Microsoft releases new Windows 10 preview with Maps improvements and USB Audio 2.0 support

Microsoft today released a new Windows 10 preview for PCs. This build doesn’t have any notable new features, but there is an updated Maps app, support for the texting feature via the Skype Preview released last week, and native support for USB Audio 2.0.

Windows 10 is a service. As we wrote in our deep dive on how Microsoft is still building Windows 10, this means Windows Insiders are getting new builds even though the operating system launched in July 2015. The most recent significant update is the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, released last month.

The Maps app now lets you check the traffic to Home or Work at any time. Just tap the Traffic icon in the app bar, and you’ll see traffic conditions to those two locations, along with your most recently viewed traffic cameras. The Maps app now also follows your system setting for theme preference of light or dark mode.

This build features native support for USB Audio 2.0 devices with an inbox class driver. This is an early version, so it doesn’t have all features enabled. Only playback (render) is supported; recording (capture) support is scheduled to arrive in later iterations.

The desktop build includes the following improvements and bug fixes:

• Fixed: the issue causing users to experience a black screen when signing out and switching to another user account and being unable to log into that account.
• Fixed: the issue causing the built-in Windows 10 apps such as Calculator, Alarms & Clock, and Voice Recorder to not work after updating to a new build.

Today’s update bumps the Windows 10 build number for PCs from 14926  (made available to testers on September 14) to build 14931.

This build has five known issues:

• While using Narrator and Groove Music, if you navigate to the progress bar while a song is playing, Narrator will continually speak the progress of the song — e.g. update with the current time of the progress bar every second. The result is that you will be unable to listen to the song or hear any other control you navigate to.
• Oracle VM VirtualBox will crash on launch after you upgrade to this build.
• Optional components may not work after upgrading to this build. To get it working again, go to “Turn Windows features on or off,” scroll down and check the right optional component, and click ok. After a reboot, the optional component will be enabled again.
• For keyboard users, using “tab” to navigate the Settings app will not work in this build. The arrow keys should work as a temporary workaround.
• Tencent apps and games will cause your PC to bugcheck (bluescreen).

If you’re OK with the above known issues and want to get build 14931 now, head to PC Settings, select “Update and recovery,” then “Preview builds,” and then click the “Check Now” button.