Microsoft adds new security, privacy, Edge features to latest Windows 10 test build

June 27, 2018 TH Author

Microsoft has released a new Windows 10 “Redstone 5” test Build 17704 that includes a bunch of new features and removes at least major one: Sets.

Build 17704, which Microsoft released to Fast and Skip Ahead Ring testers on June 27, has several Edge improvements, some new security features and a new addition to the Diagnostic Data Viewer, which is a new feature aimed at improving transparency and privacy around the telemetry data that Microsoft collects.

On the Edge front, Microsoft has enabled video autoplay blocking as of this build. Microsoft also is introducing an Edge “Beta” icon to help users distinguish whether they are using an officially released or test build of Edge. And Microsoft is working to redesign the Edge settings menu with some tweaks as of Build 17704.

In terms of security, with this build, the Current Threats area on the Virus & Threat Protection section now displays all threats needing action and allow users to take action directly from the screen. Microsoft also has added to today’s build a new setting called “Block Suspicious Behaviors.” This setting makes Windows Defender Exploit Guard (the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit technology) available to all users once the setting has been enabled.

Microsoft is adding a new capability to the Windows Diagnostic Data Viewer app available from the Microsoft Store. The Diagnostic Data Viewer is meant to provide users with more transparency about the data Microsoft is capturing with Windows 10.

As of today, testers can now see Problem Reports that have or will be sent to Microsoft. Users will be able to see details about how the reports are collected, what was sent and which app or component caused problems. Microsoft also is tweaking the UI of the Viewer so that users can see more information about data points in each category more easily.

Microsoft previously revealed that it plans to add a new base image to the Windows Server container collection. But it wasn’t until today that we found out what it is: It’s a Windows image, which will be available alongside the existing Nano Server and Windows Server Core container images. Those running 17704 can try this out today. It’s for apps that have programming interface dependencies that require more components than Nano Server and Server Core.

Microsoft has pulled its Sets windows-management feature out of today’s build.

“Based on your feedback, some of the things we’re focusing on include improvements to the visual design and continuing to better integrate Office and Microsoft Edge into Sets to enhance workflow. If you have been testing Sets, you will no longer see it as of today’s build, however, Sets will return in a future WIP (Windows Insider Program) flight,” according to today’s blog post about the build.

I had heard previously from my contacts that Microsoft wasn’t likely to make Sets part of Redstone 5 when it’s rolled out to the mainstream this fall. I believe today’s removal of this feature makes this even more likely. Sets needs more work before it comes to Windows 10 and needs to work better before it debuts.

Speaking of features being pulled (or not), it’s also worth noting that Microsoft is not going to remove the existing Snipping Tool with Redstone 5. It will be removed “in a future update” in favor of the Screen Sketch app that Microsoft began testing earlier.

Simultaneous with today’s test build, Microsoft has updated the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) version of Skype, a k a “Skype for Windows 10.” There are new calling features, customizations, the ability to capture images within calls, a new layout and more.

There are a bunch of other features in today’s build, which are itemized in the Microsoft blog post about 17704. Known issues are listed there as well.