20H2 Update Is Out … Sort Of …
I’ve got 4 PCs here at the house running version 2004 right now. Thus, when I saw the news yesterday that the 20H2 release was generally available I immediately rushed to grab those goods. No dice. So I read the announcement carefully where I found this verbiage (green highlights are mine):
Beginning today, the October 2020 Update is available initially for users of select devices running Windows 10, version 1903 or later who are interested in experiencing the latest feature updates and are ready to install this release on their device. If you would like to install the new release, open your Windows Update settings (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update) and select Check for updates. If the update appears, and you are running Windows 10, version 1903 or later, you can simply select Download and install to get started.
Drat! No Select Devices Here, Apparently…
Because I have a near-handful of PCs running version 2004 (inventory coming right up), 3 of them 2 years old or newer, I assumed that at least one of them would qualify for the Windows Update offer right away. Apparently that assumption was unwarranted, because not a single, solitary one of them got the offer!
Just for the record, here’s what I’ve got in the 2004 stable right now:
+1. 2018 Vintage Lenovo X1 Extreme (i7 Kaby Lake, 16 GB RAM, NVMe SSD)
+2. 2019 Vintage Lenovo X390 Yoga (i7 Kaby Lake, 16 GB RAM, NVMe SSD)
+3. 2018 Vintage Lenovo X380 Yoga (i7 Kaby Lake, 16 GB RAM, NVMe SSD)
+4. 2016 Vintage homebuilt desktop (i7 Skylake, 32 GB RAM, NVMe SSD)
And, FWIW, none of them has issues running Windows 10 2004 at the current 19041.572 build level. I’ve got to admit I’m surprised, but not shocked, to find myself in this situation.
If you visit this page and grab the latest MCT, it will convey a completely current 20H2 ISO to your chosen storage location. Alas, though, that’s not what I want.
[Click image for full-sized view.]
There IS Another Way, But I Don’t Want to Take It
If you’re in a similar boat and want to upgrade immediately, you can visit the Download Windows 10 page and grab the latest version of the Media Creation Took, aka MCT. That program now takes the executable name: MediaCreationTool20H2.exe. You could use it, if you wanted to, to grab an ISO, mount it, and run setup.exe to perform a manual upgrade. My problem with that is, I want to see and write about the streamlined update experience, which takes only a couple of minutes to complete and leaves no Windows.Old folder hierarchy behind on the install drive. Sure, I can FORCE the upgrade but I want to see how (and how well) the native WU experience works. I’ll keep checking daily, and let you know as various of these PCs get the offer, and how things proceed from there. In the meantime, I’m trying to find some patience, keep calm, and carry on!
Author: Ed Tittel
Ed Tittel is a 30-plus-year computer industry veteran. He’s a Princeton and multiple University of Texas graduate who’s worked in IT since 1981 when he started his first programming job. Over the past three decades he’s also worked as a manager, technical evangelist, consultant, trainer, and an expert witness. See his professional bio for all the details.