With reliability issues unexpectedly dogging the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, I recently questioned whether Microsoft needed to make major changes to its servicing model. But with the update still rolling out in a measured fashion, I’m beginning to wonder if this isn’t all part of the plan.
Premium members can and should check out Microsoft, It’s Time for a Reliable Computing Initiative if you haven’t already. But the short version goes like this: A number of problems with the Anniversary Update only came to light after it was released to the public. This despite the fact that it was the most-heavily-tested Windows upgrade that Microsoft has ever created.
But as I noted in a recent episode of Windows Weekly, it’s interesting to compare the speed of the Anniversary Update roll-out to the issues that have popped up since August 3. That is, I think we have enough evidence to state that Microsoft’s processes are in fact working, at least in part, because it has clearly staged this release to ensure that its users have a high-quality experience.
The notion that Microsoft would deliver any major update, and not just this particular update, to known-good configurations first is not new. Microsoft has been doing this since the initial release of Windows 10 a year ago, and it was transparent doing so. The Anniversary Update, like Windows 10 versions 1507 and 1511 before it, was rolled out first to those PC configurations that Microsoft knew would result in successful upgrades.
That’s common sense, even obvious, but this approach has some interesting side-effects too. As more and more people upgrade their PCs to the Anniversary Update, Microsoft is able to gather even more information about PC configurations. And it can adjust which configurations get the update based on the relative successes of those upgrades. If enough power users successfully install the Anniversary Update via ISO, for example, new configurations can be added to the known-good list.
But I think it works in the opposite direction too. And this is what I mean by the process working. When problems come up—as they must have with the webcam issue, or the even more recently discovered Kindle issue—then Microsoft can also shut off the spigot on what are now known-bad configurations. And do so until those issues are fixed.
This results in a high-quality experience for everyone. Those people who have known-good PC configurations will get the update and should see positive results. And as more data about all upgrades arrives, more PC configurations will be added to that known-good list. And yes, some may be added to a known-bad list because Microsoft has found issues too. The result? A slow but measured and reliable roll-out...
Read more: Microsoft May Already Have a Reliability Strategy - Thurrott.com
It would be nice to have more members involved with the insider program to provide much needed feedback on the new builds. It's impossible for MS to test the updates on every possible type and PC configuration. So.. more insiders providing feedback might help out on quality.
Yes.. we would be testers but that's just what MS needs and I for one don't mind doing that if it makes a better product for all of us to use.
Reading the article, I took away, that users should be patient and wait until Windows Update installs the upgrades(I'm one of the impatient ones), and not rush to snag the ISO and upgrade that way, or Gates forbid, do a clean install.
Good advice I guess.
The 'reliability issues' are due to poor software engineering by MS with major upgrades being rushed out with insufficient testing. Why should I be delaying installing the AU due to the missing drive/RAW format bug due to 'reliability issues'?
Not everyone had that, mostly it was the users that clean installed the AU, instead of just updating.
I will never understand the idea, why some feel they need to do a clean install after every major upgrade anyhow.
After Microsoft tightened the screws on driver signing, what worked before, will still work if upgraded, if clean installed, and the driver developer, slopped, on getting the driver certificate updated, well.... that's the hardware manufacturer's fault, NOT Microsoft's. They were warned. Just like Samsung's magician driver and the AHCI problem.
I found that I don't need to do a clean instillation after any updates. The update process works just fine for me and I bet it does for many. But some just fall back on old habits assuming that they have to continue doing them even if the new one works just fine.Not everyone had that, mostly it was the users that clean installed the AU, instead of just updating.
I will never understand the idea, why some feel they need to do a clean install after every major upgrade anyhow
After Microsoft tightened the screws on driver signing, what worked before, will still work if upgraded, if clean installed, and the driver developer, slopped, on getting the driver certificate updated, well.... that's the hardware manufacturer's fault, NOT Microsoft's. They were warned. Just like Samsung's magician driver and the AHCI problem.
My 2c on this thing.. Well Put Cliff...
Yes.. that would be a huge help as well. Heck, at this point anything that provides MS with more information on how the OS is performing out in the wild would be beneficial.
The problem has nothing to do with the amount of people in the Insider program. The problem is that Microsoft itself is doing almost no testing. It's very well-documented that Microsoft fired its testing staff in 2013 and 2014.
Relying solely on un-paid people who largely don't even put the Insider builds on their production machines is a mistake, and it shows.
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