14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just announced that Windows 10 version 20H2 would launch as October 2020 Update, with the company also confirming that the final build is already available for testing.
Windows 10 build 19042.508, which is now available for insiders in the Release Preview channel, could be the lucky one, though Microsoft explains that it’s still working on refining the experience for everybody before the rollout the production devices starts.
“Today, we are releasing Build 19042.508 (KB4571756) to Windows Insiders in the Release Preview Channel. We believe that Build 19042.508 is the final build and still plan on continuing to improve the overall experience of the October 2020 Update on customers’ PCs as part of our normal servicing cadence,” Microsoft explains.
At the same time, the company also announces that Windows 10 October 2020 Update will roll out in stages, so the first users to get it will be those who manually check for updates in Windows Update.
Needless to say, everyone else would get it shortly after that, albeit it all depends on whether Microsoft comes across issues that would affect certain configurations, thus triggering specific upgrade blocks.
“Please note that the October 2020 Update will be offered to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel via our “seeker” experience in Windows Update at first. This means Insiders will need to go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and choose to download and install 20H2. Once an Insider updates their PC to the October 2020 Update, they will continue to automatically receive new servicing updates through Windows Update (like the monthly update process),” the company notes.
Worth knowing is that Windows 10 October 2020 Update isn’t a massive update, as it follows in the footsteps of the November 2019 Update. Many described this update as a little bit more than a service pack, simply because it comes with improvements under the hood and no new features.
This is the case of the October 2020 Update as well, as Microsoft has focused more on refining the experience for users and less on new capabilities.
“We are also beginning to roll out the October 2020 Update automatically for Insiders who are in the Beta Channel. For Insiders who had not previously chosen to install the October 2020 Update previously – they will be automatically offered it via Windows Update,” Microsoft says.
The company is also warning that while the final build of Windows 10 October 2020 Update is now available for users in the Release Preview channel, there’s still one issue that the company has to deal with. This one affects the Windows Subsystem for Linux, causing the feature to no longer work correctly.
“Windows Insiders on Build 19042.508 in the Beta and Release Preview Channels who use Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) will be impacted by “Element not found” error when they try to start WSL. With the help of Insiders, we have identified the root cause of the issue and have created a fix which should be included in the next 20H2 servicing release shortly. Insiders who wish to be unblocked immediately can uninstall this build (KB4571756) which is a non-security update. You can view the GitHub issue where we are tracking this here,” Microsoft says.
Starting today, you can thus try out the final Windows 10 October 2020 Update build by enrolling in the Release Preview channel. IT admins should prepare for the upgrade by testing the new release in a virtual machine, thus making sure that everything runs as expected on their configurations.