The Windows 10 November 2019 update (also known as Version 1909) is live and many users have moved to Microsoft’s latest feature update.
As an IT professional here at Tech Experts, it seems like these feature updates happen one right after another.
Although this is not the case as Microsoft only releases feature updates twice a year, the issues we encounter during each feature update’s life cycle make it seem that way. The only notable updates between these feature updates are ones that may fix an issue, which may or may not have been caused by the last feature update.
So what are updates like for someone who is not one of the Tech Experts?
As a user, you may or may not notice updates a lot more frequently, but those are smaller updates and may not fix anything at all. There are regular security updates made during each cycle, updates to Microsoft applications, important system files, drivers, and numerous other things.
The larger ‘feature updates’, while not intending to do so, are the most likely to cause system issues. Many users who are more tech savvy avoid installing these until they are certain it is stable. In some cases, users will try to avoid installing them at all.
Many people live under the “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. Minus security updates, I can see a strong case for this line of thinking.
For years, many users (myself included) could selectively manage their updates. I could avoid installing many updates and keep installing only security updates.
While there is still some ability to manage updates in Windows 10, it is also more limited. One way Windows 10 has made managing updates easier for everyday users is by having the option to pause updates altogether. There is even an option specifically allowing you to stop those feature updates, which is great if your system is running well and you don’t want to cause any issues.
There are also times where you may have a specific piece of software that is not compatible with the newest feature update and you need to avoid software incompatibility. That is when you are probably most grateful for the pause feature updates option.
Well, the time has come for Microsoft to go against your choices and decide that it knows what is best for you!
The November 2019 update is being pushed out to users, whether you want it or not. While it sounds deceitful, there is – as always with Microsoft – more to it.
Users who are currently on Version 1809, which is now two versions behind, are being pushed to the November update. There are new security updates for Version 1909, and they cannot be applied to 1809.
Microsoft is taking this precaution to make sure users stay protected. In the past, Microsoft typically reserved forced rollouts for Windows Home version, but these forced updates will also apply to all computers running Windows 10 Professional.
If you are on Version 1809 and want to avoid being updated to 1909, you may be able to delay the process by manually moving to Version 1903 instead. Just remember, Microsoft is prioritizing your security, not comfort.