Microsoft's latest cumulative update for Windows 10 May 2019 Update and Windows 10 November 2019 Update is apparently failing to install for some users, although a workaround has been supplied.

As Windows Latest reports, posts from disgruntled users unable to install the cumulative update KB4524570 - which was released on Patch Tuesday a week ago - happen to be spotted online, including at Microsoft's own Answers.com

The installation looks like it's failing with error codes 0x80073701 and 0x8009001d, along with a message: "Updates Failed, There have been problems installing some updates, but we'll try again later."

Microsoft has acknowledged this problem, and states that should you encounter it, you need to first look for updates again, and retry cellular phone procedure.

Workaround suggestion

If the error message still pops up, that's when Microsoft advises trying the following workaround:

Select the start button and type cmd
Right click or long press on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
If you receive a User Access Control (UAC) dialog for Windows Command Processor stating, "Do you need to allow this app to create changes to your device?", select Yes.
Type or copy and paste the following command into the Command Prompt window: dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup
Wait for that command to complete.
Restart your device.
Try checking for updates again.

Fingers crossed that this works for you, but when not, we can presume that Microsoft is working on a proper treatment for this gremlin.

If you're wondering exactly what KB4524570 does, it's a security update which shores up a number of flaws in Microsoft Edge and Ie, so obviously it's quite vital that you install for all those people that ever make use of a Microsoft browser under Windows 10.

As you're probably aware, the November 2019 Update only just arrived, but does hardly any save for tweaking odds and ends under the hood from the operating system. The next big update for that first half of 2020 goes back to making bigger changes, and could potentially be available as soon as January (but don't bank onto it).

Microsoft has announced a significant change for that Fast ring in the Windows Insider program, as the clients are moving to some more straightforward approach for the next Windows 10 feature updates.

Beginning with the discharge of Windows 10 build 19536, the Fast ring can get improvements from the RS_PRERELEASE channel. In other words, the updates that will be included in these builds don't possess a release date and are the most recent ideas tested through the Windows team.

So while these functions turn into readily available for the short ring, they might not be part of the next public feature update for Windows 10 production devices, as Microsoft says it might only publish them when they're ready.

Slow ring for more polished builds

"Moving forward, the short ring will get builds directly from this active development branch and new features will show in these builds first. While features within the active development branch may be slated for a future Windows 10 release, they're no longer matched to a specific Windows 10 release," the organization explains.

"This means that builds in the active development branch simply reflect the latest work in progress code from our engineers. Additional features and OS improvements done in this branch over these development cycles will show in future Windows 10 releases when they're ready."

Quite simply, insiders that need a far more stable experience without experimental features are suggested to stick using the Slow or Release Preview rings. These builds would continue to receive more polished builds, that undergo additional testing before receiving the go-ahead for production devices.

Windows 10 20H1 is the next feature update for the operating system, and it's scheduled to land in the spring as version 2004. People familiar with the matter said the RTM date for Windows 10 is mid-December.

Windows 10 testers have been graced with a brand new preview build for the update due to land in the first half of 2020, which introduces a brand new trick for that revamped Cortana app.

Build 18975 (20H1) has been pushed to the fast ring with the headline change being the ability to slowly move the Cortana window around to anywhere you'd like around the desktop.

Of course, another change recently introduced in preview was the introduction of a brand new chat-based interface for Cortana allowing you to interact more naturally with the digital assistant, and Microsoft notes that because of this, you might well wish to keep Cortana around for longer around the desktop.

Bearing that in your mind, the opportunity to shift the window around, away from the default position, is a vital one. All you have to do is grab the title bar and drag your window wherever you would like, and it's also easy to resize for your own liking, too.

Essentially, this is a part of the move to decouple Cortana from the taskbar and check function, which makes it another app, so obviously it should function like every other Windows application in terms of having the ability to move and resize it.

Not everyone might find this transformation though, at least away from first. For starters, it's only rolling out to testers who curently have the new chat-based Cortana (which has initially only been pushed to Windows Insiders in america), and contains only been deployed to 1 / 2 of them. The rollout continues to open up further as Microsoft gets feedback and hones the new feature.

Linux polishing

In this build, Microsoft has additionally made tweaks towards the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), namely fixing a "number of localhost reliability issues", so hopefully things should run more smoothly (although remember, you're still beta testing these fixes here).

Furthermore, the opportunity to rename virtual desktops has been presented to all testers within the fast ring. So instead of Desktop 1, 2, and so on, you can give these more informative names which persist after rebooting your machine.

This transformation was actually introduced for 50% of testers three weeks ago, therefore it is becoming open to all Windows Insiders inside a month - although the time any feature takes to fully roll out will of course vary depending on its complexity, and also the issues Microsoft encounters on the way.

Together with these bigger changes, there's a load of minor bug fixes, including a solution for all those encountering an 'error 0xC0000142' when attempting to upgrade to recent preview builds. There are a number of known issues, too, all of which are detailed in Microsoft's article on the build.

The biggest gremlin appears to pertain to the new Reset this PC cloud download option which doesn't work when certain optional features are installed with Windows 10. Also, it's wrongly calculating the amount of disk space that must definitely be freed up in the event it detects there not enough space to proceed.

