Windows 10 is a major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system.
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Windows 10 is a major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system.
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Windows 10 receives new builds on an ongoing basis, which are available at no additional cost to users, in addition to additional test builds of Windows 10, which are available to Windows Insiders.
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Windows 10 received generally positive reviews upon its original release.
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Critics praised Microsoft's decision to provide the desktop-oriented interface in line with previous versions of Windows, contrasting the tablet-oriented approach of Windows 8, although Windows 10's touch-oriented user interface mode was criticized for containing regressions upon the touch-oriented interface of its predecessor.
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Microsoft initially aimed to have Windows 10 installed on over one billion devices within three years of its release; that goal was ultimately reached almost five years after release on March 16, 2020, and is by now most used version in virtually all countries.
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Windows 10 is the final version of Windows which supports 32-bit processors and devices with BIOS firmware.
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In December 2013, technology writer Mary Jo Foley reported that Microsoft was working on an update to Windows 10 8 codenamed "Threshold", after a planet in its Halo franchise.
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Windows 10's stated that one of the goals for Threshold was to create a unified application platform and development toolkit for Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox One.
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Myerson said that Windows 10 would be Microsoft's "most comprehensive platform ever", providing a single, unified platform for desktop and laptop computers, tablets, smartphones, and all-in-one devices.
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Windows 10 emphasized that Windows 10 would take steps towards restoring user interface mechanics from Windows 7 to improve the experience for users on non-touch devices, noting criticism of Windows 8's touch-oriented interface by keyboard and mouse users.
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At the 2015 Ignite conference, Microsoft employee Jerry Nixon stated that Windows 10 would be the "last version of Windows", a statement that Microsoft confirmed was "reflective" of its view of the operating system being a "service" with new versions and updates to be released over time.
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In 2021, however, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 would be succeeded on compatible hardware by Windows 11–and that Windows 10 support will end on October 14, 2025.
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The commercials focused on the tagline "A more human way to do", emphasizing new features and technologies supported by Windows 10 that sought to provide a more "personal" experience to users.
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Windows 10 makes its user experience and functionality more consistent between different classes of device and addresses most of the shortcomings in the user interface that were introduced in Windows 8.
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Windows 10 introduced the Microsoft Edge web browser, a virtual desktop system, a window and desktop management feature called Task View, support for fingerprint and face recognition login, new security features for enterprise environments, and.
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ARM version of Windows 10 allows running applications for x86 processors through 32-bit software emulation.
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Desktop software distributed through Windows 10 Store is packaged using the App-V system to allow sandboxing.
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Windows 10 is designed to adapt its user interface based on the type of device being used and available input methods.
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When Windows 10 was first introduced, multi-factor authentication was provided by two components: Windows Hello and Passport.
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Windows 10 includes a function in its Settings app that allows users to view a breakdown of how their device's storage capacity is being used by different types of files, and determine whether certain types of files are saved to internal storage or an SD card by default.
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Many of its features are a direct carryover from Windows 10 Phone, including integration with Bing, setting reminders, a Notebook feature for managing personal information, as well as searching for files, playing music, launching applications and setting reminders or sending emails.
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Windows 10 offers the Wi-Fi Sense feature originating from Windows Phone 8.
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Universal calling and messaging apps for Windows 10 are built in as of the November 2015 update: Messaging, Skype Video, and Phone.
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Windows 10 allows users to control and play games from an Xbox One console over a local network.
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Windows 10 adds native game recording and screenshot capture ability using the newly introduced Game Bar.
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Windows 10 adds FLAC and HEVC codecs and support for the Matroska media container, allowing these formats to be opened in Windows Media Player and other applications.
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Windows 10 adds three new default typefaces compared to Windows 8, but omits several others.
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Windows 10 is available in five main editions for personal computing devices; the Home and Pro editions of which are sold at retail in most countries, and as pre-loaded software on new computers.
