Windows 10 users have been given huge news from Microsoft about
how updates will work in future.
The Redmond-based tech giant is currently busy working on its
first major Windows 10 download of the year - the April 2019 update.
This Windows 10 update will bring with it a raft of new features
including speed improvements, a revamped start menu and the new light desktop.
But the Windows 10 April 2019 update will also be bringing with
it a major new feature that will affect how downloading the latest patches
work.
In the upcoming Windows 10 download Microsoft is introducing a
feature that will ensure computers will always be able to upgrade
automatically.
The reserved storage feature, which will only affect certain
users, is coming with Windows 10 version 1903. It cordons off a lump of storage
on a user's hard drive - typically 7GB.
This “cannot be removed from the OS” and is used to make sure a
Windows 10 PC receives the latest upgrade from Microsoft.
The news was revealed in a blog post written by Microsoft
programme manager Jesse Rajwan.
In it Jesse said: “When it’s time for an update, the temporary
unneeded OS files in the reserved storage will be deleted and update will use
the full reserve area.
“This will enable most PCs to download and install an update
without having to free up any of your disk space, even when you have minimal
free disk space.
“If for some reason Windows update needs more space than is
reserved, it will automatically use other available free space.
“If that’s not enough, Windows will guide you through steps to
temporarily extend your hard disk with external storage, such as with a USB
stick, or how to free up disk space.”
Furthermore, Jesse revealed that the reserved storage feature
will be “introduced automatically” on devices that have build 1903
pre-installed.
It will also be introduced automatically on PCs “where 1903 was
clean installed”.
In the comment section to the blog post, Microsoft
representatives have been responding to Windows 10 fans about the rollout of
reserved storage.
They said: “At this time, reserved storage will only apply to
newly manufactured PCs with the 19H1 version of Windows 10 or clean installs of
the 19H1 version of Windows 10 on existing PCs.
“Those updating to 19H1 from a previous version will not see
reserved storage.”
The automatic update news comes after a number of reported
instances of Windows 10 patches sparking unexpected issues at the tail end of
2018.
In October Microsoft paused the rollout of update 1809 after
reports that the patch resulted in users seeing some files on their PC go
missing.
While in November Windows 10 Pro users reported seeing their
version of the flagship OS downgraded to Home after downloading an update.
Tags:
operating system