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

This week, Microsoft officially rolled out the Windows 10 May 2019 Update to the world. However, due to a few ordinary problems over the last couple of updates, the enterprise is fortuitously taking a completely measured method this time. An method that allows you to with any luck mitigate some of the update issues that constantly appear to stand up when a main machine replace comes to software program that runs beneath an almost endless number of configurations.

With the May 2019 update comes new functions, alongside with the same old updates to Windows 10’s look and experience. Today we’ll be going thru a number of the more essential updates in extra element. Windows 10 is now nearly four years old though, so the days of feature updates packing in a big variety of recent ideas are typically at the back of us. With Microsoft nevertheless committing to updating Windows 10 two times in step with calendar yr, possibly absolutely everyone would be glad to look these updates be a chunk smaller, a piece faster to put in, and a bit less jarring on the other stop. Luckily, Windows 10 May 2019 Update appears to in shape the bill properly. The update is short, and the massive changes are going to be frequently beauty for most of the people, despite the fact that there are more than one extremely good additions with this rollout as properly.

Officially the update is the May 2019 Update, that is as unambiguous as you may get, and hats off to Microsoft for continuing down the street of having to call 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 maintains down Microsoft’s direction of a build wide variety of the year and month, so the May 2019 Update is Windows 10 1903, which means the build might have been more or much less locked down by March, with best bug fixes after that. This naming scheme of path has the drawback that they're going to expire of digits when the 12 months 2100 rolls around, however I assume they’ll go that bridge after they get there.

Likely the most important headline function for this update is a refreshed look and feel, Microsoft is now supplying a new Light topic, which compliments well with the already covered darkish theme. Although it can appear minor, maintaining Windows searching sparkling and contemporary is essential, so it’s exceptional to look that attention continues to be being paid right here. In addition, there’s a few new iconography to go with the new subject matter.

Once of the most interesting capabilities for this update is Windows Sandbox, that's a Windows OS in a field for testing and strolling applications. This function isn't always to be had on Windows 10 Home, so builders that suppose this might be beneficial will have to make sure they've as a minimum 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 walking returned on a few matters they’ve achieved which have been done with desirable intentions, however now not finished nicely sufficient to now not motive pain with customers. Cortana is no longer tied to the Windows 10 search. Updates can now be paused for up to seven days even for Windows 10 Home customers, and extra default programs may be uninstalled.

Let’s dig in.

Windows 10 has provided each a light and dark subject for some time now. But with model 1903, the light theme gets a first-rate overhaul. In previous variations the default venture bar and begin menu coloration turned into black, but you could pick out among light and darkish for applications and most currently, File Explorer, which gained a dark mode inside the October2019 update.

The new light subject matter is a real light topic, affecting now not most effective the app backgrounds but additionally the taskbar and start menu. The coloration picks are clean and clean, and it sincerely look excellent. It also includes a new historical past, based totally at the original blue Windows 10 background, however lightened up to in shape the new subject matter.

Text at the taskbar switches from white text on black to black text on white, and to avoid being misplaced at the assignment bar, a number of the white icons which include mail and Store are color reversed to ensure they may be nonetheless without difficulty found. The File Explorer icon additionally got a makeover since it was too light for the mild subject. Microsoft has subtly modified the shade scheme to work better in both light or dark modes.

The Start Menu has probably never looked cleanser than it does in 1903, where the new coloration scheme genuinely works well. Microsoft is also converting the default start menu for new accounts to a extra simplified version, with just a single column of applications in place of the 2 it turned into by default previously. You can of path nonetheless personalize this any way you’d like, with agencies of apps, and distinctive tile sizes, however the out of box enjoy is a nicer appearance to start with. In addition, a number of the icons had been up to date to suit in better with Fluent design, which is Microsoft’s layout language for Windows.

The Start Menu now additionally supports unpinning of companies of icons from the Start Menu, so if you don’t just like the default, or simply need to start over, it’s clean to cast off the whole thing. In addition, Microsoft is allowing extra of the default applications. The following programs can all be uninstalled via the Start Menu:

3D Viewer (previously known as 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 now not need to push aside your PowerShell skills to do away with a number of these default applications.

