Windows 10 Insider Preview build 18323 adds better RAW image support

Microsoft released Windows 10 Insider Preview build 18323 well over an hour ago, but the company has finally published a blog post to let us know what"s new. The build comes from the 19h1_release branch, which means that development of new features is winding down.

The main new feature is better support for RAW images. You"ll need to download the Raw Image Extension package from the Store here. Here"s the full changelog:

Improved RAW image format support

Do you like taking pictures in Raw image formats and wish that the Raw files from your camera were natively supported by Windows?

Good news! Targeting 19H1, we’ve been working hard to release a new store-delivered Raw codec package that dramatically improves native raw file format support in Windows.

By downloading the new Raw Image Extension (Beta) package from the store, you can now view image thumbnails, previews, and camera metadata of previously unsupported raw files right in File Explorer. You can also view your raw images – at full resolution – in apps such as Photos or any other Windows app that uses Windows Imaging Component framework to decode raw images.

How to test

Please note – to install the package, 19H1 Build 18323 or later is required. Open the following link in Edge to install the current beta package: https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9NCTDW2W1BH8. We have also created a 19H1 Bug Bash quest for directions. If you are running Build 18323 or later, click on this link to open the quest in Feedback Hub.

Known issues

  1. Exposing camera properties stored as EXIF/XMP metadata is not currently working for some raw image formats.
  2. File Explorer hangs when the view state is changed to “Details Pane” and a raw file that activates the new raw codec package is selected.
  3. Opening some raw images in Photos app using the new store-delivered raw codec pack gets stuck at low resolution thumbnail image.

How to provide feedback

We would love to get your feedback. Please send your feedback through Feedback Hub under “Devices and Drivers > Video Playback” category.

Improving Light Theme

We introduced the new Light Theme in Windows 10 with Build 18282 and today’s build has some improvements to Light Theme worth taking note of based on your feedback:

  • We fixed an issue where the text in the battery flyout might become unreadable in light theme due to it being white.
  • We fixed an issue where the scrollbar in the network flyout wasn’t visible in light theme.
  • We fixed an issue where the autoplay icon in the systray wasn’t visible in light theme.
  • We fixed an issue where impacting the network and volume icons in the notification area where after switching to light theme they wouldn’t update from white to black until explorer restarted.
  • We fixed a similar issue where not all supported app icons in the taskbar would switch colors on the taskbar when switching between light and dark theme (particularly on the secondary monitor).
  • We’ve made some adjustments to address issues where when using light theme white icons in notifications weren’t readable.
  • We’re updating the Settings icon to now be dark grey in the taskbar when light theme is enabled rather than black.

Today"s build also marks the version number as 1903. While that was expected, it means that the RTM build for Windows 10 19H1 should arrive in March, and we"ll likely see the public update in April, barring any unforeseen issues.

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