This ought to be fixed soon, Microsoft notes, but for now, you need to release 5GB more disk space than suggested by the Windows prompt.

Microsoft is further thinking about squashing more problems with the 20H1 update in a 'bug bash' that is scheduled to start on September 25, running right through to October 2.

Windows 10 has a new preview build for the update due in the first 1 / 2 of next year (20H1) which introduces some smart features for the Your Phone app, as well as bringing in a Windows Hello PIN login for Safe Mode.

Using the new build 18995, Your Phone has been considerably bolstered (again) with a new battery indicator being presented within the app that teaches you the current level of charge inside your phone. So if your mobile is actually elsewhere, you don't want to get up and look at the device to understand when it's finished charging.

Microsoft has additionally extended the Link to Windows feature which hooks up your phone to your PC, and it is now available on more Samsung devices, namely the Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, S10 5G, and Fold devices (in a few regions).

If you've not come across it before, Link to Windows enables you to send messages and manage phone notifications direct on your computer, as well as syncing photos, and mirroring your handset towards the Windows 10 computer.

Furthermore, Your Phone is broadening support for Phone Screen, which helps you to make use of your handset's Android apps immediately on your computer using the keyboard and mouse (or touchscreen). This really is coming to exactly the same aforementioned Samsung devices (again in a few regions globally).

Finally, there's an additional touch of personalization in that the icon for your smartphone within the app will in fact show the home screen wallpaper you're using on the handset.

Observe that all these fresh bits of functionality for the Phone are rolling out gradually, to not see them just yet.

Safer Mode

The other major change for Windows 10 in this preview build is that you can now enable passwordless login for when you boot laptop computer into Safe Mode (when troubleshooting an issue with the machine).

So now, whenever you elect to boot into Safe Mode, rather than needing to enter a password, you should use Windows Hello PIN sign-in (company, a PIN is much more secure than a password for various reasons).

Microsoft covers the instructions for setting up your PIN login in its article detailing the changes for build 18995. Not to mention, this really is a part of the company's broader drive for a passwordless future.

In this fresh preview, Microsoft also did some further work improving Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) with various bug fixes and crash prevention measures.

Microsoft has put its foot inside it (yet) again with a Windows 10 update, even though this time the update wasn't bugged - rather it was delivered to the wrong machines.

The update under consideration is KB4523786 that was pushed out alongside an optional cumulative update for Windows 10 May 2019 Update, and implements "quality improvements to Windows Autopilot configured devices".

Now, Windows Autopilot can be used to setup devices in a business environment, so that as Microsoft observes in the patch notes: "Windows Autopilot update is not placed on Windows 10 Pro or a later version when the system is not registered or configured for Windows Autopilot deployment. Windows Autopilot update is never offered to Windows 10 Home."

Except in this case, the KB4523786 update was pushed to Windows 10 Home PCs, and indeed Windows 10 Pro machines which aren't registered for Autopilot deployment.

So as Windows Latest observes, if you do happen to begin to see the 'Cumulative update for Autopilot in Windows 10 version 1903: October 22, 2019' displayed under Windows Update on your Windows 10 Home or Pro machine, don't do the installation.

However, Microsoft has now pulled the update, which means you shouldn't see it any more anyway.

No harm done

A member of Microsoft's InTune support team posted on Twitter to explain the situation as follows:

2/2 Once we became aware of the issue, we stopped distribution from the update. For those who have already installed the update, it will not affect you. If not, there's further action required. Hope this helps! #IntuneSuppTeam ^MSOctober 25, 2019

So even if you had previously installed this update, the good thing is it won't actually do anything bad for your PC (except find a little bit of drive space, and add a little extra clutter to the system, obviously).

A good number of everyone has uninstalled it, though, going by reports over the net, and haven't encountered any issues by doing this. That said, we haven't tried this, and you're obviously removing it at your own risk!

It's quite possible that Microsoft will push out an additional update to clear and remove the mistakenly issued KB4523786 itself, soon, for individuals who may not have even realized they've installed a pointless update.

Welcome to our guide on how to stop a Windows 10 update. Updating your PC is an important part of maintaining its overall health and wellbeing. Windows 10 updates often contain fixes for critical problems, and setting them up can keep your PC running efficiently.

But there are times when you might not wish to install an update. A frequently used program of yours might not be suitable for the most recent update; in that case, you might want to defer the update until you will find an appropriate alternative.

So how do you stop a Windows 10 update? While you can't stop it installing forever, there are ways to delay it for a while. In this guide, we'll show you how it's done.

1. Pause automatic updates

Click the Start menu, then the Settings cog. Now visit 'Update & Security', click 'Windows Update' on the left-hand side, then click 'Advanced options'. Under 'Pause Updates', toggle the switch to 'On'. This will pause Windows updates for 35 days, but you'll need to download the most recent updates once the period is over if you want to pause further updates.

You may also choose to defer feature updates by as much as 365 days and quality updates (that have important security fixes) by up to Thirty days. Once these periods are up, you'll need to download updates before you can defer them again.

