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martyb writes:

Microsoft is finally taking some steps to address some issues that users have been complaining about with respect to Windows 10's update process. Though the changes are welcome, I have to ask whether they are enough. Also, what side-effects can one expect from these changes? How can I see if there are updates available without also starting the "update timer clock"?

I find it sad that after years and years of nudging friends, family, and co-workers that they should update "early and often" so as to be as safe as possible from security vulnerabilities, and their actually starting to embrace that paradigm, Microsoft's single-handedly severely damaged that outlook with how it presented and handled getting Windows 10 installed. I mean, clicking the "x" in the upper right hand corner of a dialog window to dismiss it was taken to mean "Yes, please update my computer to Windows 10".

Call me cautiously optimistic about the progress, but I'm waiting to see how this will all shake out and what issues may arise. Read on for more information from the official Microsoft Blog posting on this change. There's more info in the actual blog entry, so (contrary to common practice here) I strongly suggest actually reading the entire story.

Improving the Windows 10 Update Experience With Control, Quality and Transparency:

While regular updates are critical to keeping modern devices secure and running smoothly in a diverse and dynamic ecosystem, we have heard clear feedback that the Windows update process itself can be disruptive, particularly that Windows users would like more control over when updates happen. Today we are excited to announce significant changes in the Windows update process, changes designed to improve the experience, put the user in more control, and improve the quality of Windows updates.

In previous Windows 10 feature update rollouts, the update installation was automatically initiated on a device once our data gave us confidence that device would have a great update experience. Beginning with the Windows 10 May 2019 Update, users will be more in control of initiating the feature OS update. We will provide notification that an update is available and recommended based on our data, but it will be largely up to the user to initiate when the update occurs. When Windows 10 devices are at, or will soon reach, end of service, Windows update will continue to automatically initiate a feature update; keeping machines supported and receiving monthly updates is critical to device security and ecosystem health. We are adding new features that will empower users with control and transparency around when updates are installed. In fact, all customers will now have the ability to explicitly choose if they want to update their device when they “check for updates” or to pause updates for up to 35 days.

We are taking further steps to be confident in the quality of the May 2019 Update. We will increase the amount of time that the May 2019 Update spends in the Release Preview phase, and we will work closely with ecosystem partners during this phase to proactively obtain more early feedback about this release. This will give us additional signals to detect issues before broader deployment. We are also continuing to make significant new investments in machine learning (ML) technology to both detect high-impact issues efficiently at scale and further evolve how we intelligently select devices that will have a smooth update experience.

I’m pleased to announce that the Windows 10 May 2019 Update will start to be available next week in the Release Preview Ring for those in the Windows Insider Program. We will begin broader availability in late May for commercial customers, users who choose the new May 2019 Update for their Windows 10 PC via “check for updates,” and customers whose devices are nearing the end of support on a given release.

Do be aware that "Check for updates", which sounds benign, in reality starts a process where you will, eventually, get the update(s) applied:

Extended ability to pause updates for both feature and monthly updates. This extension ability is for all editions of Windows 10, including Home. Based on user feedback we know that any update can come at an inconvenient time, such as when a PC is needed for a big presentation. So, we’re making it possible for all users to pause both feature and monthly updates for up to 35 days (seven days at a time, up to five times). Once the 35-day pause period is reached, users will need to update their device before pausing again.

NOTE: If customers are running a variant of Windows 10 that is close to its end-of-support date, "Windows will automatically initiate a new feature update." There is supposed to be some kind of notification for some time before this occurs. See: confirmation on twitter.

See coverage at How-To Geek, ZDNet, and Thurrott.com.

Original Submission