Microsoft Launches Windows 10 May 2019 Update

[gvv]

Microsoft has just announced that Windows 10 May 2019 Update, or version 1903, is now available for download for select users via Windows Update.

 

The May 2019 Update, which brings improvements like Windows Sandbox and a new light theme, is rolling out to users gradually, as Microsoft wants to make sure that issues in the OS won’t become widespread and affect a significant number of devices.

 

“We will be taking a measured and throttled approach, allowing us to study device health data as we increase availability via Windows Update,” John Cable, Director of Program Management, Windows Servicing and Delivery, explains.

 

Beginning today, users can manually check for updates in Windows Update to download the May update.

 

Gradual rollout

 

However, it’s important to know that everyone gets the update with the manual download option, as the company embraces a more cautious approach for this method as well.

 

“You may not see Download and install now on your device as we are slowly throttling up this availability, while we carefully monitor data and feedback,” Cable notes.

 

Next month, Microsoft plans to ship the May update to devices running Windows 10 April 2018 Update, or version 1803, as this particular release approaches the end of support.

 

“We will begin updating devices running the April 2018 Update, and earlier versions of Windows 10, to ensure we can continue to service these devices and provide the latest updates, security updates and improvements. We are starting this machine learning (ML)-based rollout process several months in advance of the end of service date to provide adequate time for a smooth update process,” Cable says.

 

Microsoft promises to keep an eye on everything related to the May update, and it wants to detail bugs in a new health dashboard available here. It remains to be seen how smooth the rollout of this new OS feature update is going to be, but for now, only a small number of users can get it, so the impact of any possible bug remains low.

 

 

Source

[Karlston]

Windows 10 May 2019 Update now rolling out to everyone… slowly

Unless you explicitly want it installed, you probably won't get this update.

Enlarge

David Holt / Flickr

To avoid a replay of the problems faced by the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, version 1809, Microsoft has taken a very measured approach to the release of the May 2019 Update, version 1903, with both a long spell as release candidate and a much less aggressive rollout to Windows Update.

 

That rollout starts today. While you previously needed to be in the Insider Program (or have a source such as an MSDN subscription) to download and install version 1903, it's now open to everyone through Windows Update.

 

However, Windows users are unlikely to see the update automatically installed for many months. Initially, only those who explicitly visit Windows Update and click "Check for Updates" will be offered version 1903, and even then, they'll have to explicitly choose to download and install the update. This is part of Microsoft's attempt to make Windows Update less surprising: feature updates are offered separately from regular updates because feature updates take a long time to install and regular updates don't (or at least, they shouldn't). This installation experience requires the use of version 1803 or 1809, and it also requires the most recent monthly patch, which is also released today.

 

The update is also available to those who download either the update tool or media creation tool from Microsoft.

 

Starting from June, the update will be pushed to users currently on Windows 10 version 1803, as that version will cease receiving updates this November. And corporations using patch management systems can schedule deployments in whatever way they choose. Beyond that, however, Microsoft says that, for now at least, the update won't be automatically installed. This marks a great change from previous Windows 10 feature updates and means that uptake of the May update is likely to be severely impeded.

 

Notable features of version 1903 include better Kaomoji support, application sandboxing, and the separation of Cortana and searching.

 

Source: Windows 10 May 2019 Update now rolling out to everyone… slowly (Ars Technica)

[spudboy]

Thanks. Media Creation Tool (USB) is doing it's thing as I'm typing. Clean installs are always so much fun. LOL!!!

[The AchieVer]

A New Approach To Updates: Windows 10 May 2019 Update Available Today

 

 

For those eager to get the latest and greatest production build of Windows 10; good news. For those who would rather watch from the sidelines until the kinks are worked out; good news. Today Microsoft has officially launched the spring 2019 update for Windows 10, affectionately called the Windows 10 May 2019 Update. There’s a few new features under the hood, but the biggest change to Windows 10 this time is not a new feature you may or may not use, but instead a new approach to updates, and after almost four years of users not being in control, Microsoft has put the control back in the hands of the people using their OS. Finally.

