Windows 10 May 2019 Update Feature Focus Light Themes And Sandboxes AnandTech

This week, Microsoft formally rolled out the Windows 10 May 2019 Update to the arena. However, because of some routine issues over the past couple of updates, the employer is fortunately taking a totally measured method this time. An approach with a view to with a bit of luck mitigate some of the update troubles that continually seem to arise whilst a main gadget replace comes to software that runs below an almost countless number of configurations.

With the May 2019 update comes new functions, along with the standard updates to Windows 10’s look and sense. Today we’ll be going through some of the greater essential updates in extra detail. Windows 10 is now almost four years antique though, so the days of function updates packing in a massive variety of recent thoughts are frequently behind us. With Microsoft nonetheless committing to updating Windows 10 twice in keeping with calendar yr, probably each person might be happy to see these updates be a bit smaller, a chunk faster to put in, and a bit much less jarring on the alternative end. Luckily, Windows 10 May 2019 Update appears to in shape the invoice properly. The update is quick, and the big adjustments are going to be basically beauty for the majority, although there are multiple remarkable additions with this rollout as well.

Officially the update is the May 2019 Update, which is as unambiguous as you could get, and hats off to Microsoft for persevering with down the road of having to name their updates like they did with the Anniversary Update, the Creators Update, or the Fall Creators Update. May 2019 Update is a really perfect call. Internally, this construct continues down Microsoft’s direction of a construct number of the year and month, so the May 2019 Update is Windows 10 1903, that means the build could were more or less locked down by using March, with most effective malicious program fixes after that. This naming scheme of course has the drawback that they're going to run out of digits whilst the yr 2100 rolls around, but I assume they’ll move that bridge when they get there.

Likely the biggest headline characteristic for this replace is a refreshed look and experience, Microsoft is now offering a new Light subject, which compliments nicely with the already protected darkish subject. Although it may appear minor, preserving Windows looking sparkling and current is important, so it’s first-rate to peer that interest remains being paid right here. In addition, there’s some new iconography to go with the new subject matter.

Once of the maximum exciting functions for this replace is Windows Sandbox, that's a Windows OS in a box for testing and jogging programs. This function isn't always available on Windows 10 Home, so builders that think this might be useful will must make certain they have at least Windows 10 Pro.

Windows 10 Version History
Version	Version Number	Release Date
Windows 10 Original Release	1507	July 29,2019
November Update	1511	November 10,2019
Anniversary Update	1607	August 2,2019
Creators Update	1703	April 5,2019
Fall Creators Update	1709	October 17,2019
April2019 Update	1803	April 30,2019
October2019 Update	1809	October 2,2019
May 2019 Update	1903	May 21, 2019

Microsoft is also strolling back on some things they’ve achieved which were executed with good intentions, but no longer achieved nicely sufficient to no longer reason pain with users. Cortana is now not tied to the Windows 10 search. Updates can now be paused for up to seven days even for Windows 10 Home customers, and more default programs can be uninstalled.

Let’s dig in.

Windows 10 has supplied both a light and dark topic for a while now. But with model 1903, the light subject matter gets a chief overhaul. In previous versions the default undertaking bar and begin menu shade was black, but you can pick out between light and dark for packages and most these days, File Explorer, which won a darkish mode within the October2019 replace.

The new light subject matter is a real mild theme, affecting now not handiest the app backgrounds however also the taskbar and begin menu. The coloration alternatives are clean and clean, and it surely look exceptional. It also consists of a brand new historical past, based totally at the original blue Windows 10 history, but lightened as much as in shape the new subject matter.

Text on the taskbar switches from white text on black to black text on white, and to keep away from being misplaced at the task bar, a number of the white icons together with mail and Store are color reversed to ensure they're nevertheless without problems located. The File Explorer icon also got a makeover since it changed into too mild for the light subject matter. Microsoft has subtly changed the coloration scheme to work higher in either light or darkish modes.

The Start Menu has probable by no means regarded purifier than it does in 1903, wherein the brand new shade scheme simply works well. Microsoft is likewise converting the default begin menu for brand spanking new accounts to a more simplified version, with just a single column of packages in place of the two it was by using default formerly. You can of path still customise this any manner you’d like, with organizations of apps, and one of a kind tile sizes, however the out of field enjoy is a nicer appearance to begin with. In addition, a number of the icons have been up to date to in shape in better with Fluent layout, that's Microsoft’s layout language for Windows.

