Windows 10 1909 Is Here
For once, the rumors about 19H2/1903 panned out. With yesterday’s Patch Tuesday, MS let slip the 1909 release. That’s right: Windows 10 1909 is here, and available through normal Windows Update channels. It’s also been integrated into the Windows 10 Update Assistant. And although the Download Windows 10 page still touts “Windows 10 May 2019 Update,” the MCT (Media Creation Tool) is indeed proffering 1909 to visitors. For those who are ready, willing and interested 1909 will serve itself to their PCs. [Warning: seems like the MS WU Servers — that is, Akamai — are pretty swamped right now. Downloads will take some time.]
Check Details in the Properties window for the MCT exe file to get version info. To clarify, it works every time!
A Kinder, Gentler Windows 10 1909 Is Here
The most interesting thing about upgrading to 1909, in my experience, is the lack of fuss and bother. Download delays aside, it’s incredibly quick and painless to install the upgrade. It really is like a Cumulative Update (CU), rather than the typical Feature Upgrades of the past. In fact, it’s so much like a CU that it doesn’t even reset Reliability Monitor:
Normally, after an upgrade, Reliability Monitor would reset itself and start over. As you see here, the November 13 data (the day I upgraded) carries on from the preceding release.
[Click image for full-sized view.]
In the Windows Blogs, there’s a noteworthy November 12 post, particularly for Windows admins in production, commercial environments. It’s entitled “How to get the Windows 10 November 2019 Update.” (BTW, Windows 10 November 2019 Update is the official name for the 1909/19H2 release.)
What MS Recommends for 1909 Experimentation and Deployment
Here’s a pair of paragraphs from that post that should greatly interest such readers:
With today’s release of the November 2019 Update (Windows 10, version 1909), IT administrators should begin targeted deployments to validate that the apps, devices and infrastructure used by their organizations work as expected with the new release and features. Windows 10, version 1909 is available through Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Windows Update for Business, and the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC)1 for phased deployment using Microsoft Endpoint Manager (the combination of Configuration Manager and Intune plus cloud-powered features into an integrated management solution) or other systems management software. (Note: The next Semi-Annual Channel release of Windows Server—Windows Server, version 1909—is scheduled for general availability later this month via the Azure Portal and the Volume Licensing Servicing Center.)
For information about the latest features for commercial customers, including the 30 months of service support for Enterprise, IoT Enterprise and Education editions, see What’s new for IT pros in Windows 10, version 1909. For specific information on the update mechanics of Windows 10, version 1909, see this blog post.
In fact, my advice is to get 1909 up and running in a test environment ASAP. Then you can do as Microsoft suggests, and get a sense of Windows 10’s new future. It’s actually quite stable and steady, as I blogged at Win10.Guru a couple of days ago. Good stuff! Be sure to check it out.