14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 October 2020 Update, or version 20H2, is the newest feature update released by Microsoft to its users, and needless to say, many rushed to install it on day one.
But just like it happened before, the October update is being rolled out in stages, and this means that not everybody gets it at the same time. This is the correct approach, there’s no doubt about it, as the likelihood of a bug hitting a specific device is much lower.
“In this work, learn and connect from home environment where people are relying on their PCs more than ever before, we are taking a measured seeker-based rollout approach to the October 2020 Update. We are throttling availability over the coming weeks to ensure a reliable download experience, so the update may not be offered to you right away. Additionally, some devices might have a compatibility issue for which a safeguard hold is in place, so we will not offer the update until we are confident that you will have a good update experience,” Microsoft itself explains.
The October 2018 Update proved just how important this rollout happening in waves actually is for everybody. The final build shipped to production devices with a bug potentially causing the removal of files stored in libraries, so the Redmond-based software giant halted the rollout after becoming aware of the glitch happening on a limited number of devices that already received it.
But this likelihood of bugs isn’t something that companies and some home users feel comfortable with, and this is why they decide to wait a little bit longer until the update is installed on their devices. The more time passes after Microsoft pushes the go-ahead for the production version of a feature update, the bigger the chances for the experience overall to be more refined, so holding back on the installation of the October 2020 Update could be quite a smart choice.
There are several ways to block the installation of a feature update for a limited time in Windows 10, but we’re going to stick with the most straightforward available right now in the operating system. No need for group policies, third-party software, or anything like that.
It’s the update pausing option that you can find on the Windows Update page of the Settings app. The way Microsoft has designed this feature allows you to pause updates for up to 30 days, so just click the “Pause updates for 7 days” option repeatedly and you should see the timer at the top of the screen increasing. If you want to install the October 2020 Update sooner, just click the Resume updates button on the Windows Update page.
Microsoft doesn’t recommend users to bypass the upgrade blocks that prevent the October update from showing up on Windows Update, and the company says that it’s keeping an eye on all feedback channels to make sure that all issues are discovered in the early phases.
“As with each release, we will closely monitor the October 2020 Update experience and share timely information on the current rollout status and known issues (open and resolved) across both feature and monthly updates via the Windows release health dashboard and @WindowsUpdate. Please continue to tell us about your experience by providing comments or suggestions via Feedback Hub,” the company says.
Windows 10 October 2020 Update is the first Windows 10 feature update that comes with the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser pre-loaded. At the same time, it also includes additional refinements, such as theme-aware live tiles, which help make the Start menu overall look more modern by simply aligning with the rest of the visual settings in the OS.