Windows 10 has been stuck in a rut. Microsoft has had to issue several warnings in recent weeks and, elsewhere, it has been vague at best and worryingly deceptive at worst. But now the company has issued a new warning and it affects hundreds of millions of Windows 10 PCs.
Computers running Windows 10 1803 are now being forcibly updated to the troubled 1903 version
STEVE KOTECKI
Initially spotted by Windows Latest and now confirmed by Microsoft, the company states it has begun pushing Windows 10 users running the popular 1803 version to the troubled 1903 release which many have been trying to avoid. How many will this impact? Comparing Microsoft’s official figures with widely reported version data (1,2,3,4,5), potentially around 400 million PCs.
So should you be worried? Taking to Windows Docs, Microsoft has published a more detailed breakdown of what will happen, explaining that Windows 10 1803 will no longer be supported from November 12 so the company is “starting the update process now for Home and Pro editions to help ensure adequate time for a smooth update process.”
Needless to say, given the many reported issues with Windows 10 1903, there will be users would have wanted to hold out at long as possible before seeing their computers forcibly updated. To that end, there is some leeway thanks to Microsoft’s new update rules which allow upgrades to be manually paused for up to 35 days at a time. It’s not the most fun process and it only delays the inevitable, but it’s something for those users desperate to stay put for as long as possible.
In Microsoft’s defence, the company makes the perfectly reasonable and age-old claim that keeping “devices both supported and receiving monthly updates is critical to device security and ecosystem health”. The flipside is Microsoft needs to do its part by releasing more reliable upgrades in the first place, so vast numbers of users don’t spend their time trying to keep their PCs on old software just because it works.
It will be interesting to see how Windows 10 users respond to these mass forced upgrades, especially given the sullied reputation of 1903. I suspect Windows 7 users are probably reading this with a smug sense of satisfaction, but that won’t last for long because their ride is nearly up.
[“source=forbes”]
