Microsoft Advises You Not To Manually Install The Windows 10 Creators Update

Microsoft released the Windows 10 Creators Update earlier this month with new gaming features, creative apps, and other improvements. Now the company has offered some details about the update's rollout and said you shouldn't manually install the update via the Windows 10 Update Assistant.

The Creators Update publicly debuted on April 11. You could download it from Microsoft starting on April 5, however, if you wanted to have it before everyone else. We reported shortly after that April 5 release that how you install the Creators Update changes how you set your privacy settings. If you want to take advantage of the Creators Update's new first-run experience, you have to wait for it to reach your system via official channels.

There are other benefits to waiting for Microsoft to let you know the Creators Update is ready for your system. The company said in today's blog post that it's taken user feedback into account with the update's rollout and used that information to decide what systems are ready for the next version of Windows 10. These safeguards are supposed to protect you from issues with specific hardware, such as Bluetooth devices with Broadcom radios:

For example, our feedback process identified a Bluetooth accessory connectivity issue with PCs that use a specific series of Broadcom radios, ultimately resulting in devices not reconnecting as expected. Once identified, we posted this issue to our Windows community forum, provided user guidance on troubleshooting, and blocked additional devices with these specific Bluetooth radios from updating. Once a solution is available, we will update our forum post and remove the block.

Downloading the Creators Update directly from Microsoft's website bypasses many of those protections. "Therefore, we continue to recommend (unless you’re an advanced user who is prepared to work through some issues) that you wait until the Windows 10 Creators Update is automatically offered to you," Microsoft said. This will help avoid known problems with the update and ensure you see the Creators Update's new privacy flow.

If you don't want to deal with that hassle, you can live vicariously through our tour of the Creators Update's changes. But if you don't mind being a guinea pig, you can install the Creators Update now, and maybe help make sure the next major iteration of Windows 10 is ready for the masses by sharing issues in the Feedback Hub.

Nathaniel Mott
Freelance News & Features Writer

Nathaniel Mott is a freelance news and features writer for Tom's Hardware US, covering breaking news, security, and the silliest aspects of the tech industry.

  • Anyone who had a problem with their stupid WU came to me and i fixed their computers by manually installing this Update by booting their computer from USB and doing format -> clean install. MS. doesn't know what they are talking about...they should fix WU and Windows Update process in general before they say anything else stupid.
    Reply
  • clonazepam
    You and Microsoft have something in common at least, a lot of Edge. ;)
    Reply
  • nielslauritzen
    I also upgraded 5 standard issue HP laptops and desktops using the upgrade utility with no problems whatsoever. If the only reason they are delaying their invitations to upgrade is to deliver a better "1st run experience" than poo-poo to that. The 1st run experience I got was perfectly efficient and comprehensible. MSFT needs to learn about psychology and being polite. Folks despise waiting at a train platform for an unknown amount of time for a train to arrive. You must publish a schedule and folks must be able to look up when the next arrival will occur. If you do not then you are disrespecting them.
    Reply
  • sadsteve
    Ok...why didn't Microsoft tell us this BEFORE they made it available?
    Reply
  • Valantar
    19610568 said:
    Anyone who had a problem with their stupid WU came to me and i fixed their computers by manually installing this Update by booting their computer from USB and doing format -> clean install. MS. doesn't know what they are talking about...they should fix WU and Windows Update process in general before they say anything else stupid.
    Wow, I'm glad neither I nor anyone I know will ever have to go to you for tech support.
    -"Hi, I have an issue installing this update."
    -"Sure, I can fix that, just let me delete all of your data first."
    Reply
  • Paul NZ
    I used rufus and did a clean install on this. Didnt have any probs with it



    Reply
  • Bill P
    Haven't had any major problems installing and running Windows 10 CU. It is stable and responsive. Sounds like Microsoft's auto update is causing the problems.
    Reply
  • photonboy
    Nietslauritzen,
    I don't think you grasp what is going on. Microsoft has early adopters, then rollout on a schedule that varies depending on what issues they find. As said, Bluetooth issues were found so if it detects problematic hardware it delays the update.

    You want Microsoft to create specific DATES for all the different rollout dates? Even if that was easy to do, I don't think the average person would care that much. If you were in the know enough to care then they had a download version already, and if not then so what?
    Reply
  • KingAndy
    Oh, thanks MS! But wait... no <mod edit> Anyone who manually installs the update is almost surely aware there might be incompatibility issues with it, because either have read how to do it on some website that will always make reference to that, or if one is smart enough to do that by himself, then will also be aware of that as well.

    But, of course, I'm sure anyone that after all this time anyone who'd want to manually install the update have already done so, therefore this advice is like telling your friend he'll screw up if he does something a week later after he does it.

    <You've been a member here long enough to know better than to use that language in the forums>
    Reply
  • ravinmachine
    More like they found an issue with the spyware not installing correctly with the manual update and they are trying to blame it on something else lol.
    Reply