Windows Update Testing

[TopHatProductions115]

Hello there! I came up with an idea recently, and wanted to see if anyone was interested  Here's the idea:

 

In my recent time using Windows 10, I found that the official Microsoft community forums are hit-or-miss when it comes to properly addressing issues and concerns of users that are having issues with Windows 10. There are some cases where issues have come up that even Microsoft engineers haven't been able to address/figure out what went wrong. In other cases, the issue(s) just get ignored, or people end up encountering/finding the solution months after they've moved on (usually after wipe-and-reset or buying a new PC). In addition to this, it's not guaranteed that an issue mentioned in Microsoft's Feedback Hub is going to get the proper attention that it needs to be resolved. As such, I wanted to see if I could make a thread for catching and reporting these sorts of issues, before they hit the community at large. By allowing people (like myself) to test these updates before others (a wider audience) install them on their machines.

 

Why not have a thread on the forum that is dedicated to tracking and reporting Windows Update experiences with Full (LCU), Delta (smaller - ending this year), Express, and Insider Preview updates? So that other users can benefit from those who live on the bleeding edge. Update testing through VMs (like I intend to start doing) and secondary PCs is encouraged if you are going to test updates for this purpose. Please do not put your primary machine at risk if you don't have to. If you will be testing with your primary machine, please have a backup ready, in case something goes wrong. I don't want people losing their stuff due to bugs and crappy patches (though you should be keeping backups anyway). In order for this to work, we will need for contributors to give the following whenever they install an update (if possible - if you don't have the time, just give a short account of what happened):

• Your specs (CPU, GPU, RAM, etc.) and model of the machine
• The OS build/version your machine was on before the update
• The OS build/version you attempted to upgrade to 
• How the update was installed (was it via Settings, or other means?)
• The error(s) encountered during the process, if applicable
• Any troubleshooting steps you had to take (if anything went wrong)
• Anything that stopped working after the update (includes having to reinstall applications)
• Screenshots/video are okay, but not required

Please note that this information is only useful if it is complete. Knowing that an update worked fine on your machine won't help if we don't know that you had to perform certain steps to get it working, which aren't a part of the normal update process. For instance, did you have to use the Windows 10 Update Assistant? Did Settings not show the newest update(s) available when you refreshed it? Driver issues and events are also important - mention those when applicable as well. If the OS has to automatically revert to a previous version, that is just as important. Report any 3rd party applications and drivers you have installed if the update misfires (don't list anything that violates your privacy or other important terms/prior agreements, like with places of employment). Just trying to help out however I can, in light of Windows-as-a-Service coming. I'll try to contribute often as well. 

 

Here are a few links that may be of interest to you:

• https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-10-updates-expect-slimmed-down-full-quality-versions-says-microsoft/

Play safe, and have fun  

[Princess Luna]

10 minutes ago, TopHatProductions115 said:

Microsoft community forums are hit-or-miss

More like full miss, it usually comes down to people begging an actual Microsoft employer to tell them how to fix an annoyance caused by Window's code itself and being as always, highly ignored.

[TopHatProductions115]

Okay - as a quick word of warning for the uninitiated, please make sure to uninstall unsigned drivers and disable Developer Mode before attempting any major updates. Just making sure that no one else gets caught off-guard like I did a while back (especially the unsigned drivers part). Though the Developer Mode thing was kinda stupid. Can't Microsoft simply have the update temporarily disable Developer Mode, and let the user know (so that the user can re-enable/reinstall it afterward)? Or better yet, reinstall it after the update  It's not like Developer Mode is a third-party feature or anything...

[TopHatProductions115]

Okay - it's starting:

 

Wish me luck...

[TopHatProductions115]

Okay - the previous update worked for me. But now, it's time to try installing 1809. I'll have to make a full-image backup, for safety. This weekend, I'll try disabling Developer Mode (since Microsoft can't do it for you and revert after the update). Then, I'll try pushing the update and May even try streaming it, so that people with similar products can have some insight into what may need to be done to prepare for the latest update (which was delayed). Since more updates are coming soon, now's a good time to try catching up. If it fails, I can still roll back to the backup  

[TopHatProductions115]

Okay - I just installed the latest 1803 Cumulative Update on both the HP ProBook 6475b (AMD laptop) and the Dell Precision T7500 (workstation). I'm not seeing any BSOD's so far, which is good. I had to remote into the T7500 to install the update since I'm currently out the house. I'll be checking in on the workstation periodically, to make sure it doesn't encounter any issues (got it set to never logoff automatically - should only do so if rebooted or done so by me). I'll know if it crashed, even if I wasn't there.

[TopHatProductions115]

Still waiting to see if 1809 will ever be pushed to my devices  

[TopHatProductions115]

Okay, remember this? Well, I delayed updating. And now, 1809 has come:

 

And I am not ready for this  I'm gonna hold off installing this until I get home, seeing that I need to make a backup of this laptop (ProBook). It's my school laptop as of now, so if anything happens to it, I'll be screwed Such bad timing - especially coming off the heels of this little mishap. I think I may finally stop procrastinating and just do the video that I said I would.

[homeap5]

Today I first time found a computer that just don't want to upgrade to 1809 from 1803. And, what is strange, it's only one of the few computers I setup using "clean install", not so much settings changed (only basic ones), everything checked, all other updates are installed without any problem, all tools to check every problem in system (and with update) was used, I've trying USB, Windows Update (yes, this computer gets 1809 that way), Microsoft Tool (Assistant) and even allow all telemetry Windows wants / needs / likes including probably my height, hair color and shoe size. I'm just don't understand - why Microsoft can't resolve that annoying buggy update proceudres? if there is a problem and Microsoft recommend to use some tool to resolve problem with update, then why the f*** he don't made just one good updater with all that tools? For example - if Windows Update (that is only an example) is disabled, update tool should ask for enable it, right? Every error means something - if Windows trying to write 10000 files during upgrade and one of them have some problem because lack of some service or other dependences, then WHY Microsoft programmers just stop whole procedure with error? It should give user error and at least "Retry" button! If service "qegsaferxxxyyy" is disabled, then I want to enable it especially for Microsoft (because their updater can't do that) and click "Retry" instead of spending another 30 minutes repeating whole upgrade process that fails at 90%. What a piece of crap.

 

Good that on my private computers I never had that type of problems, but still - it's not what modern tool should work.

 

Windows feature updates are so sensitive. They're probably most sensitive piece of software I ever seen. I'm not surprised that someone installs them from zero every release.

[TopHatProductions115]

The Xeon workstation had a Cumulative Update for Windows 10 v1803 being delayed (for until mid-May). So, I decided to go double or nothing, and update both machines at the same time while I was at the college. I had to remote into the Xeon workstation to get the ball rolling. The laptop actually had v1809 waiting for it. From there, it was all me crossing my fingers and hoping that neither computer went BSOD on me while I was out, seeing that if it did happen, I wouldn't have been able to do anything about it without the assistance of another PC (which would be in the very same boat, updating/preparing to reboot). The laptop took all day, and I was barely able to work from it as a result. That update was huge, and pinned my HDD at 100% for over 5 hours  I wonder if that's gonna shorten the lifespan of my poor HDD. Aside from that, both machines are working, surprisingly. In fact, I was even greeted with Windows Explorer's new Dark theme - I guess Microsoft was paying attention to user preferences for once  Let's see if they keep the quality up for once. I'd like to see what life they can breathe into this older hardware (as long as they don't brick it first)...

[TopHatProductions115]

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