What’s new with the Windows 10 20H1 update?

The 20H1 update is the first major Windows 10 release of 2020, and the name implies it should be released in the first half of the year, most likely in May. However, you can already give the pre-release version a test run by joining the Fast Ring of the Windows Insider program, but you’ll want to do this on a nonessential machine.

Here are some of the most exciting new features and changes to look forward to:

#1. Greater control over optional updates

Deploying major operating system updates at scale poses a significant challenge to business users, hence the preference to defer them to minimize disruption and potential issues. Once you do upgrade to 20H1, however, you’ll receive more control over optional updates. These include any new features and functions that aren’t defined as critical security updates. Older editions, by contrast, would still automatically install hardware driver updates.

#2. New chat-based user interface in Cortana

Microsoft continues to improve its AI-powered personal assistant in the hope of making it more useful to both home and business users. One of the key selling points of 20H1 is the new chat-based user interface, adding chatbot-type functionality to Cortana, which was previously focused heavily on voice input. The interface also blends better with the rest of Windows 10 to provide a more unified experience in the form of a normal app window.

#3. Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

For the last few years, Microsoft has been working hard to provide better support for Linux, so the new WSL feature is especially good news for business users. WSL 2, which will be shipped with 20H1, is based on a real Linux kernel to provide better cross-platform compatibility. One of the highlights of this release is the major boost to file system performance, making it easier to support platforms like Docker and other popular virtualization products.

#4. Faster Windows Search experiences

The Windows Search Indexer service runs in the background to scan files and create a search database while minimizing disruption to the end-user. Unfortunately, this never quite worked as intended, prompting many users to disable it. 20H1 is now using AI to detect peak usage times and prevent the service from running when low power mode is on, CPU usage is already high, battery is below 50%, and disk usage reaches 70%.

#5. Additional information in the task manager

The advanced task manager view has seen many new features to give system administrators and power users greater insights into their computing resources. 20H1 provides even more information, including storage disk type (HDD or SSD) and GPU temperatures for machines with dedicated graphics cards. However, it will require updated graphics drivers that support Windows Display 2.4 Driver Model or newer

#6. Improved password-free security measures

Passwords have long played a central role in information security and they continue to do so. Having to enter your password manually every time you log in is both time-consuming and inconvenient, especially when most of us have to remember dozens of sets of login credentials already. 20H1 adds a new password-free sign-in option to enforce the use of Windows Hello or a PIN code, including in Safe Mode.

#7. Enhanced language settings and controls

From its first release, Windows 10 has dramatically improved its readiness for today’s global computing and business environment with a wider range of language options and support for many more languages. 20H1 provides greater control and segmentation of language settings, and the update is packed with features to better support languages other than English. The typing intelligence feature now supports 39 languages and counting.

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