Windows 10 build 10074: Hands-on with the Start menu blur, Cortana and Settings UI changes (video)

A few days ago, Microsoft released Windows 10 build 10074 to the Fast and Slow ring of updates, and it’s a new version of the operating system that includes a number of updates since build 10061, which the software giant only released to the fast lane.

If you don’t want to go through the trouble on creating a virtual machine using Microsoft’s Hyper-V, VirtualBox, or using VMware, but you still want to see what’s new in Windows 10 build 10074, the video published on YouTube highlights all the major changes and features Microsoft is planning to release later this summer, including:

Start menu

  • Aero Glass (blur) effect in the Start menu
  • 3D animation for the Live Tiles updates
  • Now users can turn off Live Tiles

Cortana

  • Cortana UI elements and better integration with the Start menu
  • Cortana now takes the height from the Start menu

Desktop

  • New UI control for sound

Settings

Changes in the Settings app: New UI changes, addition of Data Usage page, Update & recovery now have been renamed to Update & security, Windows Defender appear under Update & security, and Personalize option in the Contextual menu direct users to Personalization in the Settings app.

In this build, Microsoft is also changing the label from “Windows 10 Technical Preview” to “Windows 10 Insider Preview”.

Furthermore, Microsoft is also adding high DPI support for multi-monitor setups.

Windows 10 build 10074 has also been released to the Slow ring of updates, which means that you can also download the ISO files to perform a clean installation of the operating system.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.