Microsoft is Now Pushing Windows 10 1903 on 1803 Users

Microsoft announced today that those still running Windows 10 version 1803 will now be offered the upgrade for 1903.

“We are initiating the Windows 10 May 2019 Update for customers with devices running [Windows 10 version 1803] that will reach the end of 18 months of service on November 12, 2019,” Microsoft’s Windows Update account tweeted today.

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To be clear, the Windows 10 May 2019 Update will upgrade any supported version of Windows 10 to version 1903.

The Microsoft Docs website offers more information:

“We are initiating the Windows 10 May 2019 Update for customers with devices that are at or nearing end of service and have not yet updated their device,” the site notes. “Keeping these devices both supported and receiving monthly updates is critical to [PC] security and ecosystem health. Based on the large number of devices running the April 2018 Update, that will reach the end of 18 months of service on November 12, 2019, we are starting the update process now for Home and Pro editions to help ensure adequate time for a smooth update process.”

As Microsoft explains, it takes a number of factors into consideration before pushing a major version upgrade like Windows 10 version 1903 on its users. And while the firm doesn’t have a particularly stellar record with these upgrades, it pledges to closely monitor update feedback to prioritize those PCs that more likely to have a good update experience. And it will put update blockers on other PCs while it addresses known issues.

New to this release, both Windows 10 Home and Pro edition users can now pause this and future feature update for up to 35 days.

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Conversation 22 comments

  • Thom77

    16 July, 2019 - 5:52 pm

    <p>This one Windows thing has been a disaster. Updates … Upgrades … Versions … I have no clue what is going on and am seriously thinking of cracking my existing OS if possible or torrenting a version that just stops this non stop updating .. oops I mean upgrading mess. I've had my search bar become inactive a lot since my last update whatever arbitrary series of mumbo jumbo numbering it was.</p><p><br></p><p>If it wasn't for gaming, I'd be on Linux.</p><p><br></p>

    • illuminated

      16 July, 2019 - 6:54 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#443178">In reply to Thom77:</a></em></blockquote><p>I also thought that it is just windows. Evil microsoft and so on but then I looked more closely at my android tablet. If I do not use it for a month or so I have to spend at least 30 minutes or so just getting updates. Sometimes it is for apps, sometimes samsung stuff or android. I was never able just to turn it on and go.</p><p>The same goes for linux. It does not force you to update but even the back-end stuff gets constant updates. There is no setup and forget anymore. It is just a state of software nowadays. </p>

      • warren

        16 July, 2019 - 7:17 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#443200">In reply to illuminated:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>It's not just "back-end stuff", either. The Ubuntu folks just released the final set of patches for Ubuntu 18.10. Yes, the version that came out in October 2018, stops receiving updates after July 2019. You have to upgrade to 19.04…. which came out three months ago, but will stop receiving updates in January 2020.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

        • red.radar

          Premium Member
          16 July, 2019 - 11:02 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#443203">In reply to warren:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes.. but if you stay on 18.04, because its an LTS release, you get updates for 5 years. even 16.04 is still supported. </p><p><br></p><p>The problem is Windows 10 doesn't have an LTS channel for people to park in. You can sort of hack it by delaying updates for 365 days which reduces the update frequency from 6months to 12months. But it still means your being upgraded into an untested node. </p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

    • dontbe evil

      17 July, 2019 - 1:53 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#443178">In reply to Thom77:</a></em></blockquote><p>I bet you're sper happy to recevie updates on your smartphone (if you receive any)</p>

      • illuminated

        17 July, 2019 - 5:19 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#443254">In reply to dontbe_evil:</a></em></blockquote><p>Smartphone abandonment really sucks. I bought my phone 2 years or so ago and already it is no longer supported. Hardware is fine, CPU is fast enough, RAM and storage are OK. There are phones with worse specs being sold today. Why my phone is it no longer supported? </p><p>Just WTF.</p>

    • blackcomb

      27 July, 2019 - 9:31 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#443178">In reply to Thom77:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Do it. I have LTSC 2018 installed. No issues at all. Only get security patches and drivers. 10 years of support. A bliss.</p>

  • illuminated

    16 July, 2019 - 6:44 pm

    <p>Finally! I was waiting for this update on my surface.</p>

    • Tony Barrett

      17 July, 2019 - 6:33 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#443199">In reply to illuminated:</a></em></blockquote><p>…and the benefits you're going to get from this are exactly? Or do you just like to crow that you're running the latest release, even if it causes more issues than you had before?</p>

      • illuminated

        17 July, 2019 - 5:15 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#443261">In reply to ghostrider:</a></em></blockquote><p>No issues so far. Upgraded 4 systems over couple of weeks. Did not have any issues before and do not have any issues now. </p>

      • blackcomb

        27 July, 2019 - 9:28 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#443261">In reply to ghostrider:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Well, we have more useless bloatware wasting RAM for no reason!</p><p><br></p><p>"B-b-but unused ram is wasted RAM!"</p><p><br></p><p>Cortana and Candy Crush using our RAM when it could be used to open a web page or a document is a waste.</p>

