Windows 10 updates, channels, and tools

How Windows updates work

There are four phases to the Windows update process:

• Scan: A device checks the Microsoft Update server, Windows Update service, or your Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) endpoint at random intervals to see if any updates have been added since the last time updates were searched, and then evaluates whether the update is appropriate by checking the policies that have been set up by the administrator. This process is invisible to the user.
• Download: Once the device determines that an update is available, it begins downloading the update. The download process is also invisible to the user. With feature updates, download happens in multiple sequential phases.
• Install: After the update is downloaded, depending on the device’s Windows Update settings, the update is installed on the system.
• Commit and restart: Once installed, the device usually (but not always) must be restarted in order to complete the installation and begin using the update. Before that happens, a device is still running the previous version of the software.

Types of updates

We include information here about many different update types you’ll hear about, but the two overarching types that you have the most direct control over are feature updates and quality updates.

• Feature updates: Released twice per year, during the first half and second half of each calendar year. Feature updates add new features and functionality to Windows 10. Because they are delivered frequently (rather than every 3-5 years), they are easier to manage.
• Quality updates: Quality updates deliver both security and non-security fixes to Windows 10. Quality updates include security updates, critical updates, servicing stack updates, and driver updates. They are typically released on the second Tuesday of each month, though they can be released at any time. The second-Tuesday releases are the ones that focus on security updates. Quality updates are cumulative, so installing the latest quality update is sufficient to get all the available fixes for a specific Windows 10 feature update, including any out-of-band security fixes and any servicing stack updates that might have been released previously.
• Servicing stack updates: The «servicing stack» is the code component that actually installs Windows updates. From time to time, the servicing stack itself needs to be updated in order to function smoothly. If you don’t install the latest servicing stack update, there’s a risk that your device can’t be updated with the latest Microsoft security fixes. Servicing stack updates are not necessarily included in every monthly quality update, and occasionally are released out of band to address a late-breaking issue. Always install the latest available quality update to catch any servicing stack updates that might have been released. The servicing stack also contains the «component-based servicing stack» (CBS), which is a key underlying component for several elements of Windows deployment, such as DISM, SFC, changing Windows features or roles, and repairing components. The CBS is a small component that typically does not have updates released every month. You can find a list of servicing stack updates at Latest servicing stack updates. For more detail about servicing stack updates, see Servicing stack updates.
• Driver updates: These update drivers applicable to your devices. Driver updates are turned off by default in Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), but for cloud-based update methods, you can control whether they are installed or not.
• Microsoft product updates: These update other Microsoft products, such as Office. You can enable or disable Microsoft updates by using policies controlled by various servicing tools.

Servicing channels

Windows 10 offers three servicing channels, each of which offers you a different level of flexibility with how and when updates are delivered to devices. Using the different servicing channels allows you to deploy Windows 10 «as a service,» which conceives of deployment as a continual process of updates that roll out across the organization in waves. In this approach, an update is plugged into this process and while it runs, you monitor for anomalies, errors, or user impact and respond as issues arise—without interrupting the entire process.

The first step of controlling when and how devices install updates is assigning them to the appropriate servicing channel. You can assign devices to a particular channel with any of several tools, including Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), and Group Policy settings applied by any of several means. By dividing devices into different populations («deployment groups» or «rings») you can use servicing channel assignment, followed by other management features such as update deferral policies, to create a phased deployment of any update that allows you to start with a limited pilot deployment for testing before moving to a broad deployment throughout your organization.

Semi-annual Channel

In the Semi-annual Channel, feature updates are available as soon as Microsoft releases them, twice per year. As long as a device isn’t set to defer feature updates, any device using the Semi-annual Channel will install a feature update as soon as it’s released. If you use Windows Update for Business, the Semi-annual Channel provides three months of additional total deployment time before being required to update to the next release.

All releases of Windows 10 have 18 months of servicing for all editions—these updates provide security and feature updates for the release. However, fall releases of the Enterprise and Education editions will have an additional 12 months of servicing for specific Windows 10 releases, for a total of 30 months from initial release. This extended servicing window applies to Enterprise and Education editions starting with Windows 10, version 1607.

Windows Insider Program for Business

Insider preview releases are made available during the development of the features that will be shipped in the next feature update, enabling organizations to validate new features and compatibility with existing apps and infrastructure, providing feedback to Microsoft on any issues encountered. There are actually three options within the Windows Insider Program for Business channel:

• Windows Insider Fast
• Windows Insider Slow
• Windows Insider Release Preview

We recommend that you use the Windows Insider Release Preview channel for validation activities.

Long-term Servicing Channel

The Long-Term Servicing Channel is designed to be used only for specialized devices (which typically don’t run Office) such as ones that control medical equipment or ATMs. Devices on this channel receive new feature releases every two to three years. LTSB releases service a special LTSB edition of Windows 10 and are only available through the Microsoft Volume Licensing Center.

The Semi-Annual Channel is the default servicing channel for all Windows 10 devices except those with the LTSB edition installed. The following table shows the servicing channels available to each Windows 10 edition.

Windows 10 edition	Semi-Annual Channel	Insider Program	Long-Term Servicing Channel
Home
Pro
Enterprise
Enterprise LTSB
Pro Education
Education

Servicing tools

Tools for on-premises update delivery

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS): you set up a WSUS server, which downloads updates in bulk from Microsoft. Your individual devices then connect to your server to install their updates from there.

