Windows 10 setup could get its biggest change in years

(Image credit: Future)

Windows 10 is testing new options for when users first set up the operating system, so for example gamers can have their system more tailored to their gaming needs right from the off.

This change has been brought in with preview build 20231 which is currently being evaluated in the dev channel, although note that only a small number of Windows Insiders will see this new option screen to begin with.

Microsoft notes that this is something folks have asked for in its blog post: “Based on feedback, we’re exploring adding a page to Windows setup (OOBE) to help better understand how you plan to use your device and aid in customizing your device given your intended usage.”

The language seems to imply that Microsoft isn’t fully confident that this will become a final piece of the Windows 10 puzzle, seeing as it’s only ‘exploring’ the idea at the moment.

But if it comes to fruition, users will be able to pick the main usage for their Windows 10 machine at setup. As it stands, the available categories are: Gaming, Family, Creativity, Schoolwork, Entertainment, Business.

With Gaming selected, it seems that your Windows 10 PC will be tuned for better playing games, and flagging up new releases, although exactly how this will work and what changes will be made under the hood isn’t clear at this point.

Windows 10 new setup experience

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Still to be fleshed out

And indeed in this preview build, there’s no actual meat behind the new screen, meaning that no matter what you choose, you won’t see any difference after the initial setup experience. Currently, the setup experience itself will offer different options, mind you, depending on what you choose; however, those choices just won’t make any odds afterwards.

That’s the main change with this new preview build, although there are various other changes and small fixes as you’d expect, including the rollout of a tweak whereby the details of your GPU will be present under Settings > System > About (only some Insiders will see this to begin with, as with the above change).

Enterprises will also benefit from better management options in terms of default file associations, with Windows 10 allowing for the modifying of file associations on a per-user or per-device basis.

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

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