Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Now Rolling Out: How to Download

Microsoft on Tuesday, October 17 announced the start of the rollout of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709). Alongside, Microsoft announced the first mixed reality headsets are now available to buy, and introduced the Surface Book 2 laptop (more on that elsewhere).

Machines that come preloaded with Windows 10 will be the first to receive Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. However, the new version will gradually roll out to other devices as well. You can manually get the Fall Creators Update on your system by using the Update Assistant from Microsoft's Software Download site. If you don't want to go through the manual way, you can wait for Windows Update to do its job when the update becomes available for your Windows 10 machine.

In the blog post, Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President, Windows and Devices Group, said, "Today, we deliver the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update offering breakthroughs in creativity - from bringing mixed reality and 3D to the masses, to faster broadcasting for gaming, to turning photos and videos into real memories, and so much more. The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update can be experienced on a wide variety of Windows 10 PCs and on a range of Windows Mixed Reality headsets available for the first time today. We believe the PC is the ultimate canvas for creativity and can empower people to create like never before. This is why we are building Surface to be the ultimate laptop and are delighted to introduce the Surface Book 2, the most powerful Surface yet."

The new Windows update will bring features like a Fluent Design System and a smarter and better Windows Defender. But, what all does it have in store for you?

The first massive development that comes with Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is the Fluent Design System. Codenamed Project Neon, the new design language is touted to be a "significant step forward in re-envisioning the way" for cross-platform apps. There are five fundamentals, called light, depth, motion, materials and scale, which all give space for rich apps that can scale continuously.

Notably, the fundamentals use the available hardware to make Windows 10 a more form-factor friendly platform. "Fluent Design enables the creation of more expressive and engaging experiences that work continuously across devices -- from large screens, to small screens, to no screen-all in a way that will drive higher engagement and love for your apps," Microsoft's Corporate Vice President for Windows Developer division Kevin Gallo wrote while explaining the new design language in a blog post.

In addition to the Fluent Design System, Microsoft has developed Story Remix that allows you to mix photos, videos, music, text and 3D objects to produce personalised video content. You can also use some advanced editing features to 'anchor' text or change the background audio with your favourite track. The Windows 10 update will also include a cloud-powered Clipboard that will let you access the text you copied on your Windows 10 directly on your Android or iOS devices.

Microsoft has built OneDrive Files On-Demand that will help you access your files live, without downloading them locally. This feature is certainly vital if you are running out of space on your device but can also be useful in case you want to work on some unedited documents. The cloud Clipboard also helps quickly move data between devices.

Among the other notable features, the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update also brings a more advanced Windows Defender. The Redmond giant is using some "behind the scenes cloud intelligence" that is claimed to protect you against ransomware and exploits. This technology upgrade would reduce the instances of security breaches to some extent. Other improvements include better Windows Ink, with the ability to ink directly into PDFs, and Smart Ink.

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update users can also look forward to better battery life (on laptops and tablets), improvements in performance, enhanced Game Mode, and the new Eye Control feature.