The Windows 10 May 2019 is available, but as with most major upgrades, it's brought with it a selection of bugs.
Run Windows Update to help correct problems by replacing outdated files, updating drivers, and fixing vulnerabilities. To check for updates, select the Start button, then select Settings Update & Security Windows Update, and then select Check for updates.If Windows Update says your PC is current, you have all the current updates. Fix for Windows 10 Thumbnail Preview missing (45). Fix USB Ports Not Working in Windows 10 - Duration: 6:19. How to turn your Mobile Cell Phone / iPod / Tablet into a Windows 10 Desktop PC.
While the problems highlighted by Microsoft don't seem as severe as those that affected some earlier feature updates, there are still some notable issues.
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After installing the update, also known as Windows 10 version 1903, some users are reporting losing Wi-Fi connectivity and no longer be able to connect to Bluetooth devices.
The loss of Wi-Fi connectivity is affecting Windows 10 PCs running an 'outdated' Qualcomm driver for their Wi-Fi.
Microsoft has said it will prevent Windows 10 1903 being automatically offered to affected PCs until an updated version of the driver is installed.
Microsoft has said it will prevent Windows 10 1903 being automatically offered to affected PCs until an updated version of the driver is installed.
In the meantime, it recommends that users 'download and install an updated Wi-Fi driver from your device manufacturer', which Microsoft says should be available.
SEE: Microsoft Build 2019: The biggest takeaways (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
Version 1903 also suffers from an issue that is leaving some PCs unable to discover or connect to Bluetooth devices.
The problem stems from compatibility issues with some driver versions for Realtek and Qualcomm Bluetooth radios.
As with the previous issue, affected machines won't be offered the update until the driver has been updated to a compatible version.
Microsoft is working with Realtek and Qualcomm to release new drivers to resolve this issue via Windows Update. In the meantime, Microsoft recommends checking with your device manufacturer whether an updated driver is available. For Qualcomm drivers, you will need to install a driver version greater than 10.0.1.11.For Realtek drivers, you will need to install a driver version greater than 1.5.1011.0.
Microsoft has also warned that installations of the May 2019 Update may fail on PCs that have an external USB device or SD memory card attached.
Affected machines will get the error message 'This PC can't be upgraded to Windows 10'. To work around this problem, Microsoft recommends removing all external media, such as USB devices and SD cards, from your computer and restarting the installation of the update. It says it is working on a fix.
The May 2019 Update also suffers from a host of smaller bugs, such as AMD RAID driver incompatibility blocking the update; possible increased battery drain due to an issue with a range of Intel Display Audio device drivers; instances of gamma ramps, color profiles, and night light settings not working; audio not always working with Dolby Atmos headphones and home theater; display brightness changes not being recognized on some systems with Intel display drivers; duplicate folders and documents showing in user profile directory; compatibility issues with older versions of BattlEye anti-cheat software; some D3D applications and games failing to enter full-screen mode on rotated displays; not being able to launch Intel RealSense SR300 or Intel RealSense S200 camera apps.
You can read more information about each of these issues on Microsoft's support site.
If you think your machine might be affected by any of the issues above, Microsoft recommends not manually installing the Windows 10 May 2019 Update via the Update and Security page in the Settings app or using the Windows Media Creation tool.
If you want to delay getting the Windows 10 May 2019 Update, check out TechRepublic's guide.
With the release of the May 2019 Update, users of Windows 10 Home should be able to defer feature updates like the May 2019 Update for longer than possible in the past, though if you're still running the Windows 10 April 2018 Update build, version 1803, Microsoft may start automatically pushing the update to your PC from June.
The May 2019 Update offers a variety of new features and tweaks aimed at home users and businesses.
Key additions include a simplified Start menu layout, a streamlined search option, the virtual assistant Cortana being spun off from Search, and new sign-in options for Windows Hello. Meanwhile, Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise and Education users get a simple way to test programs in an isolated virtual environment using Windows Sandbox. Read TechRepublic's cheat sheet for a full overview of what's new.
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- Windows 10 will soon let you access Linux files from File Explorer (TechRepublic)
- Windows 10 May 2019 Update: The new features that matter most (ZDNet)
- Windows 10 PC with under 32GB storage? No 1903 update for you, says Microsoft (ZDNet)
- Microsoft makes Windows 10 1903 available on MSDN (ZDNet)
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The day has finally arrived. You’ve got your Windows 10 installation booted up, configured to your exact specifications, and customized to suit your needs best. But what about mobile integration? That’s where Microsoft’s new Windows 10 Phone Companion App comes into play.
Choose Your Mobile Platform
To get started, first you’ll need to make sure that you’re logged into your machine using a verified Microsoft Live account, and that you have your Android or iOS device on hand.
Right out of the gate you should know that least for the time being, it looks as though Microsoft will only be opening up 5 of the 7 available apps to iOS and Android, while Windows Phones will be equipped to experience the full gamut of what Windows 10 integration has to offer from the day of its release, no extra setup required.
Phone Companion Setup in Android and iOS
OneDrive/OneNote/Office/Skype/Outlook
As an example, we’re going to feature a walkthrough on how to set up the OneDrive companion rather than breaking down each application individually, as each setup is more or less identical as the others.
First, the companion app will ask you to enter your Microsoft Live login on the desktop.
Once this has been verified (which goes double if you opt to pre-activate the desktop link to Cortana) and your password is cleared, a prompt will appear that will give you the opportunity to send a link to the corresponding application on the app store of your choosing.
You can either find the app this way, or simply navigate to the appropriate page on the phone itself.
Once you download the app on the mobile device, you’ll be asked once again for your matching username and password.
After this, there are several different sets of permissions that you’ll be asked to clear so the data on your phone can be shared openly with the desktop client.
RELATED:How to Make All Your OneDrive Files Available Offline (or Online-only)
In the case of OneDrive in particular, the app will attempt to gain access to your phone’s photo albums, as well as the option to stream images from the phone to your desktop over cellular networks whenever it detects you’ve changed your location.
Once the permissions are cleared, jump back onto the desktop, and verify that you’ve signed onto the mobile app by clicking the two boxes highlighted below.
After the last Camera Upload permission is set to communicate, you’re good to go!
Keep in mind that for every app you want to link, you’ll need to download them separately through either the Google Play or iTunes App Stores. Also, you will have the option to link multiple phones and tablets across both mobile operating systems to the same desktop account (an iPhone and Android tablet each running OneDrive, for example), without Windows 10 experiencing a conflict of interest.
Be aware before you do this, however, that unless you specifically label photo albums or calendars as separate beforehand, the Phone Companion will indiscriminately combine all your images, calendar dates, and Office documents into the same folder, regardless of which device they were sourced from.
Cortana and Music Anywhere
For now, it looks like we’re still waiting on the whims of Microsoft before the full range of options and features of its flagship OS will be offered up to competing mobile ecosystems.
RELATED:Why I’m Excited About Cortana in Windows 10
According to the company, we’ve been told that both Cortana and Music Anywhere will go live in their respective app stores “sometime this fall”, although any further details on exact dates beyond that are still slim pickings.Stay tuned to How-To Geek for all the updates on the debut of Cortana for iOS and Android as they’re released, and we’ll be here with all the info you need as soon as the app is sent out into the wild!
Whether it’s photos in OneDrive, spreadsheets in Excel, or a to-do list in OneNote, now anything you do you on your phone in the ecosystem of Windows apps will be automatically synced to your desktop, and vice versa.
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