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Microsoft Rolls Out Windows 10 RS4 Preview Build 17046 to Insiders

By Brian Burgess

Updated July 27, 2021

Microsoft on Wednesday released Redstone 4 Preview Build 17046 to Insiders in the Fast Ring. Here is a look at what you can expect.

Microsoft on Wednesday released Redstone 4 Preview Build 17046 to Insiders in the Fast Ring. This build comes after last week’s Build 17040, and this one includes many improvements and some new features. Here is a look at what you can expect.

Windows 10 RS4 Preview Build 17046

There are a few new improvements to Microsoft Edge to note, like the ability to save form information such as your address, email, and phone number. Any form of data you save can be synced between other Windows 10 devices. Also, in Reading View, you have the ability to adjust the text spacing in an article or blog.

New improvements to the Windows Shell include advanced access to UWP app options directly from the Start menu. You no longer need to navigate through Settings and App Features to get to advanced options. Now you can right-click on the UWP app tile from Start and get there more quickly.

The company is continuing to make advancements in the input experience. And, because the world can’t live without Emoji, it has been overhauled in this build for the touch keyboard, and 150 languages have been added. It also includes predictive emoji based on the text you’re typing. Plus, you can now use an Emoji Panel to insert multiple emoji at once.

Here is a list of the other improvements and fixes you can expect in this Windows 10 Redstone 4 preview build:

• We’ve added settings that let you view and manage your activity history, which Cortana uses to let you pick up where you left off. Find these settings in Settings > Privacy > Activity history.
• We fixed an issue where the Properties dialog for This PC in File Explorer wasn’t working in the last two builds.
• We fixed an issue resulting in Insiders with certain third-party antiviruses and OneDrive Files on Demand enabled seeing an error in recent builds citing “OneDrive cannot connect to Windows”.
• We fixed an issue that could result in delays during logoff and shutdown when a UWP app was open and in suspended state.
• We fixed a community reported issue where display colors became distorted after upgrading on some TV’s and monitors that incorrectly advertised support for 10/12 bit wire formats.
• We fixed an issue from the previous flight that could cause heavily-threaded DirectX 12 apps to crash on launch after the first launch.
• We’ve adjusted the application of acrylic in the touch keyboard to better align with the fluent design standards.
• We fixed an issue where keys might remain highlighted when typing on the wide touch keyboard layout.
• We fixed an issue where keys might be dropped when typing with the Chinese (Simplified) touch keyboard.
• We fixed an issue where when writing a long sentence in the handwriting panel it might scroll while your pen was writing, resulting in an ink stroke across the panel.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the hardware keyboard text suggestions potentially not working until the touch keyboard had been launched once.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the mouse noticeably flickering between + and the mouse pointer icon when moving across cells in Excel 2016.
• We fixed an issue resulting in some Insiders seeing their Start menu layout being reset after upgrading to the previous flight.
• We fixed an issue resulting in miniview windows (for example in Movies & TV or Skype) flying offscreen when attempting to be resized in the last few flights.
• We fixed an issue where clicking search results for settings in Settings in the last few flights would always take you to the top level category in the last few flights, rather than the actual category you searched for (for example, Display Settings instead of Storage Settings).

Of course, with all preview builds there are known issues in this build. You can see the full list on Dona Sarkar’s blog post. It’s also worth noting that Microsoft is encouraging Insiders to sign up for the Office Insider Program, too. According to Sarkar: “We’re going to be partnering with the Office Insider Team in the coming weeks to promote some fun and interesting scenarios that will be lighting up with new features in Insider Preview builds.”

If you’re an Insider, leave a comment below and let us know how your experience with this latest build has been over the long holiday weekend.