 

I’m not going to pine on about days gone past, but one of the biggest changes to Windows 10 when it launched was that the update system was going to be better. Improved. More reliable. Except it wasn’t. Some changes, such as the cumulative updates, have been a huge relief for people setting up new machines, since they no longer needed to update their computer for several days. An update comes every month which should have everything you need to get you to current in one batch. This was a win for end users. However, Windows 10 also brought about a new idea called feature updates, where occasionally, a new version of Windows would come down the same pipe as a normal update. Assuming everything was well tested, the update should install with little fanfare, but as we know that’s not been the case. Windows is on far too many machines to make any update easy, and Microsoft’s feedback mechanism for update issues was not being monitored as it needed to, which lead to multiple feature updates with enough major problems that even the last update from October is only now being pushed out to some machines.

 

 

So today we get Windows 10 1903, or the May 2019 Update, and home users will finally get an option to pause updates even if they are using Windows 10 Home. It’s a small step, but coupled with a very measured rollout, hopefully this will be the smooth update Microsoft has been craving for the last couple of years. For those looking for further transparency, Microsoft has a Windows release health dashboard, which shows the status of current known issues, letting you know ahead of time if you may have an incompatible piece of software or hardware.

 

There are of course new features as well, since this is in fact a feature update for Windows 10. There’s a new light theme, providing a refreshing look for Windows 10 which pairs nicely with the dark mode that arrived a couple of versions ago. Cortana is no longer part of the search bar, and now lives on its own app icon on the task bar. More default applications can now be removed.

 

There’s more complex features as well, such as Windows Sandbox, which allows you to run an application in a virtualized container for testing without it having access to the system files. Think of it like Hyper-V, but without the complexity. It’s not as powerful as Hyper-V, but it’s also much easier to set up and use.

 

 

There’s a few other features as well that we’ll go through in a more comprehensive article after we’ve had time to dig through some of the new abilities. That being said, updates are now offering fewer and fewer big changes, which makes sense due to the maturity of Windows 10 now. Plus, with the lack of stability, it makes sense to offer less user-facing features that are more stable, rather than continue to offer a multitude of new things that may or may not get used.

 

For those looking to get a jump-start on the upgrade process, Windows 10 May 2019 Update is currently rollout out via Windows Update where you can just check for updates, and you’ll receive it if your computer doesn’t have any blocking hardware or software. Microsoft is taking a very measured and cautious approach here, which is the right thing to do. For those that don’t want to wait for Windows Update, you can always check out the Windows 10 Download page to get the update right now.

 

 

 

 

Source

[heyyahblah]

Embarassing as this may sound, I am still on 1703.

😅

 

Can I just jump to 1903 or should I use the Windows downloader toolbox and jump to 1803 then 1903. I have everything backup with Macrium. I don't want to do a clean install.

 

Suggestions anyone?

[The AchieVer]

Media Creation Tool for Windows 10 May 2019 Update Now Available for Download

 

Microsoft has recently started the public rollout of Windows 10 May 2019 Update, and in addition to releasing the update in stages via Windows Update, the company also provides users with an alternative download method.

 

Media Creation Tool, the official tool that lets you upgrade a Windows 10 device and create installation media to upgrade others, has just received an update to support the May 2019 Update as well.

In other words, you can now use Media Creation Tool to upgrade your device to Windows 10 May 2019 Update or to create an USB drive that can then be used to install the new OS feature update on other devices.

The app comes with the same wizard-based approach, so you download Windows 10 May 2019 Update or create the installation media by following a few simple steps on the screen.All Windows 10 editions availableOn the other hand, I think it’s critical for users to know that forcing the upgrade to the May update with the Media Creation Tool could eventually lead to the system experiencing certain issues that would otherwise be avoided by waiting for the automatic rollout.

Microsoft makes Windows 10 May 2019 Update available via Windows Update for devices where full reliability is a certain thing, and if any issues are detected, systems are blocked from installing it. Media Creation Tool also performs some simple checks, including for incompatible software.

Media Creation Tool provides access to various Windows 10 editions, including Home and Pro, and you can use it to upgrade both 32-bit and 64-bit devices

As for the automatic rollout on Windows Update, Microsoft is expected to push it to more devices in the coming weeks, as they reach the validation stage and the update is considered to be fully reliable for more configurations.

 

 

 

Source

[Karlston]

Windows 10 1903 arrives after stretch of extra testing

In the wake of last fall's Windows 10 rollout debacle, Microsoft put the follow-up version through additional testing. For enterprises, Windows 10 1903 is now ready for 'targeted deployment.'

