Microsoft Pulls The Windows 10 November Update Updated

Here's an interesting story for the weekend - it seems as if Microsoft has pulled the recently released November Update (aka Threshold 2) from both the Media Creation Tool and Windows Update. That means if you don't currently have the update on your Windows 10 device, you won't be able to download it directly now. There's no word from Microsoft as to why the November Update has been pulled, and with it being a weekend we likely won't hear anything until Monday. The November update was originally available via the MCT (Media Creation Tool), but the company decided that future installs should be through Windows Update. People can still download Windows 10 Build 10240 using the MCT tool if they wish. The company is rolling out the November update over time - if you don't see it in Windows Update, you will see it soon. If it's been less than 31 days since you upgraded to Windows 10, you won't get the November update straight away; this will allow you to go back to your previous version of Windows if you choose. After the 31 days have passed, your PC will automatically download the November update. These are just some of the new features and innovations that we're getting ready to deliver to you in Windows Phone 8 Update 3, which will roll out to existing phones over the next several months. As manager of the engineering team responsible for delivering updates to your Windows Phone, today I wanted to tell you a bit more about what's included in our third official update of the year-plus describe a new preview program we're launching to help developers keep their apps running smoothly on our latest software. If you follow the news, you might have seen that our market share in Europe has grown to nearly 10 percent. Our hardware partners, meanwhile, have been taking advantage of this innovation and releasing amazing new Windows Phone devices throughout the year. So the new update paves the way for future Windows Phone devices with 5- and 6-inch touch screens. The larger, 1080p HD displays on these devices will make Windows Phone even more personal-for example by sporting jumbo-sized Start screens with room for six Live Tiles across instead of four. In addition to larger screens, Update 3 will also bring support for Qualcomm's 8974 quad-core processor. Another highlight of the new update is Mobile Accessibility for Windows Phone 8, which isn't a single feature but a suite of apps designed to make Windows Phone easier to see, hear, and use. Many of you are familiar with the Internet Sharing feature, which turns Windows Phone 8 into a mobile hotspot by sharing your cellular data connection over Wi-Fi. In Update 3, we've made it easier to use your phone as a data-savvy hotspot for Windows 8.1 devices. Just pair your phone and Windows 8.1 PC or tablet over Bluetooth, tap your network name, and you'll be connected and ready to go. No need to enter a password or dig out your phone and turn on Internet Sharing-it's done for you. More useful ringtones: With Update 3, you can use custom ringtones for more things-including instant messages, emails, voicemails, and reminders. Better storage management: New storage settings make it easier to free up space on your phone and manage temporary files. Wi-Fi access out of the box: You can now connect to Wi-Fi during phone set up, so you can start conserving cellular data right out of the box. As you can see, there's some fun and handy stuff in Windows Phone 8 Update 3. If you have suggestions for future updates, submit them to our Windows Phone Suggestion Box site. Specific timing depends on a number of factors including your carrier and phone model. Among the updates is a patch for a significant flaw in Remote Desktop Server for Windows 10 that could allow a malicious user to remotely log into password-less accounts. Meanwhile, HTC has confirmed that HTC 8X users will not receive the Windows 10 Mobile update for their devices. He also overhauled the Action Center, getting rid of the opaque background and including widgets for media playback, before changing the multitasking view to get rid of a 4x4 display of open apps, to an iOS-like display of one app at a time, with the user dragging left or right to see what else is open. Yusuf Mehdi, corporate VP of Microsoft's Windows and Devices Group, said Windows 10 boasts the fastest growth trajectory of any release of the operating system, 140 per cent faster than Windows 7 and nearly 400 per cent quicker than 8. He added: We are also seeing accelerating and unprecedented demand for Windows 10 among enterprise and education customers. Breaking that down into Windows 10's specific programmes, people used the Edge browser for a cumulative 44.5 billion minutes, according to Redmond, and viewed 82 billion photos in the Photo app. The rumour comes from NokiaPowerUser , later reported by Neowin , citing an anonymous source who claims Microsoft will make some announcements around Windows 10 Mobile on that date. Redmond is allegedly preparing to roll out Windows 10 Mobile to older devices running 8.1, according to Neowin, which said it is not sure whether carriers must approve this upgrade or not. Windows 10 growth is slowing, according to software statistics tracker Net Applications (reported by International Business Times ), which found that the number of devices running the operating system grew just 1.1 per cent between November and December 2015, a decrease of 0.2 per cent on October to November's stats. It now looks like