Microsoft: “Seamless” Rollout of Creators Update to Take “Several Months”

Microsoft: "Seamless" Rollout of Creators Update to Take "Several Months"

Given what happened with the previous Windows 10 upgrade, some are worried about a repeat with next month’s Creators Update. But Microsoft says it has a plan in place to ensure a seamless rollout. And they’re going to take their time.

“The Creators Update will begin to roll out on April 11,” Microsoft’s John Cable writes in a new post to the Windows Experience blog. “Like with the Anniversary Update we delivered last August, this update for Windows will proceed in phases.”

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According to Cable, the plan goes as follows:

Newer devices first. The first phase of the Creators Update rollout will involve newer devices, starting with those that Microsoft has specifically tested with its PC maker partners.

More devices over time. Based on the feedback Microsoft receives during that initial phase, it will start adding additional devices to the rollout matrix over time.

Complete rollout will take several months. For this release, Microsoft is admitting that the rollout will take “several months.” “Update availability may vary by manufacturer, model, country or region, mobile operator or service provider, specific installed software, hardware limitations and other factors such as feedback from customers,” Cable says.

Assuming this goes well, I bet it rolls out more quickly than that. In fact, I will guess they’re shooting for Windows 10’s second anniversary—roughly August 1—for a complete rollout. But that’s just me guessing.

 

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Conversation 18 comments

  • nbplopes

    30 March, 2017 - 2:25 pm

    <p>I think it makes sense MS to release the update to systems that they have tested. Because even in those in the past problems were multiple. Even with 10 million insiders (I've heard) problems were multiple. At least in my devices.</p><p><br></p><p>But even if past experiences on tested devices were without problem, considering the myriad of devices that Windows 10 targets, this approach is only sensible.</p>

  • mjw149

    30 March, 2017 - 2:36 pm

    <p>That's a really long cycle for an OS update. 6 months-ish? Will they hold back VR goggles until the end to ensure compatibility? It makes a mockery of bundling it and branding it and setting a date, really. The lack of urgency suggests that it's not that important, does it not?</p>

    • lvthunder

      Premium Member
      30 March, 2017 - 4:05 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#94338"><em>In reply to mjw149:</em></a></blockquote><p>Don't assume being cautious is a lack of urgency.</p>

      • anchovylover

        30 March, 2017 - 4:59 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#94362">In reply to lvthunder:</a></em></blockquote><p>I agree, MS have taken too many PR hits these past two years. A steady rollout is the way to go for sure.</p>

  • matsan

    30 March, 2017 - 2:47 pm

    <p>Great way to weed out all the users that have enabled "Defer feature updates". I guess the clock starts at the date of release of CU on April 11 and the "several months" will effectively be reduced to zero.</p>

  • mike moller

    30 March, 2017 - 3:33 pm
    • Waethorn

      30 March, 2017 - 7:26 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#94352">In reply to mike moller:</a></em></blockquote><p>Really?</p>

  • mike moller

    30 March, 2017 - 3:41 pm
    • Waethorn

      30 March, 2017 - 7:27 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#94354">In reply to mike moller:</a></em></blockquote><p>You don't say….</p>

      • mike moller

        31 March, 2017 - 12:30 am

        <blockquote><a href="#94398"><em>In reply to Waethorn:</em></a><em> maybe the next later post gives you the explanation for both this post and it's predecessor – a fail in the website's mechanisms rather than me posting what you saw</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

  • mike moller

    30 March, 2017 - 3:43 pm

    <p>this stupid comments mechanism is a total fail – two successive posts that have come back blank after being edited</p>

  • Waethorn

    30 March, 2017 - 7:26 pm

    <p>"<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Update availability may vary by manufacturer, model, country or region, mobile operator or service provider, specific installed software, hardware limitations and other factors"</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This was the same line that the cellphone manufacturer told me the other day regarding Android updates that they were supposedly providing, but that cell carriers weren't receiving from them.</span></p>

