Today’s release of Windows 10, version 1607—also referred to as the Windows 10 Anniversary Update—continues our commitment to productivity, security, and privacy for all customers. You can read about the improvements for end users in the Windows Experience Blog.
Windows 10, version 1607 also offers a variety of new features and functionality for IT pros, such as:
- Windows Information Protection (WIP), which helps to protect enterprise apps and data on enterprise-owned and personal devices against potential data leakage without otherwise interfering with the user experience.
- Improvements to Windows Hello for Business, which now includes both Windows Hello and Microsoft Passport.
- Simplified provisioningwith Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer (ICD), and the ability to install Windows ICD with the full Windows Assessment Deployment Kit (Windows ADK), or by itself.
- The ability to connect to a remote PC that is joined to Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).
- Improved taskbar management, including the ability to add and remove pinned apps from the taskbar as an administrator, while still allowing users to pin/unpin apps and change the order of pinned apps on the taskbar after the enterprise configuration is applied.
- Expanded mobile device management (MDM) capabilities.
- Shared PC mode, which optimizes Windows 10 for shared use scenarios, such as touchdown spaces in an enterprise or temporary customer use in a retail business.
- The inclusion of App-V and UE-V as Windows features (instead of inclusion in MDOP, which required a separate download and installation).
- Windows Defender enhancements, including the release of Windows Defender Offline (which allows you to run offline scans), Block at First Sight (which dramatically improves detection times for new malware), enhanced notifications, and potentially unwanted application (PUA) detection.
For more details, see What’s new in Windows 10, version 1607.
In addition, with Windows 10, version 1607, we are introducing two editions designed for the unique needs of K-12 institutions: Windows 10 Pro Education and Windows 10 Education. These editions provide education-specific default settings for the evolving landscape in K-12 education IT environments. For step-by-step guides to help you deploy Windows 10 to devices in an education environment, see Windows deployment for education.
Today’s release of Windows 10, version 1607 is initially considered the Current Branch (CB) and will become Current Branch for Business (CBB) in about four months from today. For a list of Windows 10 versions by servicing option, see Windows 10 release information. For more information about these servicing options, see Windows 10 servicing options for updates and upgrades. Windows 10, version 1607 is our third Windows 10 feature update released. Based on feedback from organizations moving to Windows 10, this will be our last feature update for 2016, with
two additional feature updates expected in 2017.
How, and when, can I obtain Windows 10, version 1607?- Windows 10, version 1607 is available for download today from the Volume Licensing Service Center (for Volume License customers) and from the MSDN Subscriptions Center (for Visual Studio/MSDN subscribers).
- If you have already deployed Windows 10, you can get the Windows 10, version 1607 update today from Windows Update or Windows Update for Business.
- If you have already deployed Windows 10 and use Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and/or System Center Configuration Manager servicing plans, you can get the Windows 10, version 1607 update on August 16th.
- If you haven’t yet deployed Windows 10 in your organization, you can download the latest Windows 10 Enterprise Evaluation to test Windows 10, version 1607 free for 90 days.
- Windows 10 Enterprise Long-Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) 2016 media will be available beginning October 1st.
We have also updated the Windows Assessment and Development Kit (Windows ADK). To download the Windows ADK for Windows 10, version 1607, visit the Hardware Dev Center.
We hope you enjoy the improvements we’ve made in this latest update, many of which are the direct result of the feedback we’ve received from early adopters and users around the world. To provide your feedback on how we can improve the features and functionality of Windows moving forward, and to get access to early preview builds, join the Windows Insider Program.
