[German]Microsoft is already beginning to distribute the 20H2 build to enterprise testers and users of the Windows Insider program. However: Is the previous build, Windows 10 version 2004 offered to your machines?
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Windows 10 20H2 ready for tests in enterprises
Last week, Thursday, Microsoft explicitly asked companies to test the Windows 10 Build 20H2 – that version will be shipped in autumn 2020. There was this Techcommunity post, where Microsoft announced the availability of Windows 10, version 20H2, for tests in enterprise environments. The goal is to give these customers the opportunity to explore and validate the features before this build is released for general availability. An ISO installation image file for installation can also be downloaded from the Techcommunity article.
But the question that concerns me: Who is the administrator in a company aksing for additional work and testing an unfinished insider preview in order to get the next build in a week? It's sufficient for enterprise admins to run such a test three months after a build becomes globally available. Or have I misunderstood something?
Windows 10 20H2 in Release Preview-Channel
For Windows Insider, Microsoft has started to distribute the current build of Windows 10 20H2 in the Release Preview Channel. Windows insiders who have opposed this channel can use it to have a Windows 10 version 2004 updated to the build 20H2.
Technically this is quite simple: Similar to Windows 10 version 1903/1909, the 2004 and 20H2 versions share a common core operating system with an identical set of system files. New features for the 20H2 are included in the monthly quality updates for version 2004 in an inactive state. These new 20H2 features remain dormant until they are enabled via the Enablement Package. Therefore it is sufficient to install the Enablement Update in Windows 10 Version 2004 to change the build from Windows 10 Version 2004 to the 20H2.
This enablement update KB4562830 has been shipped in release preview channel. The colleagues from German site deskmodder.de have provided some information in this article. There is even already the enablement update KB4562830 on the Microsoft servers, as the colleagues of deskmodder.de write in this article. They have published a download link for the respective 32 or 64 bit cab file in this article.
Did your machine received Windows 10 2004 already?
When I read, hat Microsoft offers Windows 10 20H2 to its enterprise customers as an insider preview, I'm wondering, what the guys in Redmond are thinking. Microsoft has solved most of it's upgrade blocker issues for Windows 10 2004. But on my test systems, the upgrade from Windows 10 version 1909 to 2004 was blocked on one machine until a day ago. I received the notification, that the feature upgrade to Windows 10, version 2004 isn't ready. Now I'm installing this upgrade since hours.
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On an older Sony Vaio notebook, which surprisingly received the Windows 10 version 1909, I got the notification, that the feature update for Windows 10, version 2004, is ready to download. When I started the download, I got several error messages and finally the install ends with the message that a driver prevents an upgrade. But no details were given.
All in all, I have my doubts whether Microsoft is on the right track with their Windows as a Service approach and their semiaannual feature updates. Since the general availability of the Windows 10 May 2020 Update (Version 2004) on May 28, 2020, there have only been reports about upgrade blockers and issues. If you are using an incompatible machine or incompatible software, you are not able to upgrade.
And I personally can't see such real advantages of the bugged version 2004. In the article Windows 10: Is Microsoft planning yearly feature updates? I mentioned rumors that Microsoft seems to move away from its semi annual feature updates toward one annual feature upgrade. Due to the above described model of the enablement update for the respective autumn build, an annual upgrade is in fact already realized.
This brings me to the question: What is your situation? Was the feature update to Windows 10, version 2004 offered for installation? Were there any install issues? And how often do you need feature upgrades?
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