Windows 10 Insider boss Gabe Aul announced on Friday the launch of Insider Preview Build 14295 for the PC and mobile devices. This build is now rolling out to Insiders lined up in the Fast ring, who received a build of Windows 10 just days ago on March 17. That said, don’t expect to see a load of new features, but instead a long list of fixes for both platforms.
“In addition to devices that shipped with Windows 10 such as the Lumia 550, 650, 950, 950 XL, Xiaomi Mi4, and Alcatel OneTouch Fierce XL, we are releasing this build to the list of devices that will be capable of receiving updates as part of the Windows Insider Program except the Lumia 635,” Aul reports. “We will add the Lumia 635 at a later date.”
Aul adds that starting now, these devices can receive the same new builds from the Development Branch that are served up in the Fast and Slow rings. However, he notes that in order for mobile devices to receive preview builds from the Development Branch, they must be eligible to receive the Windows 10 Mobile upgrade.
As for what’s fixed in this release, the Windows 10 Mobile platform addresses an issue caused in Build 14291 that prevented apps on the backup app list from installing after resetting the phone. This release also resolves an issue that prevented new languages and keyboards from downloading. However, this fix has caused the “reboot” UX from appearing in the Settings app once the user has downloaded a new language or keyboard. Testers must head into Phone Update within the Update & Security settings and reboot the device from there.
On the PC front, the new Windows 10 build fixes an annoying freeze when users plugged in an Xbox One, Xbox 360, or a compatible generic gamepad. The company has also finally addressed the issue that prevented the Xbox app and other Xbox Live games and apps from logging into the user’s account. A bug surrounding Kaspersky products has been squashed too, which was causing performance issues in three of the security company’s products.
Unfortunately, with a list of fixes comes a list of known issues found in the latest Windows 10 Insider build. There are a lot for PC users, including issues with Narrator and other screen reader apps that prevent them from reading the menu options in the Feedback Hub. Additionally, Hyper-V users with a Virtual Switch configured as a network adapter will see a red-colored “X” in the taskbar’s notification area. TPM chips are also giving some notebooks a problem, causing jumpy movement and “glitchy” audio when using the trackpad.
Another issue stemming from this build centers on Microsoft Passport. When this service is launched (via a PIN or Windows Hello), Bluetooth will continuously scan for devices, causing a number of issues in the process. These issues include reduced battery life, audio problems, slower Bluetooth file transfers, and more. For now, users are encouraged to disable Microsoft Passport, but that means Insiders can’t use a PIN or Windows Hello to sign in.
“We are seeing reports of some apps such as QQ crashing,” Aul reports. “We are currently investigating, and this bug may also impact older apps such as Windows Live Mail and Expression Encoder 4.”
The entire list of issues for both the PC and mobile platforms can be found here. Naturally, Insiders are encouraged to send feedback to Microsoft about issues stemming from this build by launching the company’s Feedback Hub app.
