Preface:
I have upgraded two Win10 Pro installations from v21H2 to v22H2. Both are running in a Parallels VM. The iMac4K 128 GB VM has an Intel 3.6GHz i7-7700 with 4GB RAM assigned to it. The MacBook Pro 128GB VM runs on an Intel Haswell i7, also with 4GB RAM. Both have been updating versions/Builds without problems since before the the 19041 base.
I have removed most of the built-in Windows Apps from both using the Command Prompt and PowerShell (deprovisioned). I had been able to remove only parts of the XBOX suite, and had disabled the Services (4 of them) for those parts that did not go away. Open Shell is the menu system being used. No third-party AV – Defender is only A/V. MSEdgeRedirect controls Edge so that it does not start. Fast Startup and hibernation are also turned OFF.
Parallels Tools is the software that provides the drivers for the Windows based OSs to interface with the MacOSs. In the past, the drivers have reinstalled only if the version of Parallels is updated or there is a major change in the Windows base OS. During the 2004/20H2/21H1/21H2 upgrades, the Parallels Tools has not needed to be reinstalled in the VMs.
Neither Win10 Pro installation had been offered 22H2 in Windows Update, even I had set the TargedReleaseVersion in Group Policy to 22H2. So I downloaded Windows Update Assistant.
Windows Update Assistant:
Installed.
It scanned the installations and didn’t find issues with the hardware or available disk space. “Please wait – we will restart when we reach 100%.”
The system restarted, went through the black screens with % complete and restarted.
Login screen. But instead of opening to the desktop, it went through the blue screen like no a new installation – “We’re getting things ready for you…Almost there” THEN the desktop.
Observations:
+ There is a 21.7GB windows.old folder in C:\ – so it basically did a repair(?) install over the top.
+ And to confirm that, Parallels Tools required a restart to reinstall, so it must have replaced at least some of the drivers with Windows stock drivers (I had “Do not include drivers with Windows Update” set in GP).
+ Uninstall Windows Update Assistant in Control Panel\Programs & Features.
+ Reinstall MSEdgeRedirect (just to be sure).
+ Fast Startup and the hiberfile.sys did not reappear.
Settings App:
+ Network had been changed from Private to Public – reset that.
+ Default Apps – Window Photo Viewer Registry setting had to be reinstalled to make it available.
+ Accounts – Syncing had been turned ON for everything. Do they think all computers have the same IDs, hardware, software, settings. GAD!!!
+ Date and Time: Changed from US Central to Central America. Reset that.
+ Search – turned OFF those that had been ON by the installation.
Services:
+ Disabled (AGAIN) Connected User Experience & Telemetry and the 4 XBOX Services that had been turned back ON. (The pieces of XBOX will probably have to be uninstalled/deprovisioned again also).
Task Scheduler:
+ Disabled (AGAIN) Application Experience, Autochk, and CEIP tasks. May have to delete the tasks if they turn back ON.
Registry:
For the most part, the settings that had been done manually were left alone.
These changes may, or may not, occur if v22H2 is offered through Windows Update. But it is worth going back over all the settings just to verify they are correct for your use.
