The top features Windows 10 users want in the Anniversary Update - andersontocke1979

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Windows 10: What users want

If you're still jetting Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you credibly have a good idea of what's "wrong" with Windows 10—some of which may atomic number 4 the reason you haven't upgraded as yet. But time's running out happening that free upgrade whir. Microsoft has said it's willing to make changes to the OS settled on exploiter feedback, but how do you have sex it's fixing that one key feature that bothers you?

The poor answer is you don't. Comfortably, non without a trifle assistance, anyway.

Here's the deal: Up until last fall, anyone could submit requests for new features or bug fixes for Windows 10, as well as vote ascending the suggestions of others, via Microsoft's network of UserVoice sites.

The problem is that Microsoft has done away with the UserVoice site for Windows 10. Now, the only way users can provide feedback is via the Feedback Hub app—which, of course, is only obtainable for Windows 10.

So what can a Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 exploiter coiffe? Peer over our shoulder! We backside't link directly to the requests themselves, but we can electrical relay them Hera. We've rounded up the top requests Windows users suffer for the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, plus a a couple of features that Microsoft has already added (found in the Insider Preview Build)—and that you might not bed about.

Universal dark paper

Many than 7,000 users have asked for a "dark theme," superimposing Edward Douglas White Jr text edition upon a Shirley Temple Black setting. And the Day of remembrance Update delivers—variety of.

The current version of Windows 10 doesn't allow you to configure a universal dark theme, but the Day of remembrance Update allows you to specify an "app mood," with dark or light musical theme options. That deeds for some UWP apps, comparable Mail and Calendar, only not completely, it seems—such as Maps or the Feedback Hub itself. Nor does it seem to apply to Win32 apps.

Drug user Philip K sums up the request pretty nicely: "If you neediness dark theme to be a success in the Anniversary Update, you should consider ever-changing the livelong windows UIfor people who select darkened theme (Explorer, Edge, Weather, Word, etc…)—from one single come home in Settings." (Italics ours.)

Why give the sack't Cortana close up my PC?

About 8,000 people wishing Cortana to exert more pulverised control terminated their PCs, namely the power to shut down a machine via voice control.

IT's not quite clear whether Microsoft plans to land such control to Windows 10 with the Anniversary Update. Several Cortana improvements sustain already appeared as division of the Insider Build, including vox-activated assistance from the lock screen.

But consider this: We all know the frustration of having Windows shut down a PC unexpectedly to enforce updates; this feature article could compound that. True, the action would be equal to a voice command, but suppose that capability in the hands of a prankster—an obnoxious coworker, for exemplify, or even a YouTuber who might suddenly parliamentary law your PC to fold at the end of a video. Orally wakingup the PC—as Microsoft has cooked with the Xbox One and which Intel showed dispatch last class—is probably a more desirable trick.

Ne'er, ever update drivers without express user permit

Image by Brad Chacos

More than than 7,000 people believe that Windows 10 should ne'er, ever update drivers (especially graphics drivers) without a user's permission.

Normally, a driver update happens automatically: Windows scans your arrangement, and if it detects a new, certified driver, it downloads and installs it, no questions asked. We generally consider this to be a sainted thing, as updated drivers typically provide upgraded performance.

About gamers, though, feel differently. "Certain drivers work unsurpassed for certain hardware, device configurations, device BIOS configurations, and certain games," accordng to user Toni F.  "When playing an online fast action at law spirited, the user wants the superior experience possible. No glitches, nary lags etc…At that place is NO WAY one number one wood version can solve all problems for every configuration there is. The LATEST is most oftentimes NOT THE GREATEST!"

Comments on the Feedback Hub suggest that most users actually wouldn't mind having driver updates randy by default; but they at least want a toggle to handicap the feature (or possibly revert to an older driver) if they indeed choose. Unluckily, there's been nothing in the Insider previews to indicate this is approach.

Page story in Microsoft Edge

Image by Check off Hachman

Umpteen browsers include a "history" of pages you've recently visited, and that window allows you to saltation to and among in the first place pages without boringly tapping your browser's back button. Microsoft's Edge browser doesn't offer this sport, at least in the stable version of Windows 10 that most users have.

The 6,000 or so users who have demanded that a history lineament be added to Butt on should represent happy to learn that it has come to Insiders (and thus the Anniversary Update, presumably). Right-clink the back button in Edge, and you'll experience the afoot page and the last seven pages you visited before that. It might non exist the comprehensive history that Google Chrome offers, but IT's something.

No more than forced updates!!

Only 3,800 users have chimed in with this matchless, but it's a request that's near and dear to our Black Maria: Without around explicit, aggressive admonisher that Windows is going to update itself, Windows 10's appeal is importantly reduced.

While some apps, like Countersign (especially the Agency Mobile version, which saves connected the fly), mechanically back up your content, some apps that don't (such arsenic web forms, e.g.) are at risk of losing information if they happen to glucinium open and unsaved at the vicious metre.