Windows 10 will not be pushed to existing Windows Phone 8.1 devices in December. Microsoft still plans to bring Windows 10 Mobile to the following devices - Lumia 430, 435, 532, 535, 540, 635 (1GB), 640, 640 XL, 735, 830, 930. Neowin was told by a source that the build could be coming to Windows Phones soon, but, as the website points out, there are still a lot of bugs to iron out with the current release, which raises some skepticism over an imminent release. Additionally, it would, in IT Pro's option, be very surprising if Redstone came to Windows Phone 10 before Windows 10 proper. This is done by scanning with infrared light that can detect minute details in the individual user's face, but previously only owners of Windows 10 devices with specific IR cameras installed were able to use the feature. Other apps are also updating to include support for Windows Hello, with iHeartRadio finally releasing a Windows 10 Mobile version of its music app. For Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL users, however, support for Windows Hello authentification has also been added. Others rumours, reported by Neowin , suggest that Microsoft wants to extend Cortana's reach across Windows 10 applications like Office 365 with its Redstone update. Mayfield believes all this is a precursor to a much stronger Windows 10 push from Microsoft, as the applet is getting harder and harder to block. Indeed, it's already known that at the beginning of 2016 Windows 10 will become a recommended update, meaning anyone who has their system set to automatically accept recommended updates - the safest option for most people, as these updates are normally bug fixes and security patches - could find themselves being asked to complete the installation process, rather than choosing to start it themselves. Additionally, whenever support finally ends, it almost certainly will not mark the end of Windows 10 Mobile. In a posting on its website, it said that from 12 January 2016, only IE11 will be fully supported on Windows 10, 8.1 and 7. This means that IE9 users on Windows Vista (the most recent version for that OS) will only receive security fixes until that OS stops being supported by Microsoft. In other news, Windows 10 has been gaining ground at the expense of Windows 7 and the veritable Windows XP. According to a report by Neowin , using US government analysis of users to its websites, 12.4 per cent of them are running Windows 10 - up from 8 per cent in August. Windows 7 has lost 7 per cent of its user share and Windows XPhas lost 2.1 per cent of its user share. The Windows 10 Media Creation Tool enables users to download installation files for a clean installation of the OS, but the upgrade was removed on Friday night with no explanation from Microsoft, before making the upgrade available again earlier this week. Prior to this, users of Windows 7 or 8.1 first had to complete a direct upgrade to the new OS, allow it to be verified by Microsoft and only then do a clean install and start from scratch. With the Threshold 2 update, users can deploy Windows 10 and then use their license to activate the new copy of the operating system. Despite coming in two parts, it does operate as an integrated system with additional Windows 10-specifc features. For example, the video program carries over Skype conversation history and can also search the user's Windows 10 address book for Skype contacts. The Consumer Preview of Skype Integration for Windows 10 is included in the November update, which began rolling out yesterday and will be delivered as an automatic update to consumers' PCs. The update - the first major update since Windows 10 launched in July - brings with it a host of improvements, including enhanced performance and security for Edge browser and better overall performance, including a 30 per cent faster boot time. Windows Update for Business offers the ability to set up device groups with staggered deployments and scaling deployments with network optimisations. Windows Store for Business allows IT to find, buy, manage and distribute both Windows Store and custom line of business apps to Windows 10 devices. The latter allows IT to use and maintain a single directory, which can be used to enable single sign-on for all Windows 10 devices. Among the flaws fixed in the monthly security update are ones forNET, Internet Explorer, Hyper-V and Edge. This comes before the heralded Windows 10 Fall Update (codenamed Threshold 2) which promises improvements to how the OS runs. From then onwards, new PCs will be Windows 10 only according to the official Windows Lifecycle Factsheet Page as first noted by ZDNet Indeed, the death-knell for Windows 8 comes even earlier, with a cut-off date of 30 June 2016 listed. However, Microsoft will continue to support the operating systems with security updates and bug fixes until January 2020 for Windows 7, January 2023 for Windows 8/8.1, and October 2025 for Windows 10 July 2015 release - i.e. the current release, known also as Threshold 1. Threshold 2 , meanwhile, is set to release on 10 November, according to Neowin While Windows 10 has received a number of gradual rolling updates, Threshold 2, also known as Fall Update, is thought to contain significant new features such as improved, native Skype messaging and new Cortana features. Microsoft also released an update for its line of Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book computers today that not only fixes display problems with the devices but teases about future functionality of