Friday, April 21st 2017

Microsoft Confirms Windows, Office 6-Month Update Cycle

by
Raevenlord
 Discuss (31 Comments)
Microsoft has been steadily increasing stability, features and, the company hopes, attractiveness of its latest Windows 10 operating system. Recently, its Creator's Update has brought, among other features, a performance-boosting Game Mode, a 3D version of the popular and (respectably ancient) Paint app, as well as increased privacy control, something users clamored for. Now, the Redmond company has confirmed that it's looking towards a six month update cycle for Windows 10 (thus aligning it with Office 365 ProPlus), looking to streamline and increase predictability of its support.

Microsoft released the Windows 10 Anniversary Update in August 2016, and the Creators Update made its public debut on April 11 2017, which is already close to the six-month update cycle the company is now confirming (seven months, in this case.) Now the company has confirmed that it plans to release its next step on the Windows 10 operating system on September 2017. From then on, updates should arrive in a steady cadence, on every subsequent March and September. Each Windows 10 feature release will be serviced and supported for 18 months, as is currently the case, and the company has also added that its System Center Configuration Manager will support this new aligned update model for Office 365 ProPlus and Windows 10, "making both easier to deploy and keep up to date."
Sources: Blogs.Windows.com, Tom's Hardware

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31 Comments on Microsoft Confirms Windows, Office 6-Month Update Cycle

#1
Octopuss
Six months cycle? Office? Jesus. Most people I know still use Office XP/2003 are aren't missing any features.
Posted on Reply
#2
lemonadesoda
MS has royally mismanaged W10 updates. I was so frustrated by the autodownloading and autorebooting of W10 - how many times in the middle of using the PC did it shit down on me? - that I turned to various gpedit and regedit hacks found on google to turn it off. Many didn't work - because while there used to be simple ways to stop forced reboots - early updates to W10 removed the ability to simply turn off this policy, requiring much deeper intervention in regedit to stop it. It took a long time until I finally managed to stop/block/deny autodownload and reboot... but the consequence is that now I can't even manually update W10. Own goal really for me but also for MS. I'm sure I'm not the only person/PC with W10 that is no longer updating therefore leaving the door wide open to unpatched security threats as well as missing feature updates.

Anyone else here stopped their W10 from force reboot?
Posted on Reply
#3
BrainCruser
lemonadesodaMS has royally mismanaged W10 updates. I was so frustrated by the autodownloading and autorebooting of W10 - how many times in the middle of using the PC did it shit down on me? - that I turned to various gpedit and regedit hacks found on google to turn it off. Many didn't work - because while there used to be simple ways to stop forced reboots - early updates to W10 removed the ability to simply turn off this policy, requiring much deeper intervention in regedit to stop it. It took a long time until I finally managed to stop/block/deny autodownload and reboot... but the consequence is that now I can't even manually update W10. Own goal really for me but also for MS. I'm sure I'm not the only person/PC with W10 that is no longer updating therefore leaving the door wide open to unpatched security threats as well as missing feature updates.

Anyone else here stopped their W10 from force reboot?
I did, by removing windows 10 and installing windows 8.1
Posted on Reply
#4
Derek12
OctopussSix months cycle? Office? Jesus. Most people I know still use Office XP/2003 are aren't missing any features.
They will have slight problems if they have to open files created in newer versions or Office, specially docx, xslx, pptx ones and which use newer features not available in those ancient versions because the compatibility pack is old.
Not to talk about integration with MS services
Posted on Reply
#5
Melvis
Office 2016 and 365 I avoid like the plague!
Posted on Reply
#6
Prima.Vera
MelvisOffice 2016 and 365 I avoid like the plague!
Why?
Please elaborate on details and with links, otherwise your post is childish to say the least...
Posted on Reply
#7
Octopuss
Derek12They will have slight problems if they have to open files created in newer versions or Office, specially docx, xslx, pptx ones and which use newer features not available in those ancient versions because the compatibility pack is old.
Not to talk about integration with MS services
I don't think so. That Office 2007+ Compatibility Pack works perfectly fine.

