Microsoft rolls out Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Preview Build 16232

Microsoft has released a new Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Preview build for Insiders enrolled in the Fast Ring. The new Windows 10 Build 16232 comes with a slew of improvements and security upgrades which Insiders can try out before the final version of the OS is ready for a commercial release. The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is projected for a final release in September, but some of these features have already shown up in Insider Builds.

Windows 10 Build 16232: What’s New

As already mentioned, Build 16232 includes a slew of security enhancements, some of which are directed at Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG). Notably, this happens to be the first build that comes with a series of security updates that Microsoft announced for the final version of the Fall Creators Update.

Microsoft has already confirmed that the upcoming Windows 10 Fall Creators Update would arrive with major security enhancements for both home and enterprise users. Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection, also known as ATP, will be integrated across Windows 10 and  will include new features, such as Windows Defender Exploit Guard and Windows Defender Application Guard.

Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) is a new feature that would offer an added layer of security in case of accidental malware downloads via your browser or zero-days.

WDAG isolates and contains the threat, securing your devices, apps, data, and network. Windows Defender ATP will provide optics on detection and response so Sec-Ops will have full visibility to any threats that have been encountered,” said Microsoft.

Another nifty feature included in Build 16232 is called Exploit Protection. It essentially contains threats and attacks even when patches aren’t available, which comes in real handy in the case of zero days as this feature is not dependent on Windows Defender Antivirus. Insiders can find this feature by heading over to Windows Defender Security Center> App & Browser control> Exploit Protection.

Elsewhere, a new feature called Controlled folder access in Windows Defender Antivirus not only defends apps but also prevents hazards like ransomware.

According to Microsoft, Controlled folder access keeps a track of changes that apps make to files in protected folders. Hence, if an app tries to make some changes to these files, users will be notified that the app was trying to do so.

“Controlled folder access monitors the changes that apps make to files in certain protected folders. If an app attempts to make a change to these files, and the app is blacklisted by the feature, you’ll get a notification about the attempt. You can complement the protected folders with additional locations, and add the apps that you want to allow access to those folders,” said Microsoft.

Elsewhere, Windows 10 Build 16232 also arrives with several changes improvements and fixes for PCs. You can check out the complete changelog below.

Changes, improvements, and fixes for PC with Build 16232:

• We fixed the issue that was causing updating to the latest build to fail and roll back to the previous build if you had the .NET 3.5 Framework installed. You should no longer need to uninstall.NET 3.5 before trying to update to this build.
• We fixed an issue for those with certain languages installed in the last flight where ctfmon.exe would go into a crash loop, resulting in typing in the Start menu and UWP apps becoming impossible.
• We’ve listened to feedback and in Windows Defender Security Center you will soon have the option to dismiss recommendations (yellow badged items). In this build, you will see the upcoming addition, however, it is under construction and not up and running yet. Stay tuned and we’ll let you know when we have it finished.
• We fixed an issue where some games like Mass Effect 3 would crash if you used Alt + TAB after 5 minutes of gameplay.
• We fixed an issue resulting in Word 2016 crashing if you attempted to ink in it.
• We fixed an issue where using the new Ctrl + Win + C hotkey to enable and disable color filters would unexpectedly open Settings.
• We fixed an issue from the last flight where auto-complete in the URL bar of Microsoft Edge might fail on some devices – searching for a partial string instead of the autocompleted text. This fix should also address the feedback some of you were reporting where Cortana sometimes couldn’t keep up with typing on that flight and the letters would end up out of order.
• We fixed an issue where the File Explorer Ribbon assets were blurry if the window’s DPI was not equal to the system DPI.
• We fixed an issue resulting in apps that start with X, V or Q being incorrectly categorized in Start on Polish builds.
• We’ve moved the new Video Playback Settings page to now be listed under the Apps category, and have fixed the issues on the page where the video and battery dropdown wasn’t displaying correctly.
• We fixed an issue with the XAML Acrylic Brush that could result in certain apps, for example, Maps, occasionally crashing due to attempting to load acrylic brushes while the app was suspended.
• We fixed a rare condition that could result in Start menu appearing to flash/flicker continuously.
• Known issues for PC
• Your PC may fail to update to this build with an 0x80070643 and rolls back to the previous build. We are investigating.
• We’re continuing to investigate reports that the battery status on certain laptops isn’t updating while the device is unplugged. If you think you are seeing this, please send in feedback via Feedback Hub and use the capture feature when logging your feedback so we can get your logs.
• You may notice some of your inbox apps are now displaying a name that looks like “ms-resource:” and are listed at the bottom of Start. We’re investigating. In the meantime, the app should still launch normally, it’s only the name resource that’s impacted.
• Some UWP apps such as Twitter will crash on launch.
• Xbox Live in-game experiences may fail to load. These include gamer profiles, achievement details, and other dialogs that may pop up on top of an Xbox Live-enabled game.
• Please avoid doing a PC reset via Settings > Update & security > Recovery and choosing “Remove everything”. This may put your device into a reboot loop.
  Task Manager may hang on launch on this build.