The May 2020 update of Windows 10 is almost ready for release. Another name for this Windows 10 update is 20H1. Microsoft have not given a release date yet but the finished Windows 10 update will very likely be available the beginning of May 2020. We advice you to wait for the finished stable product however there is an early version available.
When the new stable version will be released in May 2020 just simply head to Settings, Update & Security, Windows Update and install the update. There is however an early release version which can also be found under Settings, Update & Security but then select the Windows Insider Program. Select the Just fixes, apps, and drivers and you will receive early versions of Winows 10 updates. We do advice that only experienced and well trained Windows 10 users will do this as the early release versions are not stable yet.
New features in Windows 10 May 2020 update
There are quite a few new features in this Windows 10 update. We won’t go into every detail but we do want to give you and update of the most important and most interesting new features in the Windows 10 May 2020 update.
More control over your updates
Normally Windows Update automatically installs all your updates for you. However there are some updates which are optional. After installing you can find these optional updates under Settings, Update & Security and go to View optional updates. You can then select which updates are relevant and useful to you.
Improved Cortana with typing option
The new Cortana comes with a chat based interface. Instead of asking voice questions you can now type questions to Cortana. The history of your questions will appear like a chat window after you open Cortana. This window is can be resized and can be dragged to a different positions. The chat window also supports light and dark themes.
Cloud download for re-installations
The Windows 10 May 2020 update comes with a new cloud download option which can be used when resetting your PC to a default Windows system. Simply go to Settings, Update, Security and select Recovery. You can then choose to reset your PC and remove everything. You can then tell Windows to use the Cloud Download option. Instead of reinstalling Windows 10 from the files on your local system Windows will download the latest version of Windows 10 and install it on your system.
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Faster Windows Search
The Windows 10 May 2019 update enables the Start Menu search by taking advantage of the old Windows search indexer which scans your files to create a database. However a lot of users were turning off the search indexer due to excessive disk and CPU usage and general performance issues. After the new update Windows 10 will now detecting peak usage times so it can better optimise when the indexer runs. The end result is that the search option is now faster by default.
Disk type & GPU temperature in Task Manager
Windows 10’s Task Manager will now display your disk type. This means you can easily see if your device contains a SSD or HDD hard drive. These details are now displayed on the Performance tab. Open the Task Manager and then click More Details.
The Task Manager’s performance tab will also display your GPU temperature. Just go to your GPU’s status page under the Performance tab. This only works with dedicated graphics cards. It doesn’t work with integrated or onboard GPUs.
Make your computer passwordless
There will be a new option to make a device passwordless. It can be found under Settings, Accounts and select Sign-In page. This way users can sign in with a pin or Windows Hello biometric sign-in method like face or fingerprint unlock.
Renaming virtual desktops
Windows 10 will give you now the option to rename virtual desktops. Instead of the standard names like Desktop 1 you can now give them a more appropriate name. This can be found in the Task View interface when you press Windows+Tab on your keyboard (or click the Task View icon on the taskbar).
Disable restarting apps at sign in
When you re-start Windows 10 a lot of applications like for example Google Chrome automatically re-open. Now you can disable this option under the Settings, Accounts and Sign-In option. Under Restart Apps un-tick Automatically save my restartable apps when I sign out and restart them
Paint and WordPad are optional
Microsoft has turned Paint and WordPad into optional apps. This means you can uninstall them to free up space. Go to Settings, Apps, Apps and features and select Optional features. You will find Paint and WordPad with other optional features like Windows Media Player.
Tech-Wales IT Services
At Tech-Wales we pride ourselves providing excellent Business IT Services. We have fully trained and customer focused technicians who will make sure that your IT network is always working for you. We provide pay as you go and monthly IT support packages for your business and can help you if you are having any issues with Windows 10 updates. Feel free to contact us to discuss.