The next update for Windows 10 v 2004 is now available using Release Preview. But for most users, it would be a good idea to install the update when it is offered to you via Windows Update. In this article, we will look at the new features that will be deployed in Windows 10 Update v2004 from May 2020. Unlike the last update in November, this feature update brings important operating system updates, including the standalone Cortana app, improvements to Windows search performance, and more.
New Features in Windows 10 v2004
The list of new features in Windows 10 v2004 includes is quite large. You should be able to see them immediately after installing this feature update:
- Cortana application and skills
- Windows Search Improvements
- Improved disk usage for Windows search
- Task manager: GPU temperature and storage type
- Monitors with different refresh rates
- Windows subsystem improvements for Linux / WSL (2)
- Enabling automatic restart for UWP applications
- New tablet experience for 2-in-1 convertible PCs
- Reset the PC from the cloud (download or local)
- Notepad improvements
- Other features
I am sure that many features have been deployed. Language-related functionality, minor accessibility changes are not included in the list.
1]Cortana application and skills
Cortana is now a standalone application that is free from the taskbar and is not deeply integrated into Windows Search. When you click on it, it opens a floating window in which you can ask questions, open Windows settings and in case Cortana finds nothing, you get a search prompt on Bing. Here is the list of skills available with Cortana
- Skills by email
- Send email to
- Show me the emails from
- Send email to
- Calendar skills
- Create and query meetings
- Join the Microsoft Teams meeting
- Windows skills
Application settings
- Confidentiality: clear history, access the confidentiality dashboard and possibility of dissociating the account
- Toggle Wake word
- Preferred input mode when called using Win + C
Finally, Cortana is not linked to the same Microsoft account as your PC. You can connect any account and get a different experience. However, it is still part of the main operating system because you cannot uninstall it.
2]Windows Search Improvements
When you click on the search box or use Win + S, you get the improved search box, which offers two features in advance. Quick access to the best applications and quick searches. These include weather, news, market, etc. Some features still don’t appear, and Microsoft needs to flip the switch, that is, it’s still being deployed. Although the frame is ready, you may not see them all immediately.
Along with that, the research experience also includes:
- The improved spellchecking for application and parameter searches ensures that typos also return the corresponding results. Available for English now.
- Associated search result to help clarify why the best result does not exactly match your query
3]Improved disk usage for Windows search
Not only has research become smarter, but it also takes less time on storage, especially if you have a mechanical hard drive. Windows also uses an algorithm that detects high disk usage and activity. It helps Windows to identify the maximum usage hours and manage the indexer accordingly. Based on specific criteria, indexing will stop processing to reduce the load, especially on laptops. This can be the battery, high CPU usage, or anything that can have a significant impact on the overall user experience. Here is the complete list of signals used:
- Game mode is activated
- The energy saving mode is activated.
- Low consumption mode is activated (forced mode or connected standby)
- The device wakes up after being in low power mode or in connection state.
- The device changes from AC> DC.
- CPU usage exceeds 80%
- Disk usage exceeds 70%
- The device’s battery charge is less than 50%
- The display status of the device goes off.
According to a survey by Windows Insiders, users turned off Indexer for many reasons. The top four reasons included protecting the SSD from wear and tear, high CPU usage, general performance issues, and a bad reputation for researching previous versions.
4]Task manager: GPU temperature and storage type
Task Manager can now reveal GPU temperature and storage type. GPU temperature detection works with dedicated GPUs that support WWDM 2.4 or higher. Although I see GPU in the Task Manager, but there is data for the temperature, which means that the CPU does not support it. So if you can’t find it, you now know the reason.
Regarding the storage type, under Disk you can see the storage type. It is available at the bottom right under Details of the page file.
5]Monitors with different refresh rates
An update to the desktop window manager ensures that if you have multiple monitors with different refresh rates, Windows does not close or display frame breaks. Instead, it uses hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling to match it. It is obvious that pilots play an important role in this and should support this functionality.
6]Windows subsystem improvements for Linux / WSL (2)
- Connect to Linux WSL 2 networking applications using localhost
- Global configuration options for WSL
- You must specify options for the WSL 2 virtual machine (VM) because all WSL 2 distributions run inside the same virtual machine.
- You can also specify a custom Linux kernel
7]Enabling automatic restart for UWP applications
Some applications can be configured to restart after the computer is brought back online. It helps to get back to the same place you were the last time. You can now choose to control whether this happens or not and is enabled for UWP applications.
- Go to Settings> Accounts> Sign-in options
- Activate “Automatically save my applications that can be restarted when I log out and restart them after I connect.” under “Restart applications”.
- Start one or more UWP applications, such as Feedback Hub, then sign out, then sign back in to Windows.
- Note that the Feedback Hub application restarts itself minimized
It makes sure that these applications do not take all the resources that slow down the computer.
8]New tablet experience for 2-in-1 convertible PCs
- Increased spacing between taskbar icons in Windows 10 tablet mode
- The search area of the taskbar can be reduced to an icon.
- File Explorer switches to an optimized touch layout.
- Automatically tap the keyboard when you tap text fields.
- Tablet mode settings allow you to quickly switch between PC mode and tablet mode when you fold and unfold the device
9]Reset the PC from the cloud (download or local)
Reinstall or reset Windows 10 from the cloud was introduced in the latest feature update, and with this update it’s now possible to choose download Windows or use local reinstallation. Some PCs have a local installation available in the recovery partition, and this functionality can make use of it.
The option can be changed in the additional settings screen where you can choose to restore applications and download Windows. If you don’t have broadband internet, you can turn it off, but if your internet is working fine, use the download option.
Note: The option is somewhat confusing, as it is as nutritional as local resettlement.
ten]Notepad improvements
- Notepad supports wraparound search / replace, text zoom, line numbers with word wrapping
- New Notepad Shortcuts
- Ctrl + Shift + N will open a new Notepad window
- Ctrl + Shift + S will open the “Save As” dialog
- Ctrl + W will close the current Notepad window
- Ctrl + Backspace to delete the previous word
- MAX_PATH is now increased to 260 characters for the file path
- Arrow keys now correctly deselect text, then move the cursor
12]Other features
- In addition to the PIN and password, Safe Mode now also supports Windows Hello.
- Bluetooth quick pairing notification for supported devices, which includes pairing directly from the notification panel with a close button.
- The use of data is visible from the start for any connected network.
- The virtual desktops and their custom names are retained after the restart.
- Has the Kaomoji list been updated with new ones? (?? _?) ?? | ? (????) | (? _?) | (? ~ ??? °) | ? _ ?? | (? ^ o ^) ??? | / ?????
- The Xbox game bar now displays the FPS counter and the success overlay.
- Select and install multiple optional features at the same time
- Set the speed of the mouse cursor in the settings
- You can put the calculator in always on mode.
- Efficient reading experience when reading messages in Outlook or Windows Mail using Narrator
- Create a calendar event from the taskbar by clicking on the date
- Without password with Microsoft accounts using Windows Hello.
I hope the post was able to help you understand all the important features that are deployed with Windows 10 v2004 or the May 2020 update for Windows 10.