Of course, it is one thing to temporarily delay a certain update that has just been sent to you or a patch for Windows, and quite another to never update. Next, we are going to explain the update model for each of these operating systems and how to update them to the latest version.
Windows 10 versions
Luckily, Microsoft has changed the way Windows 10 is developed and maintained, and instead of releasing new versions of the system every few years, it is constantly evolving the operating system. This operating system is almost nothing like the one that arrived in 2015. And, in addition, every 6 months Microsoft usually releases new versions of its operating system with improvements in operation, performance, security, and new functions.
The complete list of versions of Windows 10, including its release date and end of support, is:
NameVersionLaunchEnd of supportWith support? RTM1507July 29, 2015May 9, 2017NO November Update1511November 10, 2015October 10, 2017NO Anniversary Update1607August 2, 2016April 10, 2018NO Creators Update170April 35, 2017October 9, 2018NO Fall Creators Update17 09October 17, 2017April 9, 2019NO April 2018 Update1803April 30, 2018November 12, 2019NO October 2018 Update1809November 13, 2018November 10, 2020NO May 2019 Update1903May 21, 2019December 8, 2020NO November 2019 Update1909November 12, 2 019 May 11, 2021 NO May 2020 Update2004 May 27 December 14, 2021NO October 2020 Update20H2October 20, 2020May 10, 2022NO May 2021 Update21H1May 2021December 2022NO “Sun Valley”21H2October 2021May 2023NO 2022 Update22H2O October 2022 May 2024 YES
Since the announcement of Windows 11, in the summer of 2021, the development of Windows 10 has come to an end. Although this system will continue to receive updates until October 2025, Microsoft will no longer develop or add new functions or features to its operating system. As of 21H2, Windows 10 will only receive one update per yearand these will include only minor fixes, nothing new or other improvements.
what version do i have
To check the version of the operating system that we have installed, what we must do is execute the command “winver” (from the Windows search engine, or from the run window that we open with Win + R) and we can see a window like the following.
We can also see this information directly from the Settings menu. We can open it with the keyboard shortcut Win + I, and in the section System > About we will be able to see this same information.
In it we can see the version of the operating system that we are using and its compilation. The version, 2004, indicates that we are using the May 2020 Update and the build level of installed patches. We will also be able to know if we use the second way the date on which we have installed the last update and the version of the Windows Feature Experience Pack.
Therefore, and as we have been able to verify first-hand, taking a look at the current version of Windows that I have installed on my computer is something quite simple. This will help us make the decision whether to upgrade to the next version of the system.
What is build, and how is it different from version
In addition to the version itself (1909, 2004, 20H2, 21H1, etc), we can also find another value in the system information, what we know as the compilation, or “build”. Windows is an operating system that is in constant development, and although new versions arrive every 6 months, every time a patch is installed, the OS build number changes.
This compilation number is not very useful to us, since the important one, in the end, is the general version of the program. But it can be useful when checking if we have our Windows 10 with the latest patches applied. This number changes every time we install a security update or a quality patch, always increasing by an indeterminate number in the value to the right of the dot. The value to the left of the point varies only every time we install a new version of the OS.
Update the Windows Feature Experience Pack
Windows Feature Experience Pack is a tool provided by Microsoft to simplify updates to your operating system. Instead of including all the functions and features within a single system patch, the company includes some of these features within this “pack”.
And it is that we must take into account that one of the main handicaps faced by Microsoft for years, are precisely these Windows updates. On more occasions than users and the firm itself would like, these software elements cause problems both in downloading and installing on our computers. Hence the software giant try to make things as easy as possible for us so that we can update our computers without any failure. This is something that is not always achieved, but at least we have several options to try.
The installation of these updates, whether major or minor, is almost always important. This is something that is extensible both at a functional and security level, and that sooner or later we are going to have to carry it out.
Thanks to the Windows Feature Experience Pack, it is possible for our version of the system to receive some features without having to install the latest version. So if Microsoft adds new features to their snipping tool, or wants to enable changes to the search engine or News & Interests feature, they can do so through this feature.
There is no need to download or install anything in the operating system. This experience pack is updated together with the operating system via Windows Update. Therefore, we could say that this is a quite adequate solution for those users who do not want to complicate themselves or who prefer to greatly simplify everything related to Windows updates.
How to install the latest version of Windows 10
The Windows 10 updates They can be divided into 3 types. The first updates are security updates that reach users once a month. The second of these are optional updates, which typically arrive on the third or fourth Tuesday of the month with non-security fixes and improvements. And thirdly we have the feature updates, the big semi-annual updates that continue the development of the system.
Security and optional updates usually do not change the version, they change only the build. Feature updates do change the version number.
By default, Windows 10 is set to receive updates automatically. In this way, the system is always automatically updated to the latest version in terms of security patches and maintenance. Feature updates, on the other hand, although they are downloaded from Windows Update as well, we must launch them manually when we are ready to make the leap.
How to update the system with Windows Update
We receive everything related to Windows 10 updates through Windows Update. To do this, what we must do is enter the Configuration menu (Win + I keyboard shortcut), and there scroll to «Update and security > Windows Update«.
Here we will be able to see a list with all the updates that we have pending to install. if we want install the latest version of windowsthen we must click on the “Check for updates” button so that the system updater checks our computer and tells us if there are new versions available.
From here the process is automatic. Windows Update is responsible for downloading all the updates that exist and installing them on our computer. When the process is finished, it will ask us to restart the computer and, after doing so, we will have our computer updated to the latest version.
Perhaps for all this it is considered that this method of updating the Microsoft system is the simplest and most affordable for the majority. At first it should not give us any problem or in the download not in the installation. But with everything and with this and as I’m sure many of you have already experienced on some occasion in the past, this is not always the case. Hence precisely the efforts that Microsoft has been applying for years to this functionality, Windows Update, in order to avoid these problems with updates.
Install the latest version by hand
It may be that when manually searching for updates in Windows, the latest version does not appear. This is because either Microsoft has not yet released it for all users, or our computer is not ready to receive the update. If there is a driver problem, for example, the new patch will not appear.
In this case, what we can do is force the update manually on our computer. To do this, Microsoft provides us with a assistant with which we can update our computer, use the version you use, to the latest version.
From the previous link we will also be able to download the media creation tool. This will allow us, in addition to downloading a Windows 10 ISO and creating an installation USB, to update our computer to the latest version.
Whichever method we choose, we must take into account that the update process can take a long time. And although there are usually no problems, there is a small chance that something could go wrong. And for this reason it is recommended to have a backup of the system before starting. For what it could happen.
How to remove the latest update
Just as Microsoft tries to make it as easy as possible for us to update Windows, it also offers us a way to uninstall those updates easily. And it is that after updating the system we can find a problem derived from some incompatibility that causes failures to occur. Therefore, if necessary, the best we can do is remove that update as soon as possible. To do this we access the Settings application, where again we are in the Update and security section.
Now, in the same section of Windows Update that we mentioned before, now what we have to do is click on the link called View update history. Then we will see that the most recent updates received in the system appear on the screen. These are cataloged in different sections depending on their nature, but in the upper part of the window we see what interests us now.
Here we find a link that says Uninstall updates, where we click…
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