Windows 10 build 17093 releases with new features

Build 17093 rolls out as a preview to testers revealing new features and improvements coming to Windows 10 Redstone 4 — Here's all you need to know.

Windows 10 build 17093
Windows 10 build 17093

Microsoft has released build 17093 as part of the Windows 10 version 1803 (Redstone 4) development for computers enrolled in the Fast ring and Skip ahead option. This is a minor update, but it adds a new set of features, improvements, and fixes that users will be getting in spring 2018.

Windows 10 Insider Preview build 17093, according to the company, brings improvements for machines with multiple graphics cards, adds password-less authentication, and changes for Bluetooth, Eye Control, Game bar, Diagnostic Data, input, Settings, Windows Subsystem for Linux, and much more.

What’s new on Windows 10 build 17093

Password-less authentication

On Windows 10 S, starting with build 17093, you can download the Microsoft Authenticator app, and use it to set up your device without needing to enter a password. 

Furthermore, after setting up Windows Hello, the password option on the Lock screen will not be available- not even in the Settings app.

Game bar

In this new flight, Windows 10 introduces a new game bar with a new design, easy-to-use settings, and a new clock, with options to use dark, light, or current theme colors. And new buttons to capture, turn on the microphone and camera and edit the title of your Mixer stream.

Game bar
Game bar

Bluetooth

Starting with Windows 10 build 17093, you can connect and pair supported devices with a single click. When these devices are detected in range, Windows will show a notification allowing you to quickly start the pairing process.

Graphics

Windows 10 build 17093 adds a new Graphics page on Settings > System > Display for multiple GPU systems that allows you to manage the graphics performance preference of your apps individually.

Settings that you configure in this page always take precedence over the other control panel settings, such as those from AMD and Nvidia.

You can add classic and Microsoft apps to the list, and those apps you add will be given a “System default” preference, which means that the system decides the best graphics processor for your application.

Graphics settings on Windows 10
Graphics settings on Windows 10

Other options available include “Power saving” mode (integrated GPU) is a request to run the application on the most power-saving GPU available, and the “High performance” mode (discrete GPU or external GPU) is a request to run the application on the most high-performance GPU available.

Video playback

This build also introduces a new option to calibrate devices with support for HDR video if the “Stream HDR video” toggle can be switched to “On”.

Eye Control

This release adds a number of improvements to Eye Control, the accessibility technology to control your computer using only your eyes.

Some of these new changes include the ability to more easily scroll content, like email and websites. You can access Start, Timeline, Settings, and device calibration quickly from the eye control launchpad. Also, the launchpad includes a new button to pause to prevent accidental clicking (to re-engage glance the pause button).

Eye Control launchpad on Windows 10
Eye Control launchpad on Windows 10

Privacy

In order to help navigation and discovery, starting with Windows 10 build 17093, the Privacy section in the Settings app divides settings into two groups called “Windows permissions” and “App permissions.”

Privacy settings on Windows 10
Privacy settings on Windows 10

Also, inside the “Speech, Inking, & Typing” page, you’ll find your personal dictionary and easily clear it as needed.

Diagnostic Data

In the Privacy section, the “Diagnostic & feedback” page now includes an option to delete diagnostic data associated with your device.

Windows Security

In the Update & Security section, build 17093 renames “Windows Defender” to “Windows Security.” In addition, the page has been updated to give access, status, and alerts to the different areas of protection from Windows Defender Security Center.

Windows Security settings on Windows 10
Windows Security settings on Windows 10

You’ll also find two additional items, including Account Protection and Device Security, which are new options in the Windows Defender Security Center.

  • Account Protection will encourage password users to set up Windows Hello Face, Fingerprint, or PIN for faster sign-in, and it’ll notify Dynamic Lock users if the feature stops working because their phone or device Bluetooth is off.
  • Device Security provides status reporting and management of security features built into your devices.

Microsoft Edge

This new test preview includes an updated version of Microsoft Edge with a few new improvements, including an F11 (full-screen) mode that makes full use of the screen to show a webpage. Also, without leaving full screen you can now access the address bar and navigate to other sites, add a site as a favorite, and more by hovering your mouse at the top of the screen, or using touch drag a finger down from the top of the screen.

When printing a supported web page there is a new clutter-free printing option to remove the ads and print only the content.

Clutter-free printing on Microsoft Edge
Clutter-free printing on Microsoft Edge

Input

If you type with more than one Latin script languages, you can continue typing and Windows 10 will assist you showing you predictions for up to three different languages, which means you no longer have to switch the language when using the touch keyboard. (This feature is available on Settings > Devices > Typing > Multilingual Text Prediction.)

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

If you use Linux on Windows 10, you can use a wsl.conf file to automatically configure certain functionality in WSL that will be applied every time you launch the subsystem.

Starting with build 17093, a new option becomes available allowing to set a flag to tell NTFS to treat content in certain folders as case sensitive removing the need for WSL to use additional processes to handle case sensitivity.

Additionally, Windows Subsystem for Linux and Windows applications can now communicate with each other over Unix sockets.

Other improvements

Alongside all the new features and improvements, this preview, part of the Windows 10 version 1803 update, includes a few smaller changes, including:

  • Updated the “Use my sign-in info…” text in the Sign-in Options settings to be clearer.
  • Updated the Action Center context menu so that the three focus assist states are now collapsed under one expandable entry.
  • Updated the OneDrive Files-on-Demand state icon in File Explorer’s navigation pane to display closer to the file icon.
  • Updated the People flyout to now use your accent color when “Show accent color” is selected in Color Settings.
  • Dragging a website from the address bar in Microsoft Edge in order to pin it to the favorites bar, you will now see the favicon and website name follow your mouse as you drag.
  • Narrator now works in safe mode.
  • Windows 10 is also bringing text prediction to more languages.

Microsoft is listing the complete set of improvements, fixes, and known issues for Windows 10 Insider Preview build 17093 in the Windows Blog. In case you missed it, you can read all the changes for Windows 10 build 17083 in this article.

Download Windows 10 build 17093

Although there are no ISO files for Windows 10 build 17093, the update is available immediately through the Fast ring for PCs and using the Skip Ahead option. This preview build will download and install automatically on your device, but you can always force the update from Settings > Update & security > Windows Update and clicking the Check for updates button.

You can also check out these resources:

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.