Insiders Warned to Prep for November 2019 Update Release
Yesterday, Brandon Leblanc, Senior Program Manager for the Windows Insider Program posted on Insider blog. Entitled “Getting the November 2019 Update Ready for Release,” it sets the state for the next and coming Feature Update. Among other things worth reading, LeBlanc says “We believe that Build 18363.418 is the final build and we will continue to improve the overall experience of 19H2 on customers’ PCs as part of our normal servicing cadence.” In fact, he goes onto observe that “Windows Insiders in the Release Preview ring already have this build, so no action is needed from them to get this build.”
OK then, LeBlanc’s Insider blog post gives the current Release Preview its blessing as the November 2019 Update Release. Cool!
[Source: Getting the November 2019 Update Ready for Release.]
Ready or Not, Here It Comes!
Insiders need to take heed of this process, which will take place “in the coming weeks,” according to LeBlanc. Thus, Windows Insiders in the Slow ring will move forward to 20H1 at around the same time that the November 2019 Update goes into its usual public release cycle (slow at first, then speeding up as telemetry indicates that possible impediments to successful upgrades get fixed. He also gives this boldface exhortation to Insider program members:
Now is the time for you to verify your desired Windows Insider Program settings by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program to ensure you are on the ring you want to be on before this change occurs.
He also observes that those who want to jump on the 19H2/November 2019 Update release early can do so by opting into the Release Preview ring now, and then checking the “Stop getting preview builds” option in the Windows Insider Program pane in Settings → Update & Security → Windows Insider Program. That way, you’ll get the new release now and any applicable updates pushed in the interim, but won’t stay in the Insider Preview ring (and go back to production code) once the November 2019 Update goes into public release. See his blog post for detailed, step-by-step instructions on what to do, including screenshots.
Before the End of November, Probably Sooner
Of course, implicit in this blog post is the announcement that the November 2019 Update Release is on its way out the door, into public hands. LeBlanc doesn’t pin himself (or Microsoft) to any specific timetable, though. That’s a good thing, because we all want a solid, stable, and mostly bug-free version of whatever 18363.418 morphs into over the next few weeks to be what goes public. Better to wait a little longer to get that, than to push a release out the door that causes wailing and lamentation among the general populace. Perhaps MS did learn something from the 1809 boondoggle after all?
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.