|
Patch reliability is unclear. Unless you have an immediate, pressing need to install a specific patch, don't do it. |
.I saw this email come into my inbox blaming the forced upgrades to feature updates on WSUS. The email said: “For the third time in the last few months
[See the full post at: Patch Lady – no it’s not WSUS’s fault]
Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher
Just to clarify … I say there’s no advance warning when the Branch changes from Semi-Annual (Targeted) to just plain Semi-Annual. I should’ve elaborated a bit.
Microsoft (so far) has made blog posts saying the new version is “ready for broad deployment” or some such, generally three to four months after the new version ships. That’s accompanied by various changes in some sites that show the new version has been switched to the Semi-Annual channel.
What I should’ve said is that the change occurs abruptly — there’s no advance warning that the change is going to happen on some specific date.
There was a one-week warning for 1709 being released to Semi-Annual Channel:
Microsoft today [Jan 11, 2018] told enterprises that Windows 10’s second feature upgrade of last year, October’s “Fall Creators Update,” had been sufficiently tested and is ready to deploy across their organizations.
…
Windows 10 Pro- and Windows 10 Enterprise-powered systems that rely on the consumer-grade Windows Update for servicing will be automatically offered 1709 beginning Jan. 18.
(The article you quoted here the following day. But it was in the middle of much ado about Meltdown/Spectre.)
Jan. 18 is also the listed availability date of the current “Microsoft recommends” at http://aka.ms/w10info
Post from January 2018: ‘Last week, Microsoft noted the “full availability” of Windows 10 update 1709, but that phrase is just an attempt to prod awareness. The full availability release is the same thing as the semiannual channel release. Microsoft was just giving advance notice.’
And here I only *just* got v1709 back to where it updates itself again. Sigh.
Sure seems like they’re having a lot of trouble keeping Windows serviceable, doesn’t it?
Bottom line get ready for 1803.
Microsoft can’t make the 6 month cadence happen in the same month as the number is supposed to imply (March, 2018). That implies that it’s hard to do. No surprise there , right?
Hey Microsoft, please just go ahead and release new versions every 2 years instead – and honest, we won’t hold it against you if it’s late up to a year.
-Noel
You only want it/need it when you are behind WSUS. And yes, it really is a policy that is just there to say “Yes, follow what I told you to do”. I honestly haven’t tried it in a non WSUS setting to see what it would do 
Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher
What was happening was that one would select a Windows update for business policy and use WSUS at the same time. They would not approve the feature release in WSUS, but would find that machined would get it installed. They typically did not have lengthy deferrals on the feature release (as you can set it to be when they declare semi-annual plus X number of days) The root cause was that the machine was going out to Microsoft update, getting the feature release even though WSUS admin had not approved it.
Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher
They bash WSUS for the sake of promoting their product? so mature
Donations from Plus members keep this site going. You can identify the people who support AskWoody by the Plus badge on their avatars.
AskWoody Plus members not only get access to all of the contents of this site -- including Susan Bradley's frequently updated Patch Watch listing -- they also receive weekly AskWoody Plus Newsletters (formerly Windows Secrets Newsletter) and AskWoody Plus Alerts, emails when there are important breaking developments.
Notifications