You can set up, control, and manage the server and update process with several tools:

• A standalone Windows Server Update Services server operated directly
• Configuration Manager
• Non-Microsoft tools

Tools for cloud-based update delivery

Your individual devices connect to Microsoft endpoints directly to get the updates. The details of this process (how often devices download updates of various kinds, from which channels, deferrals, and details of the users’ experience of installation) are set on devices either with Group Policy or MDM policies, which you can control with any of several tools:

Hybrid scenarios

It is also possible to combine WSUS-based on-premises update distribution with cloud-based update delivery.

Центр обновления Windows — дополнительные ресурсы Windows Update — additional resources

Относится к: Applies to:

• Windows 10 Windows 10
• Windows Server 2016 Windows Server 2016
• Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2019

Windows Server 2016 поддерживает политики, доступные в Windows 10 версии 1607. Windows Server 2016 supports policies available in Windows 10, version 1607. Windows Server 2019 поддерживает политики, доступные в Windows 10 версии 1809. Windows Server 2019 supports policies available in Windows 10, version 1809.

В следующих ресурсах содержатся дополнительные сведения об использовании Центра обновления Windows. The following resources provide additional information about using Windows Update.

Устранение неполадок WSUS WSUS Troubleshooting

Как сбросить компоненты Центра обновления Windows? How do I reset Windows Update components?

• Попробуйте использовать средство устранения неполадок Центра обновления Windows, которое проанализирует ситуацию и сбросит компоненты, которым это требуется. Try using the Windows Update Troubleshooter, which will analyze the situation and reset any components that need it.
• Попробуйте выполнить действия из статьи Устранение неполадок при обновлении Windows 10. Try the steps in Troubleshoot problems updating Windows 10.
• Попробуйте выполнить действия из статьи Исправление ошибок Центра обновления Windows. Try the steps in Fix Windows Update errors.

Если другие действия не помогают, попробуйте сбросить агент Центра обновления Windows, выполнив следующие команды из командной строки с повышенными привилегиями. If all else fails, try resetting the Windows Update Agent by running these commands from an elevated command prompt:

Сброс компонентов Центра обновления Windows вручную Reset Windows Update components manually

Откройте командную строку Windows. Open a Windows command prompt. Чтобы открыть командную строку, нажмите Пуск > Выполнить. To open a command prompt, click Start > Run. Скопируйте и вставьте (или введите вручную) следующую команду в командную строку, затем нажмите клавишу ВВОД: Copy and paste (or type) the following command and then press ENTER:

Остановите службу BITS, службу Центра обновления Windows и службу шифрования. Stop the BITS service, the Windows Update service and the Cryptographic service. Для этого введите следующие команды в командной строке. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. После ввода каждой команды нажимайте клавишу ВВОД. Press ENTER after you type each command.

Удалите файлы qmgr*.dat. Delete the qmgr*.dat files. Для этого введите следующую команду в командной строке и нажмите клавишу ВВОД: To do this, type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER:

Если вы впервые пытаетесь устранить неполадки Центра обновления Windows, выполнив действия, перечисленные в этой статье, перейдите к шагу 5, не выполняя действия шага 4. If this is your first attempt at resolving your Windows Update issues by using the steps in this article, go to step 5 without carrying out the steps in step 4. Действия, описанные на шаге 4, необходимо выполнять при устранении неполадок только в случае, если неполадки Центра обновления Windows не удается устранить, выполнив все шаги, кроме шага 4. The steps in step 4 should only be performed at this point in the troubleshooting if you cannot resolve your Windows Update issues after following all steps but step 4. Действия шага 4 также выполняются в «агрессивном» режиме указанного выше решения «Исправить». The steps in step 4 are also performed by the «Aggressive» mode of the Fix it Solution above.

1. Переименуйте следующие папки в *.BAK: Rename the following folders to *.BAK:

Для этого введите следующие команды в командной строке. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. После ввода каждой команды нажимайте клавишу ВВОД. Press ENTER after you type each command.

1. Сбросьте службу BITS и службу Центра обновления Windows до значений дескриптора безопасности по умолчанию. Reset the BITS service and the Windows Update service to the default security descriptor. Для этого введите следующие команды в командной строке. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. После ввода каждой команды нажимайте клавишу ВВОД. Press ENTER after you type each command.

Введите следующую команду в командной строке и нажмите клавишу ВВОД: Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER:

Зарегистрируйте файлы BITS и файлы Центра обновления Windows. Reregister the BITS files and the Windows Update files. Для этого введите следующие команды в командной строке. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. После ввода каждой команды нажимайте клавишу ВВОД. Press ENTER after you type each command.

Сбросьте WinSock. Reset Winsock. Для этого введите следующую команду в командной строке и нажмите клавишу ВВОД: To do this, type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER:

Если вы используете Windows XP или Windows Server 2003, необходимо настроить параметры прокси-сервера. If you are running Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, you have to set the proxy settings. Для этого введите следующую команду в командной строке и нажмите клавишу ВВОД: To do this, type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER:

Перезапустите службу BITS, службу Центра обновления Windows и службу шифрования. Restart the BITS service, the Windows Update service and the Cryptographic service. Для этого введите следующие команды в командной строке. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. После ввода каждой команды нажимайте клавишу ВВОД. Press ENTER after you type each command.

Если вы используете Windows Vista или Windows Server 2008, очистите очередь BITS. If you are running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, clear the BITS queue. Для этого введите следующую команду в командной строке и нажмите клавишу ВВОД: To do this, type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER: