Deutsch
English
Microsoft sure are having a hard time with their customers. Their trust is limited, they have ample bad experience with purported software "enhancements" and they dislike being surveyed. This becomes particularly apparent once new Windows updates are about to be rolled out. Many users like their systems the way they are (and fear that updates will cause issues). On the other hand, Microsoft want a consistent OS level across their user base to facilitate future modifications. And since Microsoft are calling the shots, they are about to force updates down our throats.
Windows knows two types of update: feature updates and quality updates. Quality updates address issues like security or stability problems and software bugs. Feature updates add new functionality – and often modify or break existing designs and work flows. In many cases, feature updates are a prerequisite to installing the latest security updates. That is why Microsoft have been ramping up their efforts to distribute their 1903 update, released in May 2019, making it voluntary for some users and mandatory for others!
Microsoft base this decision on their users' update level. Those who are still running version 1803 or older will be forced to accept the update without consent – but not without prior notice. Microsoft have been communicating for years that, though Windows 10 will never expire, individual update levels will – usually after 18 months but there have been cases when Microsoft shortened the deadline by several months! Despite the sledgehammer approach, the update is scheduled to be rolled out incrementally. As mentioned in several previous articles on this blog, there are differences between the consumer and professional editions of Windows 10. Windows Home and Windows Pro will receive the update through Windows Update while Enterprise users won't be affected.
Bane or curse: Cortana
Still, update 1903 is not without issues and may cause Windows to refuse to boot from USB-connected drives altogether. Various drivers are still incompatible, including chipset drivers from AMD and bluetooth drivers from Qualcomm and Realtek. Even Intel's chipset drivers still experience issues. WLAN connections that rely on Qualcomm chips can become shaky, and then there's the much debated, and still bumpy, new Windows sandbox feature that locks software into a virtual enclave so you can try out games and questionable software without worries. At least, Microsoft were smart enough to exclude a number (not all) of PC configurations from this update.
Here's a textbook example of irony for you: With update 1903, Microsoft softens the blow and allows you to veto future automatic updates. That's a whole new level of humor! Ever since its release, users felt disenfranchised and bullied by Windows 10. Now, 1903 will allow you to mostly halt automatic installations – until your Windows version is nearing its scheduled end of life and auto-updates kick in again. It's a small concession. But, if you've ever experienced the joy of updates on vacation or right before an important presentation, you'll appreciate this move.
So is 1903 worth it? That depends. There are no major feature changes but visuals have been polished. After most applications already support it, Windows finally supports dark mode Ihroughout its user interface. Time will tell if this is just an attempt to look cool or whether it can actually reduce eye strain. The (still underperforming) Explorer also receives a visual upgrade and the start menu gets uncluttered.Alas, sandboxing is only available in Windows Pro and higher. Though the feature has undergone extensive testing, it's still far from perfect. Still, it's a great way to try out new software without breaking Windows.
If your pulse always went up the moment Cortana tampered with Windows Search (mine did), you'll be happy to hear you can finally search your files undisturbed. To increase stability, Windows now requires more disk space, i.e. seven additional gigabytes to avoid update failures due to space issues. Nice idea but maybe more space-efficient programming (what Linux does) would have also helped. On the plus side, with update 1903, Windows supposedly notices when it experiences an issue and will even suggest a fix. Please understand that, after so many years of broken or half-implemented promises, I'll believe it when I see it (work). At least, Microsoft have come around and are giving users the option to uninstall bundled applications, like 3D Viewer, Movies & TV, Paint 3D, Groove Music and many others that almost no-one asked for or uses. Good riddance!
In summary, update 1903 is not a revolution but a tentative evolution towards more freedom of choice. That this freedom is made possible through coercion is an oddity.
What I would like to know: Do you understand Microsoft's approach? Does a software company have the right to be authoritarian?
Some good thoughts there Sven.
