Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Windows 10 error messages are finally about to become more useful

Add as a preferred source on Google
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’ve ever come across a problem in Windows 10, you’ve likely been faced with a string of error code or pointed to a knowledge base article that is hard to understand. Well, that is about to change. Microsoft has heard the complaints and is updating one of the most common Windows 10 upgrade error messages to be much more helpful, as first reported by German blog Winfuture.

Starting with the April 2019 Update, Microsoft will be adding new “Learn more” hyperlinks to an error code if there happens to be an issue with an incompatible application during a Windows 10 upgrade process. As Microsoft’s example from its Windows Insider Webcast shows above, there also will be a chance to directly resolve the problem from within the installer. It will now suggest for you to update any troublesome applications without having to uninstall.

Recommended Videos

Previously, in the October 2018 Update, this same upgrader only provided the visual cue of uninstalling the app, going back, or refreshing if an error came across. This all means you won’t have to pick up your phone or log into another computer to look up a KB knowledge base article and see what error is holding back your update. You’ll now be linked directly to a quick fix, eliminating most of the guesswork and frustrations as to what went wrong.

The change is one of the many consumer-friendly features coming in the Windows 10 April 2019 Update, still code-named 19H1. Microsoft is separating Cortana from search, allowing for the company to innovate on each feature independently. The update also introduces the ability to uninstall more of the stock apps inside of Windows 10, including 3D Viewer, Calculator, Calendar, Mail, Movies & TV, Paint 3D, Snip & Sketch, Sticky Notes, and Voice Recorder. As for privacy, the update adds an icon in the taskbar to show which apps are listening in on your microphone.

As its name suggests, the Windows 10 April 2019 Update is scheduled for a release sometime in April. Last year’s April 2018 Update was pushed out on April 30, so look out for a release around that same time this year. Microsoft has had a bit of trouble with updates recently, and a series of bugs forced it to pull back the release of the October 2018 Update.

Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
Apple’s M6 chip isn’t even here yet, but you’ll see M7 Macs early in 2027
Apple is reportedly already accelerating its next-generation silicon roadmap, even before the M6 has launched.
Apple MacBook

The M6 chip is still expected to debut later this year, but Apple may already be preparing for what comes next. According to Mark Gurman's latest report for Bloomberg, the company is aiming to introduce its first M7-powered devices as early as the first half of 2027, hinting at a much faster silicon refresh than many expected.

M7 could arrive alongside new Macs and iPads

Read more
The entry-level MacBook Pro could get a design refresh in 2027, and it’s about time
Five years on the same chassis, and now both tiers of the MacBook Pro are getting a new look at once.
MacBook Pro in space grey sitting on a desk.

Apple has a new MacBook Pro lined up for launch early next year, according to Bloomberg. The company will introduce a 14-inch laptop in the first half of 2027. 

The biggest surprise, however, will be a brand-new design language. The outlet describes it as "a revamped entry-level MacBook Pro, code-named K104."

Read more
Study finds humans will talk to AI ghosts of the dead as reincarnations, and it’s pretty grim
The first AI ghost study is in. The results are about as complicated as you'd expect.
VR Headset, Person, Face

A new study from the University of Colorado Boulder confirms something that sounds both impressive and concerning. People find interacting with AI simulations of their dead loved ones deeply meaningful, and most will come away wanting to do it again.

The researchers call it a "generative ghost," which is a clear reference to generative AI, but I’d still prefer to call it unsettling.

Read more