Microsoft unveils its plans for Windows 10 19H2
Microsoft unveiled plans for the next feature update for its Windows 10 operating system on July 1, 2019.
The company released the May 2019 Update in May 2019 (duh) after pushing its release from an end of March early April 2019 release date to May. One reason for doing so was that the previous feature update, Windows 10 version 1809, caused all sorts of issues. In fact, the update was so buggy that Microsoft had to pull it and work on it for weeks before re-releasing it to the stable channel.
Microsoft then proceeded to start work on Windows 10 20H1, the first feature update of 2020. The Insider Channels were pushed to that build and everyone wondered if Windows 10 version 1909 would simply be skipped or be a smaller upgrade.
News about Windows 10 version 19H2 comes from John Cable, Director of Program Management, Windows Servicing and Delivery.
He writes:
The next feature update for Windows 10 (known in the Windows Insider Program as 19H2) will be a scoped set of features for select performance improvements, enterprise features and quality enhancements. To deliver these updates in a less disruptive fashion, we will deliver this feature update in a new way, using servicing technology (like the monthly update process) for customers running the May 2019 Update who choose to update to the new release. In other words, anyone running the May 2019 Update and updating to the new release will have a far faster update experience because the update will install like a monthly update.
Windows 10 19H2 will be delivered using new technology that is less disruptive. It will install like a monthly cumulative update for Windows 10 and not a feature update, and that should speed up the updating significantly. Microsoft seems to focus development on smaller changes and improvements, and revealed that it aims for a September 2019 release.
Nothing changes for devices running earlier versions of Windows 10; updates from these versions directly to Windows 10 19H2 will take longer as it is just another feature update installation.
Microsoft released the first Windows 10 19H2 build to the Slow Ring on June 1, 2019 for testing purposes.
The September 2019 release will offer the same 30 months of servicing as any other Windows 10 release for Enterprise and Education customers.
Closing Words
Windows 10 version 19H2 will be a smaller update. Microsoft did not reveal any new features but mentioned that it would highlight them closer to the official release date of the new feature update.
The new delivery method will make life easier for administrators and home users alike. Will (Can) Microsoft use the new method going forward, only for the second feature update of a given year, or only for this particular update?
It would remove a lot of burden from administrators if Microsoft would release the second feature update of any year in similar fashion going forward.
Now You: What is your take on this?
Horrible decision for users.
We won’t be able to defer for month as we do with Feature Updates, and no ‘Download and Install’ option.
I don’t see anywhere that the twice-yearly updates will no longer be able to be deferred. You’re inferring that the updates will be forced on us like the monthly updates, with nothing to go on.
For once good news from Microsoft. (As is the new Edge browser for me). That is regarding the new update process in Windows 10 19H2in. It remains to be seen what else they will change for the better or worse. But, still good news.
You moved to Chrome?
No, Firefox and Brave. But Edge seems be promising.
Yesterday it was reported that only 6% have 1903 so that situation needs improving before most will care about what’s in the next update. It’s yet to show up in updates here.
thats understandable as i would think the 2nd update would fix thye Mess of whats in the 1st update, so its wise to wait/hold off till the 2nd update
The above news means there was no real need for M$ to impose forced twice-per-year auto-inplace-upgrades for Win 10 which is quite disruptive, ie everything related to new features and security could be done via cumulative updates.
Up to Win 7/8, new features were added to the OS through Service Packs and/or Windows Update, ie not through a complete inplace upgrade to the OS.
……. So, why did M$ change this for Win 10, ie incorporate new features through inplace upgrades.? = to squeeze more profit$ from users, eg enterprise-users could no longer buy and use Win 10 Ent for > 30 months without paying M$ extra for Software Assurance’s “free” upgrade rights or the perpetually-supported Ent E3/E5 subscriptions or the 10-year Ent LTSC.
Notice that there are no essential feature difference between each new and old versions of Win 10 effected by M$’s forced auto-inplace upgrades.
How does Microsoft profit from a free update? They simply considered the twice-yearly updates a bigger upgrade than the monthly update; now the new features will be packed into a smaller update…still free.
@ Doc
M$ profits(= cut costs) by forcing Win 10 Home users to be her unpaid beta-testers for the “free” twice-per-year upgrades.
……. M$ may also profit by making certain old Win 10 computers un-upgradable via hardware/processor-blocking updates, eg > 5 years old = they become unsupported = affected Win 10 consumers may be forced to buy new computers = Planned Obsolescence.
@ Doc
M$ may also be profiting from ‘free’ forced auto-collection of Telemetry & Data in Windows as spyware for the NSA in return for legal immunity from being prosecuted by the US government for anti-trust, unfair and unethical business practices.
Closing Words….Betatesters now !
Glad I use LTSC. All these updates and changes look exhausting if you’re trying to keep your system running well or consistently.
In other words, what I was wishing for… A bug and improvement only update and especially delivered within Windows Update. Nothing better. In fact, once a year they shoud have feature upgrade and the other half of the year, bug and improvement updates.
You all keep mentioning “free” in relation to Windows software. Non-existent, as in you pay for it by licensing fees, etc. Legal installations that is, and for the prvilege to be their “beta testers,” as home users or i.e. “endusers.”
Since the company no longer considers the desktop O.S. their top cash cow especially, they are like most corporate companies, they go where the cows go, to greener pastures. The home user is just a steady flow of money they need to keep attempting development of newer software and such. So when throwing that word free around loosely, think about it.