Windows 10 itself, specifically in relation to the Surface Pen. Microsoft's operating system had a 7.94 per cent stake in the desktop OS market at the end of October, according to NetMarketShare , up from 6.63 per cent in September. Previous Windows OSes, including XP, 7 and 8.1, all declined in market share as users migrated to Redmond's latest offering, though 7 still accounts for 56 per cent of desktop PCs. The growth may partly be a result of a more aggressive marketing strategy from Microsoft, with notifications on Windows PCs urging users to download the new system. Last week the company confirmed it would make Windows 10 a recommended update, rather than an optional update, meaning all the bits required to run the OS will be downloaded to people's PCs every month unless they turn automatic downloads off. This follows a period of time in which users were frequently shown a pop-up touting the availability of the latest operating system, but this will change when Windows 10 becomes a recommended update and is installed on all Windows 7 or 8 PCs that have automatic updates enabled. To avoid this, users should block the update manually, but Microsoft strongly opposes this as it could leave PCs vulnerable to threats if automatic updates are disabled. Instead, the ability to add extensions will be coming in the Redstone update next year. Windows 10 also gave a market share boost to Microsoft's Bing, which is the default search engine for many of the operating system's apps and features. The Windows 10 Fall Update, as Microsoft calls it, will be distributed through Windows Update, and it will likely be delivered within the first week of November, according to The Verge. In other news, Microsoft's Gabe Aul reported that Redmond has fixed the bug preventing mobile users from upgrading to the latest build from their existing one - they previously had to roll back to Windows 8.1 to install Build 10549.4. According to reports from The Verge , texts will be sent from your phone, with Cortana allowing a user to dictate the message into a Windows 10 device. At present, the functionality is limited to Windows 10 mobile devices, but could be extended to Android and iOS devices in the future. Another 23 per cent of companies with at least 500 employees have instances of Windows 10 running on their networks, compared to around five per cent of small organisations with less than 50 employees. However, users need a phone running Redmond's last mobile OS, Windows 8.1, in order to download Build 10549, owing to a bug developers found at the last minute. Microsoft's Gabe Aul said that phones trying to upgrade from the previous build, Build 10536, get stuck at a black screen after downloading the new update. Current Insiders can use the Windows Device Recovery Tool to roll back to Windows 8.1, before installing the Windows Insider app, choosing the Fast ring and rebooting their phones. Those using builds 9826 or 10166 should make sure to update as soon as possible though anyone who upgraded to the RTM version of Windows 10 will still be supported after the expiration date. Build 10565 introduces several new features, including Skype integration, which will allow users to reply directly to messages from within Windows without having to open the app. How soon this actually could be is anyone's guess, but IT Pro would speculate that Microsoft could be moving to an annual update model, a la Apple OS X If correct, this would mean a new version of Windows 10 could be released in summer next year. US analytics company Net Applications measured the number of people utilising the platform, revealing Windows 10's user share grew 1.4 per cent in September, taking the total up to 6.6 per cent of web users. Windows 7 is still the most widely used of Microsoft's computer operating systems, with around 925 million devices using it, while Windows 8 is trailing far behind at around 230 million. Windows 10 accounts for 7.3 per cent of all Windows devices accessing the internet, compared to 6.6 per cent of all devices, which also includes Mac OS X and others with smaller shares such as Linux. Windows Hello, meanwhile, is used as a single sign-on for Windows 10 and Office 365, meaning the user will be automatically connected to the cloud when they use facial recognition to log in. Redmond has also signed agreements with Avanade, HP and Accenture under its Surface Enterprise Initiative to sell more Windows 10 devices to business users. The initiative, currently in preview, combines app virtualisation and enterprise mobility management technologies to virtualise then install Windows 10, before managing all applications and devices via a single view. Sumit Dhawan, VMware's senior VP and general manager of desktop products for end-user computing, wrote in a blog post: Most of our current customers deploy and manage Windows images and distribute applications as part of the image updates or via tools that are used in concert with image management. Microsoft already downloads Windows 10 as an optional update, but now it's checking the box to install it, too. Windows 10 is Windows as a Service” and it is frequently updated from the cloud. You can download Windows 10 and keep it on a DVD or USB stick , which is handy if you need to upgrade several PCs. Windows 10 has a cloud-based authentication system, so you must install the upgrade before 29 July 2016. No, Microsoft is not giving away copies of Windows 10, just offering to upgrade existing licences for Windows 7/8/8.1 to Windows 10 for free.

