back to article Are you a Windows 1 in 10 (1809)? Or a mighty 80 percenter (1803)?

With the next release of Windows 10 edging closer, users continue to steer clear of Microsoft's October 2018 update. Figures published by ad slinger AdDuplex show that the Update of the Damned, aka the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, has dribbled its way onto 12.4 per cent of Windows 10 PCs sold. It's a far cry from the near …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    My laptop tried twice a last year to install 1809 and seemingly gave up. It recently had another go and failed again. What gives Microsoft?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Wait there, let me check My Documents...

      Yep, it's empty, I must be on Windows 10 1809.

      (Note too, if your Downloads folder has files still, you obviously haven't yet cleaned up the previous 1803 version of Windows, by running the Disk Cleanup Tool and selecting every option)

      (There's no warning on the subtle change to the Disk Cleanup tool in 1809, Microsoft just thought they'd helpfully add YOUR Downloads folder to the list of locations).

      Microsoft interns have obviously taken over the asylum.

      The only positive, is you can now lock down Windows 10 privacy/permissions, so Microsoft (or Apps) can't go anywhere near your stuff, and FFS, they sell it as though they are giving you something. I suppose we'll have to wait and see if those privacy permissions survive the feature upgrade process with Windows 10 19H1.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      My laptop tried twice a last year to install 1809

      Mine too, but since it's a corporately-managed system I can't even stop it doing so, short of killing the upgrade process every time it tells me its going to start.

    3. Timmy B

      All but one PC on 1809.

      The one that isn't is an HP PC that absolutely refuses to install it due to some kind of driver conflict that I don't really feel inclined to sort out as it's running fine. It'll get it eventually.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    1709

    Is there any point in upgrading, all Windows 10 versions are varying degrees of crap.

    New version = same stupid Windows 8.x/10 decisions, just new, different bugs

    1. ReverandDave

      Re: 1709

      Windows is a blanket thrown over an ant hill and Microsoft is just squishing the few they see escape while laying down on a blanket over an ant hill.

      1. Usermane

        Re: 1709

        Yes, angry and hungry big red ants. Who seats there becomes the picnic meal.

  3. LenG

    Also 1709

    Let someone else find the bugs

  4. big_D Silver badge

    1809

    I've been on it on all my PCs since the October release and haven't had any problems so far.

    Interestingly, installing new machines this week, Microsoft still isn't offering 1809 as an option on updating manually. I had to download the media creation tool in the end.

    1. ColonelClaw

      1803

      Exactly my experience too. For whatever reason, even if I go to Windows Update and repeatedly spam the Check for Updates button, it doesn't give it to me. Can't say I'm hugely bothered, but it's definitely still not available for absolutely everyone.

      1. JohnFen

        Re: 1803

        Be careful about clicking the "Check for updates" button. Microsoft thinks that clicking that button means you want pre-release versions of all future updates to be automatically installed.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: 1803

          Ah, more FUD. I'm guessing you've never seen a W10 box in your life.

    2. P. Lee

      Re: 1809

      I got 1809 last night.

      Most vanilla windows install ever:

      Steam and the two games I can't play under Linux.

      "My Documents" directory? Wassat?

      It did spend quite a long time with a completely blank screen while doing the update.

  5. Tim Wolfe-Barry
    Thumb Down

    1703

    Win Update has just fired off again and it says it wants to move to 1803; tried and failed at least 4 times in 2018, so not holding my breath, but at least I'll get 1703 patches and a chance to reboot (joy!)

  6. Spanners Silver badge
    Coat

    Still waiting for H1N1

    Following the update to my Personal Anti Virus(known by our Transatlantic chums as a "flu shot") I think I am safe against Microsoft plans for this year!

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Killed my printers

    Was an 80 percenter up until last night when the update was pushed out to me. Now I'm a 1 in 10 without printers! How can/do non-it literate people deal with this kind of "feature"?

    1. ThatOne Silver badge
      Joke

      Re: Killed my printers

      By buying a new computer - With Windows 10 on it...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Killed my printers

      What, you don't like the paperless office feature?