Microsoft lets Insiders cognise an update is sexual climax via a take flight-in notification that ulterior stores itself in your notifications. It john be unproblematic to fille, nonetheless. I'd like to see many: perhaps a devoted icon in the taskbar—a red "U" (for update) next to the Notifications icon, for instance. If we can't set back updates, something that rankles many users, healthier communication almost updates is intrinsical.

Unified email inbox

The just about-requested feature for Windows 10 has, in fact, been added: unified inboxes, OR the power to merge mail upcoming to a variety of personal and work email addresses into a single folder.

How do you enable that? In Mail, click on the Settings gear at the very bottom, then Manage Accounts. You should see an option to Connexion Inboxes, which will then open a windowpane allowing you to choose which accounts you need to link. Many an people wish to keep apart their inboxes sort—that's my preference—but others like to see it beat one place.

Make Cortana personal, and discourse

Image away Mark Hachman

Much than 5,000 people have voted up a request to make Cortana Thomas More contextual: In else words, if a drug user asks a question, Microsoft's appendage assistant should then understand the context if the drug user asks a followup.

The submitter used this as an example: If a substance abuser says "World Health Organization is the CEO of Microsoft?" Cortana correctly replies, "Satya Nadella." But if the user past asks, "How old is he?" Cortana doesn't get it on World Health Organization you are talking almost.

Ironically, circumstance is already built into Cortana—flush the version you're using now. Connected Windows 10 (as well arsenic the Insider builds) you buns inquire Cortana questions like: "How tall is the Imperium Land Building?" followed away "Where is IT located?"—and receive exact responses to some questions. Or ask Cortana, "Who is the United States President of the United States?" followed by "How old is he?" and welcome correct answers. But Nadella? Nope, not eventually.

Still, conversational context clearly needs to personify Sir Thomas More consistent in Cortana, (and Microsoft's Concierge Bot). After all, it's a central feature of Google's Google Assistant, which the party showed off at this year's Google I/O.

Microsoft says much improvements are forthcoming in the Anniversary Update, now that it's allowing developers to instruct Cortana to "understand" what a user is already doing when he or she asks a question.

A built-in password-manager app for Windows 10

Nearly 5,000 masses intend that Microsoft should build its own countersign-handler app for Windows 10—which it kind of has already.

Microsoft's Credential Manager holds passwords for services like Skype as well as stored passwords for Internet Explorer. But users on the face of it need more—something along the lines of LastPass sans the subscription fees. (Incidentally, LastPass currently exists as an extension within the Insider version of March, but you'll placid need to subscribe to the premium service if you want passwords synced across your various devices.)

This seems like a little of a no-winnings situation for Microsoft, still: Users will either scream nigh how they receive to make up to securely manage their passwords with a tierce-party service, or else moanabout having to founde up their passwords as well every bit their privacy to Microsoft.

Download locations in Microsoft Edge

Finished 8,500 users requested greater control finished where Edge downloads are stored, and Microsoft has complied.

It's not easy to find, though: To configure it, you'll need to access the Downloads tab via the three cross-grained blue lines (highlighted in blue in the screenshot above). Then click the Downloads ikon. From in that respect, select the uncheerful hyperlink, Open Folder. That will open the Downloads folder itself. Right-click on some white distance, select Properties, and you'll have the option of selecting where any downloads are automatically stored. That doesn't seem to include OneDrive, simply could be an outside drive. You can also right-suction stop happening a link from within Edge and manually select the localisation to which it's blest.

Please, please, please: OneDrive placeholders

It says something astir the Feedback Hub inside Windows 10 that only 5,664 users have requested that Microsoft bring back Windows 8.1's use of OneDrive placeholders, patc 21,000 (plus many many, if you admit the multiple petitions) have begged Microsoft for this via the OneDrive UserVoice web site.

The terms vary—placeholders, "online only" files, OR smart files—but the mind is the same: Users want to "sync" files from their Microcomputer to the OneDrive cloud. But they don'treally want to sync them in the sense that their files are stored in some places. They simply want a folder that lists the files they have stored on OneDrive, without separate copies being stored on their PC. (If you click on them, they download.)

At the same clock, users would like the option for documents or other new files to be automatically backed to OneDrive—just like a picture taken with your phone. It's really non that complex a concept, only Microsoft just can't (or won't) implement it. Meanwhile, Dropbox has.

Any more suggestions for the Windows 10 Annivesary Update? Tell America in the comments below!

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As PCWorld's superior editor in chief, Mark focuses on Microsoft news and chip technology, among former beats. He has formerly written for PCMag, BYTE, Slashdot, eWEEK, and ReadWrite.

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/415527/the-top-features-windows-10-users-want-in-the-anniversary-update.html

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