What’s new in recent Windows 10 updates

New features in recent Windows updates will help you customize your PC, increase security, and get more creative with Windows 10. With these updates, it’ll also be easier to get things done on your PC and across your other devices, including syncing to Android phones (7.0 or later).

Choose your favorite color mode

Make your apps and app tiles stand out by switching to Light or Dark mode. Select Start > Settings > Personalization > Colors . Under Choose your color, select either Light or Dark mode.

Keep tabs on your website tabs

When you’re on a frequently-used website and have a lot of tabs open, pin that site to your taskbar. Then, just hover over the pin to see a preview of all the open tabs.

To pin website to the taskbar, in Microsoft Edge, go to Settings and more > More tools > Pin to taskbar .

Quickly jump between open webpages with Alt + Tab

Select the Alt key and tap Tab to toggle through all the apps and items you have open, including website tabs in Microsoft Edge.

Go passwordless with Microsoft accounts on your device

Keep your device even more secure by removing passwords when signing in to Windows with Microsoft accounts on your device. Go to Start > Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options , and then turn on Require Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts.

Have Magnifier read text aloud

Magnifier, the screen-magnifying feature that comes with Windows 10, can also read text aloud. To use it, turn on Magnifier by pressing the Windows logo key‌ + Plus sign (+), select Read from here, then use your mouse pointer to select where you’d like to begin.

Make your text cursor easier to find

The text cursor indicator adds a splash of color to your text cursor, making it easier to find in a sea of text. To turn it on and change its size and color, go to Start > Settings > Ease of Access > Text cursor.

Create events quickly

Add an event or reminder to your calendar right from the taskbar. On the taskbar, select the date and time, then enter your details in the text box that says Add an event or reminder.

Get to notification settings from the taskbar

To choose where notifications show up and how to sort them, select Notifications > Manage notifications on the taskbar.

Add emoji from your keyboard

Express yourself however and wherever you want. Press the Windows logo key + period (.) to open an emoji panel. Use kaomojis to create faces with text, and symbols—like punctuation and currency—to make a statement.

Bring the Microsoft experience to your Android phone

Open the Google Play Store app on your Android phone, type Microsoft Launcher in the search box, and then install it. Once Microsoft Launcher is installed, you can get beautiful Bing wallpapers that refresh daily, sync your Office docs and calendar, and more.

Make your pointer easier to see

If you’re having trouble spotting your pointer on your screen, make it bigger or change the color. Select Start > Settings > Ease of Access > Cursor & pointer.

Make things on your screen larger

To make just the text on your screen bigger, select Start > Settings > Ease of Access > Display , then adjust the slider under Make text bigger. To make everything bigger, choose an option from the drop-down menu under Make everything bigger.

Use Snip & Sketch to capture, mark up, and share images

Screen sketch is now called Snip & Sketch. Open Snip & Sketch to take a snip of what’s on your screen or to mark up and share a previous image. In the search box on the taskbar, type Snip & Sketch, then select Snip & Sketch from the list of results to open the app.

To quickly take a snip, press the Windows logo key + Shift+ S. You’ll see your screen darken and your cursor displayed as a cross. Choose a point at the edge of the area you want to copy and left-click the cursor. Move your cursor to highlight the area you want to capture. The area you capture will appear on your screen.

The image you snipped is saved to your clipboard, ready for pasting into an email or document. If you want to edit the image, select the notification that appears after you’ve made your snip. Snip & Sketch offers options to save, copy, or share and includes a pen, highlighter, and an eraser, all with variable line widths.

Related links

For more info about Windows updates, see Windows Update: FAQ.

For info about activating Windows 10, see Activate Windows 10.

Get the Windows 10 October 2020 Update

When the Windows 10 October 2020 Update is ready for your device, it will be available to download from the Windows Update page in Settings. Choose a time that works best for you to download the update. You’ll then need to restart your device and complete the installation. After that, your device will be running Windows 10, version 20H2. (To check whether you’re already running the October 2020 Update, select View update history on the Windows Update settings page.) Also note the following:

If you want to install the update now, select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update , and then select Check for updates. If updates are available, install them.

If version 20H2 isn’t offered automatically through Check for updates, you can get it manually through the Update Assistant.

If you run into problems updating your device, including problems with previous major updates, see common fixes at Troubleshoot problems updating Windows 10, or use Fix Windows update issues to step you through the troubleshooting process.

If you’re warned by Windows Update that you don’t have enough space on your device to install the update, see Free up space.

If you experience internet connection issues while updating your device, see Fix network connection issues in Windows.

