14 DAY TRIAL // The rollout of Windows 10 May 2020 Update, or version 2004, is now under way, but every now and then, Microsoft confirms another bug that’s triggering a new compatibility block.
In other words, Microsoft blocks the May 2020 Update on devices that could be impacted by a specific bug, and this time it’s an issue with Storage Spaces that convinced Microsoft it should announce a new safeguard hold.
More specifically, Storage Spaces, which in essence is a technology that should protect data from drive failures, is experiencing an issue that could actually block users from accessing their files after installing the May 2020 Update.
Microsoft has acknowledged the bug and says that it blocks devices that could be impacted by the issue from installing the May 2020 Update from Windows Update.
First and foremost, when you try to install Windows 10 version 2004 on a device that could hit the Storage Spaces problem, the following error should show up:
"This PC can't upgrade to Windows 10. Your PC isn't supported yet on this version of Windows 10. No action is needed. Windows Update will offer this version of Windows 10 automatically once the issue has been resolved."
While some would be tempted to scan the disks, Microsoft recommends against using the chkdsk command on any device where the Storage Spaces problem exists.
“Devices using Storage Spaces might have issues using or accessing their Storage Spaces after updating to Windows 10, version 2004 (the May 2020 Update) and Windows Server, version 2004. When using some configurations, partition for Storage Spaces might show as RAW in Disk Manager,” Microsoft explains.
What’s important to know is that your files aren’t lost, and Microsoft says the only way to prevent such a bug on a device where Storage Spaces are configured is to just make all files read-only. And doing this is pretty easy, as you can just type the following command in a PowerShell screen launched with administrator rights:
get-virtualdisk | ? WriteCacheSize -gt 0 | get-disk | set-disk -IsReadOnly $true
“There is currently no workaround for this issue. To prevent issues with the data on your Storage Spaces, you can use the following instructions to mark them as read only. Your Storage Spaces should now be set to read only, meaning you will not be able to write to them. Your device will still be usable, and any volume not seen as RAW should be readable.”
Needless to say, you really shouldn’t try to bypass this bug and install Windows 10 May 2020 Update using other methods, such as standalone ISO images or bootable USB drives created with the Media Creation Tool. So technically, your best option is to just wait for Microsoft to resolve the issue and then make Windows 10 version 2004 available via Windows Update on your device.
“To safeguard your update experience, we have applied a compatibility hold on these devices from installing or being offered Windows 10, version 2004,” the company explains.
Windows 10 version 2004 is rolling out in stages as part of an approach that gives Microsoft more time to determine if any potential issues could affect certain computers. If it discovers a new bug, as it’s the case today with the Storage Spaces, the company then puts a new upgrade block in place that prevents the update from shipping to devices were the problem could be encountered. Once a fix is developed and everything is working correctly, Microsoft lifts the upgrade block and allows the upgrade to complete normally.