Windows Technical Preview  

1031 members have voted

  1. 1. On a scale of 1-5, 1 being worst, 5 being best. What do you think of Windows 10 from the leaks so far?

    • 5.Great, best OS ever
      156
    • 4. Pretty Good, needs a lot of minor tweaks
      409
    • 3. OK, Needs a few major improvements, some minor ones
      168
    • 2. Fine, Needs a lot of major improvements
      79
    • 1.Poor, Needs too many improvements, all hope is lost, never going to use it
      41
  2. 2. Based on the recent leaks by Neowin and Winfuture.de, my next OS upgrade will be?

    • Windows 10
      720
    • Windows 8
      20
    • Windows 7
      48
    • Sticking with XP
      3
    • OSX Yosemite
      35
    • Linux
      24
    • Sticking with OSX Mavericks
      3
  3. 3. Should Microsoft give away Windows 10 for free?

    • Yes for Windows 8.1 Users
      305
    • Yes for Windows 7 and above users
      227
    • Yes for Vista and above users
      31
    • Yes for XP and above users
      27
    • Yes for all Windows users
      192
    • No
      71


Recommended Posts

I want my start screen back!

(On my tablet, as it was in Windows 8.1).

 

I loved:

- The charms bar swipe from left, and the full screen start screen.

- The swipe down to close an app

- Metro Internet Explorer (swipe to go back)

- Auto full screen Metro apps

 

On a tablet, 8.1 was approaching total ease of use. Sad that they chose to abandon this paradigm.

 

But I guess the majority vote counts. I doubt these abilities will be back.

 

Build 9926 is unusable on a tablet (and mine has an 11.6 inch screen)

 

We'll see what happens in future builds, I guess, but it seems as though Microsoft is overcompensating for desktop users.

 

FYI, Windows 10 has a tablet mode that brings these back:

 

Full screen Start

Swipe down to close (now includes legacy x86 applications)

Auto full screen apps

 

Metro IE is removed, and will be replaced with the new Spartan browser in the next couple of builds. You can activate tablet mode by clicking the button on the Action Center.

You all are driving MS crazy because:

 

On Windows 7 > Windows 8.. you complain about Start Screen and wanting Start Menu back.

 

Windows 8 > Windows 10 you complain about Start Menu and wanting Start Screen back..

 

 

Windows 10 has 2 modes; compact menu and Full Start screen.

 

Full screen is available via 4 arrows icon on the start menu (upper right corner).

 

Or use tablet mode... that works as well.

FYI, Windows 10 has a tablet mode that brings these back:

 

Full screen Start

Swipe down to close (now includes legacy x86 applications)

Auto full screen apps

 

Metro IE is removed, and will be replaced with the new Spartan browser in the next couple of builds. You can activate tablet mode by clicking the button on the Action Center.

 

No it doesn't.

 

Swipe from the right brings up the notifications.

Swipe from the left brings up the task switcher.

 

That "tablet mode" does nothing except expand the start menu to full screen.

  • Like 3

I want my start screen back!

(On my tablet, as it was in Windows 8.1).

 

I loved:

- The charms bar swipe from left, and the full screen start screen.

- The swipe down to close an app

- Metro Internet Explorer (swipe to go back)

- Auto full screen Metro apps

 

On a tablet, 8.1 was approaching total ease of use. Sad that they chose to abandon this paradigm.

 

But I guess the majority vote counts. I doubt these abilities will be back.

 

Build 9926 is unusable on a tablet (and mine has an 11.6 inch screen)

 

We'll see what happens in future builds, I guess, but it seems as though Microsoft is overcompensating for desktop users.

I am very disappointed that the option to use the Start screen is absent from build 9926. That was the feature that I loved in the previous builds - with it, both parties could use what they wanted.

I have already left feedback and hope other Windows Insiders do the same. The decision reminds me of other situations where Microsoft reversed course due to complaints.

I am very disappointed that the option to use the Start screen is absent from build 9926. That was the feature that I loved in the previous builds - with it, both parties could use what they wanted.

I have already left feedback and hope other Windows Insiders do the same. The decision reminds me of other situations where Microsoft reversed course due to complaints.

 

How many times has it been said in this thread that this build has a a new from the ground up Start menu/screen coded in XAML that doesn't have all the features finished yet ? 

I was going to install this on my Miix2 11 tonight though, but with the broken html video on youtube and other sites and apparently no swipe to go back gesture in the current IE I think I'll wait for the CP with spartan which hopefully brings back the back gesture. 

How many times has it been said in this thread that this build has a a new from the ground up Start menu/screen coded in XAML that doesn't have all the features finished yet ? 