      1. IceC0ld

        Re: Killed my printers

        What, you don't like the paperless office feature?

        ===

        That wouldn't be too bad, I WOULD have preferred to lose the printerless option though

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I updated to 1809 the other night. Little did i know its been trying for months but didn't have enough disk space to complete. I freed up 10GB and it finally started the upgrade.

  9. bondyboy
    Thumb Down

    Killed my internet

    I finally bit the bullet last night and allowed it to update only to see it screwed my internet connection - "No internet connectivity" on the standard connection, only the VPN connection now works doh!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Paris Hilton

      Re: Killed my internet

      "only the VPN connection now works"

      So what does your VPN work over: IPX over carrier pigeon?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Killed my internet

        Yes of course it'll use my ISP connection, but will only allow internet through the VPN connection, if switched to the standard Ethernet connection (in Windows) it'll tell me no internet connectivity on that connection (despite the VPN obviously using that for its traffic)

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    1809 Ruined Family Settings

    They are configured the same on my Son's new PC that ended up with being updated by mistake, but do not work. Whereas the Mac that I set-up with bootcamp and is still running 1803 is working perfectly - screen-time, permissions, activity reporting. New PC on 1809 - useless. no restrictions, notification 24hrs late every time.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    1 in 10

    Hmmmmm ...... 12.4% is much much closer to 1 in 8

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: 1 in 10

      New PC's sold running 1809 (12.4%) are only part of the overall userbase, running 1809.

  12. Fading
    Windows

    1 desktop and 1 laptop.....

    are now on 1809. One other laptop is on 1803 (I phase in the big updates at home) . So far the only reason I can think of to up/down grade to 1809 is to have the "dark theme" enabled in explorer.....

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: 1 desktop and 1 laptop.....

      1809 is noticeably slower on startup than 1803, even with an SSD, but we've still talking seconds here, but you can see the difference (had two identical laptops to compare this). A lot of bloatware features that I've justed turned off, that will be dropped in 2-3 versions no doubt due to lack of use.

  13. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. doublelayer Silver badge

      Re: 19H1 (aka the Windows 10 April 2019 Update) is likely to hit in a matter of months..

      That's the official name. Just as the 1809 update was called the October 2018 update even when it was delayed until November. I don't know who is setting the numbers or the names, nor do I know what the H is doing in that number now, but that's Microsoft's decision.

      1. RuffianXion

        Re: 19H1 (aka the Windows 10 April 2019 Update) is likely to hit in a matter of months..

        The 'H' stands for 'Hope'.

    2. Usermane

      Re: 19H1 (aka the Windows 10 April 2019 Update) is likely to hit in a matter of months..

      Nice,what if instead of that way only put numbers? The April update would be 19.04, next 19.10 and so. I think should be something more clear, easy to understand and original.

  14. John 104

    Enterprise

    Even in the enterprise, pulling media from the volume licensing site, it is tricky to NOT get 1809. 1803 is out there and can be found, but you have to dig a little. Avoiding it like the plague. We can get previous builds, but I'd ratner not skip 2 years of security fixes...

    1. Ken Hagan Gold badge

      Re: Enterprise

      I expect you are supposed to download it when it comes out and then save it until you think it is safe to deploy. Download 1809 now and save it somewhere, in case 1903 is even worse.

      1. Danny 14

        Re: Enterprise

        aye. 1809 is back in wsus too.

  15. elguapo

    "while it would be nice to pretend that 1809 never happened, the Update of Damned has been slapped with the Long Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) moniker meaning it will hang around for another 10 years"

    What does this mean? Sounds like you're saying 1809 will be supported until 2028, but I see no indication of that on the link provided:

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet

    It says the end of service for Home & Pro is 2020, and for Enterprise & Education is 2021. What are you referring to?

    1. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge

      re: elguapo

      The Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC/LTSB 2019 edition is based on the 1809 build, and has extended support to January 2029.

      C.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: re: elguapo

        Wow more numbers? There is waaaay too many numbers in this "article" to NOT perform arithmetic. I feel like a spelling bee just broke out at a cryptography conference.

        I have to shower.