In addition, the Start Menu is being isolated into its own manner. In past builds, Start turned into hosted as part of the bigger ShellExperienceHost.exe, however now it gets its very own StartMenuExperience.exe. Anyone who has had the Start Menu stop responding will respect the attempt right here, since one of the foremost dreams of breaking it into its own system is reliability and debugging.

Windows 10 has always blanketed a search bar by default at the Windows 10 taskbar, however that search bar become tied into its Cortana digital assistant. With Windows 10 May 2019 Update, Search and Cortana have officially split up, each getting their own area at the taskbar. You can of path personalize that as well, and dispose of one or both if you’d like.

The new search has a landing web page which quick shows you latest files and top programs, so that you can even use it as a condensed version of the Start Menu. Search has come to be an indispensable a part of Windows considering that Windows Vista, when Microsoft began indexing programs and documents for short get entry to through clicking Start and typing Notepad, for instance. The new Search gives greater of that previous enjoy, while still imparting web look for phrases.

Cortana remains around, and is being integrated into Microsoft To-Do with this update. It seems like a greater logical healthy for it to be in a separate app than the default search, and it’s doubtful most computer users can be dissatisfied by way of this variation.

Search is also getting a few a new settings page in which you could see the contemporary indexing fame, in addition to set up what folders you need to index, what folders you’d want to consist of, and extra. This is a part of Microsoft nevertheless looking to flow the myriad of settings away from the older manage panel fashion into the current Windows 10 settings, where they work better with a couple of enter kinds. You can nonetheless get admission to the old indexer options here as well, in case you need to trade some thing that you can’t do in the modern settings yet.

Passwords are evil, and passwords were tested over and over to not be a exquisite manner to secure things, so it’s high-quality to look Microsoft supplying a manner to signal-in to Windows with a password-less account starting with the May 2019 update.

If you have already got a Microsoft account, you could visit //account.microsoft.com/account and check in and then add your cellphone variety for your account. If you don’t have a Microsoft account, you may create a new one based totally to your phone wide variety.

Once your cellphone wide variety is brought, you could select your cellphone range when logging in and you’ll get a one-time SMS code in your telephone so that you can permit 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 by no means need to enter a password to log in.

The Sign-In display screen has additionally gotten a few Fluent Design delivered to it, with an acrylic effect introduced when going to log in to cognizance your interest at the login field itself. It looks extremely good.

Windows at its core is a legacy running device trying to live in a modern-day international, and at instances it indicates its age. One vicinity where Windows can quick display its foundations is while jogging older programs on present day hardware with a excessive-decision show. For a refresher, check out our article on why that is a problem, and how the business enterprise become trying to deal with it.

Windows 10 has made some most important strides with High DPI, and lots of packages have been up to date to aid Windows consistent with-screen DPI attention, however the legacy of Windows, and the lack of a requirement to code for DPI attention even on a brand new software, way that many applications will never play properly. To help fight this, Microsoft introduced a new scaling mechanism that might apprehend if applications were not rendering efficaciously, and step in to address the scaling. It doesn’t paintings for every software, however the fulfillment has been top enough that with Windows 10 1903, this selection is now on by means of default. This feature become first delivered with the Windows 10 Creators Update in2019, so clearly there’s sufficient data now that they feel comfortable allowing this by way of default. If you’d like a refresher on the improved DPI scaling, we looked at it while it first launched.

My non-public revel in with the enhanced scaling is that it does work properly, and this looks as if a clever alternate to deal with packages that will probably in no way end up DPI conscious on their personal. In 2019, whilst excessive-resolution is not a unprecedented feature, this is honestly some thing that has come to be essential. It need to also reduce the quantity of instances you see the pop-up letting you understand its intervened, which, while useful, changed into likely some thing lots of users didn’t certainly recognize.

In addition, Task Manager now offers a brand new column you can pick inside the Details tab for you to display you the DPI focus of every walking procedure, letting you recognize if they don’t aid DPI scaling, or in the event that they only aid System degree, consistent with-screen, or the ultra-modern per-screen v2 specifications.

