Thread: Windows 10 Updates

Since the new Feature update is due at the end of this month, and since there are clueless cretins giving wantonly stupid advice to people, I thought I'd create a thread dedicated to Windows 10 and the update process.

I'll post news of what updates are coming out, known problems and fixes and so on.

To kick off, here's a piece on the forthcoming Spring Creators Update:

Microsoft Windows 10 April 2018 Update aims to shield us from notifications

The new Windows 10 April 2018 Update, available for free April 30, will include several new features. But the most valuable may be the least obvious.


Notifications are both one of the most revolutionary inventions of the mobile age, and one of the most hated features on our devices.


The little nudges typically appear as a number sitting atop an app's icon or a text alert telling you about anything from President Donald Trump's latest tweet to a friend's beautiful vacation photo posted to Instagram. And they're everywhere. Which is why they need to be tamed.

Microsoft thinks it has a solution.

The answer, it says, is in a new feature called "Focus Assist," due April 30 as part of the company's free "April 2018 Update" for all PCs powered by Microsoft's Windows 10 software.


Here's how Focus Assist works: You can set times when you don't want notifications to bother you, such as during key work hours or when you plug in a second display for a presentation or when you're playing a game. During those periods, Windows will keep alerts at bay.

This isn't just to answer frustration. Microsoft found that people spend an average of 23 minutes per day regrouping and getting back on task after being distracted by a notification.

"It's an incredible amount of time," said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of the Windows and Devices group at Microsoft. Focus Assist engages in a sort of "attention hacking," he said, to help you avoid those notifications and get that time back.


Microsoft isn't the only company that's trying to solve this problem. Apple and Google offer features like this called "Do Not Disturb," but they tend to be mostly an all-or-nothing proposition.

With Microsoft's system, you can allow some people's messages or emails to get through. Or you can let an app, like Slack for work, still send notifications while you're hunting down foes in Fortnite.

"For me it's been night and day," Mehdi said. "When I use a different device, I really realize it's missing."

The April update to Windows comes as part of Microsoft's now twice-yearly efforts to tinker with its software. In the past, these types of refinements would come in large new "versions" of Windows, with massive marketing pushes behind them urging people to update from Windows 7, for example, to Windows 8.

But with Windows 10, Microsoft has taken an approach similar to that of Apple and Google, releasing regular updates with changes both large and small in an effort to keep Windows feeling fresh.


In the past, these updates included support for virtual reality and augmented reality headsets, a new version of Microsoft Paint, and refinements for Microsoft's Cortana voice assistant.


Other refinements

Microsoft is offering a few other features along with this latest Windows update as well.

One, called "Near Share," is designed to make it easier to send movies, music, files or whatever else from one computer to another. Bluetooth devices, like headsets, mice and keyboards, should also be easier to connect with a computer. And -- a sure crowd-pleaser -- if things go according to plan, the update will take less time to install.

https://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-...notifications/

And some more explanation of the Update process:


https://www.zdnet.com/article/faq-ho...ws-10-updates/

Windows 10's next major feature update finally has an official name and a firm release date.


Microsoft was reportedly poised to begin distributing the update on April 10, until it discovered a "blocking bug," an issue severe enough that it halted the system software's release. Prior to this, observant users spotted references to "Spring Creators Update" in test builds of the operating system, suggesting that Microsoft had settled on that branding.

On April 27, a more official picture has emerged on exactly when the update will arrive and what it will be called.


Users will be able to begin downloading the update on Monday, April 30, stated Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of the Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft. The executive also revealed that his company is off the "creators" kick.

"Since its initial launch, we delivered two updates with features designed to enable the creator in each of us. With our latest major release—the Windows 10 April 2018 Update—we want to give you back some of your greatest currency, your time," Mehdi said. "Our hope is that you'll have more time to do what matters most to you—create, play, work or simply do what you love."

Reflecting that sentiment, Windows 10 April 2018 Update includes some new features intended to help users make the most of the hours they spend toiling away on the Windows desktop.

The new Timeline view allows users to reach back in time to find content or resume work they initiated in the past 30 days. Timeline also works with the Microsoft Edge and Office 365 mobile apps for iOS or Android, allowing on-the-go users to pick up where they left off when they return to their PCs.

Focus Assist, formerly Quiet Hours, can be set to automatically mute social media notifications and other distractions during hours that are better spent focused on a project or meeting deadlines. In addition, the mode is automatically triggered when Windows' screen-mirroring function is active to avoid interruptions during meetings and presentations. Users can configure the mode to make exceptions for bosses and other selected contacts.

Windows 10 April 2018 Update will also have an impact on businesses that use Microsoft 365 to manage their Windows environments.

Replacing Secure Productive Enterprise, Microsoft 365 bundles Windows 10, Office 365 and Enterprise Mobility + Security. And the arrival of the latest Windows 10 update will have ripple effects across the product suite.

For example, Windows 10 April 2018 Update will make it possible for administrators to monitor the effectiveness of the new Delivery Optimization enhancements in the operating system using the Windows Analytics dashboard. Delivery Optimization helps businesses reduce the network bandwidth consumed during the software update process by downloading updates with one device and distributing them over a local network.
Another new feature is the Windows S mode in Windows 10 Enterprise that enables enterprises to deploy secure configurations of the operating system for first line workers or kiosks. Windows Autopilot, a set of rapid deployment and self-service configuration tools, will now display an enrollment status page on the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, indicating whether the proper policies, apps and settings were provisioned before new devices are issued to employees.

