14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft officially announced the Windows 10 October 2020 Update earlier this week, and just like it happened with the previous feature updates, the rollout takes place in stages to users across the world.
What this means is that not everybody can already download the October update, as Microsoft uses a very cautious approach that allows the company to find a potential bug early and then block the update on specific configurations to reduce the likelihood of problems.
Microsoft keeps these upgrade blocks in place until a fix is ready, at which point Windows 10 October 2020 Update should show up on Windows Update for the eligible computers.
“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 explains.
The easiest way to download Windows 10 October 2020 Update right now if you use a device that already received the update and no upgrade block is in place is Windows Update.
Microsoft uses Windows Update for the most straightforward experience, but right now, this distribution channel is only enabled for Windows 10 version 1903 devices and later. If the update is ready for your computer, just download it and Windows Update will take place of everything automatically with no other input required from you, other than a reboot of course.
“The October 2020 Update is available initially for users of select devices running Windows 10, version 1903 or later who are interested in experiencing the latest feature updates and are ready to install this release on their device. If you would like to install the new release, open your Windows Update settings (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update) and select Check for updates,” Microsoft explains.
“If the update appears, and you are running Windows 10, version 1903 or later, you can simply select Download and install to get started. Once the download is complete and the update is ready to install, we’ll notify you so that you can pick the right time to finish the installation and reboot your device, ensuring that the update does not disrupt your activities. People running the May 2020 Update will have a faster overall update experience because the update will install like a monthly update, just as it was for devices moving to Windows 10, version 1909 from version 1903."
If the new release isn’t yet ready for your device and it doesn’t show up on Windows Update, you have two options: the Media Creation Tool or the stand-alone ISO images that allow for a clean installation.
On the other hand, it’s important to keep in mind that bypassing the upgrade blocks and installing the October update anyway could lead to various issues until fixes are provided.
In my case, the October 2020 Update wasn’t available in Windows Update on my Surface Book 2, so I used the Media Creation Tool for the whole thing. After a quick compatibility check, the Media Creation Tool determined that the device is ready for the upgrade, so it automatically downloaded the necessary files and then started the installation process.
The upgrade didn’t take more than 10 minutes after the laptop rebooted, so it’s a pretty fast process overall. I didn’t notice any issues so far whatsoever, but I still recommend everybody to wait for the update to show up on Windows Update in order to install it.