back to article Hats off to the brave 7%ers who dived into the Windows 10 May 2020 Update within a month of release

The Windows 10 2004 rollout is moving a little quicker than the last major update to Microsoft's OS. Figures from Ad Duplex show the May 2020 Update hitting 7 per cent of the 150,000 Windows 10 PCs surveyed by the organisation to the end of June. The growth has been mainly at the expense of the previous three incarnations. …

  1. MungoF

    Reverted

    I tried it, my storage started acting all Boris-like, fluffy, incoherent, mistaken, catastrophic.

    So I reverted, all is now Starmer.

  2. Richard Jones 1

    One Out Of Four

    So far, only one PC has been offered and accepted the new version. I cannot say it has anything to offer me. Another machine with an almost identical build is still waiting for the offer. Two others are pending possibly for their own good reasons. So far I have to say it is not worth the hype. A bit like Starmer and lawyers in general, loads of ballyhoo but not a lot of point.

  3. Olafthemighty

    Not dead yet!

    Got it a couple of days ago (possibly. Not convinced I know what today is) and nothing's blown up or fallen off yet...

    1. werdsmith Silver badge

      Re: Not dead yet!

      I accepted it on two laptops in Jun and I'm loving using the WSL2 Ubuntu now.

      Nothing bad has happened, but much seems to be improved.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @werdsmith - Re: Not dead yet!

        I'm using Ubuntu and I didn't have to accept anything (telemetry, forced download of Candy Crush, ads allover the place and so on). Oh, and if I don't like Ubuntu I can move to other distribution.

        1. werdsmith Silver badge

          Re: @werdsmith - Not dead yet!

          sudo apt-get install sanctimony

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Latest Image

    Does Microsoft have latest image with all updates included like Linux community. Every time I refresh my computer for different reasons, I install the backup I created/restore from HD image and then wait a day for all the updates to be applied.

    1. MatthewSt

      Re: Latest Image

      A "Reset" in the latest version is up to date out of the box, and the ISOs that MSDN subscribers can download is updated every month

    2. Boothy

      Re: Latest Image

      Quote: "...image with all updates included like Linux community."

      Huh? Is this a specific distro?

      I've installed a few Linux installs over the last few months, desktop and server, VMs and real hardware, different distros, and always from a freshly downloaded ISO. The ISO only usually changes if the release number changes, and they always need an update/upgrade once installed [*]. i.e. the ISO for Ubuntu 20.04 is still the same now, as it was months back, so needs even more downloads to bring up to date.

      * Not a complaint, just an observation, I expect to have to update any fresh install, and at least with Linux, it's usually quick and painless (especially server editions).

      1. crayon

        Re: Latest Image

        "Huh? Is this a specific distro?"

        Debian does this, that's the only one I know offhand. It could be that it's because their release schedule is leisurely compared to other distros and by refreshing their ISOs they can save some bandwidth on both sides.

        1. Boothy

          Re: Latest Image

          I'd also just remembered that some distros also have Internet install versions, with a minimal ISO, that then requires an Internet connection to download everything else live during the install.

          So those should produce a more up to date install each time.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I updated, and then deleted the Windows.old folder.

    I didn't use the builtin Windows Tool for that, instead, I just took ownership of the directory contents and changed the ACLs and did an RD /S

    Don't try this!

    Somehow inside Windows.old are a bunch of links to live files on your system. In my case, all my local mysql databases, which were all wiped.

    I then factory reset the machine and installed Windows 2004 from scratch, so far I have not had any issues.

    1. Boothy

      Fresh install also worked for me, although I've only done this successfully on a single test box so far (real hardware).

      The one test VM I updated to 2004, (from 1909), has been glitchy, odd stability issues, video flickers, NAS drive dropouts etc. Could be partly an incompatibility with Virtual Box, lots of people complaining about the video issue. A fresh install of 2004 in a VM still had video issues (very very slow), but other things like NAS drives seem to work okay, so far anyway.

      Won't be letting 2004 anywhere near any of my 'real' PCs any time soon.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @Boothy - Even better!

        Microsoft believes my computer is not yet ready which doesn't bother me at all.

    2. werdsmith Silver badge

      In my case, all my local mysql databases, which were all wiped.

      This is a good thing. Getting rid of Larry infections can only be positive. Replace with Maria.

