: Unlocking value and productivity through social technologies” McKinsey Global Institute 2 “Cost of a Data Breach Report 2019” Ponemon Institute The post Introducing the new Microsoft Edge and Bing appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Today we live in a world where every company is a software company, and technology is deeply woven throughout company workflow and individual productivity. In this world, the role of IT and developers is becoming increasingly important, and that is why we are so excited to welcome more than 26,000 IT implementers and decision makers, developers, data professionals and other people across industries to experience the latest Microsoft technology at Microsoft Ignite in Orlando, Florida. In the next week, we’ll unveil a broad range of new tools and services to help companies and individuals put their data to work for them, help employees build expertise quickly, and allow businesses to take advantage of key Azure tools no matter what cloud provider they’re using. It’s also a time when intelligent insights and security are paramount. AI is infused into updates and powerful new features in many of the tools you already use every day, and so is our firm commitment to security and privacy. You’ll see how our approach of investing in built-in capabilities, cloud-powered intelligence and integration is helping customers address some of the biggest security and compliance challenges they face. Here are a few highlights from today: We’re announcing Azure Synapse Analytics, a new service that merges the capabilities of Azure SQL Data Warehouse with new enhancements that will help customers put their data to work much more quickly and securely by pulling together insights from all data sources, data warehouses and big data analytics systems. We’re launching a preview of Azure Arc, which offers Azure services and management to customers on other clouds or infrastructure, including those offered by Amazon and Google. We are sharing a public preview of a new robotic process automation capability in Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow) called UI flows, which lets users turn manual tasks into automated workflows by recording and playing back human-driven actions across software that does not support API automation, with point-and-click experience. With this update, Power Automate is a comprehensive, end-to-end automation platform. We’re announcing Project Cortex, the first new Microsoft 365 service since the launch of Microsoft Teams, and a cornerstone of Microsoft’s vision to transform knowledge and learning for customers. This new tool is a cross between a powerful organizer of enterprise content and a digital concierge that brings people the information they need in the context of their workflow. We’re delivering new experiences across Microsoft 365 that put people at the center so they can do their best work. A few of my favorite new experiences that will make my life easier are: Play My Emails in Outlook for iOS Cortana uses natural voice and language recognition to intelligently read new emails aloud and share scheduling changes, making it possible to catch up and act on emails even when your hands are busy with other things. New voice enhance in Stream uses machine learning algorithms to detect and eliminate unwanted background noise in any video with just one click. With the new Teams Chat button in Outlook it’s easy to move back-and-forth email conversations out of email into a Teams chat. We’re introducing the new Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Bing, enhanced with unique solutions including one that brings together the internet with your intranet via Microsoft Search in Bing, as well as powerful default privacy protection and the ability to move from web research directly into Microsoft Office applications. If you aren’t able to join us in Orlando this week, you can watch CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote live or on demand, as well as check out all the highlights on our news page. And there are also more than 1,000 great sessions available to watch virtually. Microsoft Ignite is the place to get a comprehensive look at the future of enterprise technology, as well as inspiration, training and connections that help attendees drive their businesses forward. It’s going to be a great week! Photo by Brian Smale Continue reading...

With many people eager to get a jumpstart on the holidays, we’re excited to provide a sneak peek of some of the best Microsoft Store Black Friday deals*. According to the National Retail Federation, four in 10 people have already started their holiday shopping this year and Microsoft Store is here to help. Whether you’re an early bird shopper, a deal planner, or a last-minute buyer, Microsoft Store will have great deals for you all season long with expert advice to help you find the perfect gift. This holiday season, we are offering our best guarantee ever, so no need to wait until Black Friday to start your shopping. With our new Give Wonder Guarantee, you are promised our best price of the season.