My desktop PC is running the AU (W10 Pro) since I have deferred updates. My laptop just upgraded to the FCU which I'm happy with.
Is there any problem just letting my desktop PC upgrade straight from the AU to FCU (missing out the CU)?
Take due precautions - create (or update if using) a disk image which you'll be familiar with already- just in case.
Note that some bugs have become apparent, and it's clearly a work in progress. Personally I'd wait until the first major update comes out, but if you have the security of a disk image and the option to revert within 10 days, you could try it.
Make sure you have enough spare space on C: and some 500Mb unallocated space on your system drive. Other precautions listed in Brink's tutorial on upgrading Windows.
Just like dalchina, I always make sure I have an up to date system image I can restore in the even of problems.
Unlike dalchina I am an early adopter, I always upgrade at the first opportunity. I got mine on 17th. October, as soon as it was launched. I have found very few bugs, and those that exist are reactively minor and (one would hope) should be fixed in the first 'Patch Tuesday' cumulative update.Note that some bugs have become apparent, and it's clearly a work in progress. Personally I'd wait until the first major update comes out, but if you have the security of a disk image and the option to revert within 10 days, you could try it.
1709 has had only one update (to 16299.19), also issued on the 17th., that was for final mods that were made between the time build 16299.15 was fixed as the release build and the launch date itself. Compare that with the launch of 1703 which had to have three out of band updates before the first 'Patch Tuesday' CU (two in the first week) and another out of band update before the second regular CU. See for yourself, its history is here:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/4018124
I would say FCU is ready to install now, but if you want to be cautious the first regular update should be sufficient.
As for jumping a version, it should be possible to upgrade any version, even the original RTM, 1507 (10240), straight to 1709. On my test machine (System Two in my specs below) I've just restored a system image of Anniversary Update (1607) and successfully upgraded direct to 1709.
My preferred upgrade method is to use the Media Creation Tool to make install media on USB or as an ISO. To start the upgrade run your existing Windows, insert the USB (or mount the ISO) and use File Explorer to find and run the Setup.exe it contains.
What would you consider to be the first major update, @dalchina? Wasn't Fall Creator's Update the first major update to the April Creator's Update? Is the next cumulative update the next major update to FCU? A lot of people said the same thing about the April Creator's Update - don't install it, wait until the FCU, because the first Creator's Update had too many bugs.
I was thinking of the cumulative update after the major build release, say a month or two afterwards, based on previous patterns.
IMHO this is one of the least buggy 'first week of release' I've seen. The 1703 launch was followed up with a lot of 'firefighting' updates (as I said above). What bugs there are seem trivial, for example the old-style Defender UI will crash when you try to look at quarantine history (but works if you run it as administrator).
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