Windows 10 1903 questions

I intend to do a clean install of Windows10 1903. My desktop PC has Windows Home.
Ive read that it is now going to be possible to defer future feature Updates and also Quality Updates with Windows Home edition. Having never had this option before Im a bit unsure how it works.
After a clean install I immediately go straight to Windows Updates to manually check for updates and get my PC right up to date with cumulative updates/security fixes etc. One reason I immediately get Windows Updates is I wouldn't want to use the internet until my PC is fully updated and secure.
Do you guys manually update Windows immediately by checking for Updates after a clean installation?
The reason I ask is I know that when you manually select Check Windows Updates you are classed as a seeker and so you would probably get all the quality/cumulative updates (including C and D grade that haven't been as thoroughly tested) not just the ones that would normally be released on Patch Tuesday. Am I risking getting quality cumulative updates that may have bugs etc?
Under normal everyday usage I don't normally check for Updates manually, I just let Windows do its thing and download and install them when they are ready.
Obviously though the situation is different after a clean install. There are always several updates required. So immediately getting the PC right up to date by manually checking for Windows Updates is very important before going on the internet etc

I don't believe that searching for update manually would set you as a seeker and will prevent the defer feature to work!
Just check and update your pc after install and then set the defer settings and you will be all good.

My advice is to make a backup image of you PC once you have all installed and set and keep it on an external HDD. You
can always go back to it if something goes wrong, whether it's an update or any other problem.

sportsfan148 said:

Ive read that it is now going to be possible to defer future feature Updates and also Quality Updates with Windows Home edition. Having never had this option before Im a bit unsure how it works....

This new feature for 1903 has been ported back into 1803 and 1809 by the latest cumulative updates for those versions. It allows you to continue checking for updates, but you decide when (or even if) you want the features update to 'download and install now'. Here it is in 1809 Home....



In both 1903 Home and Pro you can pause quality updates for up to 35 days (this feature has not been back-ported to 1803/1809).

sportsfan148 said:

The reason I ask is I know that when you manually select Check Windows Updates you are classed as a seeker and so you would probably get all the quality/cumulative updates (including C and D grade that haven't been as thoroughly tested) not just the ones that would normally be released on Patch Tuesday. Am I risking getting quality cumulative updates that may have bugs etc?

No, the C/D releases are treated the same way as features updates. They are optional too...

Bree said:

No, the C/D releases are treated the same way as features updates. They are optional too...

Hi mate, I didn't know the C/D Cumulative Update releases are treated as optional. I suppose the safest way would be to not install the optional Cumulative updates like the one shown in your screenshot above when they are offered. What happens if you choose not to Download and Install it because it is a C/D grade release? Would it automatically download at a later date when it is considered that it has been thoroughly tested as in the Patch Tuesday releases?

Bree said:

This new feature for 1903 has been ported back into 1803 and 1809 by the latest cumulative updates for those versions. It allows you to continue checking for updates, but you decide when (or even if) you want the features update to 'download and install now'. Here it is in 1809 Home....

I presume that in the case of Windows 10 Home which is my Windows version there must come a point where the optional Download and install now link becomes mandatory and you have to install the feature update. I realise that with the Pro version you can put it off for a lot longer if you want the feature update to be more thoroughly tested before you install it on your PC

sportsfan148 said:

Hi mate, I didn't know the C/D Cumulative Update releases are treated as optional....

Yes, the C/D releases have always been optional. Until recently the way it worked was that windows update would not find them automatically, but would find and install them if you declared yourself a 'seeker' by manually checking for updates. Now it is made more obvious that they are optional.

I suppose the safest way would be to not install the optional Cumulative updates like the one shown in your screenshot above. What happens if you choose not to Download and Install it because it is a C/D grade release? Would it automatically download at a later date?

The C/D releases are not 'untested' or ' beta'. Microsoft say that... "These are validated, production-quality optional releases, primarily for commercial customers and advanced users “seeking” updates."

They are a preview of the non-security fixes to be included in the next Patch Tuesday update, so if you do nothing you'll get them in the next B release (the letters refer to the week of issue, so the B release is the 'Patch Tuesday' one).

dalchina said:

If all updates and feature updates were perfect- bug free- there would indeed be no point in deferring them, bar the possible interruption due to an upgrade. However that was not the case with 1803 and 1809, for example.

A further - and quite different aspect is this: to ensure you have a current disk image before applying a feature update- at a time of your choosing- you have to be able to defer it to make sure it is not offered before you are ready.

Hi, That brings up a question.. How necessary/important is it to set an amount of time to Defer a feature update? I ask because from the screenshots Bree shows on here you have to manually select Download and Install now in order for it to be installed anyway. I have Windows Home so I don't know how differently this option behaves to other Windows versions such as Pro etc