Windows 10 desktop with Start menu

Windows 10 build 9888 unifies Settings, context menu, and improves animations

Windows 10 build 9888 is an internal partner’s version of the operating system that isn’t meant for the public, but the build managed to get out of Redmond. The latest build 9888 shows some additional features and improvements from the current Windows Insider Program release.

These features include new transition animations when minimizing and maximizing windows, we start to see how Microsoft brings a more unified operating system with changes on context menu, zPC settings app is now the default app to get access to settings on the PC, and as we’ve seen before Windows 10 build 9888 ships with kernel version 10.0.

In the video demoing the newer version of Windows shows that Microsoft has added new animations when maximizing and minimizing windows. The new animations just don’t pop-up windows, instead they make it so there is a more slide-in and slide-out effect.

SEE ALSO: Windows 10 Consumer Preview: features to expect in 2015

Windows 10 build 9888 also seems to be the one of the first builds that starts to show a more UI unification with a new context menu in the desktop that looks exactly the same like Microsoft introduced with Windows 8.1 to access Live Tile settings in the Start menu.

The zPC settings that we’ve seen in previous builds is now the default PC settings app in build 9888. Furthermore, the company has also changed its name to only “Settings”. The new changes show even more that Microsoft is planning to replace the Control Panel with the new Settings app to get access to all the PC settings.

The Settings also shows a new search bar atop of the settings, which currently only access the charms search when trying to enter a search – Obviously a work in progress.

Finally, Windows 10 build 9888 is the first version of the operating system that we see with the kernel version 10.0. But according to WinBeta, it seems that build 9888 isn’t the first version running version 10.0, instead build 9884 was the first build running version 10, which also indicates that build 9883 was the last version shipping with kernel version 6.4.

SEE ALSO: How Windows 10 averts compatibility issues with kernel version 10

Microsoft released the last version of the Technical Preview of Windows 10 to the Slow ring of the Windows Insider Program a few days back. This build is the last release of the year, but we are also expecting the company to unveil the consumer preview of Windows 10 at the end of January 2015. So you can expect to see even more features coming to the operating system.

Source WinBeta

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.