Hi everyone, especially JAWS users,

Normally I don’t post messages from Insiders subgroup on this parent forum, but the below advisory is important for JAWS users who are not Insiders, hence the below announcement.

An important advisory on Creators Update Preview builds and JAWS for Windows:

Numerous issues were documented in regards to using JAWS 18 with latest Creators Update build (build 15031). These include:

• When Windows key is pressed, Start menu does not appear.
• Opening Settings app (Windows+I) and attempting to navigate to various pages results in Settings app crashing.
• After locking your computer, when trying to sign in, you cannot proceed.
• When you try to turn off your computer by pressing Windows+X, U, U, the computer does not turn off while JAWS is running. Same happens when trying to restart your computer.
• Launching Narrator (Control+Windows+ENTER) while JAWS is running results in a pop-up advising users to terminate Narrator due to instruction reference issue (with memory addresses given).

These are some of the issues found by I and other Windows Insiders, and are considered showstoppers (very critical issues that prevents users from using a program effectively). I’m keeping a very close eye on these, and have advised Windows Insiders to file feedback items via Feedback Hub app and to notify VFO. The workaround is going back to an earlier build. If any of these shows up while users are using stable build of Creators Update this spring, I’ll consider red flagging JAWS 18 (adding to “not compatible” list) until VFO and/or Microsoft rectifies them (and I am serious when I say I’ll do this, as it is critical that users use Windows 10 effectively with screen readers of their choice, including JAWS).

Cheers,

Joseph