Updating your laptop to Windows 10 v2004 -- May 2020 Update

[WAWood]

Twice a year, Microsoft comes out with a major Feature Update and 2020 is no exception.  This year, the first of these is the May 2020 Update -- known as Windows version 2004. This version is actually 20.04, for 2020, April -- as the last version was 19.09 -- 2019, October.  MS dates their releases from when their final build date, not the actual date of public release. This new release is Build 19041.264.

Several things about this version distinguish it from previous Feature Updates.

First, it has KNOWN issues.  You might think with thousands of Windows Insiders testing 2-3 builds of Windows 10 every week for six months that all the bugs would have been worked out by the time the build gets released. But this is not the case.  There are major issues in this Update and Microsoft is only now starting to investigate this -- so they have no forecast of when ANY of these will be fixed.  This is the Microsoft thread describing these issues:  Windows 10, version 2004 end of servicing (all editions)

If your PC has hardware affected by any of these, Windows Update is SUPPOSED to detect that and will implement BLOCKS to prevent you from doing the Feature Update.  There are ways around that, but MS advises AGAINST doing any of the workarounds if your PC is not being offered the Update.

Second, is has a Cumulative Update that will be applied immediately after the Feature Update.  This update will change your build number to 19041.329 -- the most current build number as of May 27, 2020.

Third, unlike previous Feature Updates, this one is not being FORCED onto any PCs.  It will be offered (subject to the limitations mentioned above) and at least for a while (MS is not telling how long), it will not be downloaded unless you go into Windows Update, do a search for Updates, and manually request the download.

To see if you really NEED this version, look through this MS post at the list of new features:  https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2020/05/27/whats-new-in-the-windows-10-may-2020-update/

As with any new Windows 10 version, MS has both deprecated some existing features (meaning they are no longer being supported) and removed some existing features.

This is the MS thread on deprecated features:  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/planning/windows-10-deprecated-features

This is the MS thread on removed features:  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/planning/windows-10-removed-features

If you are feeling adventurous and want to FORCE the Feature Update anyway, then you need to (1) create your own Win10 media and (2) do an image backup PRIOR to the update.

As to (1), you can use the MS Media Creation Tool from here to download and create media:  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

As to (2) third-party Backup solutions tend to be both more flexible and more reliable than any built-in solutions.  Macrium Reflect (MR) provides a FREE version that can be used to image and restore partitions or entire drives.

To use this, do the following:
1) Download and install Macrium Reflect (MR) from here: http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx
2) Run MR and choose the option: "Create an image of the partition(s) required to backup and restore Windows" to write a full backup to an external drive or USB stick
3) Use the option to create a boot USB stick or CD -- you will need this to reboot the PC in to MR to do a restore if the Feature Update trashes your PC.

When using the High Compression option, MR typically can compress the saved image file to about 50% of the USED space in the OS partition. This means if you have an 80GB OS partition, and 40GB is used, MR only needs about 20GB to store the image file.

This typically takes less than 15 minutes to do the image backup and about the same time or less to do a restore. -- so you are not looking at HOURS of work to do this.

When done, you have the means to restore a full working system from the external drive or USB stick in only a few minutes.

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OK, so once you have the Win10 media, do the following to do the Feature Update:

1) Insert it into your PC -- do NOT boot from it!

2) Find the folder for that image -- it will often look like a DVD folder

3) Open the folder, find the "setup.exe" file, right-click on it and select Run as Administrator

4) This will take a while to Update and will reboot at least four times -- make sure your laptop is connected to A/C power the entire time and do NOT interrupt it in any way.

Once the Update is done, since the media created using the MCT only installs Build 19041.264, you will have to open Windows Update, do a search for Updates, and then install KB4557957 to update to Build 19041.329.

Good Luck

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