Microsoft Prepares to Release Latest Windows 10 Update on April 30

Thanks

So as a non business user should we just leave it to do its own thing?

If the billions of computers worldwide are all updating will Mayday be a slow day?

Originally Posted by david44

Thanks

So as a non business user should we just leave it to do its own thing?

If the billions of computers worldwide are all updating will Mayday be a slow day?

Microsoft use Akamai to distribute it across the world, and they also throttle it so that not everyone gets it at once.

Plus, if you have more than one PC, there is an option to get updates from PCs on your local network, so that it only downloads once.

The enterprise stuff won't affect the home user, but the new features are mostly for everyone.

I particularly like the Timeline function.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Microsoft use Akamai to distribute it across the world, and they also throttle it so that not everyone gets it at once.

Plus, if you have more than one PC, there is an option to get updates from PCs on your local network, so that it only downloads once.

The enterprise stuff won't affect the home user, but the new features are mostly for everyone.

I particularly like the Timeline function.

where is that please

Originally Posted by david44

where is that please

It's in the update coming at the end of the month....


https://www.howtogeek.com/348122/wha...w-do-i-use-it/

Aha ta

Build 1803 has arrived on my computer. I've set it to kick off at 5am. Will be done before I wake up.

Yep I 've got it too , it's downloaded , how long to install tho, is it best to be on or offline when installing?

Originally Posted by david44

Yep I 've got it too , it's downloaded , how long to install tho, is it best to be on or offline when installing?

Full builds normally take a couple of reboots and don't need a connection. Will take 30-60 minutes depending on your PC I reckon. Then when you log back in it takes a few minutes to finish off.

Supposedly they've sped up the process in this build, so I can't say for sure.

ok very helpful,will do it overnight

Only took 21 mins to install

Originally Posted by david44

Only took 21 mins to install

Well that's an improvement.

Original release date: May 02, 2018
Microsoft has released a security update to address a vulnerability in the Windows Host Compute Service Shim (hcsshim) library. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to take control of an affected system.
NCCIC encourages users and administrators to review the Microsoft Security Advisory and apply the necessary update.

---

They aren't hanging around because the Insider Preview is already chucking out a new release.

But if it's down to 20 minutes I'll do it in the morning.

Originally Posted by Simon43

As requested:

It seems like my laptop has finally stopped downloading Windows Updates every single fcuking day.

But now my wi-fi has also disappeared. (Meaning that any reference to wi-fi in any Windows setting has disappeared, with the exception of the wi-fi adapter, which I'm told is working perfectly.

I've uninstalled/re-installed the wi-fi driver, but still no wi-fi icon or options.

Dr Google tells me that this often occurs after a Windows 10 update, and the cure is to uninstall the latest update. Trouble is, I can't do that! All the Windows updates in my Review Updates screen do not highlight the uninstall option when selected.

I'm reasonably computer-competent, but this lack of wi-fi problem has got me stumped!

First, do you have a Network Icon in the taskbar?

If so, right click on it and select "Open Network & Internet Settings", then "Change Network Adapters".

Do you see your Wifi adapter there, and is it enabled?

The Win10 OS is a complete pain in the arse, full stop. Wish I'd bought a Mac.

Originally Posted by kmart

The Win10 OS is a complete pain in the arse, full stop. Wish I'd bought a Mac.

I wish you had as well, because then I wouldn't have to read inane, irrelevant comments like this.

^Updating seems to be a fulltime job. Glad you've got fuckall else to do.

bought an hp laptop a few years ago from a bkk department store with a requested pirated version of windows 8 installed (a few hundred baht under the table) and windows updates turned off.

have never had a problem.

Originally Posted by kmart

The Win10 OS is a complete pain in the arse, full stop. Wish I'd bought a Mac.

You can roll it back to your old OS, or do a new install of Win7.

No reason to suffer

Originally Posted by kmart

^Updating seems to be a fulltime job. Glad you've got fuckall else to do.

I have 6 PCs with Windows 10 * and I've never had to lift a finger. I just occasionally login and it says "Hi, I've installed updates...".

I could take a wild guess why you have problems, but to be honest, with your moaning, I don't give much of a fuck.

* And that's the Insider Preview which ships a new build at least once a month.

I usually have a wi-fi icon in the task bar, but now it shows an ethernet network icon. If I open my network and sharing center, it only shows the USB tethering to my mobile phone network connection that I'm now using.

If I click on Change adapter settings, then I see all NAs ==> Bluetooth, ,my USB tether, the 2 ethernet LANs on this laptop and my wi-fi. The LANS are shown as unplugged, the Bluetooth as not connected (cos it's switched off), and my wi-fi is not connected.

If I right-click on my wifi adapter icon, it is shown as enabled. If I click on connect/disconnect then I get returned to my network status settings page.

If I click on properties of the wifi adapter, the status is shown as working correctly. (I already uninstalled and reinstalled the adapter and software with no change in it's status).

So I'm stumped! My wi-fi worked fine before the last Win 10 update (the update titled 'Destroy my fcuking laptop' update)