Proofing Windows 10 Updates

• Customers can reduce Windows 10 updating risk with careful timing.
• Preview programs can give early warning of problems in Windows 10 updates.
• Customer feedback from preview programs can help Microsoft fix problems, but only if the company responds appropriately.

Windows 10 security vulnerabilities and bugs are fixed by frequent quality updates, which are separate from the Feature Updates (versions) that change features of the OS. Microsoft tests Windows 10 updates through a series of internal tests and customer preview programs. Customers can avoid security and reliability problems from Windows 10 updates by carefully choosing when they apply updates, and by participating in the preview programs. However, they should not expect that all problems found in preview programs will be fixed before an update is generally available.

Choosing Updates

For Windows 10, Feature Updates can add, improve, or remove features from the OS. They play the same role as versions and service packs did in Windows prior to Windows 10. More frequent cumulative quality updates fix problems with features or repair security vulnerabilities in the OS. Customers normally choose when they deploy a Feature Update based on their own testing, but they can benefit from testing quality updates as well.