Forum Discussion
Windows 10 v1709 AMA - Why has Creators Update Fall treated creators so badly?
Please please provide an off switch for the new pen scrolling/panning feature. It breaks SO MANY things!
The work-around with having to hold the right click pen barrel button is really awful because: 1. That's supposed to open a context sensitive menu. 2. Having to hold the button means having to hold the pen differently. 3. Some Windows 10 tablet pens (such as the Samsung Galaxy Book) do not have a right-click barrel button so in those cases many functions are actually impossible. 4. It's extremely unintuitive. Previously, I could tap & drag everything with ease... move files, rearrange start menu tiles, resize calendar appointments, drag/drop whatever. Now doing those types of things are much more difficult and much less efficient. It's a huge crutch on our workflows.
The new behavior also interferes heavily with the Wacom drivers used in Wacom pen displays, the Wacom MobileStudio Pro, and the new HP Zbook x2. Thankfully, those devices have a checkbox in the driver to disable "Windows Ink", however when the Windows Ink is in use, the new pen scrolling behavior causes major problems. For example, an easy repro scenario is to right click the address bar in Micosoft Edge using the pen's barrel button (Wacom hardware with Windows Ink on)... The whole system will become unresponsive after that right click. I've reproduced this on 2 devices as well as a workstation with a pen display plugged in. It affects other things too like not being able to move objects in InDesign, causing hangs in Adobe Bridge, etc.
I've also got a few tablets that use the Microsoft N-Trig pens and those have issues as well, but do not have the advantage of being able to switch off "Windows Ink". It's really made the pen interface into a terrible user experience.
There are a http://pocketnow.com/2017/07/29/windows-10-fall-creators-update in back in July when this new behavior was first being introduced to Windows Insiders. Some of those were fixed somewhat, but it still shouldn't have been released without an off switch. It should have been an Opt-In feature I think.
I hope an off switch will be available before the "Current Branch for Business" gets the Fall Creators Update!
Here's some more feedback hub links:
https://aka.ms/Cth1bj
https://aka.ms/Nm2ba8
https://aka.ms/Senlr6
https://aka.ms/U7g3yd
https://aka.ms/Rx0k5l
https://aka.ms/L3qw8q
This one is very important: "Always provide off switch for terrible new features"
https://aka.ms/Fg7wme
I'm reluctantly reaching the conclusion this disastrous change will not be reversed. Unfortunately, complainants appear astonishingly few and far between. Despite 1,200 views there are only 12 contributors and I'm unable to find any other blogs etc. which have this issue cooking up a storm.
It appears the severe damage this change has visited upon professional pen centric users is just too small a sector to have MS spending resources/time either investigating or reversing. I have also tried reaching back out to Jerry Koh, having received no acknowledgment from the WindowsInk team, but his trail has now gone cold. I also messaged Rick Rodriguez of Surface Pro Artist thinking this change might have adversely impacted his work flow and a well-placed blog post would garner more attention than it seems this forum is able to. Again, no response leading to my reluctant conclusion.
As I'm unable to revert to Creators Update I am now forced to radically reassess my options as the pen interface is now simply unbearable on a daily basis As MS's unique pen functionality has now been degraded to such a degree it is no better than Apple's iPad pencil or Samsung's Galaxy Android Wacom stylus I can at least compare and contrast on an, albeit crippled, level playing field. No doubt a Wacom device will be required for my photoediting work but my mainstay tablet/mobility solutions no longer need be confined to the penabled Windos tablet of yesteryear or MS's next great hope, the Surface family.
The long and the short for me is a likely move away from Windows OS but alas not replicated in sufficient numbers for MS to notice or care.
If it is any comfort they did seem sincere in their earlier posts. I got a reply from WindowsInk on twitter earlier and hopefully they are looking in to it. I'm not giving up yet, but sticking with 1703 for now. (Which works as expected thankfully)
Only my old Surface has Fall Creators update on it so I can see if anything happens, regarding pen.
Even if we are a minority. I don't see any harm in adding options. I don't mind new features as long as they come with an off switch.
Lots of websites AND APPS still don't have controls optimized for touch input. Especially interactive elements. For example the option to cut uploaded picture. Before Fall Creators update I would use pen for such controls. Now the pen starts scrolling instead of selecting.
Apps are now a nightmare. I use several that require specific use of the pen in the way it used to work and so now I cant use them without using a mouse.
Whos idea was it to implement this bad idea without first checking with the users?? That is bad business - come on MS - do your market research before changing things... stick to the basics.
Please at least give a button to switch back to how it used to work.
I have a Surface 3 and a Surface pen. I used to be able to press on the screen, drag and highlight text or a website link. On a panoramic photo I used to be able to drag it across the screen by just pressing on the screen and moving across. Simple things compared to the items mentioned above, but can't do it any longer since the Fall update. Very annoying, clicking the barrel button only opens Note, no options in Settings to change it 'highlight' as suggested.
Any sign of a fix yet?
In case this recent development has been missed by contributers to this thread there seems to be light on the horizon.
A developer from the Edge team has taken on board the severe discontent this has generated among pen centric users on a cross-referenced forum and promised to get our grievances looked into.
Hope springs eternal.
See here: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/platform/issues/14277341/#comment-50