I haven't counted.

All I am saying is that the current build suggests that Microsoft will phase out the screen for a, well, full screen menu. "Time" will tell.

Does anyone know how to get the OneNote updated version to work on Build 9926? I have the old version and there doesn't seem to be any way of getting the new version? Someone suggested looking at the new Store Beta, but there isn't any option in there that lets you update the app.

Does anyone know how to get the OneNote updated version to work on Build 9926? I have the old version and there doesn't seem to be any way of getting the new version? Someone suggested looking at the new Store Beta, but there isn't any option in there that lets you update the app.

Should be installed by default.

Gave this thing 3.35Ghz and 16 GB RAM in VM. Still feels slow.

And, yep, they removed the ability to see what files you have in OneDrive and, for that matter, the one drive modern app AFAIK.

I found a way to restore the Start Menu from the previous build (which restores Jump lists for pinned apps, and allows you to resize the Start Menu)

  1. Start Regedit.exe
  2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Software>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Explorer>Advance
  3. Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value, call it "EnableXamlStartMenu" Keep its Value at 0
  4. Restart Explorer

 

I found a way to restore the Start Menu from the previous build (which restores Jump lists for pinned apps, and allows you to resize the Start Menu)

  1. Start Regedit.exe
  2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Software>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Explorer>Advance
  3. Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value, call it "EnableXamlStartMenu" Keep its Value at 0
  4. Restart Explorer

 

The purpose of this would be...?

To restore the functionality of the Start Menu from build 9679.  The new Start Menu is a little messed up, frankly; the Search and bottom of the menu is down below the taskbar, you don't have jumplists for any apps that you pin to the start menu, you can't drag and drop anything from the Apps area to the pinned area on the right.  That's the purpose.  If you don't want to do it, just don't.  There's no need to try to sound smarmy about it.

To restore the functionality of the Start Menu from build 9679.  The new Start Menu is a little messed up, frankly; the Search and bottom of the menu is down below the taskbar, you don't have jumplists for any apps that you pin to the start menu, you can't drag and drop anything from the Apps area to the pinned area on the right.  That's the purpose.  If you don't want to do it, just don't.  There's no need to try to sound smarmy about it.

 

You're testing a beta, if you're not going to help test, well then don't...

To restore the functionality of the Start Menu from build 9679.  The new Start Menu is a little messed up, frankly; the Search and bottom of the menu is down below the taskbar, you don't have jumplists for any apps that you pin to the start menu, you can't drag and drop anything from the Apps area to the pinned area on the right.  That's the purpose.  If you don't want to do it, just don't.  There's no need to try to sound smarmy about it.

This is the nature of beta testing. Microsoft is working really hard to provide one hell of an OS to users. Restoring old functionality, when newer functionality is forthcoming isn't going to help them with that. Patience, Microsoft has already confirmed that jumplists, and other functionality will be coming back.

Does anyone know how to get the OneNote updated version to work on Build 9926? I have the old version and there doesn't seem to be any way of getting the new version? Someone suggested looking at the new Store Beta, but there isn't any option in there that lets you update the app.

KB3034229 enables the updated OneNote app. You can get it only through Windows Update.

Quick thoughts from using the TP for a bit inside a VM:

 

- Immediate complaint number 1: they ditched the well-integrated OneDrive code in 8.1 in favour of the standalone client used in 8.0, Windows 7(/Vista?), etc. I very much liked the ability in 8.1 to have my entire OneDrive folder accessible from all apps without the files being present (so a 30 GB folder translates to <100 MB worth of metadata or so). Hopefully they'll bring it back in future builds else it's a step backwards. How it was in 8.1 update 1 was almost perfect (whereas pre-update 1, you couldn't select your OneDrive folder for inclusion in File History)

- I get they want to bring back KB+M users to the fold but something feels... off... about the taskbar being the primary switcher in both tablet and KB+M modes. I can't test whether they've preserved the left edge swipe gesture, lacking a Windows tablet. (edit: guess left edge swipe is still there.. does it bring up Task View in that case?)

- For the new Start Menu, if they're going back to the thin vertical list of apps (which for KB+M users is much better for navigation versus spilling all possible icons in 8.x), it could do with slightly more width. Or maybe they can bring back the full tiled view in tablet mode.

- Caption buttons for Win32 apps look off but understandable given WIP - on Metro apps it's fine. I do like the default title font going back to 9 points. 

We all new the charms menu was on the way out, even for tablets (phone never had it). There's still more things to come, they've said as much. The expanded menu option you get now is something users wanted, so they added it. That doesn't mean it won't change more, just keep giving feedback or voting on things others posted.

