Microsoft is now rolling out Windows 10 build 18309 for devices enrolled in the Fast ring of the Windows Insider Program. This is seventeenth preview of the 19H1 development expected to arrive in springs of 2019.
Windows 10 build 18309 is a minor update, but according to the company, it delivers several changes and improvements, including password-less authentication for all editions of Windows 10, enhancements for Narrator, and Cortana is now disabled by default during a clean installation.
Windows 10 build 18309
Here are all the features and changes coming to the next version of Windows 10:
Sign-in
Starting with build 18309, the new experience to reset your Windows Hello PIN, which align with the look and feel as the one on the web is now available for all editions of Windows 10.
In addition, the support for setting up and signing in to Windows 10 with a phone number account, without having to create, or deal with complicated passwords is now also available for all editions of Windows 10.
Narrator
As part of the Narrator experience, Windows 10 build 18309 introduces the ability to download additional voices in other languages without having to download language packs using the Narrator Settings and selecting the “Add more voices” link.
The main actions on Narrator Home, such as QuickStart and Settings, are now buttons and not Listview items. You are now able to tab between all of them.
The Read Current character phonetics adds Narrator + 5 twice command to render current character phonetics.
When Scan Mode is on and Narrator is on a slider, the left and right arrows will decrease and increase the slider. Up and down arrows will continue to navigate to the previous or next paragraph or item. Home and End will move the slider to the beginning or the end.
Also, Narrator now announces the state of hardware buttons such as volume keys.
Ease of Access
In the Ease of Access section, the Cursor and Pointers page now includes 11 additional mouse pointer sizes for a total of 15 sizes.
Additional improvements
Alongside the most significant improvements, Windows 10 build 18309 adds a notification, which will appear the very first time you press Left Alt + Shift. It explains that this hotkey triggers an input language change, and includes a direct link to the settings where the hotkey can be disabled, if pressing it was unintentional.
If you’re performing a clean install of Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, the Cortana voice-over will be disabled by default. Screen reader users can still choose to start Narrator at any time by pressing Windows key + Ctrl + Enter.
This preview also fixes a problem where Windows Defender Application Guard and Windows Sandbox fail to launch on build 18305 with update KB4483214 installed.
Also, Microsoft has enhanced Windows Sandbox to better support high DPI displays.
Microsoft is listing the complete set of improvements, fixes, and known issues for Windows 10 Insider Preview build 18309 at the Windows Blog.
Download Windows 10 build 18309
Although there are no ISO files for Windows 10 build 18309, the update is available immediately through the Fast ring. 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:
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 15 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 21 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. Email him at [email protected].