Windows 10 version “twenty – oh – four” hits Release Preview Ring

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Looks like Windows 10 May 2020 Update (that’s the official name) is inching closer to the finish line. On the official Windows Blog, Brandon LeBlanc s
[See the full post at: Windows 10 version “twenty – oh – four” hits Release Preview Ring]

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abbodi86, Elly

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I’ll never update to that directly from 10/1809 if WU offers me 10/2004 instead of the 10/1909 that WU is currently offering me. And I’ll be forced to stay on 1809 until Nov 2020 before being forced to abandon Windows for a Linux option.

I’d much rather avoid 10/2004 for the next year at least if I can get by with 1809 and then 1909(After the current issues are fixed) and wait a good long while before even thinking about 10/2004.   But I will attempt to dual boot Windows 10 with Linux(Mint most likely) but have made plans to completely overwrite the 10 partition with a native Linux  Distro if MS pushes 10/2004 to aggressively rather than allow me the option of only updating one feature OS level update at a time.

OEM Laptop hardware, namely OEM’s laptop drivers, are an issue with each and every new 10 feature level update so folks need plenty of extra time, waiting for OEMs mostly, to get available/properly working drivers for new Windows OS feature updates if there are driver issues related to OEM laptops.

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If you want to upgrade Windows to a version other than the one that Microsoft is offering through the normal update channel, all that’s necessary is to get a copy of the release .ISO for the version you want.  Go to https://www.heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/67-microsoft-windows-and-office-iso-download-tool , and run that tool.  This tool provides an interface for downloading .ISOs from Microsoft servers, and you can get pretty much any version of either Windows or Office that’s currently supported by Microsoft — 64 or 32, any language, etc.  There’s also downloads available for some other things, including Insider Preview and Developer editions, as well as Dell recovery images.

I used this source to get .ISOs for upgrading Windows 7 installations to Windows 10, and much of the time, I do updates within Windows 10 (e.g., 1809 to 1903) the same way.

One other thing that’s important to know — since Windows 8, Microsoft supports mounting of .ISOs as virtual disks, where you don’t have to burn a .ISO.  Thus, right-click on a .ISO and select Mount, and you have full access to the contents of the .ISO. From there, all it takes to run an upgrade is launching SETUP.EXE from the mounted .ISO, and answering the dialog questions:

• Whether or not to check Microsoft for updates during the install
• Retention preference: keep user data and update Windows (default), replace Windows and keep just user data (and requires reinstall of all applications), or complete reinstall of system from repartitioned hard drive.
• Acceptance of EULA

This approach may be a little slower than online updates from Microsoft, and doesn’t run in the background.  In my experience, it typically takes around an hour (and a couple of reboots) to complete.

Since I normally use WSUS Offline (https://download.wsusoffline.net/) to do my updating to Windows (where I keep updates on an external drive that I share across my LAN (allowing for either LAN access or physical mount of that drive on an unconnected machine), I normally do not let the installer check Microsoft for updates.  When the install from the ISO completes, then I run the WSUS Offline updater to get current Windows updates.  Going this route, it’s possible not only to update to a version that is not the one that Microsoft is pushing through official channels, but also get current updates fully air-gapped.

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Mentioning the title of this one…

Knowing that Microsoft is designating as “2004” to avoid confusion with Server 2003, I’ve taken to referring to that as “Twenty – oh – four”, rather than saying “two thousand four”, as I would normally do when referencing the year. I’ll probably do the same thing when/if  “Twenty – oh – nine” gets into discussion.  And looking forward to 2021 when we don’t have to deal with this particular set of confusion.

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[EP]

don’t worry folks. version 2004 would only be an “optional” feature update (with a “download & install now” link) when it publicly goes out next month, not a forced one

• This reply was modified 4 years, 12 months ago by EP.

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It’s a De Facto forced feature upgrade if folks on 1809 are not still given the 1909 feature upgrade option alongside the newest 2004 feature upgrade. And folks on OEM laptops will suffer laptop hardware drivers pain as laptop OEMs will invariably have driver issues to fix on those older but still under warranty laptop SKUs with 10/2004.

With every new Windows 10 feature update comes driver pain and OEMs will take their sweet time providing some needed driver fixes for 10/2004 just as they took their sweet time for driver fixes that were required as a result of 10 1903-1909. And I have read plenty of online forum posts related to my exact make/model of OEM Laptop(Came with 10 home/1803 factory installed  updated itself to 1809 soon after first boot-up) that I own and its hardware/driver issues with 10/1903-1909(mostly resolved since 1903’s-1909’s been around long enough now) and that laptop even has issues with fan/drivers and fan/profiles under Linux with kernels that are earlier than Linux Kernel 5.6.

So kudos to the folks that want to test 10/latest for free but I’m looking for OS stability first  and foremost and if the OS works fine with the software that I use and that’s what I’m concerned with and not spending all my time BETA Testing any OS.