  • red.radar

    Premium Member
    16 July, 2019 - 11:10 pm

    <p>I avoided 1809 and stayed on 1803. I just got the warning/notice about 1903 in the windows update section of system settings. </p><p><br></p><p>I suppose I don't have a choice but 1903 has been a little smoother of a roll out than 1809. Although I was hoping that I would get 1809 automatically not 1903. I rather be upgraded into something that has been released and stable for 9 months. Its not like there are many features in 1903 that just excite me to the point of must upgrade. I value stability over features and the upgrade process brings anxiety I just don't want to deal with.</p><p><br></p><p>I really wish there was an LTS channel that slowed things down to every 2 years and was supported for 5 years after release….Ubuntu's model. </p>

    • Kevin Costa

      17 July, 2019 - 11:59 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#443232">In reply to red.radar:</a></em></blockquote><p>Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2015 (v1507), LTSB 2016 (v1607) and LTSC 2019 (v1809), support for 10 years, like older versions of Windows</p>

      • eric_rasmussen

        Premium Member
        17 July, 2019 - 4:41 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#443304">In reply to Kevin_Costa:</a></em></blockquote><p>The only issue is that the LTSC (previously LTSB) versions of Windows 10 have some limitations that can be annoying, depending on how you use Windows. For example, any apps that depend on the Windows Store infrastructure won't work, including (in January 2020) all of the Office applications. You already can't install Visual Studio 2019 on the LTSC version and things like the new Windows Terminal application won't work because it depends on code in 1903 that's not being back-ported to the 1809 branch (which is where LTSC 2019 came from).</p><p><br></p><p>It's really annoying, too, because I agree that LTSC 2019 is the best version of Windows 10 Microsoft has ever released. :)</p>

        • Kevin Costa

          17 July, 2019 - 5:32 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#443377">In reply to Eric_Rasmussen:</a></em></blockquote><p>Agreed on some points!</p><p>I've tested Office 2016 and Visual Studio 2017 on LTSC 2019 and it worked for me.</p><p>Some blogs on the internet explain how to enable/install UWP apps on LTSB/C (I even enabled classic Edge on LTSB 2016 one day).</p><p>About the new Terminal app, we'll have to wait until "LTSC 2021" (v2009) to use it (after install the Store app LOL). :D</p>

  • brettscoast

    Premium Member
    16 July, 2019 - 11:18 pm

    <p>Thanks for the post Paul. Is this hopefully the start of Microsoft listening more closely to it's user base?</p>

  • irfaanwahid

    17 July, 2019 - 1:52 am

    <p>I have a simple question.</p><p><br></p><p>What is the "real" benefit to Microsoft to push everyone to latest Windows 10 version?</p><p><br></p><p>Aside from not maintaining different codebases and allocating resources to them, what other real benefit is to Microsoft?</p><p><br></p><p>The question arises, because if it is important for everyone to be on latest versions, then why at first place create plethora of versions of Windows 10 (1803, 1809, 1903, 19H2 etc) every 6 months? And then keep supporting it like 18 months and so forth, and then efforts to convince everyone to move to latest version. </p><p><br></p><p>I sense a lot of efforts put into and I am not so sure what are they really getting out of it.</p><p><br></p><p>Paul?</p>

    • Tony Barrett

      17 July, 2019 - 6:32 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#443253">In reply to irfaanwahid:</a></em></blockquote><p>MS have made a massive mess of the whole upgrade process, and I've wondered the same thing. Just why do bi-annual upgrades? Who actually asked for this? Consumers didn't, and businesses are actually against it. What benefit do MS get from having this many versions to support, and all the problems it's led to.</p><p>I think most would prefer stability and consistency over this rapid, unsustainable release cycle, but MS seem to be pushing on with it. </p><p>Even a major upgrade every 1-2 years, with minor releases in-between would be way better for most.</p>

      • irfaanwahid

        18 July, 2019 - 1:39 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#443260">In reply to ghostrider:</a></em></blockquote><p>Agreed.</p><p>I never had a problem with 3 year upgrade cycles. At least we received big bang features and good stuff, unlike mediocre at best between Windows 10 upgrades.</p><p>1 year upgrade is reasonable in today's times. There is absolute no need for 2 upgrades a year. </p>

  • ebraiter

    17 July, 2019 - 12:02 pm

    <p>Tried to upgrade to v1903 from v1809 on Saturday. Major failure. Knew something was wrong when my usual 35 minute upgrade [from previous versions] took and hour and my desktop picture was replaced with a black background [no image]. </p><p>Then my Soundblaster audio card wasn't detected correctly. No speakers. Not much else other than the AUX port. Went back to v1809. I have Pro. Will wait for a full v19H2 installer.</p><p>If it works in 1809, why not in 1903?</p>

  • Singingwolf

    17 July, 2019 - 6:22 pm

    <p>35 days? You mean 365 days right?</p><p><br></p>

  • IanYates82

    Premium Member
    18 July, 2019 - 8:31 am

    <p>Failed installation of this 3 times so far.</p><p><br></p><p>Windows takes probably an hour to get through its 2x reboots. All the way to 99% finally and then tells me it's rolling back :(</p>

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