Microsoft releases updated Windows 10 preview builds for phone and PC

Build 14271 for the PC and Build 14267.1004 for mobile released to testers on the Fast Ring

Microsoft has released updated preview code for Windows 10 on the PC at the same time as the Windows 10 Mobile version for phones. The releases come as Microsoft counts down an upcoming major update of Windows 10, codenamed Redstone.

Both updates were pushed out overnight to testers signed up for Microsoft's Windows Insider programme, which the company uses to evaluate upcoming features before they are merged into the release code.

Build 14271 for the PC and Build 14267.1004 for mobile were released to testers subscribing to the Fast Ring, which is updated the most frequently and thus showcases the newest features.

For the most part, both updates largely comprise a number of bug fixes to previous preview releases, as Microsoft focuses on cleaning up the code in preparation for the Redstone release sometime in the first half of this year. Redstone will be the second major update for the Windows 10 platform on the PC, following last year's Windows 10 November Update.

However, there are a couple of notable changes; starting with Build 14271 on the PC and going forwards, the setting that governs how frequently Windows will ask for tester feedback will be locked to automatic.

Announcing the change on the Windows Experience blog, Gabe Aul, corporate vice president for Microsoft's Engineering Systems Team said that receiving feedback is a vital part of the Windows Insider Programme.

"After each build upgrade or after certain activities, Windows will often ask for feedback. The answers to these questions are used by our engineering teams to understand how Windows Insiders feel about a particular experience or a particular build," he explained.

"While we don't require Windows Insiders to answer these questions, we do hope they take the time to answer them so that we can better improve Windows for our customers," he added.

Meanwhile, Windows 10 Mobile Build 14267.1004 delivers a new Visual Voicemail feature for dual-SIM devices such as the Lumia 950 XL, as well as fixing a serious bug in Build 14267 where users of the where the Lumia 550 found that their device would no longer charge or connect via USB.

Visual Voicemail was showcased by Microsoft last year, and provides on-screen controls that enable users to listen to and manage voicemail messages without having to dial into their voicemail system.

However, users of older Windows Phone handsets will be disappointed, as Microsoft recently began making preview releases available only for devices that shipped with Windows 10 Mobile, such as the Lumia 950, 950 XL, 650 and 550.

Microsoft warned of some known issues with these latest preview releases, but which it is working to fix. Some PCs, for example, have been found to freeze or bluescreen when resuming from hibernation, and there is there is a known driver bug that prevents some commercial antivirus tools from operating as expected.

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