Personally I have yet to find any advantage in any of the new "features" added by MS with each version. I use a PC a lot, but the only MS software I use is Windows 10 new features in my opinion are without any value to me. All I want is a reliable OS without any bloat.
As for "dark mode" I realise others may like it but I find it hard to see and rather depressing on other software I have which offers the feature.
A thought for another of your blogs could be the subject of "rental software" as adobe offer.
Initially had issues installing the update due to my SSD being drive:1. Performed a clean install and have had no problem since.
If people are not happy with MS Windows they can always pay over the top for Apple, who as others have said also control the hardware, or move to Linux with its limited software and yes I have tired both.
In my opinion carry on MS as you are and ignore those who moan.
@ Sa Nad,
"Microsoft, don't you want to please your customers? "
Customers pay for things. I wonder how many millions of users moved to Windows 10 during the FREE upgrade period? All of those are NOT customers, unless they bought some other MS product or service.
I suppose users have less complaining power when something was given to them without charge.
Buy a car - it breaks down after a month - complain
Get given a FREE car - it breaks down after a month - can't complain
Since upgrading I have had to change from Edge to Firefox as Edge now continually returns TLS error even on prime sites that are fully up to date. Despite trying all the fixes it still refuses to link. A further glitch is the random refresh of the browser which Is annoying after typing searches and it abandons them.
"Here's a textbook example of irony for you: With update 1903, Microsoft softens the blow and allows you to veto future automatic updates. That's a whole new level of humor!"
Hooly dooly! This reminds me of a well-known but less than successful Australian politician who, at the recent Federal election, spammed citizens with SMS messages. One of his promises was that if elected, he would ban the practice of political parties being able to spam citizens with SMS messages.
Haven't Apple been just as, if not more so, authoritarian? I guess their approach is somewhat less problematic for them as they also control the hardware.
I have been using 1903 for 6 weeks or so now and have found it to be excellent and very stable. Yes, MS does spend an awful lot of time revising its OS the vast majority of updates are fine, but I would rather have that than an OS that is never updated. Most problems with updates going awry are sometimes caused by using out of date drivers or an affluence of junk on the PC I have experienced this myself on more than a few occasions. I now check and remove junk from my HDD and update my drivers regularly.
I have all my PC contrivances now on 1903 several are small SSD hard drives 32gb and found no difficulty in updating these to 1903 I made sure that there was 10gb free prior to updating and after the update I cleaned up the old OS detritus and was left with much the same space as the previous system. Preparation prior to any update is a fundamental requirement. There lies a major cause of updates failing [which I have also been guilty of in the past!]
I use the OS quite heavily and I make it work hard very easy to do that with Windows 10, but not so with other Operating Systems I find that they are either too restricted or require too much nerd tweaking.
I get the feeling Sven that you are not an admirer of Microsoft which I find a little confusing from a software company whose product requires this OS to function! I am a big fan of Ashampoo software and have used it for many years and am a regular purchaser of updated Ashampoo software even now in my retirement I still PURCHASE Ashampoo updated software versions, there lies a thought.
After using a dark mode add-on for Firefox for the last couple of months or so, I can say with unwavering certainty and profound relief, that dark mode is an absolutely amazing alleviation of eye strain. It's 1000 times better than staring at a mostly bright, white screen.
I use Linux more than Windows, but I did receive the 1903 update a couple of days ago for the 'professional' version.
Worryingly, I experienced my first Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) since installing Windows 10. I got a lovely, large sad smiley :( on the screen and a QR code to troubleshooting pages.
One thing worth mentioning is that after any Windows update, run privacy tools to turn off telemetry and any other privacy settings that were reset to Windows stalking defaults.
not Windows 10 but Windows 1984.
Hi, me again. I have a request please.
As you seem to know a great deal about Windows 10, please would you be able to provide a list of programs we could safely de;ete? I ask because I am never really sure what I really need and what they THINK I need.
I would be really grateful if you could find the time to help with this, Thank you so much.