 

The "tablet mode" we get now is meant for hybrids , 2-in-1 devices, that means it's a UI that will be more of a halfway point between desktop and pure tablet. Let's see what changes the next build brings, I expect more changes to live tiles and other things.

The OneDrive placeholder feature will come back in a later update. The team said this in a blog post, they took it out for now because the sync engine in 8.1 was different from all the other versions. They're going to be using the same engine going forward on everything, which helps in the end. Don't worry, placeholder option is coming back.

The OneDrive placeholder feature will come back in a later update. The team said this in a blog post, they took it out for now because the sync engine in 8.1 was different from all the other versions. They're going to be using the same engine going forward on everything, which helps in the end. Don't worry, placeholder option is coming back.

 

Awesome, glad to hear that. I imagine now that they're unifying the codebase across desktop, tablet, and mobile, it's easier to keep code the same and perhaps on phones, force the entire OneDrive folder to remain placeholders by default given limited storage.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • OpenAI is rolling out a major upgrade to ChatGPT memory by Pradeep Viswanathan OpenAI is rolling out a major upgrade to ChatGPT's memory, making the system more capable, current, and scalable across long-term use. Memory allows ChatGPT to remember useful details about users, including their preferences, projects, and constraints. Instead of starting every conversation from scratch, ChatGPT can use this context to provide more relevant responses in future chats. OpenAI first launched saved memories in February 2024. That feature allowed users to explicitly ask ChatGPT to save information into its memory, such as travel plans or writing preferences. However, this system had limits because it depended heavily on users giving clear instructions to remember something. Additionally, saved memories could become stale over time. In April 2025, OpenAI expanded memory by allowing ChatGPT to reference past chat context outside the saved memories list. This was powered by a background process called “dreaming,” which automatically curates memories from chat history. This made ChatGPT better at learning from natural conversation without requiring users to manually save every detail. Today, OpenAI announced a more capable and compute-efficient memory architecture built on top of dreaming. This new system improves ChatGPT’s ability to carry forward useful context, follow user preferences, and remain accurate as time passes. According to OpenAI’s internal evaluations, the new system improves factual recall from 67.9% in 2025 to 82.8% in 2026. Preference adherence improves from 55.3% to 71.3%, while accuracy over time improves from 52.2% to 75.1%. The best part of this new system is a new memory summary page where users can review ChatGPT's memories. Users can even update details, correct information, or give instructions on what topics ChatGPT should bring up and when. This new, improved memory system is available to ChatGPT Plus and Pro users in the US starting today. It will roll out to more countries, as well as Free and Go users, in the coming weeks.
    • I work for a video production company in Australia. The camera operators shoot footage and then pass the SD card over to the editors. Much easier than handing over the entire camera. Plus, on a busy day you can hand off the SD card and then pop another in for the next shoot. Or, you might have used multiple SD cards because you need the extra space for a long shoot. I also use USB cables and wifi for transferring footage, but in many cases an SD card reader is the easiest method.
    • Microsoft Edge 149.0.4022.52 by Razvan Serea Microsoft Edge is a super fast and secure web browser from Microsoft. It works on almost any device, including PCs, iPhones and Androids. It keeps you safe online, protects your privacy, and lets you browse the web quickly. You can even use it on all your devices and keep your browsing history and favorites synced up. Built on the same technology as Chrome, Microsoft Edge has additional built-in features like Startup boost and Sleeping tabs, which boost your browsing experience with world class performance and speed that are optimized to work best with Windows. Microsoft Edge security and privacy features such as Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, Password Monitor, InPrivate search, and Kids Mode help keep you and your loved ones protected and secure online. Microsoft Edge has features to keep both you and your family protected. Enable content filters and access activity reports with your Microsoft Family Safety account and experience a kid-friendly web with Kids Mode. The new Microsoft Edge is now compatible with your favorite extensions, so it’s easy to personalize your browsing experience. Microsoft Edge 149.0.4022.52 changelog: Migration to improved V2 architecture for Workspaces. Workspaces, introduced in Edge in 2022, allows users to create durable sets of tabs that can be saved and shared with others. In order to improve reliability and performance of this feature, the following changes are being made: Migrating data for saved Workspaces from OneDrive/SharePoint to Edge Sync service Removing the collaboration/share functionality of this feature For organizations who have disabled Sync through policy, the existing v1 Workspace data will still be migrated to the new architecture. New v2 Workspaces created after