Thinkstock

Microsoft today launched Windows 10 May 2019 Update, aka 1903, after running the feature upgrade through additional testing with Insider volunteers, hardware manufacturers and third-party software developers.

 

"The May 2019 Update is available for customers who would like to install the latest release," John Cable, director of program management in the Windows delivery and servicing team, announced in a post to a company blog.

 

Under normal circumstances, 1903 — the four-digit label in Microsoft's yymm format — would have gone public six or more weeks ago. But in early April, Microsoft said it would send the feature upgrade — the first of two presumably slated for the year — into more testing. The decision was an obvious reaction to the debacle of Windows 10 1809, which in October 2018 launched with a known-yet-still-overlooked bug that destroyed user data. Microsoft pulled 1809 and while the upgrade eventually debuted, albeit months late, in March the company gave up on getting the new version to users.

 

Microsoft did not want a repeat performance of 1809, or to be viewed as pooh-poohing testing with 1903.

 

The delayed debut meant that the 18-month support allowance will not expire until Dec. 8, 2020, about two months later than if 1903 had followed the usual schedule.

Enterprises: Get ready, get set, don't go!

With the full 18 months stretched out in front of it, Windows 10 1903 is ready, argued Cable, for "targeted deployments" by business customers. "IT administrators should begin targeted deployments to validate that the apps, devices and infrastructure used by their organizations work as expected with the new release and features," Cable wrote in a section titled "Semi-Annual Channel release for commercial customers."

 

Cable's use of "targeted" to describe 1903 at its release is pivotal to enterprises, as it designated the upgrade as fit for testing and piloting but not widespread deployment. Later this summer, probably in two to four months, Microsoft will put out the word that Windows 10 1903 is "business ready" or something to that effect (if not in those words).

 

After several name changes of Windows 10's release channels, Microsoft recently trashed "Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted)" (SAC-T) as the label for the opening months of each feature refresh. IT administrators and corporate Windows 10 users, who marked the shift from SAC-T to the shorter "Semi-Annual Channel" (SAC) as Microsoft's stamp that the upgrade had been thoroughly tested, rebelled; they worried SAC-T's demise meant the same for Redmond's guidance.

 

In late March, John Wilcox, a Windows-as-a-Service (WaaS) evangelist, told commercial customers to rest easy. "We will continue to communicate for future releases the transition from targeted to broad deployment status," Wilcox wrote.

 

How Microsoft will communicate the transition is unclear. Most likely? A revamped Windows 10 release informational webpage, which the firm dubbed "Windows release health dashboard." The one-stop site will list all update holds, known issues and the status of ongoing fixes. It will also show each version's current status. Currently, the page for Windows 10 1809 reads, "Windows 10, version 1809 is designated for broad deployment and available for any user who manually selects 'Check for updates' via Windows Update."

Microsoft

The new 'dashboard' Microsoft unveiled may be the place where the company tells commercial customers that a feature upgrade has been tested enough to trust deploying in large numbers, as here for Windows 10 1809. Microsoft gave that troubled upgrade the green light in late March.

Something similar appearing on the page dedicated to Windows 10 1903 may be all Microsoft does to tell enterprises that the upgrade is stable enough for them.

Where it's at

For commercial customers, Windows 10 1903 can be obtained via Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Windows Update for Business (WUfB), and the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) using System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) or another patch management platform.

 

Others, including Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro users, get 1903 by manually checking for updates. To do that, users should type "Settings" in the operating system's search bar, open that app, first choose "Update & Security" and then "Windows Update." Select "Check for updates."

Source: Windows 10 1903 arrives after stretch of extra testing (Computerworld - Gregg Keizer)

[spudboy]

On 5/22/2019 at 12:49 AM, heyyahblah said:

Embarassing as this may sound, I am still on 1703.

😅

 

Can I just jump to 1903 or should I use the Windows downloader toolbox and jump to 1803 then 1903. I have everything backup with Macrium. I don't want to do a clean install.

 

Suggestions anyone?

 

My suggestion if you don't want to do a clean install, is to just stay on 1703. However, if you want to upgrade to 1903 I would 100% recommend you do it cleanly. I don't think anyone would disagree. Sometimes ya just gotta do what ya gotta do.

What helps me whenever I do a clean install, is to download all of my most used apps (and display drivers) to a single folder on a different drive PRIOR to doing to the update. So after the clean install everything is right there ready for me to easily install right away.