14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has officially kicked off the rollout of Windows 10 May 2019 Update, or version 1903, with the first devices receiving the download as we speak.
Windows 10 May 2019 Update was finalized last month, but Microsoft pushed back the release as much as possible in order to perform more thorough testing as part of the Windows Insider program.
Insiders in the Release Preview ring have been running the May update for nearly a month now.
Windows 10 version 1903 comes with a plethora of changes, and the most notable are Windows Sandbox and a new light theme. The Sandbox makes it possible to run apps in a secure environment, technically making third-party virtual machine software redundant.
But leaving all improvements aside, what you should know about the May 2019 Update is that it rolls out to users as part of a gradual release. In other words, some people will get it before others, as Microsoft wants to make sure that it detects any bug in early stages before it hits a significant number of devices. The company can thus suspend the rollout for certain configurations as it works on fixing the found issues.
In short, these are the things that you need to know when planning to download the Windows 10 May 2019 Update:
| The rollout currently takes place via Windows Update |
| Devices can also be updated with the Media Creation Tool |
| The Windows Update release happens gradually |
| Update not yet pushed automatically to devices |
| Users required to manually check for updates to begin the download |
| Not all devices checking for updates are served the update |
To download Windows 10 May 2019 Update from Windows Update, you need to manually check for updates, but keep in mind your device is served the update ONLY if Microsoft hasn’t detected any issues with your configuration. The path is the following:
Windows 10 > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates
The update process itself can take anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours, and it’s very important to allow it to come to an end. Interrupting the update could brick the system, though in most cases you can restore the previous Windows version and boot back to the old desktop.
Very important to know is that once you upgrade to Windows 10 May 2019 Update, you can go back to the previous Windows 10 version from the Settings UI. The path is the following:
Windows 10 > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Go back to the previous version of Windows 10
The rollout of Windows 10 May 2019 Update on Windows Update will accelerate in the coming weeks as Microsoft gives the go-ahead for more configurations. Next month, Microsoft is scheduled to push the update to devices running April 2018 Update (version 1803), as this is set to expire and the company wants to keep all PCs on a supported version of Windows.