If you’re still running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 and want to make the move to Windows 10, you can learn more at Upgrade to Windows 10: FAQ.

Переход на обновление Windows 10 за октябрь 2020 г.

Когда обновление Windows 10 за октябрь 2020 г. будет готово для вашего устройства, его можно будет скачать и установить на странице Центра обновления Windows в разделе параметров. Выберите время, когда вам удобнее всего скачать обновление. Затем вам потребуется перезагрузить устройство и завершить установку. После этого на вашем устройстве будет использоваться ОС Windows 10 версии 20H2. (Чтобы проверить, установлено ли обновление за октябрь 2020 г., выберите Просмотреть журнал обновлений на странице параметров Центра обновления Windows). Также следует иметь в виду следующее:

Если вы хотите установить обновление сейчас, выберите Пуск > Параметры > Обновление и безопасность > Центр обновления Windows и нажмите Проверить наличие обновлений. Если доступны обновления, установите их.

Если версия 20H2 не предоставляется автоматически при выборе Проверить наличие обновлений, можно установить ее вручную с помощью помощника по обновлению.

При возникновении проблем с обновлением вашего устройства (включая проблемы с предыдущими крупными обновлениями) см. распространенные способы устранения неполадок в разделе Устранение неполадок при обновлении Windows 10 или используйте инструкции из раздела Устранение неполадок с обновлением Windows, чтобы устранить неполадки.

Если появляется предупреждение Центра обновления Windows о том, на устройстве недостаточно места для установки обновления см. раздел Освобождение места.

При возникновении проблем с подключением к Интернету при обновлении устройства см. раздел Решение проблем с сетевым подключением в Windows.

Если вы все еще используете Windows 7 или Windows 8.1 и хотите перейти на Windows 10, см. дополнительные инструкции в разделе Обновление до Windows 10: вопросы и ответы.

How to get the Windows 10 October 2020 Update

With organizations moving and adapting from remote to hybrid work scenarios, and essential workers continuing to support us all, it is more important than ever that we continue to provide you with the tools you need to remain protected and productive. In June, we announced Windows 10, version 20H2—and the availability of the first preview build in the Windows Insider Program. We then released a preview build to commercial customers in the Beta and Release Preview Channels for pre-release validation in August. We have continued to make improvements based on the feedback received through these programs and I am pleased to announce that we are beginning the availability of the October 2020 Update. Today’s post offers details on our measured and phased roll out approach, how you can get the update, and information to enable commercial organizations to begin targeted deployments.

Approach on update availability and rollout

In this work, learn and connect from home environment where people are relying on their PCs more than ever before, we are taking a measured seeker-based rollout approach to the October 2020 Update. We are throttling availability over the coming weeks to ensure a reliable download experience, so the update may not be offered to you right away. Additionally, some devices might have a compatibility issue for which a safeguard hold is in place, so we will not offer the update until we are confident that you will have a good update experience.

How to get the Windows 10 October 2020 Update

Beginning today, the October 2020 Update is available initially for users of select devices running Windows 10, version 1903 or later who are interested in experiencing the latest feature updates and are ready to install this release on their device. If you would like to install the new release, open your Windows Update settings (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update) and select Check for updates. If the update appears, and you are running Windows 10, version 1903 or later, you can simply select Download and install to get started. Once the download is complete and the update is ready to install, we’ll notify you so that you can pick the right time to finish the installation and reboot your device, ensuring that the update does not disrupt your activities. People running the May 2020 Update will have a faster overall update experience because the update will install like a monthly update, just as it was for devices moving to Windows 10, version 1909 from version 1903.

For more information on how to get the October 2020 Update, watch this video. To learn more about the status of the update availability and rollout, safeguard holds, and which holds may be applied to your device, visit the Windows release health dashboard.

Information for commercial customers

As a second half (H2) of the calendar year release, Enterprise and Education editions of Windows 10, version 20H2 will receive 30 months of servicing and support beginning today. We recommend that commercial organizations begin targeted deployments to validate that their apps, devices and infrastructure work as expected with the new release and innovations therein. To support this effort, Windows 10, version 20H2 is now available through Windows Server Update Services (including Configuration Manager), Windows Update for Business and the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) 1 . For more information about deployment options and the latest features for commercial customers, see ‘What’s new for IT pros in Windows 10, version 20H2.’ If you are curious about Windows Server, version 20H2, which was also released today, please refer to Windows Server documentation.