** If something you purchase at Microsoft Store is offered at a better price later in the season, you can receive savings back for the difference. With free 2-3-day shipping, free extended holiday returns through Jan. 31, 2020, and buy online, pick up in stores options, we’re making it easier than ever to shop at Microsoft Store. Most Microsoft Store Black Friday deals start on Thursday, Nov. 28 at midnight at microsoft.com and your local Microsoft Store, unless otherwise noted. See our Microsoft Store Black Friday Deals page for full details. Some local Microsoft Store locations will be open on Thanksgiving Day. See full holiday operating days and hours here. Save hundreds on the hottest Surface deals of the season, including the new Surface Pro 7 and the new Surface Laptop 3 The widely acclaimed new Surface Pro 7 and Surface Laptop 3 devices are in high demand. The Microsoft Store is the best place to buy and experience the full Surface lineup and our expert associates are here to help you find the best device. This holiday, you can enjoy some incredible deals on Surface, including; Surface Pro 7, powered by the latest 10th Generation Intel Core processors, remains the most versatile 2:1 device you can buy with a 12.3” touchscreen with tablet-to-laptop versatility. Starting on Nov. 22, you can enjoy our most popular Surface, for $799 including Type Cover, for the i5/8GB/128GB option (original price $1,029). Or, get more storage and save up to $330 on Surface Pro 7 + Type Cover with i5/8GB/256GB (original price $1,329) as of Nov. 24. Additional Surface Pro 7 offers are available, including the i3/4GB/128GB option, starting at $599 on Nov. 28. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/10/11649a718e94abcf9a926b4de49de908.jpg Surface Laptop 3 is slim and stylish. You can choose between 13.5” or new 15” touchscreen and save $300 across all new colors and finishes, starting at $999 starting on Nov. 22 for the 13.5” and Nov. 24 for the 15”. Surface Go starting at $299, with savings up to $150. Our best deal ever on Surface Go, the smallest, lightest Surface with 10” touchscreen, perfect for students or those on the go. This great offer starts on Nov. 28. Up to $500 off select Surface Book 2, our most powerful 13.5” or 15” touchscreen laptop. This deal starts on Nov. 28. Microsoft Store will also offer the hotly anticipated Surface Pro X, beginning Nov. 7. The new Surface Earbuds, offering premium sound, fit and screen-free control, will be coming to Microsoft Stores later this year. A wide range of Surface accessories are also available. Windows 10 PCs starting at $299 https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/10/86e1ba6bb5e5181f3f7834dfc3098649-1024x575.jpg Microsoft Store offers the most diverse lineup of PCs with features and prices for everyone. This holiday, we will offer incredible deals on a range of PCs and accessories, including HP Inc. laptops, featuring 10th Generation Intel chips, starting with the HP 15 Laptop (i3) $299. Need more speed and power? The HP 15 Laptop (i5) will be on sale for $399, and HP 15 Laptop (i7) for $499. Or, check out the Dell XPS 15, a 15.6” laptop with a stunning 4K UHD touchscreen and powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics, which will be on sale at $300 off for $1699. These great PC deals start on Nov. 28. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/10/218ecd4345a2571badae29ea9369f148-1024x576.jpg Save up to $400 off Gaming PCs powered by Windows 10 Gamers love the high-end performance and graphics they can enjoy on Windows 10 PCs. Save up to $400 on select great Gaming PCs powered by Windows 10, including the Lenovo Legion Y540 15 (i7), Asus ROG Strix G GL531GT (i7) and Acer Predator Triton 500 (i7). These laptops offer rich capability like the Lenovo Legion, which offers simple, built-in Mixer streaming for low-latency, interactive moments for viewers and streamers to engage with other gamers, plus the latest in gaming technology from Intel and NVIDIA. With Xbox Play Anywhere, you can buy a game once and play it on both your Xbox One and any of these Windows 10 PCs. All these deals start on Nov. 28. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/10/9c15df8a588f0559d5083445e06c30b8.jpg Gamers, stay tuned for the unveiling of incredible Black Friday deals during a special episode of Inside Xbox live from X019, our annual global celebration of all things Xbox on Thursday, Nov. 14. At the hotly anticipated event filled with news, first looks and surprises, we will unveil an extensive set of deals across games, consoles and subscriptions. This will be our biggest Black Friday sale ever, and you won’t want to miss out! In the meantime, we are unveiling the first wave of Xbox Black Friday discounts now. Head to Xbox Wire to learn about how you can save $20 on select Xbox One controllers starting on Nov. 24 and up to 50% off Sea of Thieves: Anniversary Edition starting on Nov. 21. If Black Friday can’t come soon enough, today you can take advantage of other great deals like the Xbox One S 1TB Console – Gears 5 Bundle for $299. Or, take advantage of an incredible deal today and save $100 and get a free select digital game when you buy an Xbox One X console, or get a free digital game when you purchase select Xbox One S consoles. Save big on the Samsung Galaxy Note10 phones Microsoft Store is offering incredible deals on Samsung Galaxy Note10 phones this holiday season. Starting Nov. 21, you can save up to $200 on the Samsung Galaxy Note10 and S10 phones and receive free Samsung Galaxy Buds (a $129.99 value). At your local Microsoft Store, you can save up to $400 and receive up to $650 trade-in credit towards the purchase of your device when you finance your phone with 24 month/0% financing. