Windows 10 Preview build 10159 supports Microsoft Surface 3: time to give it a try!
When Windows Surface 3 users first learned that Windows 10 Preview was going to take a little longer to support their device, the news must have felt like a knot in their stomachs. From a stability and performance standpoint, Windows 8.1 wasn’t horrible, in fact it has been one of the most stable and reliable Windows operating systems commercially available, after Windows 7. Alas, due to some flawed key UI choices that completely backfired, windows 8.1 is now the operating system that everyone loves to hate.
The good news is, Windows 10 Preview Build 10159, not only is the most polished and stable build yet: it also, and finally, supports Microsoft Surface 3!
The announcement was merely a tiny stub in Gabe Aul’s blog post, letting Surface 3 users know that the compatibility issues preventing users from upgrading to Windows 10, have been fixed, along with some added enhancements in the way of battery life, for the Surface Pro 3.
According to a Microsoft Surface support document, several enhancements have been added, specific to Microsoft Surface 3:
- Improved experience while using the Surface Cover.
- Enhanced audio performance and improved audio experience on Surface 3.
- New functionality with the Surface app, available for free in the Windows Store.
- Enhanced image and video quality while using camera.
- Improved display stability and graphics performance.
- Improved system stability and the Wi-Fi connectivity experience, and increased network download performance.
If you own a Surface 3 and can’t wait to try the latest Windows 10 build, Microsoft has made upgrading from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 a relatively straightforward process.
Step 1: get a Microsoft account
Having a Microsoft account, as many PC users who are already running Windows 10 Preview, has numerous perks, including the ability to sign in automatically into all Microsoft services available.
Step 2: sign up for a Windows Insider account
Once an active Microsoft account exists, signing up for a Windows Insider account is relatively painless. Simple head over to insider.windows.com, click on “Get Started”, and follow directions. Early on, we published a thorough guide of the entire process of upgrading to Windows 10 Preview, including how to run it from a virtual machine.
Step 3: Upgrade
The upgrade process from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 requires a small file to be downloaded from the Windows Insider page, which will automatically setup the system to display a Windows 10 option, directly in Windows Update. Selecting the option will start the download process of Windows 10, and subsequent automated installation. From that point forward, the setup process will go through a series of update sessions and restarts, requiring no user intervention at all.
At the end of the update, users will find windows 10, with all their settings and apps, just the way they had them in Windows 8.1, but with a brand new interface that truly makes sense on their device.
Ye Olde Windows, where art thou?
Once the update is complete, a quick browse through the file manager will reveal that the old Windows 8.1 installation has been moved to a “windows.old” folder. While the folder is perfectly safe to remove, users who may find a few applications missing or some data that may have not been imported correctly, will have a chance to retrieve their old files from the old Windows 8.1 installation, just in case, although there have been merely a handful of reports of this type of issues after upgrading to Windows 10.
Surface 3, supercharged.
Aside from a staggering improvement in user experience, and a smaller system footprint on the hard drive, the latest build on Windows 10 comes with some substantial enhancements, as previously mentioned, in the way of battery performance. Surface 3 and Surface 3 Pro users will notice longer lasting battery throughout the day.