Today, Microsoft released Windows 10 Insider Preview build 17686 to the Fast ring. The build contains a few new features, which are mostly minor, including improvements to Local Experience Packs, privacy settings, and Windows Mixed Reality.
But as always, that comes alongside of a long list of fixes, improvements, and known issues. Here"s what got fixed and improved in Windows 10 build 17686:
We fixed an issue resulting in frequent bugchecks on the previous build with CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED error.
Settings > Gaming > Game DVR has been renamed “Captures”.
We fixed an issue where Paint and WordPad settings and recent files weren’t migrated during upgrades.
While we still have some work to do, you’ll find that when you update to this build, File Explorer will look a lot more complete in dark theme.
We fixed an issue resulting in the “Replace or skip files” dialog having some unexpected dark elements in recent flights.
We fixed an issue where the Japanese IME’s big mode indicator would appear in the center of the screen when bringing up UAC even if the mode indicator had been disabled in Settings.
We fixed an issue where the taskbar flyouts (network, volume, etc) didn’t have a shadow.
We fixed an issue where clicking on the plus button in the Clock and Calendar flyout from the taskbar didn’t do anything in recent flights.
We fixed an issue resulting in Command Prompt’s cursor appearing invisible in the last few flights.
We fixed an issue resulting in a high number of reliability issues when switching to the Microsoft Pinyin IME in recent flights.
We fixed an issue where the Emoji Panel might not dismiss if you clicked somewhere else on the screen.
Some of the fixes and improvements are notable, such as the more complete dark theme in File Explorer. Here are the general known issues:
We’re working on adding dark theme in File Explorer and the Common File Dialog, but we still have some things to do. You may see some unexpectedly light colors in these surfaces when in dark mode.
After update, Mixed Reality Portal will reinstall the Mixed Reality Software and environment settings will not be preserved. If you need your Mixed Reality home experience to persist, we recommend skipping this build until these issues are fixed.
Some Insiders may find increased reliability and performance issues when launching Start on this build. We’re investigating.
Fonts acquired from Microsoft Store may not work in some apps.
When you upgrade to this build you’ll find that the taskbar flyouts (network, volume, etc) no longer have an acrylic background.
There is a bug in this build (and in Build 17682) that will impact driver testing scenarios. When executing HLK Component/Device driver tests, you may experience a bug check that blocks test execution. We are aware of the issue and actively working on a fix.
If you install any of the recent builds from the Fast ring and switch to the Slow ring – optional content such as enabling developer mode will fail. You will have to remain in the Fast ring to add/install/enable optional content. This is because optional content will only install on builds approved for specific rings. There has not yet been a RS5 build released to the Slow ring.
And as has been the case lately, there"s a separate list of known issues that have to do with Sets and Office:
- Sets UX for Office Win32 desktop apps is not final. The experience will be refined over time based on feedback.
- The top of some Win32 desktop app windows may appear slightly underneath the tab bar when created maximized. To work around the issue, restore and re-maximize the window.
Closing one tab may sometimes minimize the entire set.
Tiling and cascading windows, including features like “View Side by Side” in Word, will not work for inactive tabs.
The Office Visual Basic Editor window will currently be tabbed but is not intended to be in the future.
Opening an Office document while the same app has an existing document open may cause an unintended switch to the last active document. This will also happen when closing a sheet in Excel while other sheets remain open.
Local files or non-Microsoft cloud files will not be automatically restored, and no error message will be provided to alert the user to that fact.
As always, it"s best to read through the known issues before installing any new Fast ring build.
If you"re on the Fast ring, you can get today"s build by heading over to Settings -> Update & security -> Windows Update -> Check for updates. If not, you can go to the Windows Insider Program tab to sign up.