Pending Windows 10 Build Adds UI Tweaks and Ability to Pause Updates

The pending spring update of Microsoft’s flagship operating system (a.k.a. Windows 10 19H1 Build 18282) showed off several UI tweaks which continues to be an area of focus for this development branch. They also added a couple of tweaks to Windows Update that appear to be a move towards giving users a little more control over the mandatory update process.

I have speculated a few times over the course of the 13 builds released for the 19H1 update that Microsoft may be choosing to focus on fit and finish aspects of the operating system rather than big new features. This latest build supports that theory.

Of course, we will be keeping an eye on the development progress and sharing our insights along the way. For Build 18282 let’s take a closer look at some of the latest work.

Note: This is a pre-release build of Windows 10. Nothing is written in stone when it comes to what changes will make it into the final release for this feature update.

Windows Light Theme

Windows 10 19H1 Build 18282 “Windows Light” Theme

Dark themes and modes have become the current de facto standard for apps and OS UI’s. If you go beyond the aesthetic of the colors of the UI, displaying dark pixels on a screen uses less power than showing lighter/white pixels. However, despite that power savings, feedback to Microsoft has shown that users are also interested in something between the default Windows 10 theme and the dark UI that has been added in the October 2018 Update.

Windows 10 19H1 Build 18282 Themes Settings

As you can see above, the light colors are not stark. Using greyer whites’ tone down those bright light colors throughout the UI. Work has even been done to update icons and other UI elements to make sure they are visible. There is more work to be done according to the release notes for this build, but this light theme seems much more complete in its first public availability then the dark theme was during the Redstone 5 development process for the October 2018 Update.

OneDrive Sync Client Dark Mode UI

Despite the work shown above on the new Windows Light theme, Microsoft is still doing more dark mode work as well. The latest UI to get a dark makeover is the OneDrive Sync client.

Storage Settings

Storage Options in Windows 10 19H1 Build 18282

Another way to make the Windows 10 UI more useful is to eliminate the need to dig down multiple levels to perform basic system maintenance and other actions.

In this latest build, the options at Windows Settings > System > Storage have been updated to provide immediate visual cues about what type of content is using up storage on your device. From here you can click directly on one of those entries and then manage that content including cleaning up temp storage or removing unused apps/features.

There is also a link, Show more categories, that will display all of the directories with content on this same screen to give you that one level of access on a single screen. Additional storage settings continue to be available on this same top-level page for Storage settings.

Windows Update

Windows Update Page on windows 10 19H1 Build 18282

Microsoft has redesigned the Windows Update page in this build of 19H1 and the company is addressing one of the biggest complaints about Windows 10 – the inability to pause updates.

In all past versions of Windows 10, updates are mandatory, and this operational choice has resulted in Windows 10 being a smaller target surface for malware, ransomware, etc. because the latest security updates are always on the system.

Of course, system administrators have always had the ability to manage the flow of updates to their end users plus Windows 10 Pro users can pause updates on their devices for up to 35 days. Those options have never existed for Windows 10 Home users but that might be changing with 19H1.

As you can see in the image above, there is now an option on Windows 10 Home to pause updates for seven days. Just like with pauses on Windows 10 Pro, a full update cycle is required in order to pause updates on a Windows 10 Home system for another seven-day period.

While I am sure many users would like to have a longer pause period available on Windows 10 Home, this is a start to putting some control back in the hands of end users. Personally, I believe this is also the first step in merging feature sets between Windows 10 Home and Pro to deliver Pro’s advanced features and capabilities to Home users. That new hybrid version of Windows 10 could get its own name and eventually mean the end of the Windows 10 Home and Pro SKUs.

Active Hours in Windows 10 19H1 Build 18282

Here is another attempt to address a top area of frustration that has been an issue for Windows users over the years – untimely system updates. These usually occur right when you need your device and that is why the new seven-day update pause shown above can help prevent those issues. For example, heading out for a trip or to do a presentation – pause updates for seven days to prevent any system updates while on the road.

