New Windows 10 Build Brings Massive Microsoft Edge Improvements

Microsoft Announces the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

Microsoft today released Windows 10 build 17704 to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. There’s a ton of new things in this build for Insiders, apart from the fact that Sets is being removed with this build. Here is a list of all the notable new features included in this build:

  • Microsoft Edge:
    • Edge now has an improved address bar design with a new depth effect/drop shadow for the address bar
    • The main menu has been redesigned to give users quick access to the important features quickly
    • Settings has been redesigned to include a category-based design that makes it easier to find the exact options you are looking for
    • You can now customize which icons show up in the toolbar
    • Edge can now automatically block autoplay of media on annoying sites (*cough*CNET*cough*). You can choose to block autoplay of media on all sites or enable autoplay blocking on a per-site basis
    • PDFs now have a new icon if Edge is your default PDF viewer
  • Devices with a light sensor can now intelligently adjust videos based on the lighting you are in to improve the visibility of videos
  • Non-admin users can now install fonts in Windows, even if the yare not from the Microsoft Store
  • If you use the software keyboard in Windows, you can now find out how much the AI and ML tech is helping you improve typing with Typing Insights
  • The context menu for XAML based text boxes on apps now include Fluent Design and an improved design
  • Windows Security can now block apps and files when suspicious behaviors are detected
  • Task Manager now makes it possible to understand the energy impact of running processes with new Power Usage and Power Usage Trend columns
  • Windows Mixed Reality now includes a new Quick Actions feature to perform quick tasks with the Windows key, and a new post-update experience to get “the best setup possible”

Build 17704 is a huge update for Windows 10 Redstone 5, and there are a number of other minor improvements in this build that you can find in the full changelog. Do keep in mind that this build removes Sets, so you may want to stay on an older build if you loved using the new tabbed experience in Windows 10. Either way, if you are a Fast ring Insider, you can get the new build from Windows Update right away.

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Conversation 34 comments

  • will

    Premium Member
    27 June, 2018 - 3:04 pm

    <p>While I like the idea of sets, the current sets UI and how it works is very clunky. It needs more work and TLC. Happy to see it come back later.</p>

    • Lewk

      Premium Member
      27 June, 2018 - 3:06 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#286659"><em>In reply to will:</em></a></blockquote><p>I absolutely agree. It was extremely buggy and a little frustrating. I too am more than happy for them to pull it out for a while to fix the fundamental issues.</p>

    • Ulfvar

      27 June, 2018 - 4:59 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#286659"><em>In reply to will:</em></a></blockquote><p>I agree. I really love the idea of sets but so far it has been a UI disaster. I am very glad they are taking their time with it rather than rushing it out.</p>

    • SvenJ

      27 June, 2018 - 11:18 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#286659"><em>In reply to will:</em></a> Kind of funny. I don't even see Sets. Yes I have it, but I run in Tablet Mode and it doesn't work there. I run a Surface 3 in Tablet mode all the time, and have limited myself to store apps, on purpose. Actually don't find it all that limiting for my personal leisure requirements. </blockquote><p><br></p>

  • John Dunagan

    Premium Member
    27 June, 2018 - 4:04 pm

    <ul><li>Windows Security can now block apps and files when suspicious behaviors are detected</li></ul><p><br></p><p>This is outstanding.</p>

  • rmlounsbury

    Premium Member
    27 June, 2018 - 4:51 pm

    <p>In the really minor but supper annoying category. The note that non-admin users can install fonts is huge. </p>

  • slbailey1

    27 June, 2018 - 5:15 pm

    <p>By pulling Sets, and the massive changes to Edge, this tells me that Microsoft is focusing on getting Windows 10 ready for Andromeda and the Surface 10" tablet.</p>

  • Ron Diaz

    27 June, 2018 - 8:23 pm

    <p>They should just rename Edge to Microsoft Google Chrome Downloader…</p>

    • Tony Barrett

      28 June, 2018 - 12:35 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#286724"><em>In reply to Hypnotoad:</em></a></blockquote><p>Now that is the truth… and pretty funny. The only reason people ever use Edge on a new Win10 install is to download Chrome! HAHAHAHA.</p>

