Hi everyone,
As a Windows Insider and a code contributor to NVDA, I believe you should not be left in the dark as to what’s going on in Windows 10 development. To shed light on what to expect in Anniversary Update and to show that screen reader developers do care about users and that we’re preparing for this update, I’d like to present an NVDA try build that you can use in latest Insider builds and on production systems.
About Anniversary Update: Windows 10 Anniversary Update (codenamed Redstone) is a feature upgrade for Windows 10 scheduled to come out sometime in July (summer for some, winter for others). This upgrade includes updated Narrator, a workspace for pen-based input called Windows Ink, more proactive Cortana, redesigned Start menu, Settings and others, new Edge improvements and under the hood improvements. For other screen readers, the most significant change is UI Automation control changes, slightly better UIA and others.
What’s possible with the try build: The NVDA try build includes following features and fixes (some of them will require that you install this build):
· UAC: Microsoft has changed the design of User Account Control (UAC) screen in recent Insider builds. Unfortunately, due to use of modern technology, UAC may not be read by NVDA. This try build includes a fix so NVDA will now announce UAC prompts (you need to install the try build to take advantage of this).
· Login prompts: Current versions of NVDA does not read Windows 10 logoin prompts. This try build fixes this (same requirement as above).
· Password box and touchscreens: the issue of not being able to activate password edit field in Windows 10 via touchscreen has been fixed (requires the build be installed on a touchscreen computer).
· Search results announcement: Due to host of changes made in Microsoft Edge, current stable versions of NVDA will not read Start search suggestions in recent Insider builds. This has been fixed.
· Browse mode in Microsoft Edge: Same as above.
Technical: in case of the last two items, this is due to the fact that Microsoft has changed one of the UIA properties in Microsoft Edge, thus breaking third-party screen readers that supposedly supported Edge features such as browse mode.
Known issues:
· Invalid entry announcement: In recent Insider builds, NVDA will announce “invalid entry” when it encounters universal apps and controls powered by it. Microsoft and NV Access are working on a fix.
· UIA failing: In some cases, UIA may fail after using NVDA for a while. This results in various problems, including search suggestions not being announced, failing to announce toast notifications and so on. The fix is to restart NVDA, and this problem has been reported to both NV Access and Microsoft numerous times.
The try build can be downloaded from this direct link:
https://ci.appveyor.com/api/buildjobs/cvyyut95te36d0n3/artifacts/output/nvda_snapshot_try-redstone-13350,cc06c8f4.exe
If you have comments:
· If you are on various NVDA mailing lists, please do comment there.
· You can also send a message to me via email at joseph.lee22590@..., via Twitter at @joslee, or look for josephsl on Facebook.
Thank you.
Cheers,
Joseph
