It looked like Windows 10 build 17133 was going to be blessed as the 1803 update, but that plan has been derailed. Though the build was pushed out to Windows Insiders on the release preview ring – an action that, in the past, has indicated that a build is production ready – it turns out that it had a bug causing blue screens of death.
Microsoft could likely have addressed the situation with an incremental update, but for whatever reason, it didn’t. Instead, we have a new build, 17134. This build is identical to 17133 except that it fixes the particular crashing issue. Fast ring Insiders have the build now, and it should trickle out to Slow ring and Release Preview ring shortly. If all goes well, the build will then make its way out to regular Windows users on the stable release channel.
Microsoft’s various rings for Windows testing seem to be really paying off. They give testers a lot of flexibility in just how bleeding edge they wish to be, and they make it very easy to change between the various levels, while also providing people like me – who really don’t have the time to actively test and report bugs – a safe and easy way to get big updates a few weeks before it hits mainstream.
So basically what Linux distributions have been doing for two decades.
I don’t know if you’re aware Thom, but Windows Insiders builds have a keylogger for diagnostics reasons. For that reason, I wait until it gets released…
You know that “keylogger” is the one used to improve autocomplete and spellcheck? Just like the one in your iPhone or your Android device?
Also, it can be turned off.
We only own windows on one machine, and windows is rarely booted as the wife isn’t interested, preferring less drama when she reads her email.
Thought I really ought to update it…. two days ago… after a slow turgid process, I had to look up some random number it spit out rather than a meaningful message, had to resort to some command line fu, and eventually got the thing updated.
now I find out there’s another update on the way – oh the horror…
contrast with every few days having 2-20 small packages that upgrade within 5mins and allow you to use your machine without any appreciable difference
and they say people use windows because its easy? sheesh….
Not everyone have installation issues like you had. For majority it is just about waiting out the process to continue work. Having couple of hours down-time twice a year isn’t that bad.
Wait, you mean to tell me you rarely boot Windows, then once you do get all the updates at once that normal users get sgtretched out over months, and then complain it takes a while?
Good luck not booting a Linux machine or Mac for months and then install all the updates at once as well.
I dunno Thom, a full dist upgrade on my laptop only takes a couple minutes. More time is spent downloading than installing…. Then again I have an EVO 960 SSD so that helps….
No such luck needed.
Debian user here. I install updates manually, so I decide when to do it. No problems when I’m sitting in front of a box not updated.
Work quite fast actually, for my Suse installations the most timeconsuming is the download. Some 100meg can take a few minutes. And required rebooting is usually not an issue.
I am 99% sure they are trying to trigger phychotic episodes in the weak with this.
I guess I am spoiled by NVMe drives. I haven’t had a Windows 10 update take longer than 5 minutes.
The full version spring/fall updates do take longer than that. But not so much that I notice it as a problem.
One big difference is that all reasonable Linux package managers don’t need to install all intermediate updates to packages, while this seems to be required on Windows.
I did a fresh Fedora Linux 27 install on a new laptop recently.
After installing it had 1.5 GB of updates to install.
Why did I bother downloading the install image if everything is going to be different?
Might be nice if more distributions had an option to download an install image with updated packages.
Not being able to use the OS while updating is a _good_ thing, it avoids changing files that are in use by some process / avoids odd crashes.
I’d like to get new releases early so that I can confirm our applications work fine. However, ‘release preview’ is just a few days in advance and the other two rings (slow and fast) seem to be way too unstable/risky to use.
Which ring are you using Thom?
I use skip-ahead on a home machine where I can play around. In the past this ring didn’t exist and I used the fast ring. When you use either of these 2 rings you will get a lot of bugs and non/half-working features, and even an occassional “blue” screen, especially during the first 2 months of the 6 months cycle. There are also releases that are dog-slow while the next release doesn’t have that issue. Don’t use either of these rings on your day-to-day machine unless you are very capable in restoring an OS+Progs+Data from a diskimage
The slow and release-preview rings are almost identical. Both don’t really give you any releases until we reach the last 2 months (slow) or 2 weeks (release preview) of the 6 month cycle. If you want to test application compatibility, do it on slow but expect some small issues. Release Preview is more for testing the actual final upgrade process and to avoid all risk. You shouldn’t use it for testing applications but for testing the actual installation with some experienced users.
My work machine has been running 17133.1 for almost 2 weeks now and 17134.1 since yesterday. Both have worked just as reliable as any final release and made me feel comfortable to recommend the roll-out company-wide next month.
My recommendation:
Skip-Ahead: On a “I had some leftover hardware and love messing around” only basis
Fast: On a spare-machine at work, join this ring about 3 months into the cycle
Slow: On your own workmachine
Release Preview: On a few powerusers workmachines
Final: Just let it roll-out through Microsoft Update, you will probably get it about 3 months after it became final, but maybe sooner for Home and later for Enterprise. You can always push it through ISO/WSUS after the first 2 patches have rolled out.
No no no no no. The question is “When will MicroSoft decide to ram it down the throats of all the win7 users with a stealth update that once it’s downloaded and infected your system is unable to boot and brick their system?”
BOHICA.
Ask the Russian botnet that’s probably controlling your outdated Windows installation.
DA, TOVARISH. MICROSOFT BOTNET IS BETTER THAN THE EVIL ONE. TRUST YOUR GOV’MENT.