14 DAY TRIAL // Killing off the classic Windows experience and moving everybody to the modern approach that’s available in Windows 10 is part of a long-term Microsoft strategy, and this also includes retiring the traditional Control Panel and replacing it with the Settings app.
And while the whole thing is a work in progress, the Redmond-based software giant has recently announced a change that many might not like.
As we reported last week, Microsoft is killing off a key Device Manager feature, essentially no longer allowing users to turn to this screen to search for new drivers online.
While I personally never found this feature truly useful, simply because every time it just failed to find a new driver for my computers, this is a change that many might not like, especially if they’re coming from Windows 7.
One of the reasons Windows 7 users delay the switch to Windows 10 is the modern experience that it provides, and changes like the ones happening in Device Manager make some feel lost on the desktop. Windows 7 no longer receives security updates since January this year, so moving to Windows 10 is now a recommended move for everybody still running the 2009 operating system.
And while some don’t like the online driver update feature going away from Device Manager, Microsoft says that this change is actually “improving the update discoverability experience.” And it’s all happening based on feedback, the company says.
“Based on your feedback, it is now easier for you to discover available Windows 10 feature updates, monthly non-security quality updates, and driver updates,” the company announced recently.
“Beginning with the August 2020 security update for Windows 10, when optional updates are detected by your device, they will be displayed on a new page under Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View optional updates. That means you no longer need to utilize Device Manager to search for updated drivers for specific devices.”
So technically, beginning with this recent change, if you want to search for drivers on a Windows 10 update, the only way to do it is from Windows Update.
Personally, I think this is a welcome change, as everything related to updates just needs to be moved to the Windows Update screen, albeit grouping driver updates under optional updates might be confusing for some. Microsoft should create more straightforward options for the updates that a PC receives, especially now that Windows Update becomes the one place where new versions of everything can be downloaded.
So while the change could after all be a step in the right direction, additional polishing is still needed for the Average Joe who might have a hard time figuring out which way to go after installing Windows 10. For example, a simple option called “Driver updates” in Windows Update could help a lot, although, at some level, it could make the UI more cluttered overall.
Microsoft says that users can continue to rely on Windows Update for updates, including for new drivers.
“Windows Update will, of course, continue to automatically keep your drivers updated, but installing optional drivers may help if you are experiencing an issue. We look forward to your feedback on this enhancement to the update experience, and to bringing you continued improvements that improve your experience with Windows 10 overall,” it says.
Whether or not this is something that users would eventually love remains to be seen, but it’s pretty clear that sooner or later the classic Windows experience would just go away to make room for its modern replacement.