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/10/aeffc4a76ce76a27decdfc2018952b15.jpg This is just a glimpse of some of our amazing deals – we look forward to sharing more great deals throughout the entire holiday season. You can also check out some great suggestions with our Holiday Gift Guide and we invite you to attend a range of activities and festive celebrations all season long at your local Microsoft Store. However you celebrate this holiday season, we invite you to give wonder with Microsoft Store. To make sure you don’t miss a deal, customers in the United States can text DEALS to 52426 to get a link to our best Black Friday offers or follow @MicrosoftStore on Instagram and Microsoft Store on Facebook. * Black Friday offers shown are available online and in Microsoft Stores while supplies last. U.S. prices are shown. Offers and content varies by market and may change at any time. Not valid on prior purchases. May not be combinable with other offers. Other exclusions may apply. ** Offer valid from 12 a.m. PT Nov. 1, 2019 to 11:59 p.m. PT Jan. 3, 2020 (“Offer Period”) on qualifying purchases of select physical goods made at Microsoft retail and online stores in the United States (including Puerto Rico) and Canada during the Offer Period. Excludes certified refurbished devices, Surface for Business devices, and all digital services and products. Offer not valid on purchases made at third-party retailers. Customer eligible for price adjustment only if 1) Customer purchases eligible item during the Offer Period, (2) the price of the item is reduced during the Offer Period, and 3) Customer requests a price adjustment while the item’s price is currently reduced and in-stock for purchase. For purchases made at a physical store and online, Customer can go to any physical store and present receipt to get a qualifying price adjustment. For purchases made online, Customer must contact Microsoft Store Sales and Support at 1-877-696-7786 with order number and any other information requested by the Store Sales representative. Refunds will be provided to Customer in same manner as item was purchased (credit card use will be credited to original card). Maximum of one price adjustment per item will be granted during Offer Period. Bulk buys of more than two of the same device, per customer’s Microsoft Account, will not qualify for price adjustments. Price adjustments do not include taxes, or shipping or other fees. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Microsoft reserves the right to modify or discontinue offers at any time. Other exclusions and limitations may apply. The post Microsoft Store unveils over 20 top Black Friday offers appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19013 (20H1) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. IMPORTANT: As is normal with pre-release builds, these builds may contain bugs that might be painful for some. If you take this flight, you won’t be able to switch Slow or Release Preview rings without doing a clean-install on your PC. If you want a complete look at what build is in which Insider ring, head over to Flight Hub. You can also check out the rest of our documentation here including a complete list of new features and updates that have gone out as part of Insider flights for the current development cycle. Not seeing any of the features in this build? Check your Windows Insider Settings to make sure you’re on the Fast ring. Submit feedback here to let us know if things weren’t working the way you expected. What’s new in Build 19013 More kaomoji As some of you may know, with Windows 10 version 1903, we updated our WIN+(Period) / WIN+(Semicolon) keyboard shortcut to not only include emoji, but to also now contain kaomoji and special characters. What are kaomoji? Basically, they’re faces with expressions you can make by combining various characters–for example, you might be familiar with the shruggie: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/10/ce077b6c6299ee1d5838e2564a7515e5.png In any case, based on your feedback, in this build we’re updating our kaomoji list with a few more favorites, including: ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪ ლ(╹◡╹ლ) (⊙_◎) ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°) ಠ_ರೃ (∩^o^)⊃━☆ /ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\ And more! Enjoy (❁´◡`❁) Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) 2 will now release unused Linux memory back to your Windows machine Previously, your WSL 2 Virtual Machine’s (VM) memory would grow to meet the needs of your workflow, but would not shrink back down when the memory was no longer needed. With this change, as memory is no longer in use in the Linux VM, it will be freed back to Windows, which will shrink in memory size accordingly. Other updates for Insiders PowerToys v0.12 now available! We’ve just released our 0.12 release of PowerToys on GitHub. We’ve gotten tons of great feedback and suggestions from the community and want to directly say thank you to everyone. New features include a great new utility called PowerRename, which makes it easy to batch rename a bunch of files, improvements to FancyZones, and support for Dark Mode. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/10/f1c25255734fe0c1c7560351e7ab79b3.gif Check out our latest article for all the details. Your Phone app–Elevating the Phone screen feature by removing its dependency on Bluetooth connection Windows Insiders, we heard your feedback about the Phone screen feature’s dependency on Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity. To address your feedback, we partnered closely with Samsung to bring you a more streamlined experience across all Windows 10 PCs by removing the peripheral role dependency for Phone screen, which will expand the overall reach of this feature. