Windows 10 Insider build 19603 integrates Windows Subsystem for Linux with File Explorer

Laurent Giret

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Microsoft has just announced the release of Windows 10 Insider build 19603 for Fast Ring Insiders, and the main new feature is the integration of Windows Subsystem for Linux with File Explorer. After installing this build, those of you who have WSL installed will spot the new Linux icon in the left-hand navigation pane of File Explorer, making it easier than ever to access files from your different Linux distros.

Another new feature in this build is the new User cleanup recommendations in Storage Settings, which will free up space on your PC by removing unused apps and files. “Windows cannot predict whether you want to delete personal files, uninstall apps, or remove local copies of files synced to the cloud. With this tool, all the content is gathered in one page and removable by you with a few clicks,” the Windows Insider team explained today.

This new build also comes with various quality improvements, including a fix for an issue causing webcams to not function properly when making video calls in Microsoft Teams. You can check out the full list of fixes and known issues in this build below:

General changes & improvements

  • Going forward, services that are implemented by binaries residing in the user profiles will be persisted on upgrades.
  • Narrator will no longer automatically enable scan mode when interacting with the Ideas pane in Excel. In the new Microsoft Edge, Narrator now automatically enables scan mode and starts reading webpages.

Fixes

  • We are removing the known issue for incompatibility issues due to changes in the operating system between some Insider Preview builds and certain versions of BattlEye anti-cheat software. If you run into issues playing games that use BattlEye anti-cheat software, please submit feedback on these issues to us via Feedback Hub.
  • We fixed an issue causing webcams to not function correctly when attempting to make a video call in Microsoft Teams.
  • We fixed an issue resulting in some Insiders experiencing a green screen citing an error with mssecflt.sys when starting safe mode on recent builds.
  • We fixed an issue resulting in the WIN + PrtScn keyboard shortcut no longer saving a picture to file.
  • We fixed several reported stability issues with Narrator, including a fix where it will no longer crash when selecting text in scan mode with new Edge when remote operations are off.
  • We fixed an issue leading to the Narrator Quick Start guide crashing while traversing it with Narrator.
  • We fixed an issue where the EXE property information was incomplete in Task Manager for EoAExperiences.exe.
  • We fixed an issue resulting in some devices experiencing a bugcheck (GSOD) during the reboot to install an update.
  • We fixed an issue resulting in some Insiders experiencing a sporadic bugcheck (GSOD) with the error CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED.
  • We fixed a bugcheck with error KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED some Insiders were experiencing when trying to sign out from the current user.
  • We fixed an issue resulting in some Insiders receiving driver compatibility warnings when trying to update to a newer build in certain virtual environments.
  • We fixed an issue that led to inaccurate size estimates for disk cleanup when the option to clean up old Windows installation files was included.
  • We fixed an issue where Storage settings would say the option to clean old Windows installation files wasn’t available, because it had been automatically removed after a certain number of days, when actually you had manually selected to remove it.
  • We fixed an issue that could result in Settings crashing when navigating to Network & Internet for some Insiders.
  • We fixed an issue where you would see a notification from the Shared Experiences page saying your account needed fixing, however the Fix Now option on the page wouldn’t work.
  • We fixed an issue where if the Cortana icon was turned off on the taskbar, it might still partially display on secondary monitors.
  • We fixed an issue resulting in not being able to drag and drop files into the root of a network share folder.
  • We fixed an issue where the IME context menu wouldn’t appear when pressing Shift+F10 if the display language was something other than English.
  • We fixed an issue that could result in IMEs created for Amharic and Sinhala to not input text until rebooting your PC.
  • We fixed a crash some Insiders were encountering when switching window focus while an IME candidate pane was open.

Known issues

  • We are aware Narrator and NVDA users that seek the latest release of Microsoft Edge based on Chromium may experience some difficulty when navigating and reading certain web content. Narrator, NVDA and the Edge teams are aware of these issues. Users of legacy Microsoft Edge will not be affected. NVAccess has released a NVDA 2019.3 that resolves the known issue with Edge.
  • We’re looking into reports of the update process hanging for extended periods of time when attempting to install a new build.
  • The Documents section under Privacy has a broken icon (just a rectangle).
  • Sticky Notes windows can’t be moved on the desktop. As a workaround, when you set focus to Sticky Notes, press Alt + Space. This will bring up a menu that contains a Move option. Select it, then use either the arrow keys or the mouse to move the window.
  • We’re investigating reports that app icons in the taskbar are having rendering issues, including defaulting to the .exe icon.
  • We’re investigating reports that the battery icon on the lock screen always shows close to empty, regardless of actual battery levels.
  • We’re investigating reports of IIS configuration being set to default after taking a new build. You will need to back up your IIS configuration and restore it after the new build is installed successfully.`
  • Language packs may fail to install on this build. This is most impactful for anyone who chooses to reset their PC – the language packs you have prior to upgrading will persist. Anyone impact by this may notice some parts of the UI don’t display in your preferred language.

Lastly, the Windows Insider team shared today two important pieces of information for Windows Insiders: First of all, the team wants some feedback about the new Microsoft News Bar widget that was quietly released on the Microsoft Store last month. Moreover, Windows Insiders can also update the Raw Image Microsoft Store extension to try out support for Canon’s latest CR3 raw format.