The tools you need to do more and stay secure

Our commitment remains on helping you remain protected and productive, both professionally and personally. The Windows 10 October 2020 Update offers an improved experience for tablet users and those seeking to personalize their taskbars, notifications and other settings. It is also the first Windows 10 release to include the new Microsoft Edge, built on Chromium, enabling you to create profiles for work, life and everything in between so that you can easily sync and switch profiles across devices. For a full recap of these and other improvements, see What’s new in the Windows 10 October 2020 Update.

As with each release, we will closely monitor the October 2020 Update experience and share timely information on the current rollout status and known issues (open and resolved) across both feature and monthly updates via the Windows release health dashboard and @WindowsUpdate. Please continue to tell us about your experience by providing comments or suggestions via Feedback Hub.

1 It may take a day for downloads to be fully available in the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) across all products, markets and languages.

Windows 10 update history

Windows 10, version 1903 and Windows Server, version 1903

Updates for Windows 10, version 1903 and Windows Server, version 1903

Windows 10 is a service, which means it gets better through periodic software updates.

The great news is you usually don’t have to do anything! If you have enabled automatic updates, new updates will automatically download and install whenever they’re available, so you don’t have to think about it.

On the left side of this page, you’ll find a list of all the updates released for this version of Windows. You can also find more information about releases and any known issues. Installing the most recent update ensures that you also get any previous updates you might have missed, including any important security fixes.

Current status of Windows 10, version 1903 and Windows Server, version 1903

For the most up-to-date information about Known Issues for Windows and Windows Server, please go to the Windows release health dashboard.

Notes and messages

General

IMPORTANT Release notes are changing! To learn about the new URL, metadata updates, and more, see What’s next for Windows release notes.

IMPORTANT Starting in July 2020, we will resume non-security releases for Windows 10 and Windows Server, version 1809 and later. There is no change to the cumulative monthly security updates (also referred to as the «B» release or Update Tuesday release). For more information, see the blog post Resuming optional Windows 10 and Windows Server non-security monthly updates.

IMPORTANT Starting in July 2020, all Windows Updates will disable the RemoteFX vGPU feature because of a security vulnerability. For more information about the vulnerability, seeCVE-2020-1036 and KB4570006. After you install this update, attempts to start virtual machines (VM) that have RemoteFX vGPU enabled will fail, and messages such as the following will appear:

If you re-enable RemoteFX vGPU, a message similar to the following will appear:

“The virtual machine cannot be started because all the RemoteFX-capable GPUs are disabled in Hyper-V Manager.”

“The virtual machine cannot be started because the server has insufficient GPU resources.”

«We no longer support the RemoteFX 3D video adapter. If you are still using this adapter, you may become vulnerable to security risk. Learn more (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2131976)”

What’s new for Windows 10, version 1909 and Windows 10, version 1903 release notes

Windows 10, versions 1903 and 1909 share a common core operating system and an identical set of system files. As a result, the new features in Windows 10, version 1909 were included in the recent monthly quality update for Windows 10, version 1903 (released October 8, 2019), but are currently in a dormant state. These new features will remain dormant until they are turned on using an enablement package, which is a small, quick-to-install “master switch” that simply activates the Windows 10, version 1909 features.

To reflect this change, the release notes for Windows 10, version 1903 and Windows 10, version 1909 will share an update history page. Each release page will contain a list of addressed issues for both 1903 and 1909 versions. Note that the 1909 version will always contain the fixes for 1903; however, 1903 will not contain the fixes for 1909. This page will provide you with the build numbers for both 1909 and 1903 versions so that it will be easier for support to assist you if you encounter issues.

For more details about the enablement package and how to get the feature update, see the Windows 10, version 1909 delivery options blog.

End of servicing

IMPORTANT Windows 10, version 1903 will reach end of servicing on December 8, 2020. To continue receiving security and quality updates, Microsoft recommends that you update to the latest version of Windows 10. If you want to update to Windows 10, version 1909, you must use the Enablement Package KB4517245(EKB). Using the EKB makes updating faster and easier and requires a single restart. For more information, see Windows 10, version 1909 delivery options.

Troubleshooting

If you have questions or need help activating or troubleshooting Windows, see our help topics below:

For information about how to update, see Update Windows 10.

If you have questions about manually installing or removing an update, see Windows Update: FAQ.

Getting an error message when updating? See Troubleshoot problems updating Windows 10.

If you need to activate Windows, see Activation in Windows 10. If you’re having trouble with activation, see Get help with Windows activation errors.

To get the latest major update to Windows 10, see Get the Windows 10 October 2018 Update.