We now know when the next Windows 10 update is coming, and if you forget, it’s right there in the name. Microsoft’s fall update to Windows 10 will be known as the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. It’s expected to be a collection of improvements and updates, rather than any earth-shattering new features.
Microsoft made the announcement Friday at the IFA show in Berlin, Germany, where the company also continued its tradition of highlighting exemplary PC hardware from its hardware partners. They included the Lenovo Yoga C630 WOS, a convertible that uses the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 chip; and the Lenovo Yoga Book C930, an innovative dual-screen laptop. Executives also highlighted the Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1 and the Acer Predator Triton 900, a gaming laptop with a pivoting hinge. Finally, Microsoft tooted its own horn, holding up the Surface Go as an example of on-the-go computing.
The build cycle for the October 2018 Update, also known as Redstone 5, is wrapping up. While it’s not known what the final build will be, Microsoft typically issues several rounds of bug fixes before settling on a “final” build that it decides to push to consumers. That’s where it is right now.
As for the date consumers will receive it? That’s still unknown. Microsoft originally pushed the “final” build of its most recent Windows 10 April 2018 Update on April 10, then discovered bugs that pushed the eventual release to the very last possible day, April 30.
Windows Insiders typically receive the “final” build somewhat earlier, though. It’s likely that Microsoft will push the next big update to Insiders for final testing sometime mid-September. That would give Microsoft several weeks to pore through its telemetry data and decide whether its “final” build is, indeed, final.
What you should do: Microsoft issues feature updates every spring and fall, and every update cycle arrives with complaints that Microsoft is springing the update on consumers unexpectedly. To prevent this from happening to you, visit the Settings > Update & Security menu. Ensure you have your Active Hours set, to prevent Windows from installing the update during business hours. If you have Windows 10 Pro, you can choose to defer or pause the update for 365 days. You can also tell Windows to show a reminder when it will update and restart. Save yourself some stress and toggle this on.