Microsoft is serious about squashing the final bugs out of its Windows 10 Anniversary Update, which it will release to consumers this summer. So serious, in fact, that yesterday it invited developers to participate in the company's internal bug bash as part of the latest Windows 10 preview build.
Redmond has long relied on developers who participate in its Windows Insider preview program to identify bugs in the pre-release versions of its operating systems. But the bug bash is more structured and urgent, since participants must complete some tasks before they expire.
The tasks, called "quests," ask developers to try out different coding scenarios to accomplish a goal. They're open-ended, so developers can take any path they choose, increasing the likelihood that they'll discover a software hiccup.
Some quests will expire 24 hours after Microsoft posts them, while others are more advanced and may require changing system configuration files.
As Microsoft software engineer Dona Sarkar explained to developers in a blog post: "The bug bash has been an integral part of Windows culture as long as I can remember and one of my favorite weeks… We're really excited about being able to include you for the first time on something that is part of our internal engineering culture at Microsoft."
As with previous Windows 10 builds, this one also has some new features that consumers will appreciate. Microsoft added the ability to use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Sway Online in the Edge browser without needing Office installed. An update to the Windows Store, meanwhile, improves navigation and performance and prevents the Store app from hogging resources.
Other tweaks include a minor reorganization of the Start menu and improvements to how Windows handles languages other than English. For more on the major updates you can expect once the Anniversary Update becomes available later this summer, check out our first look from this year's Microsoft Build conference.