In case you missed the memo, Microsoft started rolling out the Windows 10 Creators Update last week. The feature update moves the OS up to version 1703 and introduced myriad new features. While the new functionality has been much discussed, Microsoft also made the platform more accessible to IT professionals.
Of course, making changes to OS core policies through a new update is not unusual. However, with Windows 10 Creators Update, Microsoft has sought to make it easier for organizations to upgrade their OS.
Enterprise is Microsoft’s biggest Windows market, making admins an important user base. Indeed, the company can only reach its lofty goal of Windows 10 on a billion machines with significant enterprise adoption.
Ok, that goal is unlikely to ever be met, but the fact remains businesses migrating to Windows 10 are hugely important to Microsoft. By improving the Settings app to work better for companies, Microsoft hopes Windows 10 will be more accessible.
Windows 10 already moved towards an easier method with the dedicated Settings app. This allowed a user-friendly experience that replaced the Control Panel. However, IT admins often need more detailed settings.
It is worth noting that the Control Panel has never been removed, but the Settings app is the default. Microsoft is now giving admins a way to hide the Settings app. This can be achieved through Group Policies, although the process is only of real interest to admins.
Benefits
The clear positive of this move is that it gives admins more control over their settings. More importantly, an organization can make sure some settings are not available to selected users. This is customizable and can be rolled out to chosen PCs.
Needless to say, this ability is only available for the Windows 10 Creators Update. Microsoft is making another play for organizations to upgrade to the newer platform. Millions of companies still run on Windows 7 and even Windows XP.
While the new settings abilities are not reason enough to upgrade on their own, Microsoft’s changes through Windows 10’s life certainly give business customers plenty of new security abilities.
