Windows 10 20H2: Here’s why you’ll need to upgrade

October is here, and it’s time for the second 2020 version of Windows 10. As it pioneered in 2019, this is a smaller version than the 2004 update, adds stability features, and prioritizes a longer support model than the focused update. in the consumer and early users. With 30 months of service, H2 builds are closer to common business support lifecycles.

That change in Windows development models worked well in 2019 and looks like it will work similarly in 2020. Microsoft was rightly criticized for delaying the release of 20H1 for many PCs, including its flagship Surface hardware, while it worked out some compatibility issues, but that won ‘This is the case for 20H2 as it is built on top of the now fully available older version. In fact, if you are already running version 2004, you already have most of the 20H2 bits installed as part of the monthly cumulative updates. All that is needed is for Microsoft to send an update that throws the correct registry switches to activate the new features.

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It is important to note that if you are using business managed PCs that have chosen to only accept annual H2 cycle updates, then you will not have the 20H2 bits pre-installed and any update will require a full operating system update rather than the faster process to existing 2004 users. However, you will still get the benefit of telemetry from those users, as it will have allowed Microsoft to keep problems to a minimum, especially hardware and driver problems that could otherwise prevent a successful installation.

So what’s in the 20H2 version? The obvious changes are a new Start menu and the switch to the new Chromium-based Edge as the default browser.

Update icons and get started

The Windows 10 Start Menu has changed a lot since the initial release, and the 20H2 change is perhaps the biggest yet, as it is meant to showcase Microsoft’s new Fluent Design icons, as well as improve compatibility with Windows 10 dark and light modes. Most of Microsoft’s proprietary applications now have icons that support the new modes, and the resulting combination of translucent tiles and new icon designs works surprisingly well. New Fluent icons are used on the taskbar and in the Start menu application list, for a more consistent appearance.

There’s still an option to use your own color scheme, but you’ll have to switch to dark mode first before working with the customization features in the Settings app. In practice, it is much easier to switch to one of the two default modes, as this is where Microsoft will concentrate its user experience work in the future.

Microsoft has modified the notifications, removing the annoying notification that appeared when you switched to focus mode. Notification bar and notification pop-up design has been improved, with icons to help you identify which app generated which notification. Similarly, the new desktop-centric tablet mode becomes the default, removing one of the last vestiges of the Windows 8 user interface. You won’t find tablet mode on non-touch desktops or laptops, for which cannot accidentally enter systems that do not work with it.

New Edge by default

The new Edge has come a long way since its first public release in 2019. It’s a solid browser, and since it’s built on the same Chromium open source code base as Google’s Chrome, you should encounter fewer web app compatibility issues. Microsoft has added many of its own features to Edge, including Collections, a way to save groups of tabs and share them with colleagues. There is support for older sites on your network with a built-in Internet Explorer 11 mode that launches IE in an Edge tab. IE mode is for intranet sites only, and you must configure and manage an address list. It is intended only as an interim, while you update the sites for the new browser.

If you prefer the older version of Edge based on EdgeHTML, you must set the appropriate registry settings and group policies before any updates are installed; otherwise, the new Edge will be installed and users will no longer be able to access the old browser. There is a new first-use experience that handles account migration from older browsers, including non-Microsoft browsers, so users will need to know this will happen and how to cancel account migrations if they prefer to stick with Chrome or Firefox as your default browsers.

The new Edge also integrates more deeply into Windows 10, with support for viewing and navigating browser tabs in Windows 10’s Alt + Tab task switcher. You will see all current tabs by default, or if you prefer, you can adjust the number of recent tabs displayed in the Multitasking Settings section.

Configuration migration continues

The Windows 10 Settings app is meant to replace the old Windows Control Panel over time. It has been a slow process, with one or two settings moving with each update. This time, most of the changes are in the main system section of the app. Now you can drill down into the advanced settings of the displays and change the refresh rates whenever possible. At the same time, there is now the option to copy system details from the About section, making it easier for users to submit information as part of service requests. That means that the old System section of the Control Panel is gone, since all its functions are in Settings.

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New installations get an improved set of default apps on the taskbar. If you are signing in with a Microsoft account, Windows 10 uses your choice of services and devices to pin icons; If you are using an Android phone and you have linked it to your Windows account, it will automatically pin your phone, for example. If you are updating an existing installation, the icons on the taskbar will not change.

Ready to test

Microsoft recently made the current preview versions of 20H2 available for use in pre-launch commercial validation. It’s a clear sign that Microsoft has terminated features in its release version, and another is that recent Insider builds in the beta and release preview channels contain only bug fixes. It can be downloaded from Windows Update, hosted on WSUS, or installed from ISO.

If you are planning a deployment, it is worth installing the previews now as part of your testing and certification program. Any testing should investigate the new 20H2 IT professional tools, which add more classic group policy settings to Windows 10’s MDM support, making it easier to manage devices with a lighter touch through Intune.

Based on several months of general availability from 2004, this is a stable and efficient build, and should work fine as an update over 1909 or whatever 2004 system you may have running. The new features make sense and updating the user experience with new Start menu icons and tiles gives Windows 10 a long-awaited update.

It has been 5 years and 10 updates since the debut of Windows 10, and this latest version seeks to provide businesses with a combination of new features and stability across all Windows platforms. With a major upgrade to WSL 2 in the current development pipeline, it looks like there will be a lot more to come in 2021, so starting a 20H2 rollout as early as possible makes perfect sense.

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