In past feature updates, Microsoft introduced the concept of Active Hours on your device to also help manage this frustration point. At first, these were manual hours you selected and for many, the active hours period was not long enough. Next Microsoft added some Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the process to predict the best time to update your system by taking into consideration your active hours and usage patterns.

In 19H1 Microsoft is now taking the AI influence one step further by providing an option to automatically adjust your active hours based on your daily usage patterns. Hopefully this will help out because I continue to see instances of poorly timed updates shared on social media on a very regular basis.

Snip & Sketch

Snip & Sketch in Windows 10 19H1 Build 18282 (Image via Microsoft)

In a recent Windows Secrets newsletter, I talked about some handy inbox apps that come as part of Windows 10. One of those I highlighted was Snip & Sketch, which is going to ultimately replace the popular Snipping Tool in a future release of Windows 10.

At that time, I mentioned the new Snip & Sketch app provided a lot of capabilities but was still missing a couple of key features. One of those was the ability to capture an open app window by default.

In this latest 19H1 build, that capability is now available to Windows Insiders who are in the Fast Ring. Initial testing is happening with about 50% of the Windows Insider population in the Fast Ring and will eventually expand to all testers.

Since this is part of an app, it is very feasible that this update will ship to those on production versions of Windows 10 in the future ahead of 19H1’s release next year.

I’m still waiting on the automatic saving of snips, but at least one of those pending items is being addressed.

Table of contents

Microsoft released 63 security patches for November, including a fix for a zero-day vulnerability already under active exploitation. Of the patches, 12 updates are considered critical, and almost every other patch is ranked as important. Out of the 12 critical vulnerabilities, 10 can be exploited through browsers or opening malicious files, according to a post from Jimmy Graham of Qualys.

“The priority this month should be all Windows OS updates and Edge,” said Chris Goettl of Ivanti. “Internet Explorer has several Important vulnerabilities resolved as does Office, but all of the Critical vulnerabilities, exploits and disclosures are in the OS and Edge browser.”

Goettl also notes Microsoft is re-releasing Windows 10 1809 and Server 2019 after pulling them in October due to user data being deleted after upgrading.

“Take a moment to test before rolling out just to be cautious,” he said.

Here are the highlights from this month’s release with the information you need to prioritize your patching efforts.

CVE-2018-8589 – Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

“Just like last month, November has a Win32K (kernel-mode drivers) elevation of privilege vulnerability listed as currently under active attack. Also like last month, this bug was reported by researchers at Kaspersky Labs, indicating this bug is being used in malware,” notes Dustin Childs of Zero Day Initiative in his blog post round up.

The vulnerability exists in Windows 7, Server 2008 and Server 2008 R2. Computerworld columnist and Windows expert Woody Leonhard notes, “Short version: As usual, if you avoid Internet Explorer and Edge, you should be fine for now. But again, as usual, you’ll have to patch eventually.”

CVE-2018-8450 – Windows Search Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

This addresses a remote code execution vulnerability that exists when Windows Search handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights, said Microsoft in the bulletin.

The patch addresses an issue in Windows Search that could allow a remote attacker to execute privileged code and take over a target system, according to Childs, who suggests it be prioritized.

“Remotely triggering elevated code execution without authentication generally means wormable. Microsoft rates this as Important, but you should definitely treat it as Critical, especially since Microsoft also gives it the “Exploitation more likely” rating in its Exploit Index,” he noted.

CVE-2018-8566 – BitLocker Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability

This security feature bypass vulnerability exists when Windows improperly suspends BitLocker Device Encryption. An attacker with physical access to a powered off system could exploit this vulnerability to gain access to encrypted data, said Microsoft. The attackers would need to be able to gain physical access to the target system prior to the next system reboot in order to exploit the vulnerability.

“If your enterprise uses BitLocker, definitely prioritize this update,” said Childs.

Here are the critical and important must-install patches by product this month:

Browsers

Microsoft Office

Windows Kernel

Windows

Dynamics 365 (on-premises)

Azure App Service

(CVE-2018-8600)

Team Foundation Server

(CVE-2018-8602)

(CVE-2018-8529)

You can find all of the updates at the Microsoft portal.

Table of contents

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