Earlier this week, Microsoft officially announced the update of Windows 10 version 21H1 and it will be introduced to consumers in the first half of this year. Like the October 2020 update (20H2), this new update also has a minimal range of features, general improvements, and bug fixes.
Windows 10 version 21H1 is essentially based on version 2004 and version 20H2, and it is delivered via a power-on package. It’s not a great version and it does not bring the operating system to the fore, but reports indicate that new features and improvements to the user interface will be introduced later this year as part of the ‘Sun Valley’ update.
Microsoft says that this update is accompanied by quality improvements that should improve the overall user experience. It’s also likely that existing features will be enhanced with ‘Windows Feature Experience Packs’, which is a new way to update and improve the operating system without major feature updates.
Windows 10 version 21H1 enable package
Based on references spotted by BleepingComputer, Microsoft is slowly adding all the features / enhancements to Windows 10 May 2020 Update and October 2020 Update via the monthly cumulative updates. This will enable Microsoft to implement the 21H1 “enable package”, which serves as a “main switch” that only turns on sleep features, such as the new Windows Hello setting.
To get the update through the plug-in package, Microsoft says users should use Windows 10 version 2004 or version 20H2 with the latest cumulative updates. After installing the cumulative updates, you can download the feature update via Institutions > Update and security > ‘Download now and install it“.
Here is a list of all new features / enhancements included with this feature update
Support for Windows Hello multi-camera
Microsoft has introduced a new feature for Windows Hello Face that allows users to set a multi-camera setting for Windows 10’s biometric face recognition.
With the new feature, you can now set up an external camera as the default for Windows Hello, when both an internal and an external camera are on the same device.
Security enhancements
In this version, Windows Defender Application Guard enhances performance improvements, which should result in a noticeable increase in speed when opening certain documents.
For enterprises, Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Group Policy Service (GPSVC) is updated with performance improvement.
These changes are designed to support remote work scenarios, and Microsoft also promises ‘the best possible update experience’ to help people and organizations stay protected and productive during the pandemic.
How to test the update now
The version 21H1 update is currently available for those in the Insider program, so the easiest and safest way to download and install the following feature update is to join and sign in to the Windows Insider program for the Release Preview Channel.
If you are a member of the Windows Insider program (connect to it from the Microsoft website), you can now download and install version 21H1:
- Open the Start menu or Windows Search.
- Open Settings.
- Navigate to Update & Security> Windows Insider Program or simply search for ‘Windows Insider Program Settings’ on Cortana to skip the navigation steps.
- Click Get Started on the Windows Insider page.
- Link your Microsoft account (email should be the one you used to sign in to the Insider program earlier).
- You can access the Release Preview channel by selecting ‘Net fixes, apps and drivers’ option. This option is also known as ‘Release Preview’.