Microsoft releases Windows 10 build 16179 for Insiders in the Fast ring

Microsoft has just released the new Windows 10 Preview build 16179 for both Windows 10 PC and Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview. The new build is, for now, only available to Insiders in the Fast ring of Windows 10 Insider program.

Since this is one of the earliest Redstone 3 builds for Windows 10, it’s not so feature-rich. However, it does bring a few new additions to the system.

Perhaps the biggest novelty is the new Power Throttling feature, that debuts in Windows 10 with this Preview build. This feature is part of Microsoft’s efforts to provide better battery saving options for Windows 10 users. According to the company, when enabled, Power Throttling can save up to 11% of CPU power consumption.

Windows 10 Preview build 16179 known issues and bug fixes

Just like it’s the case with every Windows 10 Preview build, Microsoft revealed the list of the known issues and improvements in build 16179.

Here’s what has been improved in Windows 10 Preview build 16179:

“Changes, improvements, and fixes for PC:

• We fixed the issue causing apps that use the Desktop Bridge (“Centennial”) from the Store such as Slack and Evernote will cause your PC to bugcheck (GSOD) when launched with a “kmode exception not handled” in ntfs.sys error.
• We fixed an issue where adding Hindi to your language list and downloading the on-demand language resources would result in Microsoft Edge crashing on launch and file search returning no results via Cortana or Windows Explorer.
• We fixed an issue where desktop icons would sometimes move around unexpectedly when “Auto arrange icons” was set to On and “Align icons to grid” was set to Off.
• The existing Group Policy to disable the lock screen is now available for those on the Pro edition of Windows 10. Appreciate all who shared feedback on the subject. Note, the Group Policy text has not yet been updated to incorporate this change, that will happen with a later flight.
• We fixed a rendering issue from previous flights where specific multi-monitor and projection configurations could fail depending on the hardware used. This could have impacted all Surface (Surface Book, Surface Pro, etc.) devices as well as other devices using similar chipsets. Another symptom may have been to see screen flickering and potentially being logged out when any screen mode change occurred.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the location icon being continually on in the taskbar after the first time the Action Center was opened if the night light quick action was visible.

Changes, improvements, and fixes for Mobile:

• We fixed the targeting issue that caused some variants of the Alcatel IDOL 4S to not receive Build 15204 last week. All variants of the Alcatel IDOL 4S should receive Build 15205.
• FYI: We fixed the issue where supported Windows 10 Mobile devices were showing the update to the Windows 10 Anniversary Update as “not yet available” in the Upgrade Advisor app.
• We fixed an issue where Continuum would stop working when HP Elite X3 case is closed.
• We fixed an issue where Continuum would hang or render incorrectly after disconnecting on devices like the Lumia 950.
• We fixed an issue with Microsoft Edge where you might get into a bad state after opening a new Microsoft Edge windows and screen off with the JIT process suspended.
• We fixed an issue with where the device screen might stay black when disconnecting from a Continuum dock after screen has timed out normally.
• We fixed an issue with backup and restore which impacts users with slower network connection.
• We fixed an issue around Microsoft Edge reliability.”

Here’s the list of known issues in Windows 10 Preview build 16179:

“Known issues for PC:

• Some Insiders have reported seeing this error “Some updates were cancelled. We’ll keep trying in case new updates become available” in Windows Update. See this forum post for more details.
• Double-clicking on the Windows Defender icon in the notification area does not open Windows Defender. Right-clicking on the icon and choosing open will open Windows Defender.
• Surface 3 devices fail to update to new builds if a SD memory card is inserted. The updated drivers for the Surface 3 that fix this issue have not yet been published to Windows Update.
• Pressing F12 to open the Developer Tools in Microsoft Edge while F12 is open and focused may not return focus to the tab F12 is opened against, and vice-versa.
• exe will crash and restart if you tap any of the apps listed in the Windows Ink Workspace’s Recent Apps section.
• Insiders who use Simplified Chinese IMEs or the Traditional Chinese Changjie or Quick IME to input text will find that the candidate window doesn’t appear when typing into certain apps. If you press space, the first candidate will be finalized. Using the number keys will not finalize any other candidate. If the candidate you need is not the first one, for now you will have to enter your text into an app where the candidate window appears, such as Notepad, and copy it into the desired text field.
• Navigating to Settings > Update & security > Windows Update may crash Settings app. You can simply re-open the Settings app again and it should work again.
• The “Save” dialog appears to be broken in several desktop (Win32) apps. The team is investigating.

Known issues for Mobile:

• A small percentage of devices may experience text message backup loss related to backup and recovery of the messaging database.
• For Insiders who have upgraded from a prior 150xx build to this build, the “Add Bluetooth or other devices” Settings page and the Connect UX page may fail to open.
• The copyright date is incorrect under Settings > System > About. It shows as 2016 when it should be 2017. Thanks to the Windows Insiders that reported this!
• Insiders may experience random shutdowns on some devices.”

To obtain the new build, just go to the Settings app > Updates & security, and check for updates. Of course, you have to be in the Fast ring.

In case you’ve already installed the new build, and encountered some issues afterward, make sure to let us know in the comments below.

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