  6. Chewi
    Thumb Up

    WSL2

    Several of us at work have upgraded early for WSL2. Most won't get it for a few months. Some have had trouble actually getting it to start the upgrade in the first place but I haven't heard of any problems once upgraded. I've already switched my main dev environment from VirtualBox to WSL2. There's a couple of rough edges but the performance alone makes it worthwhile.

    1. Boothy

      Re: WSL2

      WSL2 is the one thing I'd really like 2004 for, but my main PC current states that I can't update from 1909 to 2004 [*] atm, and other test updates on other boxes, haven't exactly got smoothly! So I'm going to wait a while.

      * It just says the update is not ready for my device yet, they'll let me know once it is!

  7. Lost in Cyberspace

    My USBs are nearly all 2004

    All my fresh installs are v2004 and all good so far.

    I don't want to be going back to customers after a few days/weeks to babysit an update from 1909.

    1. Roland6 Silver badge

      Re: My USBs are nearly all 2004

      Depends...

      Upgraded a load of customers in Feb~Apr to 1909 in readiness for lockdown.

      Currently, 2004 is in the optional list on some of the machines where it can stay until it becomes easier to physically access the machines currently distributed to people's homes and they have a (small) stock of upgraded machines that can be swapped.

      However, like you, all new machines will be 2004.

  8. HimInDoors

    Printing fail yet again!

    Updated a couple of weeks ago and got hit by the Brother printer foul-up. It took ten days to fix. I was not impressed.

    The new version of Edge is also worse than the previous one.

    Microsoft is down to its typical low standards.

    1. Expat-Cat

      Re: Printing fail yet again!

      "The new version of Edge is also worse than the previous one."

      in what way? Been using it for a while, seems to work well with fewer issues on random web sites. Can use Edge and Chrome extensions.

      Seems faster than Chrome. Still has the Immersive Reader view.

      1. Tubz Silver badge

        Re: Printing fail yet again!

        Agree Edge keeps getting better on each new release, I just wish they would let us customise the new page/tab and give us the option to switch to a new tab once opened, instead of using 3rd party plugins. How hard can it be too code ?

        1. aks

          Re: Printing fail yet again!

          I don't remember quite how but I tamed my New Folder page quite quickly, starting with the Focused option.

          It now has a very clean look, showing only the Microsoft icon+name, the Search box, and my eight favourites. No extensions.

          Running Windows 10 Pro, 20H2, build 19042.330.

    2. 82412

      Updated one PC 26th June and had to download a fix to get my networked Brother printer to work.

      Updated a second PC 1st July - uses the same printer - and no fix required.

  9. IceC0ld

    We should all therefore take a moment to pay tribute to that brave 7 per cent, willing to set sail into the uncertain waters of Windows 10 2004 and click Check for updates.

    WILLING to set sail .................

    my PC effectively TOLD me it was waiting to update, started, it hung, and stayed there for hours, shut down, restarted, PC back to as was, all good, two days later, the PC again, told me it was waiting to update, started, and this time it went through

    all good so far, but TBH, I am not a major user at home on Windows, so maybe I haven't found the trip wires yet LOL

  10. James O'Shea

    working here

    2004 seems to be working. It prints to Brothers, Epsons, even HPs. It talks to Macs and Ubuntu boxes and even Win 7 boxes over the network. Of course, it's only been installed on Pro versions of Win 10, YMMV with other versions.

  11. bengoey49

    PC bricked by update

    My old Acer desktop with i5 3450 processor was bricked by Windows update late February this year. I am fed up with Window updates, very annoying.

    So next computer will be Apple, will wait for the Arm processor Mac. Bye bye Window PC.

    1. WolfFan Silver badge

      Re: PC bricked by update

      I have just one thing to say to you: ‘Catalina’.

      You have been warned.

  12. Roger B

    I had the message on my laptop, desktop and tablet machines that the update was not ready for me yet, for a so long, I got bored and added my laptop to the Insider Ring, I now have my very old Dell Studio 17 Dual Core machine running 20H2 19042.330, seems a bit nippier than previously, I think if I replaced the hard drive with an SSD the speed increase would be very noticeable.

    Am I odd in that before shutting down any of my PCs, I generally go and "Check for Updates" and let it install what it needs, probably cursed this now, but I've never had any major issues, I think once, the camera stopped working on the Surface tablet, but it was back up and running again within a week.

  13. 9Rune5

    half and half

    My laptop got the update a while back, but my desktop machine is still 'on hold'. The update screen says I have to wait. Wish they'd give me some links to whatever issues they feel I have. (hmm, might be in the update logs I suppose?)

