Windows 10 will no longer automatically install feature updates

Today Microsoft announced the Windows 10 May 2019 Update and it has a major change to the way feature updates install. In previous versions of Windows 10 once a feature update was made available for your system the OS would download and install the update, with your only option being to pause checking for updates for 7 days.

From the May update onwards you will continue to get security and reliability updates to Window 10 and when there is a feature update available Windows will alert you to install the update, but not actually install it. You can then chose to install it whenever you want. If you don’t install the update you will continue to receive the regular patch and updates. Only when your version of Windows 10 is going out of support will the update install automatically. You will also be able to pause updates for up to 35 days.

This is a major change to the way Microsoft services updates to Windows 10 and was probably brought on by the deletion bug in the 1809 update and Microsoft trying to regain the trust of users. As most people don’t seek out updates or actively select to install them it is going to mean a much slower update to the latest version.