The Start Menu now also supports unpinning of businesses of icons from the Start Menu, so in case you don’t just like the default, or simply need to begin over, it’s easy to take away everything. In addition, Microsoft is allowing more of the default programs. The following packages can all be uninstalled via the Start Menu:

3D Viewer (previously called Mixed Reality Viewer)
Calculator
Calendar
Groove Music
Mail
Movies & TV
Paint 3D
Snip & Sketch
Sticky Notes
Voice Recorder
Microsoft Solitaire Collection
My Office
OneNote
Print 3D
Skype
Tips
Weather

You’ll not want to push aside your PowerShell talents to put off a number of these default packages.

In addition, the Start Menu is being isolated into its personal technique. In past builds, Start became hosted as a part of the bigger ShellExperienceHost.exe, however now it gets its personal StartMenuExperience.exe. Anyone who has had the Start Menu forestall responding will recognize the effort here, due to the fact one of the principal goals of breaking it into its very own process is reliability and debugging.

Windows 10 has constantly covered a search bar with the aid of default at the Windows 10 taskbar, but that search bar changed into tied into its Cortana digital assistant. With Windows 10 May 2019 Update, Search and Cortana have formally split up, every getting their personal region at the taskbar. You can of route customise that as well, and get rid of one or each in case you’d like.

The new search has a touchdown page which quickly suggests you latest files and pinnacle programs, so that you may even use it as a condensed version of the Start Menu. Search has turn out to be an crucial a part of Windows in view that Windows Vista, whilst Microsoft began indexing packages and documents for short get right of entry to via clicking Start and typing Notepad, for instance. The new Search offers greater of that previous enjoy, at the same time as nevertheless supplying web search for phrases.

Cortana remains round, and is being included into Microsoft To-Do with this replace. It looks like a extra logical in shape for it to be in a separate app than the default search, and it’s doubtful most laptop customers may be disenchanted by means of this variation.

Search is likewise getting some a brand new settings page where you can see the modern-day indexing popularity, in addition to installation what folders you need to index, what folders you’d want to encompass, and extra. This is a part of Microsoft nonetheless looking to circulate the myriad of settings away from the older manage panel style into the current Windows 10 settings, where they paintings higher with multiple enter kinds. You can still get right of entry to the old indexer options here as properly, if you want to alternate something that you can’t do within the modern settings but.

Passwords are evil, and passwords have been confirmed time and again to now not be a excellent way to secure things, so it’s high-quality to look Microsoft supplying a way to signal-in to Windows with a password-less account starting with the May 2019 replace.

If you have already got a Microsoft account, you may go to //account.microsoft.com/account and check in and then add your telephone range in your account. If you don’t have a Microsoft account, you can create a new one based in your smartphone wide variety.

Once your phone wide variety is brought, you can pick out your smartphone number when logging in and you’ll get a one-time SMS code for your cellphone with a purpose to assist you to log into the system. Once logged in, you can installation Windows Hello with a PIN or PIN and facial recognition, and you’ll in no way want to go into a password to log in.

The Sign-In display screen has also gotten a few Fluent Design introduced to it, with an acrylic impact brought whilst going to log in to recognition your attention at the login container itself. It seems notable.

Windows at its middle is a legacy working gadget looking to live in a current global, and at times it indicates its age. One vicinity wherein Windows can quick show its foundations is whilst going for walks older packages on modern hardware with a excessive-resolution show. For a refresher, test out our article on why that is a problem, and how the agency become looking to cope with it.

Windows 10 has made a few fundamental strides with High DPI, and plenty of programs had been up to date to aid Windows in line with-display DPI consciousness, but the legacy of Windows, and the dearth of a demand to code for DPI focus even on a brand new application, manner that many programs will never play well. To help fight this, Microsoft brought a brand new scaling mechanism that could recognize if programs have been no longer rendering efficiently, and step in to cope with the scaling. It doesn’t work for every application, however the success has been suitable enough that with Windows 10 1903, this option is now on by way of default. This characteristic become first added with the Windows 10 Creators Update in2019, so clearly there’s sufficient information now that they feel relaxed enabling this by means of default. If you’d like a refresher on the enhanced DPI scaling, we looked at it when it first launched.

My personal experience with the enhanced scaling is that it does paintings nicely, and this looks like a smart change to address packages in order to probably never grow to be DPI aware on their very own. In 2019, when high-decision is no longer an extraordinary characteristic, that is truely some thing that has become necessary. It must also lessen the quantity of instances you see the pop-up letting you know its intervened, which, even as useful, become possibly something numerous users didn’t without a doubt recognize.

