Fixing Issues Related to Windows 10 Version 1803 Upgrade
This page is saved for archival reference, as Windows 11 has now been released and Windows 12 is anticipated.
See: Windows 10 and 11 Books and References from Amazon
Many computer users recently have encountered a problem with Windows security updates not getting installed. Some have received messages that their Windows version was out of date. Others have received no such notification and are running an out-of-date Windows version without realizing it.
Currently the most up-to-date Windows version for most computer users is Windows 10 version 1803. However, a lot of computers are running with version 1709 or prior.
You can identify the version you're running by typing "winver" into the search box alongside your start icon, or the search box the appears when you click the start icon, and then clicking on the winver app result that pops up from your search entry. The resulting screen should list a 4-digit version number. As of April this year, that number for Windows 10 users should be 1803.
(Windows 7 and 8/8.1 users will have different results but should ensure that their system is up to date as well.)
If your computer is running an out-of-date version, then the features and security of the operating system don't get updated properly and that is the reason for Microsoft sends these notifications. There is no charge for upgrading to the current version for Windows 10 users.
Eventually these updates happen automatically on Windows 10 computers, but in this case it may be better to prompt the computer manually to download and initialize the version upgrading process.
I just upgraded my two primary computers at home to version 1803 and the installation went smoothly.
Getting the newest version installed typically takes 2-3 hours of downloading in the background while your computer is turned on, and then 2-3 hours installation time during which your computer will run through several restart sequences on its own.
A limited number of computer users may experience failure errors in this process due to incompatible software on their computer. In some cases, such software may not actually be installed or listed among your apps. In such cases, the explanation may be improper prior uninstallation attempts. Some of these issues may get resolved on their own, as Microsoft's updates do not always work on the whole population of computers. Further updates me be in preparation to resolve these anomalies.
One important reason for initiating this process manually is so you can get it done when weather is not an issue. If it happens on a stormy day, the risk of even a brief power outage during the updating can be a serious concern.
Secondly, security updates and the integrity of your Windows system depend on using the most current version available. Most updates happen in the background without requiring your direction action. These more major version updates typically just happen about twice a year, but it's important to make sure that they get installed promptly once they're available.
Your computer will carry out the downloading and installing of the new version largely on its own, once you initiate the process. It may need to install one or two updates before the version upgrade, and following the version upgrade there may be a couple additional monthly updates to install. Therefore, getting up to date with the current version may be a two or three stage process.
If you need help with this process however, the time involved is not excessive. It may happen in stages over the course of a full day or two, but it's not necessary to sit by the computer continuously while it's carrying out the process.
Feel free to call for prompting or on-site help with this.
I'll be sending out another piece shortly with information on other Microsoft version upgrades planned in the foreseeable future.
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