How to download and install Windows 10 Feature Updates
Microsoft releases new feature updates for the company's Windows 10 operating system twice a year which introduce new features and changes.
While there are plenty of good reasons not to install feature updates right away, there is also some confusion on how to download and install feature updates for Windows 10.
Microsoft released the Windows 10 October 2018 Update on October 2, 2018. The company published How to get the Windows 10 October 2018 Update on the same day, and revealed in it that users just have to press the "check for updates" button in the Settings app to download and install the update.
Problem is, this won't work for all systems because the update won't be offered if Microsoft's machine learning algorithms have determined that the installation of the update may be problematic on the device.
If we detect that your device has a compatibility issue, we will not install the update until that issue is resolved, even if you "Check for updates".
Tip: make sure that your system has enough free storage space to install the Windows update. Check out our tips on freeing hard drive space here.
Download and install Windows 10 feature updates
The following paragraphs list all official methods of download new Windows 10 feature updates and installing those updates to machines running Windows 10.
Option 1: Download and install now (from late May 2019 on)
Starting in late May 2019, Windows Update splits feature updates from regular updates for the operating system.
Windows Update displays if a new feature update is available, and lists a separate download and install now option on Windows Update.
To find out if new feature updates are available and to install them, you'd do the following:
- Use the shortcut Windows-I to open the Settings application.
- Go to Update & Security.
- Check if a new feature update is listed. If yes, click on "download and install now" to install it.
Option 1: Check for Updates (until May 2019)
Microsoft's official solution for installing a Windows 10 Feature Update is to run a manual check for updates.
- Use the shortcut Windows-I to open the Settings application.
- Go to Update & Security.
- Click on "check for updates".
If things go as planned, Windows 10 should pick up the new feature update, download it, and install it afterward.
Downsides
The method has significant downsides: first, that Microsoft's machine learning algorithms may prevent the delivery of the update to the system at that time. Second, that Windows Update will download and install any other update that may not have been installed yet on the machine. Last but not least, the update is only downloaded for that machine and that update process. If things go wrong, you may need to download the update again.
Option 2: The Update Assistant
The Update Assistant is an official program by Microsoft to update older versions of Windows 10 to newer versions introduced by feature updates.
What is good about the program is that it checks the installed version and tells you right away if an update is available.
You can download the Update Assistant from the Microsoft website and run it right after you have downloaded it to the system you want to upgrade to a new version of Windows.
Hit the "update now" button if an update is found to download and install the feature update on the PC or select "do not update now" to skip the update for the time being.
Downsides
The Update Assistant gives you more control than Windows Update as you can select not to upgrade at the time. Its main downside is that you need to run it on the system that you want to upgrade. If you need to upgrade multiple systems, you need to run the tool on each and it will download the installation files on each separately.
Option 3: The Media Creation Tool
Microsoft's Media Creation Tool is primarily for customers who want to create installation media. While it is possible to run the tool to update the machine it is run on, its primary purpose is the creation of installation media.
All that is required is to download the latest version of the tool from the Microsoft website and run it afterward.
Note: The program requires Internet access to download the installation files to the system.
Accept the terms first and select "create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC) on the next screen.
You can use the program to write installation files to any USB flash drive, a blank DVD if the PC has a DVD writer, or to an ISO image.
Just boot the PC from the installation media when you want to install the feature update to upgrade it. It is also possible to use the installation media to install Windows 10 anew on a PC.
Downsides
The main downside of this method is that you add another step to the installation process and that you need a blank DVD or a Flash Drive to make use of it.
Now You: What is your preferred update method?
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help