Microsoft Starts Testing Windows 10's Next Major Update

Microsoft announced Monday that it's started testing the next major update to Windows 10. The company said it's planning to release the update, which is known internally as Windows 10 19H2, in September. But its roll out is going to be different from its predecessors.

Windows 10 19H2 will be released using the same process as the monthly updates Microsoft puts out between major upgrades. The company said this is supposed to lead to "a far faster update experience" while also being less disruptive than the previous update system, which treated major releases like the Windows 10 May 2019 Update differently from the company's regularly scheduled cumulative updates.

This is the latest in Microsoft's attempts to make significant Windows 10 releases easier to install. After the Windows 10 October 2018 Update was pushed back until January because of technical issues, the company switched to a new, machine learning-enabled roll out system for the Windows 10 May 2019 Update. Now it's making these twice-yearly releases more like their monthly counterparts.

The update might also resemble its less-celebrated counterparts in terms of scope. Microsoft said that Windows 10 19H2 "will be a scoped set of features for select performance improvements, enterprise features and quality enhancements."

Skip Ahead members of the Windows Insider Program were invited to start testing the update in February, and in the months since, most builds have focused on small refinements. The company is more likely to finally test new features in that development branch than to force them into Windows 10 19H2.

We should learn more about Microsoft's plans for Windows 10 19H2 soon. The company has started rolling out preview builds for the update to Slow ring members of the Windows Insider Program; more information is available via its blog. One thing to note: Microsoft will include cumulative updates to Windows 10 May 2019 Update in these builds alongside the changes expected to arrive in September.