How to get the Windows 10 October 2020 Update version 20H2 Win Update

I am utterly confused about this enablement package.

Till 22 Oct 2020 ( 22-10-2020) I was still running v 1909 . Neither v 2004 nor v 20H2 was coming through Windows Update. So on 22 Oct 2020 ( 22-10-2020), I decided to straightaway upgrade install 20H2. Downloaded the 20H2 ISO, mounted it and ran setup .exe. The install went through without any hiccups and after about 40 minutes I was on v 20H2.

Now reading about the enablement package, just out of curiosity, I checked the updates installed. Have a look at the screenshot



It says "Feature update to Windows 10 20H2 via Enablement Package ( KB4562830 ) - Date installed 27 Sep 2020 ( 27 -09-2020). How come it got installed almost one month before the actual upgrade install to 20H2?

jumanji said:

I am utterly confused about this enablement package.

Till 22 Oct 2020 ( 22-10-2020) I was still running v 1909 . Neither v 2004 nor v 20H2 was coming through Windows Update. So on 22 Oct 2020 ( 22-10-2020), I decided to straightaway upgrade install 20H2. Downloaded the 20H2 ISO, mounted it and ran setup .exe. The install went through without any hiccups and after about 40 minutes I was on v 20H2.

Now reading about the enablement package, just out of curiosity, I checked the updates installed. Have a look at the screenshot



It says "Feature update to Windows 10 20H2 via Enablement Package ( KB4562830 ) - Date installed 27 Sep 2020 ( 27 -09-2020). How come it got installed almost one month before the actual upgrade install to 20H2?

Maybe it downloaded and installed the preview installer build ?

I was also confused about this earlier but i decided to wait because since 20H2 won't be forced installed on my system until December 2021 then i'll just wait and maybe i'll upgrade when the May update arrives.

I did the same thing with 1909, i had 1903 and i literally upgraded only when 2004 was forcing me to. I don't like having to upgrade all the time because you can never know what new issues may rise. Also i'm hearing this 20H2 now has some strange bug that doesn't allow you to make a repair anymore and you're basically at risk of losing all your files if something happens.

jumanji said:

....Downloaded the 20H2 ISO, mounted it and ran setup .exe. The install went through without any hiccups and after about 40 minutes I was on v 20H2.

Now reading about the enablement package, just out of curiosity, I checked the updates installed.... It says "Feature update to Windows 10 20H2 via Enablement Package ( KB4562830 ) - Date installed 27 Sep 2020 ( 27 -09-2020). How come it got installed almost one month before the actual upgrade install to 20H2?

Up until 20H2 Microsoft's naming convention for each new version was to use YYMM where YY was the year and MM was the month that Microsoft's internal development finalised the code for the next release. After that no new features would be added, but minor patches would be applied via cumulative updates. Hence 2004 was finalised in April, but did not get its public release until May.

The 20H2 ISO contains all the same system files as 2004, but with the enablement package pre-installed. 27 Sept 2020 would have been when MS fixed the final build to be released as 20H2. If you look carefully you will see it also described as 2009 in a few parts of the registry, confirming that the end of September was indeed when MS finalised the release build for 20H2.

...so having thought few times about the state of affairs (and having made couple of disk images in the last few weeks either) I've made an educated decision to move to 2004 eventually from 1909 I've been happily using over the last year or so.

To my surprise an option to move to 2004 - via Windows Update, that is - has been replaced by option to move to 20H2, and only today. Just my luck, I suppose?

So with no other choice in sight I decided to give it a go and move to W20H2 directly.

First attempt was flawed as my updates were kept on hold, so having clicked 'download' button Windows Updates actually started downloading and installing both 20H2 upgrade package as well as some .NET thingy. Which I thought is not how it should be...
The result after quite some time was glaringly obvious: only the latter got installed after restart, and the former was reported as failed with 0xC_SOMETHING_119 (I think) error. Ugh.

So I did click 'download' button yet again and this time Windows Update has worked as expected: another 30 minutes downloading / installing, then numerous restarts and update of the configuration which lasted another 30 minutes or so.

Once whole process completed, I was greeted with the usual 'we have updates for you' screen and some GUI hints afterwards - and that really concluded this upgrade.

Cursory checks confirm that everything seems to be where it has been and where it should be, works as before (have not checked all the usual suspects yet though: privacy options, device drivers and their versions etc.), file history run also as expected with differential backup. All seems well.

Although dark mode seems okay, GUI is very inconsistent and with quite a lot of older software in place (not following OS settings, I'm guessing) the result is a patchy experience. I must say that I did not spot anything else new worth any particular attention.

So my experience so far was rather positive, especially as this PC will be 4 years next Jan and has been continuously kept upgraded - and not reinstalled, except OS SSD swap twice via cloning - and without any major hitch since 1603 release (that's what's been on-board when I got it afresh).

Mikey89 said:

So is 20H2 like the next BIG version update after 2004 ?

Also will it be forced installed after like 2-3 months just like with 2004, 1909 etc.

I'm asking because i've installed 2004 pretty recently and i'm no mood of installing another big version update especially since i don't know how good it is.

That's exactly what Microsoft wants. You must to install a clean version, that's 20H2 via USB or DVD. And I'll keep in the same situation than you. I'm not going to update just 'till Microsoft offers it, whenever it occurs.

Done here

Bree said:

(on 21st October)
....I have about ten 2004 machines here on my home network, some are physical machines and others are VMs.....

Of those machines only two have seen 20H2 offered in Windows Update, one is Home, the other Pro. None of my other machines have been offered it yet, however many times I check for updates....

Signs that MS are ramping up the rollout. Four more of those 2004 machines are now seeing the optional 20H2 Feature Update offered in Windows Update after clicking 'Check for updates'. That makes roughly two thirds of my machines that can get it now.

In addition, 1909 machines are starting to see it for the first time too.

As I have had no problems with the two that upgraded on the release day I have now upgraded one more - the machine I rely on to run all my VMs. That too seems to be trouble-free.

Received on 2 desktops... nothing on my laptop yet.