A few days ago, Microsoft released its latest Windows update for Windows 10 users on its beta channel – the Windows 10 21H1 or Windows 10 2104 update. If you’re one of the fans who like to enjoy a first-hand Windows 10 experience, in this post, we’ll discuss how you can download the new Windows 10 21H1 update and install it on your PC.
We all know the Redmond giant is continuously working on a semi-annual update for its OS and the first update which comes in the first half of the year is usually a big update. The first half usually comes with a lot of changes while the second half would bring minor changes. This time, however, Microsoft is doing it the other way.
The next big update, on the other hand, the Windows 10 21H2 which is currently known as Sun Valley is expected to bring some major changes to the Windows 10. The update will not only improve the Windows OS performance but also cater to users requests.
Just before we dive into how to download the Windows 10 2104 update and install on your PC, let us talk about the new features Microsoft is bringing for users.
Windows 10 21H1 Features: What’s New?
1. External webcam support for Windows Hello
If you have been using Windows 10 for a while now, you probably already know about the Windows Hello option. It is a preloaded security feature in Windows 10 that allows users to sign in using facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, a pin or security key.
The existing Windows 10 installation (20H2 and lower) allows users to set their internal camera only as default for Windows Hello. The latest 21H1 update, however, will now allow users to also set an external camera as the default device for Windows Hello.
This new feature will benefit desktop users who don’t have an internal webcam.
2. Windows Defender Application Guard Performance
Microsoft has brought more optimization to speed up WDAG. This feature lets administrators configure applications to run in an isolated, virtualized container for security and prevent attacks on users’ devices. This also improves document load time.
3. WMI Group Policy Performance
Microsoft has improved Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Group Policy Service (GPSVC) and made it perform more quickly “to support remote work scenarios.”
Apart from the major changes coming to the 21H1 update, Redmond is also bringing somes fixes to the Windows OS. This includes:
- Fixing memory leak error for IE11 when using the Chinese language pack, unexpected screens during Windows Out Of The Box Experience, and an issue that shows incorrect refresh rates for HDR displays.
- The update also fixes flickering video playback on some law-latency displays, a stop error that shows on startup, and a rendering issue while opening games on certain hardware.
How to get the Windows 10 21H1 update on your device?
Downloading the latest Windows 10 update is simple and the process is not different from the previous years. The most important step is to first become Windows Insider. You can do this by joining the Windows Insider Programme.
To be part of the Windows Insider Program, simply navigate your Settings → click on Update & Security → click on Windows Insider Program.
On the Windows Insider Programme page, click on Get Started and follow the on-screen prompts to register or link your Microsoft account. After registration, select Beta Channel from the list of options displayed on your screen.
Once you’re done with the above process, you’ll now find the option to download the Windows 10 version 21H1 update on the Windows Update page.
Click on download and install. The update will be downloaded and after installing it, your device will automatically receive future cumulative 21H1 updates.
Note: If you’re switching to the insider build on your primary PC, make sure you create a backup of your data in case something goes wrong while installing the feature update.
If you prefer to make a bootable flash drive for another PC installation to test the new features in the latest Windows 10 update, see my previous post on how to download any Windows 10 ISO images.
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Thank you for dropping by.