In addition, Task Manager now gives a new column you can choose in the Details tab with a view to show you the DPI cognizance of each walking process, letting you understand in the event that they don’t guide DPI scaling, or in the event that they simplest support System degree, in keeping with-screen, or the modern day per-reveal v2 specifications.

One of the more interesting characteristic additions to Windows 10 May 2019 Update is Windows Sandbox, that's a containerized version of Windows which runs in a lightweight virtualized environment, and allows you to open a pristine model of Windows every unmarried time. There are many scenarios where this would be beneficial, and by default the VM is isolated, allowing less than trustworthy packages to be run without having to fire up a brand new virtual machine to do it. It would also be exceptional for application checking out, and lots of IT functions might gain from a brief and smooth to use VM without having to cope with the complexities and heft of Hyper-V. The VMs also are disposable, so every time you switch open Windows Sandbox you’ll get a new, pristine VM.

Windows Sandbox is an optionally available thing which must be became on via the “Turn Windows Features on or off” menu, and it's far simplest to be had in Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise, so lamentably home users are out of success.

There’s truly a lot beneath the hood that makes Windows Sandbox special. When you think about walking a virtualized instance of every other running device, it typically requires hardware dedicated to the device, consisting of RAM, and a large footprint for the digital difficult disk, both committed up-front as a unmarried huge block for your storage, or one this is dynamically improved as the storage is ate up in the digital gadget.

Windows Sandbox doesn’t paintings like this, although unsurprisingly it is based on Hyper-V. Windows Sandbox leverages technology used in Windows Containers, that means it's far designed to apply the minimal quantity of hardware it is able to.

Windows Sandbox receives a 40 GB digital hard disk to play in, but Microsoft makes use of a dynamically generated photograph for Windows Sandbox that reduces its footprint at the host OS to just 25 MB whilst compressed, or 100 MB while Windows Sandbox is enabled. Rather than have a completely unique VHD report that it launches from, Windows Sandbox uses the reproduction of Windows 10 at the host device as its base photo. It uses clean copies of documents that may exchange, so if you alter some of your Windows files on the host PC the Sandbox model received’t be affected, and the identical issue happens in reverse. If Windows documents are modified in the Sandbox gadget, they don’t write to the original files, however as a substitute to a new replica of the record. Then, whilst the Sandbox is closed, all of those modified documents are discarded, so the next time it's far opened it’s a easy model again.

Memory is some other key aspect, however like with the disk, on the grounds that each the host and guest are running the identical working machine, there's masses of overlap in memory as nicely, which means the impacted reminiscence on the host may be dramatically decreased. Since an awful lot of the in-memory facts might be the identical for the identical techniques, Windows Sandbox can direct map the guest VM to the host VM’s reproduction of the information to lessen how lots memory is needed. If one or the alternative tries to change that same vicinity in memory, a new replica of the brand new statistics will be created for whichever one made the request, so the opposite isn't affected. These are normal methods to shop memory in a virtualized surroundings, however when the host and guest are running the equal model of an working system, the RAM financial savings are dramatic. Running Windows Sandbox with out a applications open offers the Sandbox VM 4 GB of reminiscence, but on my check gadget it only consumed 237 MB of memory at the host. In addition, the host gets priority if memory is needed, so it is able to reclaim reminiscence from the visitor if wished.

That same principle applies to the kernel scheduler. Unlike a full hypervisor, Windows Sandbox makes use of what Microsoft calls an integrated scheduler to decide when the Sandbox VM gets compute time. If high-priority tasks want to be run on the host, it is able to pre-empt the Sandbox and bounce it inside the CPU queue. The principal advantage here is that the host remains responsive at all times, despite the fact that the Sandbox is the use of lots of CPU.

If you’ve used virtualization within the past, you’ll understand of the time period image, which permits you to save the country of a digital device precisely how it's far, such as the reminiscence kingdom. This is what Sandbox makes use of to launch. The VM may be loaded as an already booted and logged in model of Windows 10, slicing down at the begin-up time required when launching Sandbox. On my gadget, launching a new example of Sandbox takes about ten seconds, and once it’s loaded it’s prepared to move, since it’s already logged in to the desktop.

The Sandbox additionally receives get right of entry to to some of the alternative hardware on the host, which includes the GPU, which permits for hardware expanded rendering, and it also is privy to the host battery nation, so if you are going for walks this on a laptop, the VM can cut its power utilization when on battery similar to a ordinary model of Windows.

