While Microsoft has already said it will be rolling out the Windows 10 Anniversary Update “in phases,” some users might not see the latest version of the operating system arrive on their devices until early November.
In an email sent to Windows 10 users over the past couple weeks, Microsoft noted that the update, which began rolling out on August 2, “may take up to 3 months to reach all users.” However, users who don’t want to wait for the automatic phased update, rolling out on newer devices first, can download the new version manually.
The update is available to users at no charge, as was the original version of Windows 10 that launched in July 2015. Microsoft ended free upgrades to Windows 10 in late July of this year. Customers who want to switch to the new operating system now will either have to pay $119 for the Home version or buy a new device that’s already preloaded with Windows 10.
Phased Release Aimed at Identifying Issues
Writing yesterday on ZDNet, Mary Jo Foley reported that Microsoft is “throttling delivery” of the Anniversary Update so it can better track and resolve issues with the new version of the OS. She noted that there have already been “reports of compatibility issues” with a variety of applications and devices, including webcams, Kindle e-readers and McAfee security software.
Last week, technology writer Paul Thurrott also wrote about “reliability issues unexpectedly dogging the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.” However, he added that the company’s phased rollout is clearly aimed at methodically addressing such issues as they are identified.
“Microsoft will no doubt learn from this experience and improve its processes, ensuring that these types of problems don’t impact the next major Windows 10 release, now expected in Spring 2017,” Thurrott said.
The new operating system is now running on more than 350 million devices around the world, according to the latest Windows 10 user update from Microsoft. When asked about reliability tests for the OS, a company spokesperson told Foley that Microsoft’s software builds have gone through extensive internal and external testing.
You Can Downloaded Update Manually
“The vast majority of our customers have a high-quality, positive experience with our updates and our goal is an issue-free experience for everyone,” the spokesperson said. “For those who don’t, we want to hear from them so we can fix any issues as quickly as possible. We encourage our customers to contact customer support.”
Windows 10 users who have not yet seen the Anniversary Update arrive automatically can manually grab the update in a couple ways. The new version can be accessed by going to Settings > Updates & Security > Windows Update, clicking “Check for Updates” and then selecting “Feature update to Windows 10, version 1607.”
Users can also get the update by clicking “Learn more” under Updates & Security, which will then take them to a support page where they can download the OS.
Microsoft has called Windows 10 its “best, most secure Windows ever,” and has also described the OS as the “last” version of Windows. Unlike past iterations of the operating system, future updates to Windows 10 will be rolled out automatically via the cloud, rather than as discrete and separate versions.
