Microsoft unveils new Windows 10 preview with focus on mobile broadband

Microsoft's latest Windows 10 build comes with new mobile broadband capabilities and UI improvements

Microsoft has released its latest Windows 10 Insider Preview Build, which comes with an array of mobile broadband improvements.

Preview Build 17655 (RS5) is now available to Windows insiders who opted to take part in the Skip Ahead build programme.

"Windows is transforming the networking stack after 20 years through the Net Adapter framework,' said the firm.

"This framework introduces a new, more reliable, network driver model that inherits the goodness of the Windows driver framework while bringing an accelerated data path."

The build includes a more powerful mobile broadband USB-class driver, which is powered by the Net Adapter framework. It is designed for computers that support SIM cards and USB modems.

To get the driver to work, Microsoft said you just need to install the build and set up cellular connectivity. Then, you select the Net Adapter based MBB USB class driver as default driver.

The next steps are as follows:

"Navigate to Device Manager. (You can right-click on the Start button to get there}. Go to Network Adapters > Generic Mobile Broadband Adaptor or Mobile Broadband Adapter

"Right-click and choose update driver < Browse my computer for driver software > Click on Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer -> Choose Generic Mobile Broadband Cx Net Adapter > Click Next."

Once you have followed these steps, all that remains is to reboot your system for the new driver to begin working. Additionally, Microsoft recommends that you "try using cellular network primarily by turning off Wi-Fi".

The firm explained: "To report issues and give feedback, use Feedback Hub on your PC and set Category and subcategory as Network and Internet > Connecting to a cellular network. Use [cxwmbclass] in the summary."

Overall, Microsoft has made a range of general changes, improvements and fixes. For instance, for better user experience, it has removed the brightness toggle in the notification area of the taskbar.

Plus, the firm said it has fixed an issue in Microsoft Edge where "dragging a favourite from one folder in the favourites bar to another didn't work".

Microsoft has provided a full list of issues:

• On resuming from sleep, the desktop may be momentarily visible before the Lock screen displays as expected.
• When Movies & TV user denies access to its videos library (through the "Let Movies & TV access your videos library?" popup window or through Windows privacy settings), Movies & TV crashes when the user navigates to the "Personal" tab.
• We're aware of an issue that causes Narrator to read extra text when invoking Alt + Tab, and we're working on a fix.
• Using arrow and Page Up / Page Down keys doesn't work to scroll webpages in Microsoft Edge. You'll need to use another input method (mouse, touch, or touchpad).
• If you complete the setup for a Windows Mixed Reality headset on this build, the headset will remain black until it is unplugged and reconnected to the PC.
• Sets UX for Office Win32 desktop apps is not final. The experience will be refined over time based on feedback.
• The top of some Win32 desktop app windows may appear slightly underneath the tab bar when created maximized. To work around the issue, restore and re-maximize the window.
• Closing one tab may sometimes minimize the entire set.
• Tiling and cascading windows, including features like "View Side by Side" in Word, will not work for inactive tabs.
• The Office Visual Basic Editor window will currently be tabbed but is not intended to be in the future.
• Opening an Office document while the same app has an existing document open may cause an unintended switch to the last active document. This will also happen when closing a sheet in Excel while other sheets remain open.
• Right-clicking a tab in Sets will not bring up a context menu in this build.
• Local files or non-Microsoft cloud files will not be automatically restored, and no error message will be provided to alert the user to that fact.