You will also be capable of personalize the Sandbox experience with Config files soon, permitting you to launch the Sandbox with a specific configuration. Sandbox uses XML configuration files with the .wsb extension, and can help you manage whether or not or not the Sandbox receives get entry to to the virtualized GPU, networking, shared folders with the host computer, and a startup script so that you could have it routinely release an application or run a script.

Windows Sandbox, in my eyes, is one of the most thrilling features to return to Windows in a while, and is something that I will possibly use quite frequently. Having an always pristine version of Windows to do application trying out on, even as being able to easily control its access to documents and folders on the host, is going to be treasured for plenty, I think. The implementation could be very nicely idea out, and leans closely at the severe paintings finished on Windows Containers for cloud computing. It’s incredible to see a feature that changed into centered at Azure trickling down into purchaser-stage Windows 10. The small footprint it takes up manner that even in case you rarely use Windows Sandbox, having it enabled is nearly zero value, with it handiest ingesting about one hundred MB of area for its VHD.

Game Bar Updates

If you use the Game Bar in Windows 10 for taking pictures your gaming periods, the Game Bar now features a gallery to view your clips and screenshots while not having to depart the sport. It’s a small however welcome contact.

Print Menu Updates

Printers are the bane of modern-day computing, however Windows 10 has stepped forward the default printing experience with a higher layout and higher descriptions of the numerous options. The print experience also now has mild-theme guide to go together with the general theming updates.

Windows Security App

The Windows Security app gets a piece of interest as well, presenting a brand new Protection History web page wherein you may check up on what actions it has taken. The history even indicates activities detected by the offline scanning device, which is very handy. There’s also a brand new Tamper Protection placing which prevents applications converting Windows Defender Antivirus settings.

Clipboard History

The new cloud clipboard introduced in Windows 10 October2019 update is a superb feature, and mixed with the snip and comic strip options it is a prevailing combination that makes it tough to use a previous model of Windows 10, if you’ve come to understand the new tools. The clipboard records can be accessed with Windows + V, and for 1903 it’s been redesigned to a more compact view so it doesn’t hog as a great deal screen real estate.

As before, it works nicely, but I would nevertheless just like the ability to hold the clipboard history open as a separate app, and even though it’s extra compact now, it limits what you can see in case you’ve display captured photographs, so if it turned into a standalone app, it could be resized as properly. One of these days I’ll document that comments with Microsoft.

Task Manager

A small but welcome change is you may now set the Task Manager to default to any of the available tabs. If you use the undertaking supervisor regularly, as I do, this is a welcome alternate.

Sorted Downloads Folder

If you are like me, the Downloads folder is a dumping floor of many stuff, that may make it difficult to discover what you're seeking out after saving documents there. With 1903, the Download folder will now kind based totally on the date the file turned into downloaded. This, of path, can be changed, but could be the default going ahead, and this is one of these little changes that are fairly beneficial. When you've got hundreds of files in Downloads, and shop a report with a few random name, it may be hard to without problems find it, however looked after with the aid of date with satisfactory clean delineation makes the challenge infinitely less complicated.

Console Updates

The console gets some extra improvements as properly, which includes the potential to disable scroll ahead, and the capability to choose the default cursor, and cursor color. The console has additionally delivered improved parsing and handling of ANSI/VT sequences, and the way it renders shades. Microsoft has virtually improved the console dramatically in the remaining numerous versions, and the corporation makes no bones about leveraging thoughts that paintings well in Linux of their own console, as well as making the console greater Linux pleasant.

Notepad

Notepad were given up to date. Yes. Your eyes are not deceiving you. Notepad didn’t play well with Linux documents, and with Microsoft placing a lot help into their Windows Subsystem for Linux, that could not stand. Notepad will now shop documents through default in UTF-8 with out a Byte Order Mark, and Notepad will also display the encoding of a record in its repute bar so that you’ll recognise immediately what type of record you are running in. But wait! There’s greater! Notepad can even vicinity an * in the identify display screen if it is running in a file that hasn’t but been stored, so that you will recognise at a glance whether or not the file has been written lower back to the disk or not.

At Build this year, Microsoft introduced a new version of the Windows Subsystem for Linux, so that you can run a real Linux kernel. This will enhance performance dramatically in certain eventualities, and growth the compatibility as nicely. The authentic WSL translated Linux system calls into Windows system calls, which causes a performance hit that the new edition won’t want to do, since it’ll have a Linux VM running as a substitute. The unique WSL will nevertheless be available, considering there are scenarios wherein WSL v2 can also motive interoperability troubles, consisting of in case you need to run virtualization applications like VirtualBox, because WSL v2 may be the use of a Hyper-V backend. But the group is working on fixes and WSL v2 must be available to check in insider preview builds beginning in June. If you overlooked our unique declaration, check it out here.

