Tech Advisor - UK (2020-01)

JANUARY 2020 • TECH ADVISOR 61

essentially finalized, and has been released to the

Windows 10 Insider ‘Release Preview’ ring. Here are

some of the features you can expect to see in the 19H2

update, based on our time with the Windows Insider

previews that were released just before launch.

File Explorer integrates

with Windows Search

In the early days of Windows 10, files stored on

OneDrive were considered separate from files stored

on your PC. Later, Microsoft allowed file syncing

between your PC and OneDrive – first with actual files,

then as Files on Demand ‘placeholders’ that won’t take

up any additional space on a local drive. Search has

historically bridged the gap between the cloud and

your PC; even on older versions of Windows, searching

‘This PC’ collectively searches files stored in your

OneDrive cloud as well as on your PC.

Poring though all those files, though, takes time. The

Windows 10 November 2019 Update speeds that up

somewhat. Because Windows Search now indexes your

PC, the act of typing a file name within File Explorer

should instantly bring up a list of search-engine-like

suggested results, such as the ‘Lenovo’ suggestions

that began appearing as I typed ‘Len’. Those

suggestions instantly load the file they link to.

Windows appears to prioritize recent searches

to populate the list, which is useful. And you could

argue that search performance has increased as a

result, because the ‘instant’ search results are indeed

instantaneous. Unfortunately, only certain results are

cached, and Windows still had to perform a full search

JANUARY 2020 • TECH ADVISOR 61

essentially finalized, and has been released to the
Windows 10 Insider ‘Release Preview’ ring. Here are
some of the features you can expect to see in the 19H2
update, based on our time with the Windows Insider
previews that were released just before launch.

File Explorer integrates
with Windows Search
In the early days of Windows 10, files stored on
OneDrivewereconsideredseparatefromfilesstored
onyour PC. Later, Microsoft allowed file syncing
between your PC and OneDrive – first with actual files,
then as Files on Demand ‘placeholders’ that won’t take
up any additional space on a local drive. Search has
historically bridged the gap between the cloud and
your PC; even on older versions of Windows, searching
‘This PC’ collectively searches files stored in your
OneDrive cloud as well as on your PC.
Poring though all those files, though, takes time. The
Windows 10 November 2019 Update speeds that up
somewhat. Because Windows Search now indexes your
PC, the act of typing a file name within File Explorer
should instantly bring up a list of search-engine-like
suggested results, such as the ‘Lenovo’ suggestions
that began appearing as I typed ‘Len’. Those
suggestions instantly load the file they link to.
Windows appears to prioritize recent searches
to populate the list, which is useful. And you could
argue that search performance has increased as a
result, because the ‘instant’ search results are indeed
instantaneous. Unfortunately, only certain results are
cached, and Windows still had to perform a full search