Microsoft changes Windows Update for Business options
Microsoft employee John Wilcox revealed yesterday that Microsoft will remove the Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) option from Windows Update from Windows 10 version 1903 forward.
Business customers have two options right now to define when updates get released: they may set a deferral period for feature updates and select between the Semi-Annual Channel or Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted). The latter two options may sound confusing at first but are explained easily.
Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) is identical to what consumers get. It is the only option and that just means that two feature updates of Windows 10 are delivered via Windows Update to consumer devices each year.
Businesses had the option to delay when feature updates become available by switching to the Semi-Annual Channel instead. All that this channel did was delay the update availability by about 4 months. Starting in Windows 10 version 1903, that option won't be available anymore but the option to delay feature updates remains.
If you open the Advanced Options on a business version of Windows 10 version 1903 or later, you will notice that the option to switch channels has been removed.
While that may look like another attempt of Microsoft to give businesses less choice, it is not really that bad provided that administrators know about this and can react to it as it is easy enough to adjust the deferral period accordingly.
Wilcox notes that there was never a dedicated Semi-Annual Channel release but just a milestone release of the Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted).
What administrators need to do in Windows 10 version 1903 is to adjust the deferral period accordingly to add the removed Semi-Annual Channel delay period that way. Just add 120 days to the deferral period once Windows 10 version 1903 is installed to reflect the change.
Devices configured with a branch readiness of Semi-Annual Channel will get the upgrade to Windows 10 version 1903 with a delay of 60 days according to Microsoft for that release only. The change will be server-side and only active for that particular release; it won't affect any release after Windows 10 version 1903.
Closing Words
The removal of Semi-Annual Channel may have an impact on devices after the release of Windows 10 version 1903 but only if the administrator does not modify the deferral period.
It could result in feature updates being delivered earlier than expected to Windows for Business devices; Woody Leonhard hopes that the change results in release quality improvements to take the possibility into account.
Microsoft did not state that and it is almost certain that the company would have pushed the narrative if that would be the case (hey, look, we don't need Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) anymore because feature update quality increased by this much). I think it is just a consolidation.
Now You: Do you defer or block Windows Updates?
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