One of the greater exciting feature additions to Windows 10 May 2019 Update is Windows Sandbox, which is a containerized version of Windows which runs in a lightweight virtualized surroundings, and lets in you to open a pristine model of Windows every single time. There are many scenarios where this will be useful, and by way of default the VM is remoted, allowing less than straightforward programs to be run without having to fire up a new virtual system to do it. It would additionally be tremendous for application checking out, and many IT features might gain from a quick and easy to use VM without having to cope with the complexities and heft of Hyper-V. The VMs are also disposable, so on every occasion you turn open Windows Sandbox you’ll get a new, pristine VM.

Windows Sandbox is an optionally available issue which needs to be turned on through the “Turn Windows Features on or off” menu, and it's miles handiest available in Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise, so regrettably domestic customers are out of good fortune.

There’s truly a lot underneath the hood that makes Windows Sandbox unique. When you consider walking a virtualized example of every other operating gadget, it usually calls for hardware committed to the machine, which includes RAM, and a large footprint for the virtual difficult disk, either committed up-front as a unmarried massive block for your storage, or one this is dynamically increased because the storage is fed on inside the virtual machine.

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

Windows Sandbox receives a 40 GB digital difficult disk to play in, however Microsoft makes use of a dynamically generated image for Windows Sandbox that reduces its footprint at the host OS to just 25 MB whilst compressed, or one hundred MB whilst Windows Sandbox is enabled. Rather than have a unique VHD file that it launches from, Windows Sandbox makes use of the replica of Windows 10 at the host gadget as its base photo. It makes use of smooth copies of files which can alternate, so if you regulate a number of your Windows documents on the host PC the Sandbox version gained’t be affected, and the same thing takes place in reverse. If Windows files are modified inside the Sandbox gadget, they don’t write to the authentic files, however as an alternative to a brand new replica of the record. Then, when the Sandbox is closed, all of these changed documents are discarded, so the following time it is opened it’s a clean version again.

Memory is every other key element, but like with the disk, considering the fact that both the host and guest are running the same working gadget, there may be masses of overlap in memory as properly, which means the impacted memory at the host may be dramatically decreased. Since much of the in-reminiscence records could be the identical for the equal processes, Windows Sandbox can direct map the guest VM to the host VM’s replica of the data to reduce how a great deal reminiscence is needed. If one or the other tries to change that identical place in reminiscence, a new replica of the new information may be created for whichever one made the request, so the alternative isn't affected. These are normal ways to shop memory in a virtualized environment, however whilst the host and guest are jogging the identical version of an working device, the RAM financial savings are dramatic. Running Windows Sandbox and not using a packages open offers the Sandbox VM 4 GB of memory, however on my test device it only ate up 237 MB of memory on the host. In addition, the host receives priority if reminiscence is needed, so it could reclaim reminiscence from the guest if needed.

That equal principle applies to the kernel scheduler. Unlike a complete hypervisor, Windows Sandbox uses what Microsoft calls an incorporated scheduler to decide while the Sandbox VM receives compute time. If high-precedence obligations need to be run at the host, it may pre-empt the Sandbox and leap it in the CPU queue. The main benefit right here is that the host stays responsive always, even though the Sandbox is using a lot of CPU.

If you’ve used virtualization within the past, you’ll understand of the time period photo, which permits you to shop the country of a digital system exactly how it's miles, such as the memory kingdom. This is what Sandbox makes use of to release. The VM may be loaded as an already booted and logged in model of Windows 10, cutting down at the begin-up time required while launching Sandbox. On my gadget, launching a brand new example of Sandbox takes approximately ten seconds, and once it’s loaded it’s geared up to move, because it’s already logged in to the laptop.

The Sandbox also receives get admission to to some of the other hardware at the host, which includes the GPU, which allows for hardware increased rendering, and it is also aware about the host battery country, so in case you are walking this on a computer, the VM can reduce its power utilization when on battery just like a ordinary model of Windows.

You may also be capable of customize the Sandbox revel in with Config documents soon, permitting you to launch the Sandbox with a particular configuration. Sandbox uses XML configuration files with the .wsb extension, and assist you to manipulate whether or not the Sandbox receives get entry to to the virtualized GPU, networking, shared folders with the host computer, and a startup script so you will have it mechanically launch an utility or run a script.