Microsoft has additionally been making a whole lot of modifications to the console to enhance its usability, but they're running into limits in which modifications may additionally break backwards compatibility. As such, they may be launching a new Windows Terminal software to be able to assist you to run multiple console sessions in a tabbed interface. It seems great in case you use a variety of command line in Windows.

Probably the maximum important update coming is that Microsoft is replacing their net browser experience with one based on the Chromium task. It’ll still be known as Edge, but the employer has absolutely decided it not makes experience to broaden their own rendering engine whilst builders received’t check against it, so by using going the Chromium course they’ll have a miles better compatibility. The internet was imagined to be the brand new open global, however in exercise it has in no way been that manner. The dominant browser of any term is the only that web developers target towards. For years that became Internet Explorer. On cellular, it became Safari for a duration as properly, however now the leading browser is Google Chrome. It’s a choice that makes experience for Microsoft, even supposing it’s a sad day for the net to lose a chief rendering engine. If you need to offer it a attempt, you can run it aspect-by-side with regular Edge, or every other browser. You can down load it here.

Microsoft’s Your Phone app is likewise getting an update soon to offer greater capability with Android devices, including display screen sharing, and notification assist. I’ve had combined consequences with Your Phone because it debuted, with periods of time wherein it simply could no longer sync with my telephone regardless of what I did, but recent updates have appeared to help. It’s still pretty slow and clunky, however I’m looking forward to enhancements since it need to be a genuinely useful app.

When Windows 10 first released, the subsequent updates have been pretty substantial in phrases of recent features, for the reason that running system turned into new and want quite a few polish, however over the past year or so, the amount of substance in every replace has been plenty extra workable. That keeps with the May 2019 Update. There’s a few exceptional new capabilities, and a few polish, however standard, it’s a minor step, as it should be at this factor within the lifecycle of Windows 10.

Arguably the largest function that the general public will see is the new Light Theme. Theming is something that is non-public, so both you’ll adore it otherwise you won’t, but I think it appears easy and clean. I in particular just like the new default wallpaper, which takes the original Windows 10 wallpaper and gives it a new hire on lifestyles. The small adjustments to iconography help as well, and the Fluent Design keeps to permeate via Windows 10, adding subtle touches here and there, consisting of the log-in display screen.

Windows Sandbox is also a remarkable addition to Windows 10, even though it does require at the least Windows 10 Pro to get this option. Having a light-weight containerized version of Windows for checking out and improvement can be very beneficial for a huge variety of industries, and if you are searching beforehand, you can easily see Windows Sandbox becoming a manner to preserve legacy get admission to for certain packages. The small one hundred MB footprint at the system makes it no burden at all, even supposing it's far hardly ever used, unlike if you have a one hundred GB VHD document sitting to your pressure.

Windows 10 maintains including new capabilities for developers, and 1903 is not any exception. There are even more updates to the console, or even Notepad were given an update to accommodate Linux file assist. There is obvious purchase-in by way of the Windows developers to leverage Linux equipment where suitable, and their paintings has paid dividends for builders who use Windows. The upcoming Windows Subsystem for Linux v2 will provide even greater compatibility and performance, and Windows Terminal looks top notch.

If you’d like a complete alternate-log of everything that’s in 1903, Microsoft continues a running overall on docs.microsoft.com

What could be the most key though is Microsoft having a easy rollout of this version of Windows. The last couple of updates haven’t long past so properly, so they need to get a win here. Time will tell, but the 1903 update went right away for me on several machines thus far, however manifestly my sample length is insignificant in comparison to the variety of machines jogging Windows 10, that is now over 800 million computers. It looks like Microsoft goes to be very measured with the rollout this time, which ought to assist them capture any principal insects earlier than they impact a big quantity of human beings.

It’s also true to look Microsoft giving some manipulate back to users on how updates get pushed out. Windows 10 Home now supports up to seven days of postpone for an update. It might be exceptional to peer this bumped as much as possibly a month, but some thing is higher than the nothing that become provided before.

Windows 10 May 2019 Update gives a refreshed look, some best new features, and much less of the bloat of a few previous updates. Assuming the rollout goes easily, it seems like a pleasant update to Windows 10.

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2019-05-24 12:41:48Z
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