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 was the first device to introduce this feature in August. After a positive response, we’ve recently enabled this feature across Samsung Galaxy Fold, S10, S10+, and S10e smartphones. You’ll need to update your supported Samsung devices with the recent software update that enables the ‘Link to Windows’ feature. To continue offering this experience to other smartphones, we’re expanding this feature support to Samsung Galaxy A30s, A50s, and A90 smartphones, and we’ll continue to add additional devices in the coming months. With the new experience rolling out, we’ll be removing the Bluetooth connectivity option, effective immediately. If you were previously enjoying Phone screen over Bluetooth and you have a phone model that doesn’t yet support Link to Windows, the Phone screen node will disappear automatically within the Your Phone app. We recommend that you unpair your devices by going to the Bluetooth settings on both your PC and your Android phone, so that you don’t have a connection that is no longer in use. Thank you for helping us refine the Phone screen experience so far! Phone screen requirements: Select Android phones running Android 9.0 or greater PC running Windows 10 October 2018 Update or later Android phone must be on and connected to the same network as the PC You will need a supported device to use this feature: Samsung Galaxy Fold Samsung Galaxy Note 10/ Note 10+ Samsung Galaxy S10/S10+/S10e Samsung Galaxy A30s/A50s/A90 Refer to the Your Phone FAQs for additional information. Preview new DirectX 12 features In the latest 20H1 builds, you can preview new DirectX 12 features, including DirectX Raytracing tier 1.1, Mesh Shader, and Sampler Feedback. In this blog post, the DirectX Team explains what each of these features are and how they will improve the gaming experience in Windows 10! General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC We fixed an issue resulting in frames being skipped, starting with Build 19002, when running games and videos fullscreen. We fixed an issue where initiating “Reset this PC” with the cloud download option wasn’t working when started from Windows RE. We fixed an issue resulting in preinstalled apps (like Calculator) and other UWP apps being missing from the Apps & Features page in Settings. We appreciate your patience while we worked on our sync engine. As of this build, wallpaper and theme syncing is now up and running again. We fixed an issue resulting in Wi-Fi unexpectedly resetting (turning off and back on) frequently in recent flights. We fixed an issue where Wi-Fi Settings might get stuck saying Connecting, even though the network flyout (correctly) indicated that you were Connected. We fixed an issue where an update being temporarily suspended would result in an 0xc19001e1 error being displayed in Windows Update history. We fixed an issue resulting in the “Open location” search result option not working if the search result was a folder. We fixed an issue where if you moved Cortana’s window to certain places on your screen, and then closed the window, the minimize animation wouldn’t go towards Cortana’s icon on the taskbar. We fixed an issue resulting in File Explorer not rendering correctly sometimes when using multiple monitors with different DPIs on the previous flight. We fixed an issue where you could get into a state where it wasn’t possible to set focus to File Explorer’s search box in order to type your query. We fixed an issue that could result in the app thumbnail disappearing when you right clicked it in Task View. We fixed an issue that could result in the Send Message button in certain notifications not being visible when using High Contrast White. We fixed an issue where the notification following WIN+Shift+S might have a blank space for the screenshot (rather than actually displaying the screenshot). We fixed an issue resulting in Resource Manager unexpectedly not showing any disk activity. We fixed an issue where, if you called SUBST with a path ending with a \ it would give a Path not found error. We fixed a memory leak with running apps that repeatedly sent calls to adjust gamma. Some of you have reached out about when trying to shutdown, seeing a message saying that an app named “G” was preventing shutdown. We investigated and found an issue where windows related to GDI+were only referenced as “G.” We’ve fixed this, so going forward, these will now have the name “GDI+ Window (<exe name>)”, where <exe name> will show the .exe name of the app using GDI+. We fixed an issue resulting in speechruntime.exe using an unexpectedly high amount of CPU on the previous flight. We fixed an issue resulting in Bluetooth devices potentially not reconnecting as expected after closing then reopening the device lid for certain devices. We fixed an issue resulting in the Surface Dial not scrolling in recent builds if you switched to something like zoom and then back to scrolling. Thank you Insiders who shared feedback about the 2-in-1 convertible tablet experience improvements we discussed here. For the time being, we’re returning to the current experience in retail. We fixed an issue where Narrator would sometime report focus as the page instead of reporting the actual focused control within Chrome. We fixed an issue where Narrator would not automatically start reading the Narrator user guide webpage and the YouTube webpage. We corrected Narrator’s “Next Table” command so that it would work in Excel. We fixed an issue where the text cursor indicator was visible on top of the lock screen background picture. We fixed an issue where the text cursor indicator preview wasn’t displaying correctly in Settings when using dark theme. We fixed an issue where when using dark theme, the hardware keyboard text prediction candidate window was