14 DAY TRIAL // The latest Windows 10 feature updates have brought major improvements to key parts of the operating system, and Windows Update itself has been a major focus for Microsoft, especially as the company wants to give users more control over the updates they install.
Windows 10 October 2018 Update, for instance, which will begin rolling out next month, will include new tech to prevent unexpected reboots caused by Windows Update and needed to complete the install of patches.
This is possible with machine learning, which Microsoft will use to predict the best time for updating the system, and the company claims that it can even make a difference between a short break for a coffee or a longer period of system idle.
All these improvements are without a doubt welcome, especially as Windows evolves to become a platform for everybody, but it’s still not enough when it comes to how users are allowed to handle Windows updates.
And the best place for looking into ways to improve Windows Update is none other than the Linux world.
Driver updates have been a major headache for Windows users for a long time, especially because some of the most recent releases actually caused more harm than good. Rolling back a driver in Windows is indeed possible, though this isn’t a thing for everybody, but returning to a previous version and not installing a newer release whenever a new Windows update is shipped is quite difficult and needs additional tweaks.
While simply separating drivers from typical Windows updates could be a way to prevent this, Linux goes even a step further and gives users more control over the drivers they can install. The likes of Ubuntu and Linux Mint integrate a much more advanced update manager that sports dedicated options for drivers, so users can return to an older version or install new ones much easier than on Windows.
Furthermore, users here are also provided with more advanced settings that make sense in the Linux world, like the possibility of installing drivers created by the community.
A more advanced Windows Update manager to provide users with more options when it comes to drivers is certainly the right way to go, and I’m not the only one who says it.
In fact, one of the most popular Feedback Hub entries right now calls for Microsoft to make graphics driver updates optional. And while this idea is pretty good, the discussion that started in the comment section of this submission called for such a solution to include all drivers offered to Windows systems.
“Most Linux distros already have a driver update manager, such as Linux Mint,” says one user. “Not just graphics drivers, all drivers. They keep installing a touchpad driver I don’t want,” another other adds.
There are nearly 18,000 votes for this suggestion in the Feedback Hub and this number will probably increase as more users struggle to deal with driver updates.
From a technical perspective, doing this isn’t an easy thing, as returning to older drivers may affect system stability. Compatibility issues could break down certain OS and device features, eventually affecting the experience with Windows in a more substantial manner.
I have no doubt that Microsoft itself has considered updating Windows Update in a way that brings its closer to its long-time open-source rival, but thinking of it and making it happen are two completely different things.
In the meantime, the software giant has remained completely tight-lipped on this feedback, though it says in the Feedback Hub that it got the message and engineers have it in mind when working on ways to improve Windows Update.
Until such an update ships, there are ways to block and prevent new driver installation in Windows 10, and you can read more about them here.