And folks on any 10/feature variant that’s not EOL should be comfortable with the fact that as long as the monthly KBs are applied, after due diligence, that they are in fact just as up to date as any folks that are on some brand new 10/feature variant. I’m more concerned with OS security and stability than any OS new and shiny that I may never need in my day to day usage.

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It has always been my practice to stay fully updated.  I’ll be downloading and installing 2004 as soon as it becomes available.  I’m always prepared.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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r1ma, Barry

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[krzemien]

You did not confuse ‘updated’ with ‘upgraded’ surely? Just checkin’…

• This reply was modified 4 years, 12 months ago by krzemien.

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krzemien wrote:

You did not confuse ‘updated’ with ‘upgraded’ surely? Just checkin’…

Nope.

I’m still runnin’ Windows 10, regardless of the version number.  Right now it’s Version 1909 (OS Build 18363.778).  1909 is listed as Feature update to Windows 10, version 1909, Successfully installed on 11/13/2019.

By “fully updated” I mean that I install everything Microsoft offers my systems through All Settings > Update &Security > Windows Update.  There’s a Check for updates button.  There is no Check for upgrades button.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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[EP]

EP wrote:

don’t worry folks. version 2004 would only be an “optional” feature update (with a “download & install now” link) when it publicly goes out next month, not a forced one

• This reply was modified 4 years, 12 months ago by EP.

Only if you are on 1903/1909.

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Or 1809.

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Most of these features could honestly be introduced with incremental updates, rather than cloaked as a feature upgrade. That would hopefully mean less hassle and less headache.

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bbearren wrote:

It has always been my practice to stay fully updated.  I’ll be downloading and installing 2004 as soon as it becomes available.  I’m always prepared.

I downloaded it via the Windows Insider Program. Instructions here:

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-get-windows-10-may-2020-final-release-anyone-else

 

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the 2004 ISO download from the Windows Insider Program link is not the latest version, r1ma. it has build 19041.84, not 19041.207

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When is the best time to grab a copy of Win 10 1909 ISO before Ver 2004 hits?  I like to keep a “just in case” copy…which I hope never to have to use.  Thanks!

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Best time is any time before May 1st.
Guessing MS will release it on May Patch Tues, but you never know….

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KWGuy

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Whether it will turn out to be “twenty-oh-joy” or “twenty-oh-s&^t” remains TBD…but I predict it will be another huge time-waster for most users to get installed.

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I predict it will cost the average user about half an hour of downtime scheduled at a day/time of their choosing.

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b wrote:

I predict it will cost the average user about half an hour of downtime scheduled at a day/time of their choosing.

That’s true if you have a 1Gb optic fiber connection with i7 CPU and 16GB of RAM. Most don’t.

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Alex5723 wrote:

b wrote:

I predict it will cost the average user about half an hour of downtime scheduled at a day/time of their choosing.

That’s true if you have a 1Gb optic fiber connection with i7 CPU and 16GB of RAM. Most don’t.

Downtime does not include download time:

Reduced offline time during feature updates

Since Windows 10, version 1703, we’ve been steadily reducing the time a user cannot use their device during a feature update. With Windows 10, version 2004, offline time continues to decrease, from a median time of over 80 minutes in version 1703, to less than 20 minutes in version 2004, including only a single reboot for many users.

Windows Setup enhancements

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[EP]

a little late in responding but reading this Computerworld article by Gregg Keizer
“Microsoft taps Windows 10 2004 as ‘May Update,’ preps for release next month”

and reading this quote from him:

Computerworld had argued that Microsoft would be better served, and better serve customers, if it pushed back the release of Windows 10 2004, the four-digit label it had assigned earlier, by several months. The COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on businesses, notably a massive shift to working at home, the argument went, had so stretched IT resources that adding a Windows upgrade risked breakdowns or even catastrophic failure of core business tools.

If Microsoft ever entertained a delay, it clearly rejected the idea.

there was a 0% chance MS would delay the release of the May 2020 Update by many months since they were almost ready to complete it and ship it out either in late May or start of June.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by EP.

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Yep. I was one of the ones at Computerworld that argued MS would be better served by delaying 2004.

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3536830/five-steps-microsoft-should-take-right-now-to-help-us-through-the-pandemic.html

I don’t think Gregg has a direct response from MS on this topic, though.

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Elly

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Seems as at least in part they did, Woody:

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3537476/delays-deals-and-drastic-actions-microsoft-responds-to-the-pandemic.html

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They have responded to COVID-19, making a surprising number of adaptations. The article by Greg Keizer details them… and he says he will continue to update with any additional ones.

They haven’t delayed 2004. Maybe they are thinking that with the increased ability for home users to block upgrades, and by extending six more months of support for 1809, that they’ve done enough.

Non-techy Win 10 Pro and Linux Mint experimenter

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migongo

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