    • Bill Russell

      31 March, 2017 - 12:23 pm
      • Bill Russell

        31 March, 2017 - 12:29 pm

        <blockquote><a href="https://www.thurrott.com/windows/windows-10/108179/microsoft-seamless-rollout-creators-update-take-several-months?_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_NK-_g6UYtAc-QKTtnGcMGpMrq8cdduFf3ukC5z222_sUCQbkgzateXFLn4uLsgKvmTvzeh-8x-WrtlOD3OKHIetY_4A&amp;_hsmi=49673223#94396&quot; target="_blank"><em>In reply to Waethorn:</em></a></blockquote><p><em>(Paul: I edited the comment and got a blank comment. This time I copied it to clipboard before submitting) Google does provide its own monthly "patch tuesday", per se. Its up to the manufacturer if they want to integrate it and push it out. Depending on the cost of the phone, I don't think we can't be too suprised that a $150 phone with a $1 profit margin cannot be in business and afford to keep updating phones if they need to go through the carrier. Also, many changes do require a hardware update. I don't expect to get force touch in iOS if the hardware doesn't support it. Sometimes its less obvious is the SoC can't support something effectively. I honestly, though, question the "end of the world if I don't get a monthly patch" mentality of those who follow this sort of thing. Much of android's potential attack surface can be updated via the normal app update mechanism, or mitgated indirectly via GMS update, unlike iOS which requires an entire OS update (perhaps taking 1/2 hour or more) if they need a simple patch to messages or webkit (which all browsers must use and therefore vulnerable). I run lineageOS on my galaxy S5 and as with Cyanogenmod before it, it appears to be almost trivial to merge in the monthly update from google, I pick it up in the next weekly build following the google release. This is the "freedom" of android and their are pros and cons to both that and Apple's way. Looks like MS is now more in the camp of being android like, although they can control the core of the OS being updated. However, I'd rather get no update at all than a crap-shoot with older hardware not playing nice with an update.</em></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

        • Waethorn

          31 March, 2017 - 5:56 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#94579">In reply to Bill Russell:</a></em></blockquote><p>I'm not going to restate everything about this because I covered this in another article.</p><p><br></p><p>The statement from the Android manufacturer was that they were doing it "quickly", but they were running around the issue. They even stated on their own web site that they had updates available for phones on a monthly basis – covering all of Google's related monthly updates – yet the carriers weren't receiving those updates, and thus users aren't getting them. All the carriers explicitly said that they issue updates immediately, as soon as they get them from the manufacturers – they don't do testing because all the networks are standardized and the manufacturer does that themselves because they have the specs for the phones and networks already (they have do, since they make them for all the networks). When I questioned the manufacturer, they thought I was asking them for a quote line for a blog site – questioning my motives (the rep even asked who the information was for). They didn't want to explain themselves. The carriers were very forthright about their side of the argument though. </p><p><br></p><p>Basically, the manufacturer was lying about having security updates available "quickly" and documenting release schedules that never happened. Carriers are getting lots of complaints for users about this, and they have no control over it. Only Google can control this. They planned on shaming manufacturers for not issuing updates on a tight schedule but have since backed off on that plan due to manufacturers (who are Android partners) complaining about it. I would bet that manufacturers are feeding Google the same lies about having updates available, and Google isn't checking in on it.</p><p><br></p><p>So there you go. If you want fast updates for Android, it's not likely your carrier that's to blame, so buy a Pixel or an iPhone. Microsoft's wording here sounds like they're pawning off responsibility of updates in the event that they aren't made available, and that really sucks, because it wreaks of the same problem that happens to Android.</p><p><br></p><p>The security updates I'm talking about are OS updates in Android. These are KNOWN SECURITY HOLES in the OS. They can't be patched via the Play Store, because that only covers the app ecosystem parts of the OS, and that exists on a much higher level than these low-level bugs.</p>

  • MutualCore

    31 March, 2017 - 3:02 pm

    <p>Knowing the issues that plagued AU, I will hold off at least a month before updating. I already tweaked Group Policy editor so that updates are not forced on me.</p>

  • Waethorn

    31 March, 2017 - 5:43 pm

    <p>Great. Now you got spammers on the comment board.</p>

  • Jules Wombat

    01 April, 2017 - 9:31 am

    <p>such a slow roll out, but then this CU is so mediocre most users won't notice or even care. </p>

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