Windows 10 news recap: Upgrade push, new updates and more

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Published onDecember 13, 2015

published onDecember 13, 2015

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Welcome back to another weekly Windows 10 news recap. It’s been a busy week for Microsoft, especially with the company’s Windows 10 platform. Let’s take a look back at some of the hot stories relating to Windows 10 in a special feature we call “Windows 10 news recap.”Microsoft begins a more aggressive push to get users upgraded to Windows 10According toPCworld.com, Mayfield believes Microsoft is using their Windows Updates to manipulate PC’s into automatically downloading Windows 10 in an effort to get the new OS running on as many devices as possible. The article even goes as far as saying that today’s Windows Update can possibly bring about a change that would make the Windows 10 upgrade an optional Windows Update instead.Mayfield states that the Windows Update client is working together with Microsoft’s Windows 10 upgrade app to accomplish this. The change will effectively align the Windows 10 upgrade as a part of the normal Windows Updates users receive regularly. Although it will show as optional, that will only be for a finite amount of time. Next year, however, this status will change from optional to recommended. Recommended updates through the Windows Update client automatically download, this will then include the Windows 10 upgrade. Although users can still opt to cancel installation of the new OS, many users may see the OS change as just another update.Here’s Microsoft’s response to all this. The company announced back in October that this would occur.“We will soon be publishing Windows 10 as an “Optional Update” in Windows Update for all Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers. Windows Update is the trusted, logical location for our most important updates, and adding Windows 10 here is another way we will make it easy for you to find your upgrade.Early next year, we expect to be re-categorizing Windows 10 as a “Recommended Update”.Depending upon your Windows Update settings, this may cause the upgrade process to automatically initiate on your device.Before the upgrade changes the OS of your device, you will be clearly prompted to choose whether or not to continue. And of course, if you choose to upgrade (our recommendation!), then you will have 31 days to roll back to your previous Windows version if you don’t love it.”New cumulative update for Windows 10 Version 1511 rolls out (KB3116900)Microsoft has just rolled out KB3116900, a new cumulative update for Windows 10 Version 1511 (November 2015 Update). Unfortunately, at the time of this post, Microsoft has not revealed a changelog, so we’re left fending on our own to see what’s new or fixed. Head over to Windows Update to snag this new update now! Let us know in the comments below if you notice any new improvements or problems.Microsoft rolled out a cumulative update for Windows 10 just last week (KB3116908) and the change log only mentions improvements to enhance the functionality of the operating system. Windows 10 Version 1511 updates are cumulative, so these updates will contain all previously-released fixes.Windows 10 used by nearly 30% of all Steam gamersWindows 10 continues its slow and steady takeover among the tech-savvy population of Steam users, rising to just shy of 29% usage among all operating systems, and more than 30% within the Windows family, according to the newestSteam November report.This measured increase is pretty much in line with the adoption rate for Windows 10 in general, which has been on a steady rise, passing120 millions a month ago, likely due to Microsoft’s staggered strategy regarding pushing out the update (which, from recent events, seems to be prepared fora quickening soon.) Windows 7, while it still sits at the top of the Windows food chain in Steam adoption, continues to decline.Mail and Calendar, Photos, and Xbox apps for Windows 10 updatedMicrosoft was on a roll today with app updates. Not only did we see a huge update to theGroove Music app, as well as theMovies & TV app, Microsoft has rolled out updates to various other Windows 10 core apps too.Mail and Calendar snagged a new update today, along with the Photos app and the Xbox app, unfortunately, Microsoft did not provide a change log for these particular updates. One thing to note in the Photos app, you now have an “Add to favorites” option in the menu. Windows Alarms & Clocks app and the Get Office app also received an update today with no change log.Dedicated Microsoft Edge extensions page revealed early as new Redstone build nearsA user by the name ofH0x0d on Twitterappears to have found a dedicated webpage from Microsoft asking Windows Insiders to begin testing Extensions for Microsoft Edge. The web page looks to not be ready for the public just yet as the header of the web page still includes a placeholder build number and other placeholder bits, but this does mean Microsoft is getting closer to releasing a new build!The web page actually has links to two extensions for Edge that you can download right now, Pinterest and Reddit Enhancement Suite. Edge on build 10586 doesn’t support extensions unfortunately, so it looks like these won’t yet run. Still, I’ve been hearing whispers for a while now that Microsoft is planning to get a Redstone build out before the years end, and I hear Microsoft already has a few Redstone build candidates in the running for an Insider release.So there you have it. What was your favorite news story from this week? Let us know below.

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time).

For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web.

Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they’re looking for.

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Windows 10 news recap: Upgrade push, new updates and more