After a bit of a rocky start, Microsoft’s October 2018 update of its Windows 10 operating system is now available to all Windows 10 users.
Users can now access the newest version of the Windows 10 OS 10 OS by selecting the Check for updates option within Windows Update, which includes new features such as the mobile-friendly Phone app, new inking options within Microsoft Office apps, and a new screenshot tool.
The October 2018 Windows 10 update had, as its name suggests, been released in October of this year. However, the rollout had to be paused following its initial release once Microsoft received reports that some users had experienced file deletions after the update had been installed.
The update was finally rereleased on November 13, but since then has had a series of upgrade blocks in place to prevent further bugs and issues from occurring within devices that had hardware or applications that were incompatible with the update. An upgrade block generally temporarily blocks “the availability of a Windows feature update” from devices Microsoft deemed more likely to experience bugs. The block is usually lifted only when the bug itself has been resolved.
The November rerelease also included the resolution of the file-deletion error that had plagued the update’s initial release. In a blog post published on the day of the rerelease, Microsoft’s director of program management for Windows Servicing and Delivery, John Cable, had this to say regarding the resolution of the fil- deletion issue:
“In addition to extensive internal validation, we have taken time to closely monitor feedback and diagnostic data from our Windows Insiders and from the millions of devices on the Windows 10 October Update, and we have no further evidence of data loss. Based on this data, today we are beginning the rerelease of the October Update by making it available via media and to advanced users who seek to manually check for updates.”
Besides the file-deletion issue that had everyone’s attention in October, other Windows 10 October 2018 update bugs included issues with Microsoft Edge’s tabs not working, the loss of network connectivity for VPN clients, and a compatibility issue with security software Trend Micro. Since the November rerelease, many of these issues have either been resolved or are still under an upgrade block.
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