Windows Sandbox, in my eyes, is one of the maximum interesting features to come back to Windows in some time, and is something that I will probable use pretty frequently. Having an constantly pristine version of Windows to do software testing on, at the same time as being able to easily manage its get entry to to files and folders at the host, goes to be treasured for many, I assume. The implementation could be very properly notion out, and leans heavily on the severe paintings accomplished on Windows Containers for cloud computing. It’s terrific to look a function that changed into centered at Azure trickling down into patron-degree Windows 10. The small footprint it takes up method that even in case you hardly ever use Windows Sandbox, having it enabled is almost zero price, with it handiest ingesting approximately 100 MB of space for its VHD.

Game Bar Updates

If you operate the Game Bar in Windows 10 for capturing your gaming periods, the Game Bar now features a gallery to view your clips and screenshots without having to leave the game. It’s a small but welcome contact.

Print Menu Updates

Printers are the bane of current computing, but Windows 10 has progressed the default printing enjoy with a higher layout and better descriptions of the numerous alternatives. The print revel in additionally now has light-subject matter support to go together with the general theming updates.

Windows Security App

The Windows Security app gets a chunk of attention as well, presenting a brand new Protection History page where you could take a look at up on what moves it has taken. The records even suggests activities detected with the aid of the offline scanning tool, which is very convenient. There’s additionally a brand new Tamper Protection setting which prevents programs converting Windows Defender Antivirus settings.

Clipboard History

The new cloud clipboard brought in Windows 10 October2019 update is a exquisite function, and mixed with the snip and sketch alternatives it is a triumphing aggregate that makes it difficult to apply a preceding version of Windows 10, in case you’ve come to appreciate the brand new equipment. The clipboard records can be accessed with Windows + V, and for 1903 it’s been redesigned to a extra compact view so it doesn’t hog as much screen actual estate.

As before, it works nicely, but I might nonetheless like the ability to preserve the clipboard history open as a separate app, and even though it’s greater compact now, it limits what you could see if you’ve display captured photos, so if it turned into a standalone app, it is able to be resized as well. One of in recent times I’ll file that remarks with Microsoft.

Task Manager

A small however welcome alternate is you can now set the Task Manager to default to any of the to be had tabs. If you operate the assignment manager regularly, as I do, that is a welcome trade.

Sorted Downloads Folder

If you're like me, the Downloads folder is a dumping ground of many stuff, that may make it hard to discover what you're looking for after saving documents there. With 1903, the Download folder will now sort primarily based on the date the report become downloaded. This, of direction, can be modified, but may be the default going forward, and that is one of these little modifications which can be extraordinarily beneficial. When you have masses of documents in Downloads, and shop a record with some random name, it may be hard to effortlessly discover it, however looked after through date with high-quality clear delineation makes the assignment infinitely simpler.

Console Updates

The console receives a few more enhancements as nicely, inclusive of the capability to disable scroll forward, and the potential to choose the default cursor, and cursor color. The console has additionally introduced advanced parsing and managing of ANSI/VT sequences, and the way it renders colors. Microsoft has honestly improved the console dramatically inside the closing several variations, and the organization makes no bones about leveraging ideas that work properly in Linux of their personal console, as well as making the console more Linux friendly.

Notepad

Notepad were given updated. Yes. Your eyes aren't deceiving you. Notepad didn’t play properly with Linux files, and with Microsoft setting a lot support into their Windows Subsystem for Linux, that could not stand. Notepad will now store documents with the aid of default in UTF-8 without a Byte Order Mark, and Notepad will even display the encoding of a document in its status bar so that you’ll recognise right away what type of report you're running in. But wait! There’s greater! Notepad can even place an * within the name screen if it's miles running in a document that hasn’t yet been stored, so that you will recognize at a look whether or not the file has been written back to the disk or no longer.

At Build this 12 months, Microsoft introduced a new version of the Windows Subsystem for Linux, so as to run a true Linux kernel. This will improve overall performance dramatically in positive situations, and increase the compatibility as nicely. The authentic WSL translated Linux gadget calls into Windows gadget calls, which causes a overall performance hit that the new edition gained’t need to do, since it’ll have a Linux VM jogging as a substitute. The unique WSL will nonetheless be to be had, on account that there are scenarios wherein WSL v2 might also reason interoperability troubles, along with if you need to run virtualization packages like VirtualBox, due to the fact WSL v2 will be the use of a Hyper-V backend. But the group is operating on fixes and WSL v2 should be available to test in insider preview builds starting in June. If you ignored our authentic announcement, check it out here.

