• Party like it’s 2004 – just don’t install it

    Credit: Clinton Steeds, via Wikimedia

    I’m seeing reports all over about problems with Win10 version 2004, the new version due out two weeks from today.

    Yes, Microsoft insists on calling it “twenty-oh-four” as in the fourth month of 2020, nevermind that it’ll be released in the fifth or sixth month of 2020. At least it’s better than calling it 2003, especially for those of you who remember Windows 2003.

    I’ve been begging Microsoft to hold off releasing 2004 until the world of Windows is in a more stable condition, but I guess the logic just escapes the folks who want to get Windows completely replaced.

    Win10 version 2004 is available to everybody in the Windows Insider (beta testing) program, in the Slow and Release Preview rings. (The Fast ring is out there somewhere that doesn’t seem to have any correlation with this dimension.) Microsoft recently posted the installable ISO files for 2004 on the MS Developer Network, so if you pay for a subscription, you can get it there, too.

    Of course, I recommend that you not install it, and wait for the cannon fodder to report in. Of course, I have it installed on a test machine — my old PCs don’t die, they just get recycled as beta beds.

    Right now, my general impression of verison 2004 is MEH. Comparing 1903/1909 — which are virtually identical — with 2004, I don’t see one thing that’s better about 2004. And, yes, I’ve read all the reviews – and written a few short ones myself. (Note: Preston Gralla has an extensive overview in Computerworld: Windows 10 May 2020 Update delivers little tweaks that add up to… well, not a lot.)

    At any rate, as we get closer to release, I’ll have full, detailed instructions on avoiding the upgrade. (Looks like it’ll be easy, but it’s hard to say until the bits hit the gate.)

    In the interim, I’d like to regale you with tales of woe. Mind you, these are problems that people face installing a piece of beta test software (Win10 version 2004 is still in beta, no matter how you slice it) in real world PCs.

    First up: A post here on AskWoody from @WSAndylam, who says (I’ve edited slightly):

    Since installing latest Windows version 2004 upgrade, I had to remove 3 programs — Avast Antivirus, Avast Cleanup Premium and CCleaner. After installing the upgrade [not clear if he’s talking about upgrading from 1903 or 1909 to 2004, or installing the latest Cumulative Update for 2004 -WL] every time I started my PC it does a complete reset, taking as much as 10 to 12 minutes. After calling Microsoft, they told me to remove all of those 3 programs. Following this Microsoft recommendation, it now takes 15 seconds to boot Windows.

    Following up on that post, @WSMasterK9ATL  lists another set of problems including the inability to open Office 365. Rolling back to 1909 fixed the problems.

    And @EP notes that “All Avast apps are not yet tested nor confirmed to work.”

    These aren’t isolated incidents. I’ve seen folks on Twitter who know Windows well, lamenting that upgrading to 2004 knocked out their machines. I didn’t have any of those problems moving to 2004, but my test PC is pretty plain-vanilla.

    Soooo… have you seen any reports of problems with installing Win10 version 2004? I’d like to hear about them – and would be particularly interested in learning if the problematic install was a clean install or an upgrade (from 1903? 1909?), and if some specific software (antivirus?) seems to be causing the problem.

    The lines are open….