2. Meter your network connection

This is another simple aspect to try. Click Start, then click the Settings cog. From here, click 'Network & Internet', then click 'Wi-Fi' within the left-hand column, then the name of the Wi-Fi connection. Scroll down to the 'Metered connection' section and toggle the 'Set as metered connection' switch to 'On'.

This tells Windows 10 that you're on a limited data plan, with the result that it won't automatically push updates to you (even though you can continue to manually install them). However, if you're with an Ethernet connection this method won't work, so you'll need to try one of the other methods in this guide.

3. Prevent a downloaded update from installing

Once an update has begun installing, you shouldn't stop it ¡§C doing so could be very damaging for the PC. However, if Windows 10 has downloaded an update but hasn't started setting it up yet, you may still stop it.

In the Windows 10 search bar, type 'Security and Maintenance', then click on the first result to bring up the control panel window. Click the 'Maintenance' title to grow it, then scroll to the 'Automatic Maintenance' section. Click 'Stop maintenance' to halt the update.

If you change your mind and want to restart the update, just click 'Start maintenance'.

4. Disable the Windows Update startup service

In the Windows 10 search bar, type 'Services'. Right-click the top result and choose 'Run as administrator'. Scroll on the list until you reach the Windows Update entry. If the 'Status' column says "Running", right-click the Windows Update entry and click 'Stop'.

Now, right-click it again and click 'Properties'. Within the resulting menu, under 'Startup type', choose 'Disabled', then click 'OK'.

This can prevent Windows Update from automatically installing updates. If you still want to prevent automatic updates but want to have the chance to install updates manually, select 'Manual' in the drop-down menu instead.

5. Disable updates using Group Policy

This involves a getting your hands just a little dirty, but is easy enough. Type 'gpedit.msc' in to the Windows 10 search bar and click on the very first result. Now navigate to the following path while using left-hand pane: 'Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.' Within the right-hand window, double-click 'Configure Automatic Updates'.

This can open a brand new window. Within the top-left corner, click 'Disabled', then click 'Apply' and 'OK'. This can prevent Windows 10 from automatically downloading and installing updates, even though you can continue to manually look for updates by opening Windows Update.

6. Limit updates using Group Policy

Alternatively, you are able to choose to limit Windows updates rather than disabling them. As in step five, open gpedit.msc, navigate to 'Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update' and double-click 'Configure Automatic Updates'. This time around, rather than 'Disabled', click 'Enabled'.

Within the 'Options' box around the left-hand side, click the top drop-down box and select in one from the following four options:

Notify for download and auto install
Auto download and notify for install
Auto download and schedule the install
Allow local admin to choose setting

The 'Notify for download and auto install' option is the nearest to disabling automatic downloads.

7. Disable updates while using Registry

Before dabbling within the Registry, create a backup of anything important, as making a mistake may cause trouble for your computer.

Now, type 'regedit' into the Windows 10 search bar and click the top result. Navigate to the following path in the left-hand column: 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software > Policies > Microsoft > Windows'.

Right-click around the Windows folder and click on 'New > Key'. Name it 'WindowsUpdate' and press 'Enter'.

Right-click within this and click 'New > Key', then name this entry AU and press 'Enter'. Around the right-hand side of the entry, right-click and click 'New > DWORD (32-bit) Value)'. Name this entry 'NoAutoUpdate' and press 'Enter'.

Once you've created this, double-click the new entry and change the 0 to some 1 within the 'Value data' box. Click 'OK' and restart your computer.

8. Limit updates using the Registry

You are able to limit Windows updates instead of disabling them within the Registry. To do so, follow step six above up to the stage where you've created the AU entry.

Right-click the blank space on the right and click on 'New > DWORD (32-bit) Value'. This time around, name the entry AUOptions (rather than NoAutoUpdate) and press 'Enter'.

Double-click the entry; within the "Value data" box, delete the 0 and replace it with either 2, 3, Four to five.

These match the numbers in step five, meaning you'll get the following results:

2 - Notify for download and auto install
3 - Auto download and notify for install
4 - Auto download and schedule the install
5 - Allow local admin to select settin

Included in the Vibranium (20H1) development, Microsoft has become rolling out Windows 10 build 19028 for devices enrolled in the short ring of the Windows Insider Program. This is actually the preview number 43, and it's a small update without new features.

Windows 10 build 19028, based on the software giant, fixes problems that might cause the Settings app and Action center to crash. In addition, it fixes Storage as well as Windows Update settings, and addresses a crashing problem with the Photos app when interacting with HEVC images.

Remember, the 20H1 development is almost complete, as such it's unlikely that we'll see additional features and significant changes, and moving forward, new builds is only going to ship fixes and minor improvements to make sure the update is reliable when it becomes generally available.

Microsoft is listing the entire group of improvements, fixes, and known issues for Windows 10 Insider Preview build 19028 in the Windows Blog.

Download Windows 10 build 19028

Although there are no ISO files for Windows 10 build 19028, the update is available immediately through the Fast ring. This preview build will upload automatically on your device, but you can always force the update from Settings > Update & security > Windows Update, and clicking the Check for updates button.