      • cayo

        28 June, 2018 - 5:21 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#286807"><em>In reply to ghostrider:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Isn't Chrome a malware app made by Google? </p>

        • CaedenV

          28 June, 2018 - 7:00 pm

          <blockquote><a href="#286884"><em>In reply to cayo:</em></a></blockquote><p>Yep, but the benefits are so great that nobody says no to it!</p>

  • Illusive_Man

    27 June, 2018 - 9:02 pm

    <p>Great they need to continue improving it. Edge is growing on me. If they can just start matching feature for feature with Chrome, they have a chance. What happened to being able to use Chrome plugins?</p>

  • SvenJ

    27 June, 2018 - 11:13 pm

    <p>They seem to have deleted two other 'features'. One was Edge not actually closing tabs when you closed Edge and said yes, close all tabs. I'd open Edge after that and the tabs would just still be there. That seems fixed. The other was the on screen keyboard popping up constantly on my Surface 3 with keyboard firmly attached. Would come up almost anytime I hit an entry field. Would drop as soon as I started typing on the physical keyboard. That seems fixed. I am always surprised at the basic things that get broken (that used to work) at each build. I get bugs in new features.</p>

  • John Dunagan

    Premium Member
    28 June, 2018 - 12:43 am

    <p>This is the first one in a while I've had issues installing. "Undoing changes to your computer…", etc. Ran the Fix-It tool for Windows Update. Let's see what happens.</p>

  • Major Bystander

    28 June, 2018 - 11:04 am

    <p>As far as I can tell even in this latest build Edge still does not support a right-click context menu with page forward and page backward functions. For me that's a deal breaker. Ive pointed this out to Msft for several years and they seem not interested or not capable of providing this function–which exists in every other browser including IE, Chrome, Firefox, Vivaldi and Opera.</p><p><br></p>

    • CaedenV

      28 June, 2018 - 6:59 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#286789"><em>In reply to Major Bystander:</em></a></blockquote><p>… These are buttons that people still use? Most websites and admin web portals I use break when you hit the back button, so I have gotten use to just using the on-page navigation. Especially on Cisco equipment… that is what really broke me from using the back button.</p>

      • skane2600

        29 June, 2018 - 12:48 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#286904"><em>In reply to CaedenV:</em></a></blockquote><p>"Most websites"? Ah, no.</p>

    • warren

      28 June, 2018 - 8:06 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#286789"><em>In reply to Major Bystander:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>If you really <em>actually </em>cared about this, you would have gotten a mouse with forwards and backwards buttons years ago. Why are you demanding a navigation feature that requires two clicks when you could have it for one?</p>

      • skane2600

        29 June, 2018 - 12:47 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#286914"><em>In reply to warren:</em></a></blockquote><p>People use what they are used to. If one vendor doesn't support functionality that all the others do, it's usually not that the one vendor got it right and the others wrong.</p>

  • flying_maverick

    Premium Member
    28 June, 2018 - 4:47 pm

    <p>This is all great but what they need to do is fix Edge so that on a Windows Domain I can login to Edge like any other MS store app and get my bookmarks, reading list, etc. Same goes for Timeline.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

  • CaedenV

    28 June, 2018 - 6:57 pm

    <p>I am weirdly excited about the font thing. Running IT support is always annoying as you always have some graphic designer or art teacher who is constantly wanting to install fonts, and you have to find the right one, preferably from a legal source, test it for viruses by installing in the test environment, then go an install it on the person's machine… the whole thing is stupidly time consuming for something as trivial as a font… but as they are treated at such a low level, and the nightmares that they use to create, make them a bit terrifying.</p>

    • warren

      28 June, 2018 - 8:04 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#286903"><em>In reply to CaedenV:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Nothing weird about getting excited about this…. user-installable fonts has been a highly-requested feature for many years.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

  • webguynj

    29 June, 2018 - 11:17 am

    <p>@Thurrott Even with all these "improvements" Why is there still no ability to search browser history on Edge?</p>

    • Richardsona39

      30 June, 2018 - 9:25 am

      <blockquote><a href="#286997"><em>In reply to webguynj:</em></a></blockquote><p>This was one of the things holding me back from using Edge. But Timeline solves that problem (assuming you use it)</p>

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