Now available: With the Windows 10 “October 2020” update (20H2), Microsoft is distributing another update that contains numerous interesting innovations. Our overview reveals the most important new functions that Windows users can look forward to.
The October 2020 update is considered the second major update that Microsoft has given its Windows 10 operating system this year. With regard to new functions, there is only a kind of service pack character, but the Redmond-based company has clearly turned a few screws. Among other things, you will find a slightly revamped start menu, additional multitasking options for the Chromium-based Edge browser, and additional settings that are taken from the classic system control.
While we are dealing with the more or less new features in this article, we will explain to you at another point how you can download and install the Windows 10 20H2 update, even if Microsoft does not (yet) offer you the download in the “After Check for updates “offers. Anyone who has already installed version 2004 (20H1) will be able to perform the update within a few minutes. A longer operating system update is required for older installations.
The October 2020 update can be seen most clearly on the Windows 10 start menu. Whereas the familiar tiles used to be displayed in the preset accent color, Microsoft has now opted for a uniform, if inconspicuous look. Depending on the light or dark mode, the Redmonders are now using a semi-transparent gray that is used in addition to the in-house app tiles (Office, Store & Co.) also on those of third-party programs. In general, however, this is only a minor fine-tuning.
With the October 2020 update, the Edge browser, which has been further developed on the basis of Chromium, takes on a higher status under Windows 10. Open tabs can now be displayed directly in the operating system’s multitasking view. This means that users not only have an overview of all active programs but also of the websites they have accessed. With many open tabs, however, this view can quickly fill up and appear overloaded, which is why the option can optionally be deactivated (Settings – System – Multitasking – Alt + Tab).
Many Windows 10 options were moved from the classic control panel to the new Settings app years ago. The 20H2 update also brings some useful new menu items to it. For example, users can now decide directly on the refresh rate of the connected monitors without using the programs of the respective graphics card manufacturers (e.g. Nvidia and AMD) or the now antiquated Windows adapter properties.
Device and Windows specifications can also be copied at the push of a button and energy-saving mechanisms can be activated for several GPUs. The latter option is interesting, for example, for notebooks with two graphics units that can be assigned to specific apps. However, this separation has also been possible in various graphics card drivers for years.
A Brief Video About New Features in Windows 10 October 2020 Update
The October 2020 update continues to introduce less prominent but useful features. For example, with 2-in-1 devices, Windows 10’s tablet mode is automatically activated as soon as the keyboard is removed from them. The notifications now also show the logos of the corresponding apps and the Windows taskbar can be dynamically equipped with certain programs depending on the type of use.
If the user couples an Android smartphone, your smartphone app will automatically appear here, if you connect an Xbox Live account, if you come across the Xbox app, etc. Microsoft is introducing additional changes for IT administrators for whom you are provided a special changelog in the Windows IT Pro Blog.
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