This release reconfirms the support for MSIX that Microsoft announced with Windows 10 SDK build 17704 earlier this month. Applications can be packed in MSIX on Windows 10 SDK for any device running build 17682 or later. Build 17713 of the SDK Preview also double down on the updates to added to the C/C++ ETW code generation of mc.exe (Message Compiler). However, Microsoft expands on the details behind this change: “This update introduces many improvements and fixes for C++/WinRT. Notably, it introduces the ability to build C++/WinRT without any dependency on the Windows SDK. This isn’t particularly interesting to the OS developer, but even in the OS repo it provides benefits because it doesn’t include any Windows headers. Thus, a developer will typically pull in fewer or no dependencies inadvertently. This also means a dramatic reduction in the number of macros that a C++/WinRT developer must guard against. Removing the dependency on the Windows headers means that C++/WinRT is more portable and standards compliant, and furthers our efforts to make it a cross-compiler and cross-platform library. It also means that the C++/WinRT headers will never be mangled by macros.” As always, you can head to Microsoft’s blog post to see the full list of API changes. It is also worth remembering this is a preview build so will only work with Windows 10 builds on the Inside.
New ISOs Coming Soon
In other Windows 10 news, Microsoft seems to be preparing to release new ISOs. For Windows Insiders, ISOs allow them to essentially start again with the newest preview release. However, Microsoft has not updated ISO files since March. That may be about to change as the company has placed a “Coming Soon” message on the Advanced Preview download section of the Windows Insider Program.