However, following user complaints, Microsoft changed things with Windows 10 version 1511, the Fall Update released last month. This can be activated using the Windows 7/8/8.1 key from your laptop: it's probably on a COA ( Certificate of Authenticity ) sticker. If it says, Windows is activated” then you are OK. If not, change the product key to your old Windows 7 key. If the worst came to the worst, you would have to ask for a phone activation, or re-install Windows 7 from a backup and then install Windows 10 again. If you had made a full backup of Windows 7 - which is easy using the built-in backup software - then you would be able to restore that to the new hard drive, and then upgrade to Windows 10. However, you could try installing the Windows 10 Fall Update from a DVD or USB stick and then entering your Windows 7 product key, as explained above. Alternatively, you could download the Vista code from Get Into PC , and use your original Windows Vista product key to activate it. That's probably on the COA sticker on your PC, if you didn't record it anywhere else. Once Vista is activated then you can use your disk to upgrade to Windows 7, after which Windows Update will offer to install Windows 10. This allows you to go back to your previous operating system, which has been stored in a Windows old” folder. Note that the Windows 10 Fall Update is a new version of Windows 10. When it's installed, the earlier version of Windows 10 becomes the new Windows old”. Unfortunately, there's no obvious way to get a legal copy of Windows 7, unless the PC manufacturer agrees to provide one. Yes, you can download it from Microsoft , but you have to enter a valid Windows 7 product key to get it. The upgrade to Windows 10 Pro costs £99.99, so your friend would be better off making a complete backup of his current system, then buying a discounted copy of Windows 7. However, a Windows 10 laptop may have been designed for and tested with Windows 10. It may not have been tested with Windows 7, and there is no guarantee that all the right drivers will be available. If it goes wrong, your friend must be able to restore Windows 10 from his backup. But most importantly, with this free update we have reached the point in the platform's maturity where we can confidently recommend Windows 10 deployment to whole organizations. Performance in everyday tasks, such as boot time now nearly 30% faster than Windows 7 on the same device. With Cortana, you can use your device's pen to just scribble a note in the Cortana Notebook and Cortana will recognize the phone number, email address, and even physical address to help you set reminders. Cortana can also now keep track of your event and movie bookings too, sending you helpful reminders to know where to go and get there on time, plus the option to book and track an Uber. With this first major update to Windows 10, we're empowering them to do so—with the first platform which spans all device types, enables management of both corporate owned and BYOD, and upgrades existing devices. Windows 10 is already actively running on more than 110 million devices including 12 million business PCs, and is compatible with the past while embracing our new way of working. Windows Update for Business provides IT controls over the deployment of updates within their organizations, while ensuring their devices are kept current and their security needs are met, at reduced management cost. Windows Store for Business provides IT a flexible way to find, acquire, manage and distribute apps to Windows 10 devices - both Windows Store apps and custom line of business apps. Mobile Device Management, empowers IT to use the full power of Enterprise Mobility Management to manage the entire family of Windows devices, including PCs, tablets, phones, and IOT. Windows 10 is the only platform that can manage BYOD scenarios from the device to the apps to the data on those devices - safely and securely. And of course, Windows 10 is fully compatible with the existing management infrastructure used with PCs, giving IT control over how they bridge between two capabilities. Azure Active Directory Join, empowers IT to maintain one directory, enabling people to have one login and securely roam their Windows settings and data across all of their Windows 10 devices. Windows Hello enables people to say goodbye to passwords with enterprise-grade biometrics including fingerprint and facial recognition. Windows Defender, our free anti-malware service protecting almost 300 million Windows devices every day. Currently in testing with a number of enterprise customers today, enterprise data protection becomes available to Windows Insiders soon. With Windows 10, you will not find a more robust offering for securing your business - anywhere. We've talked a lot about our Windows Insider Program, and how that open, collaborative process has been so critical to the choices we've made in building Windows 10. I want to thank the Windows Insiders who have continued to participate and invest their time and energy in the program. Throughout this time, we've also been investing in our Enterprise Insider Program where our team adopts complex organizations and their needs to ensure Windows 10 is an ideal solution for their devices. I can't thank each of these organizations enough for their investment of time in making Windows 10 great. We've incorporated our experience with these companies within our deployment guidance for IT partners, and will continue to update as we partner with all of you to upgrade your organizations to Windows 10. If already running Windows 10, you will receive the November update according to your Windows Update settings. If you're running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you can take advantage of the free upgrade offer and receive the November update as part of your Windows 10 upgrade. Windows 10 Upgrade Offer is valid for qualified Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 devices, including devices you