This special feature introduces the new features and improvements of "Windows 10 May 2020 Update (version 2004)". In this second installment, we'll focus on OS features and improvements related to the "Settings" app.
New Download from Cloud option
First, a new Download from Cloud option has been introduced as a way to reinstall Windows when resetting your PC from the Update & Security-Recovery section of the Settings app.
Traditionally, Windows 10 kept a compressed backup copy of the OS in a hidden partition, unzipped the image, and reinstalled it (Local Reinstall option). This method was designed to consume as little disk space as possible, but it still occupies some space. Therefore, in an environment where the capacity of the system drive is small, it may be difficult to manage the storage area.
In that respect, the Download from Cloud option does not require a hidden partition. Recently, the number of environments where high-speed Internet lines can be used is increasing, and bandwidth pressure is less likely to be a problem, so many users will prefer to choose this.
If you select the Download from Cloud option, the same build, version, and edition as the OS you are currently using will be downloaded and reinstalled on your PC. Please note that the installed apps will be deleted and the user data will be cleaned up if you select the [Delete All] option.
Update & Security-Optimization of Delivery section of the Settings app
Windows 10 uses a common distribution system for updates by "Windows Update" and application updates of "Microsoft Store", and the bandwidth used for downloading updates is set to [Update and Security]-[Distribution] of the "Settings" application. It can be managed in the Optimization section. Windows 10 also has a mechanism to upload downloaded patches to other PCs to reduce the load on the distribution server and speed up the update process, but whether to upload it and how much bandwidth it will take. You can also control the split.
With the May 2020 Update, you can now set this setting in more detail. It is still possible to specify the bandwidth individually for the "foreground" download started by the user and the "background" download automatically performed by the system, but the limit is further limited to a relative value (eg 30% of the bandwidth). ), But an absolute value (example: up to 3 Mbps) can now be specified.
This option has been offered to IT professionals, but it looks like the "Settings" app also has a dedicated UI so that even general users can easily use it.
[Network and Internet]-[Status] section of the "Settings" app
By the way, let's continue with some network-related improvements. You can find the new network status screen by opening the Network and Internet-Status section in the Settings app of the May 2020 Update. Here you'll find a list of connectable network interfaces, properties, and data usage, so you don't have to bother looking at other sections to get an overview of your network.
“Windows Hello” PIN sign-in in safe mode
The May 2020 Update also enhances sign-in and account management.
First, "Windows Hello" PIN sign-in is supported in safe mode. Safe mode is a mode in which only the minimum number of modules are loaded and operated when the OS cannot be started due to a corrupted Windows file or setting, or a problem with the device driver. A feature often used when troubleshooting devices, the May 2020 Update will make this feature available without a password.
Also, if you change the profile image in the [Account]-[User Information] section of the "Settings" app, the updated image will be reflected not only in Windows 10 but also in the "Microsoft account" used in the app and website. It became so. Previously, different images were displayed depending on the location, but updates are being made in various places so that they can be changed all at once from Windows 10.
Some Windows 10 updates require an OS restart, but restarting the OS does not complete the update process until you sign in to the system. Therefore, if you leave the PC with the update started, the next time you use the PC, you will have to wait endlessly until the sign-in is completed.
To prevent this, recent Windows 10 has an option to use the user's login information to sign in when updating the OS that involves a reboot ([Account]-[Account]-[Settings] app. Sign-in Options section). If you enable this, you will be able to sign in after restarting, so users will be able to access the desktop smoothly without having to wait for the update process the next time they use the PC.
However, some desktop apps are registered in the system so that if they are interrupted by the OS shutting down or restarting, they will automatically restart at the next OS startup. This is the intended behavior, but when combined with the behavior described above, it means that a specific app is running for some reason after applying the update and restarting.
To alleviate this problem, the May 2020 Update has subdivided options. Specifically, in addition to the option [Automatically complete device setup using sign-in information after update or restart], which specifies whether to sign in when the OS restarts after patching, New "Restart App" section. It is now possible to decide whether to restart the registered application after restarting the OS.
This applies to UWP apps as well as desktop apps, but UWP will start in a suspended state to save resources even if you specify it to restart. Therefore, the load at the time of sign-in is small.
Optional Features page
In Windows 10, the functions are being separated in order to slim down, and the number of items that can be turned ON / OFF individually is increasing. Therefore, in the "May 2020 Update", the [Optional Features] page for managing OS features has also been modified.
This screen can be accessed from the link provided in the Apps & Features section of the Settings app. Previously, other than the Add Features button, only installed optional features were listed, but this has been redesigned with the new design.
A list of optional features pops up
First, when you press the [Add Function] button, a list of optional functions will pop up. Until now, it was a mechanism to transition to the list page, but pop-ups have less screen transitions and can be used easily. Keyword filtering and multiple selection / simultaneous installation are also supported, making it much easier to use than the conventional list page.
It seems that optional functions are installed.The progress is easier to understand and can be canceled
The list of optional features has also been divided into "latest actions" and "installed features". "Latest Actions" shows the history of recent installs, uninstalls, and cancellations. It is also possible to check the status of the processing in progress or cancel the processing. A keyword search function and a sorting function by name, installation size, and installation date have been added to "Installed functions", making it easier to find the desired optional functions.
In this way, "May 2020 Update" has made many improvements such as updating and resetting PCs, adding and removing functions, and accompanying network bandwidth control. Each one isn't that big, but it's just a useful feature for maintaining your PC.
Finally, it may be a bit of a maniac, but I would also like to point out that sideloading is no longer required when installing the MSIX package. Previously, you had to enable the sideload policy in the "Settings" app or "Group Policy", but with the "May 2020 Update" you don't have to. The MSIX package (reference article n) is a new installation package, and although it may not be seen yet, I hope that it will become more widespread as the hurdles for introduction are lowered.
