Microsoft releases Windows 10 build 10041 to Insiders

Microsoft has released Windows 10 build 10041 to the Windows Insiders registered for the Windows 10 Technical Preview. The update is currently being pushed to those signed up for the fast ring, but should eventually be pushed out to all Insiders. The latest build brings a number of new features and changes along with several bug fixes for issues users faced in build 9926.

The new build is available for download through Windows Update for users already running the Windows 10 Technical Preview. Microsoft has also noted that ISOs for updated builds will only be released to slow ring users, uses on Fast ring will get builds directly through system update.

You can download and update Windows 10 build 10041 by following these steps

• Click on the start menu and in the search box type ‘Windows Update’
• Chose ‘Windows Update Settings’
• In the left panel click ‘Preview Builds’
• Click on the ‘Check’ now.
• Download the new build

After the build downloads, your machine will begin to install 10041. Once the installation is complete, you should be running the latest version of Windows 10 for Insiders.

What's new in Windows 10 build 10041 for Insiders

Microsoft has introduced a few new features and improvements in Windows 10 build 10041 for Insiders, including a transparent Start menu and new icons. The new Spartan browser, which will eventually replace Internet Explorer is still a no show.

Here's a list of some of the key features in the 10041 build of Windows 10 Preview

• Improved the Start experience:
• Microsoft has improved XAML based Start experience in this latest build. 
• The Start Menu is now transparent
• Microsoft has fixed issues with the All Apps list
• It’s now easier to use the All Apps button on a touchscreen device
• You can now pin apps from the most used list, and even settings from the Settings app.

• Improvements to Virtual Desktops:
• Virtual Desktops now feature usability improvements, so that users can easily drag a window to a virtual desktop, or move it to a new desktop by dragging it to the “+” button, all in one step.

• Cortana is expanding into new markets on the desktop:
• Cortana expands into new markets on the desktop, in China, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain.
• Cortana in the U.S. will help you search for apps, settings, and files as well as search the web. 
• Cortana learns your preferences and provides smarter recommendations over time.
• Various bug fixes, with new features coming down the line

• New network fly-out from the taskbar:
• A new network flyout is added to make life easier for people that are not content with the way it worked in Windows 8. Upon clicking the Network icon, users will be greeted by a small window with quick access to wireless networks and VPN setups.
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• An updated Photos app
• The Photos app has been updated, with support for support RAW files, performance improvements.
• You now get support for small set of keyboard shortcuts, 
• The app will now display OneDrive photos on its live tile. 

• New Text Input Canvas: 
• The handwriting input canvas is optimized for a better handwriting recognition experience with short text entry, and upon tapping in edit control with a pen, it automatically displays suggestions and word predictions
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• Experimenting with the Lock screen: 
• The Lockscreen has been updated to feature the new rounded avatar, and depending on your region, you'll get rotations of imagery - although you can still set an image of your liking as the background. 

• Windows Feedback and Insider Hub apps 
• The Windows Feedback and Insider Hub apps have also been improved: you can now filter your feedback as well as suggestions, and add “Me too” directly from search. Overall performance has been improved, and you can track how much you've contributed by accessing the ‘Your Progress’ page in the Feedback Hub.

Known issues in Windows 10 build 10041 for Insiders

While the Windows 10 build 10041 brings several new features and improvements for Insiders, it also brings its share of bugs and issues, as it is still an unfinished version of the platform. Still the update also fixes many of the bugs found in the previous build 9926 of Windows 10.

Here is a list of what’s been fixed in Windows 10 build 10041:

• In 9926 there were several issues which prevented Start from launching, these should all be fixed. 
• Search box now works if you have taskbar on the top/side of your screen. 
• After installing the last build (9926), you saw a boot selection menu when you rebooted your PC. We've fixed this and you should no longer see the boot selection menu – unless you're intentionally dual-booting. 
• We received feedback that people were seeing persistent grey thumbnails in the Collection view in the Photos app on Build 9926. We think we've worked through all these issues, so definitely let us know if you find a case where one still crops up.

Here are a list of known issues in Windows 10 build 10041:

• Some people might hit an issue where the username and password boxes do not appear or don’t accept input when logging in, which will prevent them from logging in. Possible workarounds include clicking the “Switch User” button, using Ctrl+Alt+Del, or pressing the power button on your PC to sleep/resume and try again.
• It is possible to manually lock your PC during the initial out-of-box experience. If you do this, you will have to hard reboot your PC and restart the OOBE experience. (So don't lock your PC during OOBE :-)
• There are several accessibility issues in this build, which may make it difficult to use with Narrator or 3rd party screen readers. Additionally there is an issue where using a Lens after enabling Magnifier may cause the screen to be unusable.
• Some apps in the Store Beta will fail to install or update due to a licensing issue.
• In this build, the Mail, Calendar, and People apps may be broken due to a licensing issue with the Store Beta. To get these apps working again, you need to follow these steps:
• Open powershell as administrator
• Run the command Get-appxprovisionedpackage –online | where-object {$_.packagename –like “*windowscommunicationsapps*”} | remove-appxprovisionedpackage –online
• Re-install Mail, People and Calendar from the Store (green tile)
• You might end up in a state where windows open on your desktop are accidentally visible behind the Start Screen, Task View, Snap Assist, and when rearranging windows in Tablet Mode. This makes it difficult to read text and find what you are looking for. The intended design is that that only the wallpaper is visible behind these surfaces.
• Creating virtual desktops may result in missing or black thumbnails in Task View.\
• You might notice a chess knight icon on your Lock screen to the right of the screen. This was added by the Lock screen team so they could tell via screenshots if someone was using the new Lock screen or the old one, and will eventually be removed in a future build.
• Font sizes on the Lock screen on devices with high DPI can be really large.
• We currently have the Tablet Mode notification turned off by default to address some of the issues we've been seeing. The notifications can be turned back on via Settings.
• The touch keyboard doesn't show up on login screen which prevents you from unlocking your PC when Narrator is on.
• Some people might see frequent prompts to restart to install updates, even though no updates need a restart. This prompt can be ignored safely.
• When you take a picture with the camera app on your PC and tap the circular icon in the top left to view the photo you just took, the Photos app will launch and then crash immediately.

You may come across more issues while you test the new build of Windows 10, so be sure to report them to the community through the Insider Hub and Windows Feedback apps to help contribute to the final version of Windows.

source - Microsoft