migration won't sync across devices and will remain local to each device. This update occurs on a progressive rollout beginning in Edge Stable v145 and will continue rolling out in Edge v149. For more information, see Getting started with Microsoft Edge Workspaces. Feature Updates Passkey Sync for Enterprise Users. Microsoft Edge is introducing support for passkey synchronization for enterprise users, enabling secure, passwordless authentication across devices. Passkeys created in Edge can now be synced seamlessly, improving sign-in experience while maintaining strong security standards. Note: This is a controlled feature rollout. If you don't see this change, check back as we continue the rollout. Enterprise WebView2 runtime downgrade via DowngradeVersion policy. Administrators can temporarily roll back specific applications to a previous WebView2 Evergreen Runtime version (N-1 or N-2) using the new DowngradeVersion policy in msedgewebview2.admx. The Downgrade Version policy allows enterprises to mitigate critical regressions by specifying per-application exe-to-version mappings. The Edge Updater installs the target version side-by-side, and the WebView2 Loader redirects targeted apps accordingly. Downgrades auto-expire with each new WebView2 release: apps pinned to N-1 remain on the same version (now becoming N-2) and will auto-update in the next release, while apps pinned to N-2 will revert to the current Evergreen version. The policy applies only to enterprise-managed devices (domain-joined or MDM-enrolled). For more information, see Microsoft Edge WebView2 Policy Documentation | Microsoft Learn. Collections retirement. Collections has been removed in this update. Users can no longer access or use the feature. To keep saved content, users can export it, or move all pages to Favorites before updating to Microsoft Edge Stable 149. For more information, see Organize your ideas with Collections in Microsoft Edge - Microsoft Support. Modern, unified, and updated Look and Feel. Microsoft Edge has updated the Look and Feel to give customers a unified experience across all of Microsoft AI surfaces including Copilot and Bing. This changes multiple elements of the UX such as spacing, corners, fonts, default colors, etc. Clarify choices surrounding third-party cookie settings. Language under Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies are clarified to better describe the choices users have in managing third-party cookies. Custom primary password retirement. Users are no longer able to create a new custom primary password in Edge Settings edge://settings/autofill/passwords/settings. Any users who are still using a custom primary password will be automatically migrated to device authentication. Additionally, the PrimaryPasswordSetting policy will no longer support the WithCustomPrimaryPassword option. For more information, see Keep your saved passwords private in Microsoft Edge | Microsoft Support. Unifying Copilot Chat policy controls. The Microsoft365CopilotChatIconEnabled policy is the standard for configuring Copilot Chat. Previously, this behavior was controlled by blocking the Copilot extension, either explicitly or by using the * wildcard via the ExtensionSettings or ExtensionInstallBlockList policies. Extension and sidebar policies no longer affect the appearance or functionality of Copilot Chat. Copilot address bar suggestions were also tied to extension policy settings. Starting in Microsoft Edge version 149, admins can use the CopilotAddressBarSuggestionsEnabled policy to manage this behavior. Intune MAM Protected Downloads. The protected downloads feature for Intune MAM is now available for BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) devices, which aren't managed by a tenant. Policy Updates / New policies CopilotAddressBarSuggestionsEnabled - Enable Copilot address bar suggestions CpuPerformanceTierOverride - Override for the CPU performance tier DataUrlInWebWorkerOpaqueOriginEnabled - Enable opaque origins for data URLs in Web Workers DefaultLocalFontsSetting - Default Local Fonts permission setting ForceForegroundPriorityForUrls - Force foreground priority for specific URLs LocalFontsAllowedForUrls - Allow Local Fonts permission on these sites LocalFontsBlockedForUrls - Block Local Fonts permission on these sites Deprecated policies WalletDonationEnabled - Wallet Donation Enabled (deprecated) EdgeWalletEtreeEnabled - Edge Wallet E-Tree Enabled (deprecated) Additional policy changes ForceForegroundPriorityForUrls - ForceForegroundPriorityForOrigins is renamed to ForceForegroundPriorityForUrls OnSecurityEventEnterpriseConnector - Add macOS platform support ProtectedContentIdentifiersAllowed - Remove macOS platform support Download: Microsoft Edge (64-bit) | 193.0 MB (Freeware) Download: Microsoft Edge (32-bit) | 170.0 MB Download: Microsoft Edge (ARM64) | 188.0 MB View: Microsoft Edge Website | Release History Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      Dr Jared Dental Studio earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      RG INVESTMENT GROUP earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Very Popular
      The Norwegian Drone Pilot earned a badge
      Very Popular
    • Very Popular
      s0nic69 earned a badge
      Very Popular
    • Collaborator
      Asgardi earned a badge
      Collaborator
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      471
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      247
    3. 3
      Skyfrog
      79
    4. 4
      FloatingFatMan
      67
    5. 5
      Michael Scrip
      59
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!