Skip to main content

Latest Windows 10 Insider build tackles last-minute bugs

There are now less than two weeks to go until Microsoft unleashes the Windows 10 Anniversary Update on August 2. With that in mind, the company has released a new preview build of the operating system to Insider Program subscribers who are a part of the Fast Ring.

As expected, build 14393 focuses on stability improvements and slight tweaks, rather than introducing any new functionality. The Start menu, Action Center and Cortana have all been given particular attention, and should now be more stable than they were before.

Recommended Videos

Meanwhile, iPods will now be recognized as a mass storage device when they’re connected to a Windows 10 computer, according to patch notes released by Microsoft.

The new build does carry a known issue that could cause problems for Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 owners. A camera driver issue is apparently causing these systems to bluescreen from time to time, but a driver update is set to be distributed via Windows Update to remedy the situation.

As far as Windows 10 Mobile goes, build 14393 takes care of a situation that caused smartphones across the Lumia line to experience accelerated battery drain. Bugs impacting the use of a dual-SIM smartphone have also been handled.

However, there are a few more known issues that could affect mobile users. Wi-Fi problems continue to affect certain devices, turning off Bluetooth can cause freezes and crashes, and the Wallet app has been observed to be doubling up on its prompts for PIN entry while the phone is locked.

All in all, it’s clear that the Windows 10 team is working hard to finalize a strong build ahead of the Anniversary Update. Build 14393 doesn’t tackle quite as many bugs as some of the preview builds released earlier in July, which suggests that now the biggest challenge is wrapping up as many loose ends as possible before August 2.

Brad Jones
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…
Windows 11’s February 2025 update fixes annoying bugs
Windows 11 logo on a laptop.

Microsoft's February 2025 cumulative update brings much-needed relief to Windows 11 users, fixing Auto HDR issues that caused game crashes, audio output disruptions, and USB webcam detection problems, as reported by Bleeping Computer. The patch, KB5051987 for Windows 11 24H2 users and KB5051989 for 23H2 addresses these irritating bugs and is mandatory.

The update fixes the Auto HDR problem that interfered with the colors and caused game crashes, improving the gaming experience. Furthermore, the update fixes a bug that cut off audio output, especially if you were using a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), though others were affected. Moreover, a rare issue displayed a "This device cannot start" message, but you may not have seen that one.

Read more
Microsoft is cracking down on unsupported Windows 11 installs
A Dell laptop with Windows 10 sitting on a desk.

A support document showing users how to install Windows 11 on unsupported PCs was deleted sometime in the past two months. Its disappearance, noticed by Neowin, echoes Microsoft's recent "year of the Windows 11 PC refresh" rhetoric, encouraging (or forcing) users to buy new PCs that meet Windows 11 hardware requirements.

When Windows 11 launched in 2021, Microsoft announced that it was adding TPM 2.0 as a hardware requirement -- a move that was met with plenty of resistance. To soften the blow, Microsoft also published a support document detailing how users could edit their registry key values to bypass the TPM 2.0 check.

Read more
Microsoft confirms audio bug hitting multiple versions of Windows
Ifi Go Bar DAC/amp dongle for headphones.

Microsoft has confirmed that a recent bug that has been affecting several Windows OS versions will be addressed with a fix; however, users can tackle the issue with a manual stopgap.

The bug is affecting the audio systems of Windows 11 and Windows 10 versions that have installed the January 2025 security update, rendering sounds on PCs non-functional. The malfunction is especially likely to happen if you have an audio DAC (digital-to-analog converter) connected to your computer via USB.

Read more