Windows 10 Dev Build Brings Setup, App Defaults Improvements

A new Windows Insider Preview build for the Dev channel offers some improvements to Setup and the app defaults interface.

“Today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 20231 to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel,” the announcement notes.

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Here’s what’s new.

New customization screen in Setup. An experimental new version of the “Customize your device” screen seen during Setup will help the system better understand how you plan to use your PC and aid in customizing your PC given your intended usage, Microsoft says. There will be more improvements and changes in the future, this is apparently just an early stab at this functionality.

Improved app defaults management. This feature, sadly only for enterprise customers, allows you to modify file associations on a per-user or per-PC basis. And that’s not the end of the bad news: Microsoft is A/B testing this feature because of course it is.

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Conversation 17 comments

  • Cdorf

    Premium Member
    07 October, 2020 - 2:03 pm

    <p>While I dont expect every build to have new features, it seems like so far what we have seen looks very much like a H2 release as of the last two years. Haven't see anything yet, and pretty soon we will have Release, RP, and "Beta" all running the same code…. seems very stagnant </p>

  • fishnet37222

    Premium Member
    07 October, 2020 - 2:47 pm

    <p>They should include a Software Development option that would have Developer Mode set-up from the get-go.</p>

    • proftheory

      Premium Member
      07 October, 2020 - 4:53 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#584744">In reply to fishnet37222:</a></em></blockquote><p>And maybe include a list of languages to include such as Python, Java, or Swift?</p>

  • proftheory

    Premium Member
    07 October, 2020 - 4:59 pm

    <p>Or you using Grammerly or Edit? I'm no English Major but "…aid in customizing <em>your</em> it given your intended usage…" It sounds like you shifted gears with some grinding along the way. I could say I do the same but I wont though I do.</p>

  • compuser

    07 October, 2020 - 5:51 pm

    <p>Sorry, Microsoft, but you don't need to know which of those items I'll use my computer for the most, and I don't need a welcome experience. That's a strong click to "skip" for me. (If anyone thinks adding simple little things like this to the Windows installation, things that have no effect on the actual installation or operation of Windows, will improve anything for the user, I've got a nice acre of Martian land I'd like to sell you. There's one reason for this change. Marketing. A little tiny bit more user information that Microsoft can sell to advertisers.)</p>

    • waethorn

      07 October, 2020 - 8:57 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#584797">In reply to CompUser:</a></em></blockquote><p>I think they probably get more information than they let on when you just activate your license.</p>

    • VMax

      Premium Member
      07 October, 2020 - 9:59 pm

      <p>&gt;That's a strong click to "skip" for me.</p><p><br></p><p>…okay? That's why the skip button is there.</p><p><br></p><p>The post suggests that they DO intend to use that information to modify the installation or operation of the OS – just that they currently won't, as it's an initial concept only. </p>

  • glenn8878

    07 October, 2020 - 6:11 pm

    <p>Customizing PC is a chore. Their instructions are incomprehensible. They should give people the best privacy protection by default and let people pick settings on their own. However, I can't find my preferred settings when they are buried deep. I have suggestions. Setup settings should be an icon that you can always fix later. Or have a simple checkbox based on what you want fixed.</p>

  • VMax

    Premium Member
    07 October, 2020 - 9:55 pm

    <p>"<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This feature, sadly only for enterprise customers" – I can't imagine regular users finding much utility in it, since they can already change those things. It's not that it's only usable by enterprise customers, more that it's only useful to enterprise customers.</span></p>

  • ben lee

    08 October, 2020 - 2:05 am

    <p>Where is software development?</p>

  • winner

    08 October, 2020 - 2:26 am

    <p>Do they reset all of your security preferences and change your default browser to Edge?</p><p>Because that's the sort of thing I'd be watching out for, given their past behavior.</p>

  • ghostrider

    08 October, 2020 - 2:59 am

    <p>MS just can't help fiddling with things can they. Another pointless change that many will just click skip on. So far, it's all about MS forcing people to have a Microsoft account and collecting as much data as possible by making all the choices so incomprehensible to the average user, they just agree, and MS still make it all <em>opt out</em> rather than <em>opt in</em> – for the obvious benefits they get from it. You can bet as well, if this pops up regularly, MS will also be resetting app defaults too (ie, Edge as the default browser), because they <em>just know what's best for you</em>. FFS, just leave it alone!</p>

    • kb923689

      09 October, 2020 - 3:25 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#584838">In reply to ghostrider:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>They even collect data with the Group Policy in Windows 10 Enterprise set to "security". This setup is just to put a show. Time to scrap everything and go back to basics – Windows 7.</p>

  • Belralph

    08 October, 2020 - 7:53 am

    <p>I would be more excited about this if I knew it would strip out all of the useless default apps from the start menu when I click 'business'. </p>

  • codymesh

    08 October, 2020 - 7:59 am

    <p>okay, but what do the customization options actually do?</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      08 October, 2020 - 9:03 am

      Today, nothing.

  • alabamaboy

    11 October, 2020 - 4:53 pm

    <p>I suspect many of the complainers use Facebook of have android phones. If so, I would trust MS before either of those two</p>

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