already own. The availability of Windows 10 upgrade for Windows Phone 8.1 devices may vary by OEM, mobile operator or carrier. Some editions are excluded: Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise, and Windows RT/RT 8.1. Active Software Assurance customers in volume licensing have the benefit to upgrade to Windows 10 enterprise offerings outside of this offer. To check for compatibility and other important installation information, visit your device manufacturer's website and the Windows 10 Specifications page Windows 10 is automatically updated. Windows 10 Upgrade Offer is valid for qualified Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 devices, including devices that you already own. Some editions are excluded: Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise and Windows RT/RT 8.1. Active Software Assurance customers in volume licensing have the benefit to upgrade to Windows 10 enterprise offerings outside this offer. Windows 10 delivers an even better Start Menu, expanding the possibilities and bringing over your favorite apps and pins so they're easily accessible. Buy Windows 10 and discover Microsoft Edge, a brand-new browser that gives you the ability to type or write notes directly on webpages and easily share them with friends, family, and coworkers. When you upgrade to Windows 10, your apps will work great in all modes, on all devices. Browse Microsoft Store and you'll find plenty of amazing devices that are designed to work perfectly with Windows 10. For example, our Surface products combine the look and feel of a tablet with the functionality of a PC to create the perfect laptop replacement. Whether you want to work or play, Windows 10 helps you interact with your devices in the perfect way. Amazing apps like Mail, Calendar, Music, Video, Maps, and more come standard with Windows 10 and use OneDrive to back up your information. And the gamer in you will love how your Windows 10 device syncs with Xbox Live, letting you record gameplay in seconds, stream games from your Xbox One console to your device anywhere at home, and more. If you're already a Windows user, get a Windows 10 upgrade so you can experience the latest in Windows technology. To check for compatibility and other important installation information, visit your device manufacturer's website and the Windows 10 Specifications page Additional requirements may apply over time for updates. We will soon be publishing Windows 10 as an Optional Update” in Windows Update for all Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers. Windows Update is the trusted, logical location for our most important updates, and adding Windows 10 here is another way we will make it easy for you to find your upgrade. Early next year, we expect to be re-categorizing Windows 10 as a Recommended Update”. Depending upon your Windows Update settings, this may cause the upgrade process to automatically initiate on your device. And of course, if you choose to upgrade (our recommendation!), then you will have 31 days to roll back to your previous Windows version if you don't love it. Now the Consumer Electronics Show here in Las Vegas brings another option: the Fierce XL with Windows 10 , a budget phone from Alcatel OneTouch for $140. That would be a shift for Alcatel OneTouch, the low-profile phone maker owned by China-based TCL, the world's fifth-largest television maker with budget sets you've probably never heard of. Alcatel has carved out a reputation for affordable, but not flashy, products. Its commitment to Windows means that you will have an alternative to Apple's iPhone or phones running Google's Android software, which together command almost 93 percent of the mobile phone market , according to NetMarketshare. One reason could be the benefits of Windows 10, which runs the same apps across devices, no matter if they're tablets, phones or PCs. In the Windows 10 preview, a small number of Live Tiles can be made larger than has previously been possible. The Windows 10 preview also introduces a slight change to how you personalize the home screen. In Windows Phone 8.1, you can choose a background image that becomes visible through certain Live Tiles, though the borders around those panels remain black or white. In Windows 10, the image actually becomes the background, filling the borders around Live Tiles and peeking through those that can become semi-transparent. There's also a minor change to the app list that remains hidden off to the right of the home screen in Windows 10, which also sits above the new background image. In Windows 10 proper, you'll be able to dismiss a notification on your desktop and it'll disappear from your phone's Action Center, too. I don't actually talk into my phone all that frequently, but in the Windows 10 preview, you can now speak to almost every text-entry field. As Microsoft works to improve its virtual assistant for Windows 10, it's limited Cortana so that she only understands English in this early preview build. Since the same speech-recognition resources are used to power the broader speech-to-text feature, I gather this is also reserved for English speakers, but it wasn't enabled on the 630 I'm testing in the UK. That said, I was able to get around that by tricking the phone into thinking I was from the US. To do this, you need to change a couple of region and language settings, following the same process that allowed people to play with Cortana when she was first released as a US-only beta. Navigating around core apps in Windows Phone 8.1 typically requires a lot of swiping, but the menu button in these Windows 10 apps does away with all that, keeping you focused on what's on the display, not what's hiding off to the right or left. No doubt, swiping will become a much rarer method of interaction as more Windows 10 apps usurp their Windows Phone doubles in later preview builds. Apart from interactive notifications, then, there's not a lot about this early Windows 10 preview to get excited about.