So Windows Update is telling you, correctly, that this version is up to date. You are, I deduce, running Windows 10 version 1803: this was released on 30 April 2018, and reaches the end of its supported life on 12 November 2019. Microsoft’s timeline system was introduced in the Windows 10 April 2018 update. The net result is that Microsoft is still supporting at least three versions of Windows, but the three will usually have been launched about six months apart, instead of three years apart. In reality, “for ever” means for as long as your device can run them. You have lost the 10 years of support, but your support now continues for ever, as long as you keep installing new versions of Windows 10. It now has a Modern Lifecycle Policy where basic versions of Windows 10 are only supported for 18 months. With WaaS, Microsoft also changed its support system. They are a bit of a pain for some home users, but Microsoft is trying to alleviate any problems. Smaller, more frequent updates are much easier to handle, especially using tools such as WSUS (Windows Server Update Services), SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager) and WUfB (Windows Update for Business). Thanks to WaaS, there are no more expensive “big bang” updates, which used to cause large organisations enormous pain and left some of them clinging to obsolete versions of Windows for more than a decade. (The March update, 1903, was actually released in May.) These are named after their intended release dates, such as Windand 1903. Now the operating system is updated every month, at no charge, with two “milestone” releases each year.

When it launched Windows 10 four years ago, Microsoft switched to delivering “Windows as a Service” (WaaS). They didn’t change unless Microsoft released a service pack update, such as Windows 7 SP1. Examples included Windows XP and Windows 7. Microsoft used to provide new versions of Windows every three or more years, and support them for 10 years. Why does my HP Pavilion laptop tell me that Windows 10 is up to date, but at the same time tells me I’m running a version that’s nearing the end of support, and recommends that I update to the most recent version? Frankįirst, some background.

Windows update rollup may 2019