unreadable due to black text on a dark grey background. We fixed an issue that could result in the touch keyboard flickering when inputting emoji. We fixed an issue where English punctuations were outputted when using the Chinese Pinyin and Wubi IMEs, even if input mode was set to Chinese under the default IME settings. Thanks for your feedback. We’ve fixed an issue where the character width of alphanumeric characters when using the Traditional Chinese Bopomofo IME would change from half width to full width unexpectedly in some input fields. Thanks for reporting it! If you feel this issue hasn’t been fully addressed in the new version of Bopomofo IME, please let us know your feedback. We’ve fixed an issue where after successfully updating to a new build, the Windows Update Settings page may have shown the same build needed to be installed. We’ve fixed an issue where Optional drivers were failing to install. Known issues BattlEye and Microsoft have found incompatibility issues due to changes in the operating system between some Insider Preview builds and certain versions of BattlEye anti-cheat software. To safeguard Insiders who might have these versions installed on their PC, we have applied a compatibility hold on these devices from being offered affected builds of Windows Insider Preview. See this article for details. We’ve heard that Settings still isn’t available outside of launching via the URI (ms-settings:) for some Insiders and are investigating. If you use remote desktop connection and the target PC is on this build, within about an hour (if not sooner), DWM may start crashing, and the session window will either go totally black, experience black flashes, or you may get signed out of the remote desktop session altogether. We appreciate your patience. Take our Halloween Quiz! Halloween is right around the corner and we challenge you to take our Bing Halloween Quiz! Learn the history behind jack-o’-lanterns, werewolves, trick-or-treating, and more. Test your knowledge here and become a Halloween expert with Bing. If you want to be among the first to learn about these Bing features, join our Bing Insiders Program. Thanks, BLB The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19013 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders! Today we are pleased to release a new Insider Preview build of the Windows Server VNext Semi-Annual Channel edition. What’s New Windows Server Core Container Images Are 20% Smaller In what should be a significant win for any workflow that pulls Windows containers images, the download size of the Windows Server Core container Insider image has been reduced by 20%. This has been achieved by optimizing the set of .NET pre-compiled native images included in the Server Core container image. If you are using .NET Framework with Windows containers, including Windows PowerShell, use a .NET Framework image, which will include additional .NET pre-compiled native images to maintain performance for those scenarios, while also benefiting from a reduced size. Available Content Windows Server vNext Semi-Annual Preview Build 19008 The Server Core Edition is available in the 18 supported Server languages in ISO format and in VHDX format in English only. Matching Windows Server Core App Compatibility FoD Preview Matching Windows Server Language Packs [*]Windows Admin Center Preview 1909 Symbols are available on the public symbol server – see Update on Microsoft’s Symbol Server blog post and Using the Microsoft Symbol Server. Containers: For more information about how to obtain and install Windows Server containers and Insider builds, click here. Quick start information, here. Keys: The following keys allow for unlimited activations of Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel Previews Server Standard: V6N4W-86M3X-J77X3-JF6XW-D9PRV Server Datacenter: B69WH-PRNHK-BXVK3-P9XF7-XD84W The Windows Server Preview will expire July 31st, 2020. How to Download Registered Insiders may navigate directly to the Windows Server Insider Preview download page. See the Additional Downloads dropdown for Windows Admin Center and other supplemental apps and products. If you have not yet registered as an Insider, see GETTING STARTED WITH SERVER on the Windows Insiders for Business portal. We value your feedback! The most important part of a frequent release cycle is to hear what’s working and what needs to be improved, so your feedback is extremely valued. For Windows Server, use your registered Windows 10 Insider device and use the Feedback Hub application. In the app, choose the Windows Server category and then the appropriate subcategory for your feedback. In the title of the Feedback, please indicate the build number you are providing feedback as shown below: [server #####] Title of my feedback See Share Feedback on Windows Server via Feedback Hub for specifics. We also encourage you to visit the Windows Server Insiders space on the Microsoft Tech Communities forum to collaborate, share and learn from experts. For Windows Admin Center, Send us feedback via UserVoice. We also encourage you to visit the Windows Admin Center space on the Microsoft Tech Communities. Terms of Use This is pre-release software – it is provided for use “as-is” and is not supported in production environments. Users are responsible for installing any updates made available from Windows Update. All pre-release software made available to you via the Windows Server Insider program are governed by the Insider Terms of Use. Thanks, BLB The post Announcing Windows Server vNext Insider Preview Build 19008 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...