Microsoft is relentless in its pursuit to have more people hop on to Windows 10 and has kept constant weekly updates since the OS was released at the end of July. This week, Redmond announced the release of Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 10586 in the Fast ring, which is a fancy term for the build being released for public scrutiny.
In a blog post, dated Nov. 5, Gabe Aul, Microsoft Vice President for Windows and Devices Group, detailed what bugs, fixes and enhancements the company implemented on the Insider Preview Build. With the release on Fast ring, the Build 10586 is just a few tweaks away from being ported to the Slow ring and becoming Microsoft's default offering for consumers. In short, this is a preparation for next week's release of Threshold 2, which is Microsoft's biggest non-patch update since Windows 10 became officially available.
"We've been loving this build in our internal rings as it is very fast and smooth, and makes a great daily driver," said Aul.
Bug Fixes
Audio levels that drop down to 75 percent - a problem triggered by an Action Center notification on files playing for a certain time on media players - has been fixed.
The known bug of the Surface Pro 3 has also been repaired. Users may experience this glitch after pressing the power button in which the device goes to sleep instead of shutting down.
The random flashing of command prompt window, which was specified by Windows Insiders as disksnapshot.exe, has been addressed.
Microsoft also tweaked the build to have system remember the user's previous login type.
"For example, if you log in with a PIN - it will prompt you for a PIN next time instead of another type," Microsoft exemplified.
Microsoft Edge also received some love. Redmond fixed the web note clippings which appeared as black and tabs that previewed showed black windows for pages that have not been scrolled up to the top.
Users will no longer encounter the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) that pops up when upgrading devices with small form-factors, such as Dell's Venue 8 Pro, which boots on virtual mode with a larger display resolution than the physical resolution.
Of course, with the build being in the fast ring, games and apps from the Windows Store will now download with more reliability.
Known Issues and Workarounds
For those planning to upgrade to the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 10586 from another insider build, know that contacts and messages on the Messaging + Skype app will no longer appear. However, there is a workaround.
To get the contacts and messages to appear again, navigate to the messaging app's "LocalCache" using this local url: "C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Messaging_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache" and proceed to delete or rename the "PrivateTransportId" file.
Then, access Skype's video app, logout of Skype and login again. It's confusing but it works.
Another known issue after upgrading to Build 10586 is the disappearing Insider Hub. If this happens, go to the "Settings," select "System," choose "Apps and features" and proceed to click on "Manage optional features." From there, the "Add a feature" button should be visible. Click on it and add "Insider Hub."
Aul reminds everyone who tries this Insider build to provide feedback.
Photo: Clive Darra | Flickr
