Quality of Windows 10 updates

In a recent survey, patchmanagement.org asked admins to rate how satisfied they are with the quality of Windows 10 updates, 64% said they were either ‘not satisfied’ or ‘very much not satisfied’.

The most popular Microsoft operating system

The most popular Microsoft operating system is currently Windows 10. Here's why:

  • Market Share: According to StatCounter, Windows 10 holds the top spot with a significant market share. This indicates it's the most widely used Windows version in the world.
  • Long-Term Support: Microsoft provides regular updates and security patches for Windows 10, making it a reliable and secure option.
  • Familiarity: Due to its widespread use, many users are familiar with Windows 10's interface and features. This ease of use contributes to its popularity.
  • Modern Features: Windows 10 has several popular features like Cortana (voice assistant), a touch-friendly interface, and the revamped Start Menu.

Important Note:

While Windows 11 is the newest Microsoft operating system, it's gradually gaining adoption but hasn't yet surpassed Windows 10 in popularity.

 

Reporting the issues

The survey uncovered a lot of unhappiness at the state of recent Windows updates, especially for Windows 10, with over a thousand known issues since 2011.

Windows updates

The feature updates that have become a defining part of the Windows 10 strategy come in for criticism, both in terms of their overall business benefit and unhelpful regularity. Bearing in mind it was an informal survey, completed by self-selecting respondents so results may be a little skewed we can still assume that the survey is an accurate reflection of the attitude of at least some security professionals. So, what’s the problem? One possibility is that three years after launch, Microsoft is starting to struggle with Windows 10’s more complex patching, updating and testing schedule. The days when Microsoft could just post updates and the user base would download them are over. Or perhaps it’s more worrying than that and it’s not that Microsoft isn’t doing a good job but that nobody could – updating an operating system smoothly across hundreds of millions of computers has become too complex. You will never keep everyone happy and anyone who encounters an issue is likely to seek out others with the same opinion and discuss their experiences online.

Microsoft Managed Desktop (MMD)

Microsoft is looking to launch a Windows desktop as a service, aiming to take the pain out of procuring, provisioning and managing Windows 10 devices that it's currently calling the 'Microsoft Managed Desktop.' The premise of MMD is that Microsoft would manage the whole Windows installation, including updating, for a fee. This might one day be offered to consumers which would mean that Windows will have come full circle.

What will happen in the future?

Historically users installed Windows on their computers from diskettes, and then Microsoft started helping with security and features updates over the Internet, which now include major feature upgrades too. The logical end is Microsoft does it all and Windows becomes the service that Microsoft perhaps secretly wants it to be anyway. If this happens everyone will have to accept that full-service operating systems such as Windows have become too tricky for the average Joe to look after, meaning that for Windows at least, the computer will have stopped being truly personal.

How can we help?

if you have any issues or concerns with your software, we'd love to try and help. Call 01482 210999 or email info@genesisit.co.uk