Using Your Windows 10 PC-If You've Used Windows Before

This chapter is from the book

My Windows 10 Computer for Seniors, 2nd Edition

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This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book 

My Windows 10 Computer for Seniors, 2nd Edition

Learn More Buy

Windows 10 Updates for Windows 10 Users

If you’ve been running Windows 10 for a while, you know that Microsoft has made some important updates to its core operating system since its initial release. The latest version of Windows 10, dubbed the Fall Creators Update, was released in October of 2017 and, along with previous updates, has improved upon the original release in significant ways.

It’s important to know that Microsoft thinks of Windows 10 as an operating system as a service, which means it’s not a static piece of software you install once and forget about. Microsoft is constantly revising the operating system and periodically releases important updates to the user base. Some of these revisions are in the form of monthly updates (managed in the Windows Update section of the Settings tool) designed to fix bugs and improve performance. Other updates are more major and include new features and interface changes.

Since the original release of Windows 10 in 2015, there have been three major updates—the Anniversary Update, Creators Update, and Fall Creators Update. Microsoft intends to release subsequent major updates every six months or so.

So what’s new in these Windows 10 updates? There are a slew of features and changes, both major and minor. If you’ve been using Windows 10 all along, look for these new features.

Anniversary Update

Microsoft released its first major Windows 10 update on the operating system’s first anniversary, in August, 2016. This update included a lot of bug fixes and performance enhancements, including the following new features:

• Dark Theme, to display apps with a black background instead of the traditional white

• New Skype app for video, audio, and text messaging

• Windows Ink for drawing in select apps.

Creators Update

The Creators Update was released eight months after the Anniversary Update, in April, 2017. This release saw even more new features and changes to how a few things looked and worked. These changes included the following:

• Changes to how Windows updates are delivered, so that you can opt not to automatically receive some minor updates

• Game Mode to enhance game playback

• New interface for the Windows Defender anti-malware app

• Paint 3D app for drawing three-dimensional shapes

• Virtual reality functionality

Fall Creators Update

The latest update to Windows 10 was released in October, 2017. This update added even more new functionality to the operating system, along with some important interface changes. These changes included

• The ability to pin individual websites to the taskbar

• Controlled folder access in Windows Defender to guard against ransomware attacks

• Fluent Design elements to improve the look of the operating system and apps

• Integration with Android, iOS, and Windows phones and tablets, to share data and messages between multiple devices

• My People app to manage your favorite contacts directly from the Windows taskbar

• OneDrive Files on Demand for working with files stored online

• Story Remix in the Photos app, to create “highlight reels” of your pictures and videos

• Support for “mixed reality” headsets and apps

All three of the major updates have also included enhanced functionality for the Cortana virtual digital assistant, Microsoft Edge browser, Action Center, and Settings tool. These changes are designed to make Windows more functional and easier to use.