    1. Boothy

      Re: half and half

      Also in the same on-hold state with my main Desktop PC. Might be due to it being a home custom build, so not exactly a generic box. But I'm in no rush.

      1. WolfFan Silver badge

        Re: half and half

        My main Windows desktop is a hand build and has Win 10 Pro, Win 10 Edu, Win Server 2012 R2, and Ubuntu 18.04 in different volumes. The Pro and Edu volumes both got 2004, no problems, no wait. (Note that that’s different _volumes_, as in different physical drives, currently a 1 TB HDD each for Win 10 Pro and Edu, a 2 TB HDD for 2012 R2, and a 3 TB for Ubuntu.) This machine started with Win 7 and Server 2008 R2, so it’s not exactly new. I have the Server install as an emergency system if my main server goes TITSUP, so that volume gets started mostly for updates and to make sure it still runs.

  14. Dave K

    LTSC?

    It would be interesting to know if that 5% of people on 1809 includes LTSC builds or not. It is of course the latest release for LTSC at the moment and is the reason why a couple of my VMs will report this version.

    1. Boothy

      Re: LTSC?

      I'm using a corporate [*] laptop, and we are still on 1809 (Enterprise), and all updates are managed by the company, so can't even force an update to 1909, let alone 2004.

      Corp has 50,000+ employees worldwide, so that's a small amount still on 1809 globally, but still quite a few.

      1. Dave K

        Re: LTSC?

        My work laptop is still on 1709, although the company is preparing to upgrade to 1909 in the next month or so. To be honest, I don't mind. There are pretty much zero benefits I can think of to my daily work from a newer build, and instead the risk of my system borking during the upgrade and hence preventing me from getting anything done is of bigger concern to me.

      2. Captain Obvious

        Re: LTSC?

        I am waiting as support runs out at the end of this year, and our IT has no real upgrade plans yet!

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Masochists...

    Why would you put yourselves through this?

    1. Ken Hagan Gold badge

      Re: Masochists...

      In my case it is because I develop software and want to get screwed over before my customers do.

      It's a balance, though. I could become an Inmate and get screwed earlier and harder, but I don't love my customers *that* much.

  16. ihardiman

    WSUS 2004 approval

    My wsus server automatically approved and published 2004 for all computers in my org. Earlier Win10 feature updates required manual approval and license agreement before roll out.

    This behaviour will make a big impact on achieving 7%!

    Yes, we do have some problems with it.

  17. Denarius

    OTGH

    it blew away the linux dual boot installation by adding a 450 MB WinRE hidden partition out of the space used by / on a sandpit box. Same on HP laptop of little use.

    No warning, just no linux installation. Seems to be designed to enforce EUFI and preventing dual boot on traditional BIOS dual boot. As for Windows, the little I use it, nothing to make it desirable. Still have to find 3 drivers for Nvidia and a couple of other chips. All Win 10 Pro versions.

    1. WolfFan Silver badge

      Re: OTGH

      I did not see anything like that. Ubuntu 18.04 still runs on my main desktop even after two different Win 10 installs were updated to 2004.

  18. Denarius

    OTGH

    Update blew away the linux dual boot installation by adding a 450 MB WinRE hidden partition out of the space used by / on a sandpit box. Same on HP laptop of little use.

    No warning, just no linux installation. Seems to be designed to enforce EUFI and preventing dual boot on traditional BIOS dual boot. As for Windows, the little I use it, nothing to make it desirable. Still have to find 3 drivers for Nvidia and a couple of other chips. All Win 10 Pro versions.

  19. BGatez

    so, good news is less crappy than previously - gotta love forced "updates"

  20. Spindreams

    I tried installing it a few days after it released, it totally messed up my desktop, explorer would not run, no access to any program, errors everywhere almost like the windows folder was missing. I managed to use an windows 10 install USB to access the update rollback and bingo everything was back to normal. I just hope it is fixed when they force the install on me.....

  21. Captain Obvious
    Happy

    Better than 1903 and 1909 so far

    On the things that matter, if I use Remote desktop, I had a ton of issues from Windows 10 to Windows Server 2019 (never had an issue with 2016 but a hardware failure led to me upgrading to 2019 for faster Windows Updates application times). These issues have disappeared with 2004. I got rid of the crummy Dell TB3 docks so I also avoided that issue.

    So at least for my use cases, it is an improvement on an abysmal product :)

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