14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft continues its work on the next Windows 10 update, and today the company is releasing preview build 17686 for users enrolled in the Fast and Skip Ahead Windows Insider rings.
The first thing you will notice after installing this build is that Windows 10 now comes with an improved Region page in the Settings app, letting you modify settings like calendar, the first day of the week, dates, time, and currency. Previously, all these options could only be changed from the classic Control Panel, so with this new release, Microsoft gets one step closer to switching entirely to the Settings app.
Additionally, Microsoft is also introducing Local Experience Packs, which are nothing more than Microsoft Store apps that bring Windows display language quality improvements. You can find them in Settings > Time & Language > Language > Add a Windows display language with Local Experience Packs.
With this build, Microsoft also introduces more privacy controls, letting you know when an app tries to access the microphone for the first time after you disable it in privacy settings. This way, you can review the settings if you want, making it a bit faster to adjust privacy configuration.
Known issues and general improvements
There are also several Windows Mixed Reality improvements, like apps that can use the Camera Capture UI API. And just like it’s the case of every other build, there are several other general improvements and known issues, and you can read all of them in box after the jump.
One particular known issue that’s worth having in mind concerns a bug experienced when switching from the Fast to the Slow ring.
“If you install any of the recent builds from the Fast ring and switch to the Slow ring – optional content such as enabling developer mode will fail. You will have to remain in the Fast ring to add/install/enable optional content. This is because optional content will only install on builds approved for specific rings. There has not yet been a RS5 build released to the Slow ring,” Microsoft explains.
Keep in mind that this build is work in progress, and some other bugs could still be experienced. Redstone 5 is projected to be finalized in September ahead of a possible October release.