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Continuous upgrades for Windows 10

From the Same Mold

Article from ADMIN 46/2018

By Matthias Wessner

The new Windows 10 update strategy, called an in-place upgrade, requires some manual adjustments for third-party components, as well as accommodations for multilingual and non-English enterprises.

With Windows 10, Microsoft launched a new update strategy. No longer is a new operating system released every three to five years; rather, new functions are added to Windows twice a year. This installation, known as an in-place upgrade, replaces the existing Windows 10 version and involves a large amount of work for the admin.

First, a clarification of terms: An in-place upgrade is the installation of a feature update. Previously known as Current Branch or Current Branch for Business, today the term Semi-Annual Channel is used. In-place upgrades are available for a wide variety of products. In most enterprise environments, they have not been the preferred choice for a migration approach.

An in-place upgrade is basically the installation of a new version of Windows, while preserving existing applications and settings. In the corporate environment, the systems were previously reinstalled and configured for a new Windows version. Although this meant considerable effort, it also made it possible, as it were, to dispose of any contaminated sites with the new installation.

With the six-month cycle, in-place upgrades are now usually stable. Initial practical experience has shown that you should consider the following points when upgrading in larger environments:

Microsoft recommends giving clients direct access to the update servers for Windows on the Internet.
Hardware-related components from third-party manufacturers often cause the biggest headaches, such as products for hard drive encryption or virus scanners. Because these components are closely linked to the operating system, optimizations to the security features of third-party Windows vendors, in particular, cause problems and prevent a smooth upgrade process.