      2. elguapo

        Re: re: elguapo

        Damn, I got excited for nothing. I get zero ROI for going through this crap twice a year. If I could've stayed on 1703 with security updates until 2027 I'd be so fscking happy.

  16. N2

    Extended support till 2029?

    I really do feel sorry for support peeps.

    1. jake Silver badge

      Re: Extended support till 2029?

      Sorry for them? Why? It's not like the world hasn't been watching Redmond go steadily downhill for the two decades since the release of Win2K. Anybody in WinSupport these days should have known exactly what they were getting into. So why be sorry for them? Perhaps mildly irritated at them for continuing to contribute to the enabling of MS's bad coding practices, though.

  17. Evil Auditor Silver badge

    AI...

    ...deciding what to install. Must be the dumbed down computer that Dilbert recently developed.

    1. P. Lee

      Re: AI...

      >Must be the dumbed down computer that Dilbert recently developed.

      Catbert, evil HR director.

  18. GrumpyKiwi
    Thumb Up

    1809 here

    Started testing it once Trend Micro updated their WFBS to support it (i.e. late December) and it's worked fine for me - no deleted files, no dropped internet connections, no nuffin. In line with the stats in the article, about 10% of the company fleet of computers are now running it.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    1709 here

    I prevented the auto upgrade to 1803 by setting my connection to metered* after hearing various horror stories. 1709 retains support until April so that deadline will eventually force my hand.

    Have all the programmers at Microsoft retired/died/quit?

    * - https://www.pcworld.com/article/2953132/windows/set-windows-10s-wi-fi-connections-as-metered-to-download-forced-updates-at-your-own-pace.html

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Broken updates + data slurpage

    ... well I guess users have to pay for their Windows-as-a-service updates somehow.

  21. David 132 Silver badge
    Windows

    I feel like I deserve bragging rights, or perhaps sympathy, not sure which.

    I have a device that - despite my best efforts - is still stuck on 1511. It's only a testbed/play device so I don't particularly care, but it amuses me that it repeatedly tries to update to 1803 and then the oh-so-informative "Something went wrong. Retry?" loop.

    And trust me, using 1511 compared to 1803 is rather like using Windows 8 compared to 8.1 - both are execrable nightmares of "F*** you, users" but at least the latter is pretending to go in the right direction.

    1. Steve Jackson

      Re: I feel like I deserve bragging rights, or perhaps sympathy, not sure which.

      You're really not trying very hard.

  22. David Roberts

    Not sure about all the hate for W8.1 and W10.

    I'm mainly running W7 x64 but I do have a laptop running 8.1 which is fine, and recently inherited an all-in-one running W10 which seems to be happy just doing stuff.

    I suspect that 99% of end users have no issues and it is only the deeply (anally?) techie types who care.

    My main concern recently is the broken W7 update thst screws network sharing.

    At some point I'm going to have to upgrade, although I'm tempted to move W7 to W8.1 if that is still an available option. A long time since i did the clean installs on the low cost upgrades from Vista.

    1. Woodburner

      Re: Not sure about all the hate for W8.1 and W10.

      "My main concern recently is the broken W7 update thst screws network sharing."

      That really annoyed me too! It has now been fixed. See the post here: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/kb4480970-no-networking-invalid-handle-error/00d87fe8-876a-45d9-beb9-2c2fd9fff0aa

  23. Carl D

    Here's a perfect example of why Microsoft's 6 month upgrade cycle is madness:

    I just checked the Gigabyte website and notice that new motherboard drivers for Windows 10 version 1809 have just been released for my motherboard (which is only 18 months old).

    So, 1809 was supposed to be released in September 2018, actually got released in October, pulled and re-released in November and new motherboard drivers are finally available at the beginning of February 2019.

    And, another "new" version of Windows 10 is just around the corner - March or April from what I hear. I'll probably see another new set of motherboard drivers around about July or August. Just before the next new release.

    Total insanity.

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Anonymous Coward is so anonymous :P

    Still on 1803, with my copy of Win10 Home claiming: "You're up to date". Didn't try manual. And with all those issues, I think it's a good thing.

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