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Each edition of Windows 10 includes all of the capabilities and features of the edition below it, and add additional features oriented towards their market segments; for example, Pro adds additional networking and security features such as BitLocker, Device Guard, Windows Update for Business, and the ability to join a domain.
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Public beta program for Windows 1010 known as the Windows 10 Insider Program began with the first publicly available preview release on October 1, 2014.
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On July 29, 2015, Microsoft officially announced that Windows 10 would be released for retail purchase as a free upgrade from earlier versions of Windows.
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General availability build of Windows 1010, numbered 10240, was first released to Windows 10 Insider channels for pre-launch testing on July 15, 2015, prior to its formal release.
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Windows 10 was available in 190countries and 111 languages upon its launch, and as part of efforts to "re-engage" with users in China, Microsoft announced that it would partner with Qihoo and Tencent to help promote and distribute Windows10 in China, and that Chinese PC maker Lenovo would provide assistance at its service centers and retail outlets for helping users upgrade to Windows10.
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New devices shipping with Windows 1010 were released during the operating system's launch window.
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Instead, the license status of the system's current installation of Windows 10 is migrated, and a "Digital license" is generated during the activation process, which is bound to the hardware information collected during the process.
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Original release of Windows 10 receives mainstream support for five years after its original release, followed by five years of extended support, but this is subject to conditions.
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Windows 10 is often described by Microsoft as being a "service", as it receives regular "feature updates" that contain new features and other updates and fixes.
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Each build of Windows 10 is supported for 18 months after its original release.
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Terry Myerson stated that Microsoft did not want to make further investments in optimizing older versions of Windows 10 and associated software for newer generations of processors.
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The 32-bit variants of Windows 10 will remain available via non-OEM channels, and Microsoft will continue to "[provide] feature and security updates on these devices".
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Windows 10 received generally positive reviews, with most reviewers considering it superior to its predecessor Windows 8.
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TechRadar felt that it could be "the new Windows 10 7", citing the operating system's more familiar user interface, improvements to bundled apps, performance improvements, a "rock solid" search system, and the Settings app being more full-featured than its equivalents on8 and8.
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In conclusion, it was argued that "Windows 1010 delivers the most refined desktop experience ever from Microsoft, and yet it's so much more than that.
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Up to August 2016, Windows 10 usage was increasing, with it then plateauing, while eventually in 2018, it became more popular than Windows 7.
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On January 4, 2016, Microsoft reported that Windows 1010 had been activated on over 200million devices since the operating system's launch in July 2015.
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Iceland was the first country where Windows 10 was ranked first, with several larger European countries following.
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For one week in late November 2016, Windows 10 overtook first rank from Windows 7 in the United States, before losing it again.
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Windows 10 Home is permanently set to download all updates automatically, including cumulative updates, security patches, and drivers, and users cannot individually select updates to install or not.
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Gartner analyst felt that Windows 10 Pro was becoming increasingly inappropriate for use in enterprise environments because of support policy changes by Microsoft, including consumer-oriented upgrade lifecycle length, and only offering extended support for individual builds to Enterprise and Education editions of Windows 10.
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Microsoft was criticized for the tactics that it used to promote its free upgrade campaign for Windows 10, including adware-like behaviors, using deceptive user interfaces to coax users into installing the operating system, downloading installation files without user consent, and making it difficult for users to suppress the advertising and notifications if they did not wish to upgrade to 10.
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In October 2015, Windows 10 began to appear as an "Optional" update on the Windows Update interface, but pre-selected for installation on some systems.
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Shortly after the suit was reported on by the Seattle Times, Microsoft confirmed it was updating the GWX software to add more explicit options for opting out of a free Windows 10 upgrade; the final notification was a full-screen pop-up window notifying users of the impending end of the free upgrade offer, and contained "Remind me later", "Do not notify me again" and "Notify me three more times" as options.
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In late-July 2020, Windows 10 Defender began to classify modifications of the hosts file that block Microsoft telemetry servers as being a severe security risk.
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