New update options for Win10 1903 explained

MS VP Mike Fortin just posted a much-anticipated announcement of the update (blocking!) capabilities in Win10 version 1903, when it ships. Fortin calls it the “Win10 May 2019 Update” which should confuse the living bewilickers out of everybody — previous Win10 updates around this time of year have been called “Spring” and “April” — but nevermind.

We will provide notification that an update is available and recommended based on our data, but it will be largely up to the user to initiate when the update occurs.

When Windows 10 devices are at, or will soon reach, end of service, Windows update will continue to automatically initiate a feature update [an apparent reference to the Win10 1709 SAC bug mentioned by John Wilcox yesterday]

all customers will now have the ability to explicitly choose if they want to update their device when they “check for updates” or to pause updates for up to 35 days.

We will increase the amount of time that the May 2019 Update spends in the Release Preview phase [painful reminder of the bluescreens in this week’s Win10 1809 cumulative update]

the Windows 10 May 2019 Update will start to be available next week in the Release Preview Ring for those in the Windows Insider Program. We will begin broader availability in late May for commercial customers, users who choose the new May 2019 Update for their Windows 10 PC via “check for updates,” and customers whose devices are nearing the end of support on a given release.

It’s an interesting take on a long-standing problem. If this works out the way Fortin says it will, we’ll have reason for celebrating. Yes, even Win10 Home users.

UPDATE: Ed Bott has already posted an article on the topic. Ditto Mary Jo Foley. Paul Thurrott has a particularly engaging take on the topic (paid content – and well worth the price) that concludes, “What took so freaking long?”

Zac Bowden just clarified an important point:

Yeah. If you press "download and install" on the feature update, you're locked in. You can only pause it up to 35 days. If you don't click "download and install" on the feature update, you won't have to install it for as long as the version of W10 you're running is supported.

— Zac Bowden (@zacbowden) April 4, 2019

Leopeva64 – who’s been right about many Win10 things lately – insists that the Pause (even in Win10 1903 Home) will go up to 35 days, not the “7 days 5 times” promised by Fortin. Looks like the trick is to go into Advanced Options. Yes, on Home.

Who knows, we all make mistakes, maybe he "forgot" that those advanced options appears there or, as I said, he didn't want to mention it for "some strange reason", but believe me, those advanced options will not change when the "May feature update" is released.

— Leopeva64 (@Leopeva64) April 4, 2019

I remain cautiously optimistic.