Microsoft Releases Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16288

Dull to the noise coming from Cupertino this week, Microsoft released another near-final release of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update to Windows Insiders on the Fast ring last night. Build 16288 contains no new features, of course, but it does come with a laundry list of fixes.
“As we mentioned previously, we are now at the point of the development cycle for the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update where our focus is now on stabilization for release to the world,” Microsoft’s Dona Sarkar reiterated. “This means that we are releasing new builds to Insiders more quickly and that these builds will include mostly bug fixes. You’ll notice that this build continues to include a bunch of good bug fixes Insiders will enjoy.”
Not sure about the “more quickly” part—we haven’t actually seen a new build since September 2, or 10 days before this most recent release. But whatever, the rules haven’t really changed: Lots of fixes. No new features. And no fricking clue about what issues remain.
One thing that will raise some eyebrows, however, is that the desktop watermark is finally gone. This always indicates that the product is just about finished. Or as Ms. Sarkar puts it, not finished.
“On Build 16288, you will notice that the watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop has disappeared,” she writes. “You will also see that the OS now reports as ‘Version 1709’ which is the official version number for the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update release. However, this is NOT the final build as we’re not done yet. We’re just now beginning the phase of checking in final code to prepare for the final release. So we will have more builds to release to Windows Insiders between now and then. And the desktop watermark may re-appear in these builds.”
Microsoft lists a long list of fixes to the shell, input, Microsoft Edge, gaming, devices, and more in its own blog post. You can check that out if you’re bored.