Troubleshooters in the Windows 10 Creators Update

In this Spring's major feature update for Windows 10, all of the system based troubleshooters will get their own settings page in operating system.

Richard Hay, Senior Content Producer

January 31, 2017

3 Min Read
Troubleshooters in the Windows 10 Creators Update

Windows has always had a selection of troubleshooters that could be used to address and problems that impact the proper functioning of the operating system and its various services and programs.

In Windows 10 this continued and in the current branch version of Windows 10, the Anniversary Update that was released last August, they are all located in the legacy Control Panel.

As Microsoft is finalizing the next major update to Windows 10, the Creators Update which is expected in April, they are moving these tools into the modern Windows Settings app and they will have their own page where you can access them for your own troubleshooting efforts.

The Troubleshoot settings page makes its first appearance in Windows Settings>Update & security in Redstone 2 Build 15019 which Microsoft released to Windows Insiders last week.

There are a total of 18 troubleshooters in the current version of the Troubleshoot page and since this is pre-release software that could change in either direction by the time the final version of the Creators Update is released to the public.

Currently that Troubleshoot page is just separated into two categories. Here are those categories and the troubleshooters they contain.

Get up and running

  • Internet Connections - Find and fix problems with connecting to the Internet or to websites.

  • Playing Audio - Find and fix problems with playing sound.

  • Printer - Find and fix problems with printing.

  • Windows Update - Resolve problems that prevent you from updating Windows.

Find and fix other problems

  • Blue Screen - Troubleshoot errors that cause Windows to stop or restart unexpectedly.

  • Bluetooth - Find and fix problems with Bluetooth devices.

  • Hardware and Devices - Find and fix problems with devices and hardware.

  • HomeGroup - Find and fix problems with viewing computer or shared files in a homegroup.

  • Incoming Connections - Find and fix problems with incoming computer connections and Windows Firewall.

  • Keyboard - Find and fix problems with your computer's keyboard settings.

  • Network Adapter - Find and fix problems with wireless and other network adapters.

  • Power - Find and fix problems with your computer's power settings to conserve power and extend battery life.

  • Program Compatibility Troubleshooter - Find and fix problems with running older programs on this version of Windows.

  • Recording Audio - Find and fix problems with recording sound.

  • Search and Indexing - Find and fix problems with Windows Search.

  • Shared Folders - Find and fix problems with accessing files and folders on other computers.

  • Speech - Your microphone isn't ready.

  • Video Playback - Find and fix problems playing movies, television, and video.

  • Windows Store Apps - Troubleshoot problems that may prevent Windows Store apps from working properly.

The Troubleshooting section of the legacy Control Panel in Windows 10 has about 30 different troubleshooters so it looks like Microsoft is just over half way towards migrating them to the new Windows Settings app as of this latest Creators Update build.

Since we are about 4 to 6 weeks to feature lock, I am sure there are plenty of builds coming to Insiders that will continue this work.

But, wait...there's probably more so be sure to follow me on Twitter and Google+.

About the Author(s)

Richard Hay

Senior Content Producer, IT Pro Today (Informa Tech)

I served for 29 plus years in the U.S. Navy and retired as a Master Chief Petty Officer in November 2011. My work background in the Navy was telecommunications related so my hobby of computers fit well with what I did for the Navy. I consider myself a tech geek and enjoy most things in that arena.

My first website – AnotherWin95.com – came online in 1995. Back then I used GeoCities Web Hosting for it and WindowsObserver.com is the result of the work I have done on that site since 1995.

In January 2010 my community contributions were recognized by Microsoft when I received my first Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award for the Windows Operating System. Since then I have been renewed as a Microsoft MVP each subsequent year since that initial award. I am also a member of the inaugural group of Windows Insider MVPs which began in 2016.

I previously hosted the Observed Tech PODCAST for 10 years and 317 episodes and now host a new podcast called Faith, Tech, and Space. 

I began contributing to Penton Technology websites in January 2015 and in April 2017 I was hired as the Senior Content Producer for Penton Technology which is now Informa Tech. In that role, I contribute to ITPro Today and cover operating systems, enterprise technology, and productivity.

https://twitter.com/winobs

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