Windows 10 version 1909: new and changed features

[harlan4096]

Microsoft has yet to reveal the release date for Windows 10 version 1909, a new feature update for Windows 10 that does not have many of the characteristics of a feature update. It is expected to be released in October 2019 via Windows Update and other updating systems.

Windows 10 version 1909, it is also called 19H2 meaning second half of 2019, will be delivered unlike any other feature update up to this point. Microsoft plans to push it to devices like any other cumulative update for the operating system which means that there will be less downtime and interruption when installing the update.

We expect it to be similar to a large cumulative update that Microsoft releases on the second Tuesday of each month.

One reason for releasing Windows 10 version 1909 as a cumulative update is that Microsoft focused development on the first feature update of 2020 instead. Windows 10 version 1909 puts the focus on bug fixes and under-the-hood changes for the most part but there are some new features that it includes.

Windows 10 version 1909 Features

File Explorer Search: OneDrive integration

Microsoft changed the search experience of the default file manager File Explorer in Windows 10 version 1909. Windows users who are signed in to a OneDrive account may get OneDrive results when they run searches in File Explorer.

File Explorer suggests offline (local) and online files when users type into the search field in the file manager. Files can be launched with a single-click on the name in the suggestions box and you can also open the location by right-clicking on the item instead.

Users who just want to run a local file search can hit the Enter-key to do just that.

Note: I could not get the new search functionality to return any online results on a Windows 10 version 1909 test system that I set up. Microsoft announced in May that it would roll out the feature gradually to users. It is possible that part of the users who upgrade to Windows 10 version 1909 won't have it right from the get-go.
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