Microsoft has additionally been making quite a few adjustments to the console to enhance its usability, but they're walking into limits in which modifications may additionally ruin backwards compatibility. As such, they may be launching a new Windows Terminal utility on the way to allow you to run a couple of console periods in a tabbed interface. It appears first rate if you use a variety of command line in Windows.

Probably the maximum crucial replace coming is that Microsoft is changing their internet browser experience with one primarily based at the Chromium venture. It’ll still be called Edge, however the agency has sincerely decided it not makes experience to develop their personal rendering engine while builders gained’t test towards it, so by going the Chromium course they’ll have a much better compatibility. The net changed into presupposed to be the new open international, however in practice it has in no way been that manner. The dominant browser of any term is the only that net developers target towards. For years that changed into Internet Explorer. On cell, it became Safari for a length 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 major rendering engine. If you want to give it a try, you can run it facet-through-aspect with ordinary Edge, or every other browser. You can download it here.

Microsoft’s Your Phone app is also getting an update quickly to offer extra functionality with Android gadgets, together with screen sharing, and notification aid. I’ve had combined results with Your Phone since it debuted, with durations of time wherein it just would now not sync with my cellphone regardless of what I did, however current updates have regarded to assist. It’s nevertheless quite gradual and clunky, but I’m looking forward to upgrades since it must be a definitely useful app.

When Windows 10 first launched, the following updates were quite giant in phrases of recent capabilities, since the operating gadget became new and want a whole lot of polish, however over the past year or so, the amount of substance in each replace has been a great deal extra viable. That keeps with the May 2019 Update. There’s some excellent new features, and some polish, however ordinary, it’s a minor step, because it should be at this point within the lifecycle of Windows 10.

Arguably the most important feature that the majority will see is the brand new Light Theme. Theming is something this is private, so both you’ll like it otherwise you won’t, but I assume it looks clean and clean. I mainly just like the new default wallpaper, which takes the unique Windows 10 wallpaper and gives it a brand new hire on lifestyles. The small modifications to iconography assist as well, and the Fluent Design continues to permeate thru Windows 10, including diffused touches here and there, which include the log-in display.

Windows Sandbox is likewise a extremely good addition to Windows 10, although it does require at least Windows 10 Pro to get this selection. Having a light-weight containerized version of Windows for testing and improvement may be very useful for a extensive range of industries, and if you are searching ahead, you could without difficulty see Windows Sandbox becoming a way to preserve legacy get admission to for positive programs. The small 100 MB footprint at the system makes it no burden in any respect, although it is rarely used, not like when you have a one hundred GB VHD report sitting on your drive.

Windows 10 continues adding new capabilities for builders, and 1903 is no exception. There are even greater updates to the console, and even Notepad got an replace to house Linux file aid. There is apparent buy-in by means 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 offer even greater compatibility and overall performance, and Windows Terminal appears super.

If you’d like a full change-log of everything that’s in 1903, Microsoft maintains a walking general on docs.microsoft.com

What might be the maximum key though is Microsoft having a smooth rollout of this model of Windows. The ultimate couple of updates haven’t gone so nicely, so they need to get a win right here. Time will inform, however the 1903 replace went right away for me on numerous machines thus far, but glaringly my sample length is insignificant as compared to the wide variety of machines running Windows 10, that's now over 800 million computers. It seems like Microsoft goes to be very measured with the rollout this time, which must help them trap any fundamental insects earlier than they effect a massive quantity of humans.

It’s additionally properly to see Microsoft giving a few manage returned to users on how updates get driven out. Windows 10 Home now helps up to seven days of put off for an replace. It would be first-class to see this bumped as much as perhaps a month, however something is higher than the not anything that become presented before.

Windows 10 May 2019 Update gives a refreshed appearance, some fine new features, and less of the bloat of some previous updates. Assuming the rollout is going easily, it looks like a pleasing replace to Windows 10.

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2019-05-24 thirteen:00:00Z
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