Despite Windows saying we can delay updates, it still interferes with other programs we might be running, slowing them down considerably. I did download the 1903 which seemed to free up the running for a while. However, Windows still looks for updates in the background, causing screen freezes whilst running other programs. Windows also has a horrible habit of doing this during my active hours, regardless of my time specifications.
I really dislike their blatant disregard for my privacy, my requests for updates to be sorted outside my working hours, and I particularly hate the way they hog my CPU. Do they really need to use so much just to run Windows? If so, why? Why do they override my use of my own PC? And whose machine is it anyway? Mine or theirs? I bought it. If Linux could run the programs I use, then I would switch in a heartbeat.
Oh and did I mention that their "help" is automated , runs you round in circles, and actually is not help at all. Their "fix" for Windows Update errors is a joke. The authoritarian attitude feels like Gestapo tactics. Can you tell that I am totally fed up with Windows 10?
Win XP was the best, so many people still use it. I read online that 46% of Windows users still use it. Yet Microsoft do not seem to be concerned about this. They want to push their Win 10, even to the point of phasing out Win 7. Microsoft, don't you want to please your customers?
I dont like being forced to do updates. It should be a choice otherwise I would have gone with a crapple that also forces updates or limits options.
The only good thing is MS techs and some are very good. What i mean is they have software that is not open to people but some have shared it that let you disable almost all updates except main revisions. I know as I was given a copy that I now use for various updates.
Last I am tired of both MS and AP and think going to go to linux next as atleast there you have better choices.
I was having trouble with Windows updates then I found a really cool program to stop update:
stopudates10.com
you can turn updates on and off
Which is why I’ve bought a MacBook, installed a Hackintosh & am also investigating Linux (very similar to Mac OSX with the right version).
I know I only have until next February, but I think that’s time enough to move. Besides, Windows 7 wont simply stop working after Feb. it’ll simply not get updates.
So far I must say how impressed I am with my Macs. Only gaming will keep me using Windows 7, and probably with Bootcamp.
Bye bye Microsoft! It’d be a lie to say it’s been a pleasure. Every Win 10 installation I’ve had has ended in my anger & frustration at how buggy a so called ‘world class’ operating system has become.
I've had the 1903 upgrade for about a week and after 3 days had to reset and this morning mine was totally dead,been working on it all day to no avail. Eneed up breaking plug in on western digital green hard drive and that ticked me off, trying to keep a civil tongue in my mouth, but I look forward to more problems in future and I've been using 10 since it started. No problems till now.
Microsoft and it's multitude of fellow travellers have been infected by the B.B.C. disease it now aspires to tell us who where when why and whatever in every context of conceptability of our straitened imaginations.
So many or our fellows are so thoroughly brainwashed they can no longer define any nacently valid sense of an actual reality and so do the bidding of their imagined superiors like unthinking automatons ..
Civilisation has always been a tradeoff between security and freedom now technology is beginning to make the trappings of civilisation a technologically virtual pitcher plant.
Hi Sven, thank you for that info, I'm having trouble with 365. I decided to upgrade from Outlook 7, the program was working really good but I can't say that the upgrade is!!! I sent a message to Ms voicing my displeasure but I think it will fall on deaf ears.
I really like your programming suites, I have a lot of your software, great!!
1903 is a total waste of time, 4.7Gb later and your win10 starts to behave like a drunken sailor... i had to revert back to 18something...
stay were you are until the hill'billies' have sorted out their stuff or switch to linux :-)
I use my Windows computer so seldom now that I am unsure if I will replace it when it croaks! I feel Microsoft is to blame for that. The Thousands I have spent over the years on poorly designed Windows software when Linux and Android don't give the same trouble is the reason behind my thinking.
It's not so much the necessary & security updates that are a pain, it's the unwanted crap they insist on installing & re-installing.
Much the same as with phones & tablets - we don't really need the manufacturers version of the additional stuff Google put in Android that we don't use can't delete.