On Windows 10, Windows Update may sometimes offer you an \u201cOptional Quality Update.\u201d Unlike other updates, Windows won\u2019t automatically install these\u2014so what exactly are they? Should you install them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Windows Update Won\u2019t Automatically Install These<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An \u201coptional quality update\u201d is a Windows update that you don\u2019t have to install immediately. These never include security fixes\u2014if an important security patch is available, Windows Update will install it without waiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, some updates are optional. These fix stability issues and other problems in Windows. Some of these may be optional hardware driver updates. You have the choice of whether or not to install these\u2014it\u2019s up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Is a \u201cCumulative Update Preview\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the most common optional quality updates is a \u201ccumulative update preview.\u201d Microsoft releases cumulative updates once a month on Patch Tuesday, which is the second Tuesday of each month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These updates bundle a large number of fixes for various problems in a big package. Rather than releasing a slow drip of updates throughout the month, Microsoft bundles them all into one big update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These packages are called \u201ccumulative\u201d because they include all the fixes from previous months in a single package. For example, if you haven\u2019t turned a computer on in several months, a single month\u2019s cumulative update will include all the fixes from previous months. Windows only has to install one big update, saving you time and avoiding unnecessary reboots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Microsoft doesn\u2019t hold every fix for the cumulative update. For example, important security updates are released immediately without waiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Near the end of most months, Microsoft offers a \u201ccumulative update preview\u201d in Windows Update. (Microsoft generally skips late December\u2019s cumulative update preview.) These preview updates include all the fixes that will be released to everyone in non-optional form on the next Patch Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, in November of 2020, Microsoft released the 2020-11 Cumulative Update Preview on November 30, 2020. If you didn\u2019t choose to install it, your PC would get the final, non-preview version of the \u201ccumulative update\u201d a few weeks later on the next Patch Tuesday\u2014in our example, that\u2019s December 8, 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These Are \u201cC\u201d and \u201cD\u201d Updates<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the way, if you\u2019re familiar with Windows update terminology, you may know these preview cumulative updates by a different name. Microsoft calls these \u201cC\u201d and \u201cD\u201d updates, depending on whether they\u2019re released in the third or fourth week of every month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The final stable cumulative update released the next month is known as a \u201cB\u201d update. That\u2019s because it\u2019s released in the second week of the month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Preview Updates Make You a Software Tester<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The word \u201cpreview\u201d is a hint that you\u2019re helping Microsoft test the update by installing it. Microsoft is counting on a large number of people noticing the update and choosing to install it. Microsoft calls people who visit the Windows Update page and choose to manually install updates \u201cseekers\u201d who are looking for updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By installing the update only for these motivated \u201cseekers,\u201d Microsoft can see whether the update causes problems on a variety of Windows 10 PCs. If it does, Microsoft can hit the pause button or fix the update before it rolls out to everyone on Patch Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think of these monthly preview updates as similar to Microsoft\u2019s Windows Insider Program. People who want to test new versions of the software can get it early, while people who aren\u2019t eager to install new Windows updates can wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Should You Install the Optional Update?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re experiencing a problem with your PC, installing the optional update is a way to get a fix for that issue weeks early. They\u2019re usually pretty stable and are much more stable than early builds of Windows 10 intended for people who opt into the \u201cWindows Insider\u201d testing program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, if you\u2019re not experiencing an issue with your PC, you don\u2019t need to install the optional quality update\u2014not unless you want to help Microsoft test it. If you wait a few weeks, your PC will get the same fixes after they\u2019ve undergone additional testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to Install Optional Quality Updates<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To check for optional quality updates, head to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. Click \u201cCheck for Update\u201d to check for available updates. Windows will install any mandatory updates (including security updates and non-optional cumulative updates) automatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If an optional quality update is available, you\u2019ll see a message saying so below the \u201cCheck for Updates\u201d button. Click \u201cDownload and Install\u201d if you want to install it on your PC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can also click \u201cView all optional updates\u201d to see all the optional updates you can install. For example, this list likely includes optional driver updates that might help if you\u2019re experiencing a problem on your PC. However, this button will only appear if optional updates are actually available for your PC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you experience a problem with an update, you can head to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View Update History > Uninstall Updates to remove the update from your Windows 10 PC.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On Windows 10, Windows Update may sometimes offer you an \u201cOptional Quality Update.\u201d Unlike other updates, Windows won\u2019t automatically install these\u2014so what exactly are they? Should you install them? Windows Update Won\u2019t Automatically Install These An \u201coptional quality update\u201d is a Windows update that you don\u2019t have to install immediately. These never include security fixes\u2014if an … Continue reading “What Is an \u201cOptional Quality Update\u201d on Windows 10?”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[93],"class_list":["post-3019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-systems-and-procedures","tag-windows-10"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tech-battery.com\/batteriesblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tech-battery.com\/batteriesblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tech-battery.com\/batteriesblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tech-battery.com\/batteriesblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tech-battery.com\/batteriesblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3019"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.tech-battery.com\/batteriesblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3019\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3020,"href":"https:\/\/www.tech-battery.com\/batteriesblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3019\/revisions\/3020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tech-battery.com\/batteriesblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tech-battery.com\/batteriesblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tech-battery.com\/batteriesblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}