Are Microsoft releasing beta updates to users surreptitiously?


  1. Posts : 2,552
    Windows 10 Pro 64bit
       #1

    Are Microsoft releasing beta updates to users surreptitiously?


    I haven’t noticed this posted so if it has I apologise.

    https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2018/12/10/windows-monthly-security-and-quality-updates-overview/#8rLySvM0W8yegxWs.97

    It seems if you check for updates During the third & fouth week in a month you’ll download Beta/untested updates.
    Windows monthly security and quality updates overview:Types of monthly updates
    Windows 10 quality updates are cumulative and contain all previously released fixes to guard against fragmentation of the OS that can lead to reliability and vulnerability issues when only a subset of fixes are installed. Most users are familiar with what is commonly referred to as “Patch Tuesday” or Update Tuesday. These updates are published on the second Tuesday of each month, known as the “B” release (“B” refers to the second week in the month), and are the only regular monthly releases that include both new security fixes and previously released security and non-security fixes. We chose the second Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time to give commercial customers plenty of time to test the updates and deploy them to devices.

    We also release optional updates in the third and fourth weeks of the month, respectively known as “C” and “D” releases. These are validated, production-quality optional releases, primarily for commercial customers and advanced users “seeking” updates. These updates have only non-security fixes. The intent of these releases is to provide visibility into, and enable testing of, the non-security fixes that will be included in the next Update Tuesday release (we make these optional to avoid users being rebooted more than once per month). Advanced users can access the “C” and “D” releases by navigating to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Updateand clicking the “Check for updates” box. The “D” release has proven popular for those “seeking” to validate the non-security content of the next “B” release.
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  3. Posts : 31,666
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #3

    No, not beta releases, rather advance notice of "...validated, production-quality optional releases, primarily for commercial customers and advanced users “seeking” updates. These updates have only non-security fixes."

    Often these are fixes for business-critical functions that 'broke' in the latest 'Patch Tuesday' "C" release. Such bugs may only affect a very few business customers, but for those that are affected it is critical to get a fix ASAP. In the past MS's practice for such fixes was to only make them available as a standalone update from the update catalog, such as this one. Note the 'How to get this update' section does not say it will be delivered by Windows Update.

    Cumulative Update KB4016635 for Windows 10 v1607 Build 14393.970 - Windows 10 Forums
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  4. Posts : 2,552
    Windows 10 Pro 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Tbh the Computeractive article did come across as a little scaremongering.
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  5. Posts : 928
    Win 10
       #5

    Bastet said:
    Tbh the Computeractive article did come across as a little scaremongering.
    Most Windows 10 articles are scaremongering.
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  6. Posts : 56,830
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       #6

    Bastet said:
    Tbh the Computeractive article did come across as a little scaremongering.
    Porthos said:
    Most Windows 10 articles are scaremongering.
    Most Windows 10 articles are tabloid blog repeats of all the others. Everybody trying to squeeze a $ out of the latest whatever. Take it all with a grain of salt. Anything really important happens, it'll be in the main page here....

    Windows 10 News - Windows 10 Forums
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  7. Posts : 2,552
    Windows 10 Pro 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    f14tomcat said:
    Most Windows 10 articles are tabloid blog repeats of all the others. Everybody trying to squeeze a $ out of the latest whatever. Take it all with a grain of salt. Anything really important happens, it'll be in the main page here....

    Windows 10 News - Windows 10 Forums
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  8. Posts : 7,905
    Windows 11 Pro 64 bit
       #8

    I thought all Feature Updates are beta updates? That's why I'm content to defer such updates for 6 months and let other users do the beta testing!
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