Another weirdly funny thing about later versions of Office is how (presumably) bloated they are. If I install just Word and Excel with no extra features, it comes about 150MB in Office 2003's case. Do the same with Office 2010, and the very same stuff jumps to 700MB. Like, WTF?
Posted on Reply
#8
Ahhzz
Prima.VeraWhy?
Please elaborate on details and with links, otherwise your post is childish to say the least...
Not really. It's an opinion, just as valid as yours. I don't recommend any of my users move to 365, altho I have installed 16 on several. I do avoid 8, 8.1, and 10. There are no 8 or 8.1 machines in my house, out of 7, and only a single windows 10, which never sees windows updates, and rarely even connects to the internet. I have it locked down as tightly as I can, running a firewall to block traffic I don't want, albeit not as good as Zone Alarm used to be. To provide you your "details", I operate this way due to privacy concerns. It's not anyone else's business what I run on my computer, and before you show your disease of #whataboutism, let me say I have less concerns over using Chrome than I do Windows 8 or 10, and while I hate using Steam, mine and the SO's computer have it loaded due to multiple games I purchased that can only be redeemed thru Steam. I prefer not to, and will use GoG any day, and never Origin.
Posted on Reply
#9
Derek12
OctopussI don't think so. That Office 2007+ Compatibility Pack works perfectly fine.

Another weirdly funny thing about later versions of Office is how (presumably) bloated they are. If I install just Word and Excel with no extra features, it comes about 150MB in Office 2003's case. Do the same with Office 2010, and the very same stuff jumps to 700MB. Like, WTF?
It's a conspiracy between Microsoft and HDD/SSD manufacturers ;)
AhhzzNot really. It's an opinion, just as valid as yours. I don't recommend any of my users move to 365, altho I have installed 16 on several. I do avoid 8, 8.1, and 10. There are no 8 or 8.1 machines in my house, out of 7, and only a single windows 10, which never sees windows updates, and rarely even connects to the internet. I have it locked down as tightly as I can, running a firewall to block traffic I don't want, albeit not as good as Zone Alarm used to be. To provide you your "details", I operate this way due to privacy concerns. It's not anyone else's business what I run on my computer, and before you show your disease of #whataboutism, let me say I have less concerns over using Chrome than I do Windows 8 or 10, and while I hate using Steam, mine and the SO's computer have it loaded due to multiple games I purchased that can only be redeemed thru Steam. I prefer not to, and will use GoG any day, and never Origin.
Are you working with or processing confidential/top secret information

In my case I don't even have a firewall outside of the built-in one, no AV, default privacy settings enabled, use Google services, have Cookies enabled, Cortana/Siri/Google Now enabled, etc... but I don't use any social network.
I am not dumping my entire life through Internet and little to none part of my life can be extracted so I am not worried.
The worst privacy offenders are social networks.
Posted on Reply
#10
alucasa
I ditched Photoshop and switched to GIMP when Adobe chose subscription model.

I did the same with Office. Switched to LibreOffice. Takes some time getting used to it but, once I did, I never looked back.
Posted on Reply
#11
DarkHill
AhhzzNot really. It's an opinion, just as valid as yours. I don't recommend any of my users move to 365, altho I have installed 16 on several. I do avoid 8, 8.1, and 10. There are no 8 or 8.1 machines in my house, out of 7, and only a single windows 10, which never sees windows updates, and rarely even connects to the internet. I have it locked down as tightly as I can, running a firewall to block traffic I don't want, albeit not as good as Zone Alarm used to be. To provide you your "details", I operate this way due to privacy concerns. It's not anyone else's business what I run on my computer, and before you show your disease of #whataboutism, let me say I have less concerns over using Chrome than I do Windows 8 or 10, and while I hate using Steam, mine and the SO's computer have it loaded due to multiple games I purchased that can only be redeemed thru Steam. I prefer not to, and will use GoG any day, and never Origin.
install pihole as your DNS - it will block a lot of that telemetry crap
Posted on Reply
#12
Easo
The comments here. I am so fascinated...
Posted on Reply
#13
Markosz
lemonadesodaMS has royally mismanaged W10 updates. I was so frustrated by the autodownloading and autorebooting of W10 - how many times in the middle of using the PC did it shit down on me? - that I turned to various gpedit and regedit hacks found on google to turn it off. Many didn't work - because while there used to be simple ways to stop forced reboots - early updates to W10 removed the ability to simply turn off this policy, requiring much deeper intervention in regedit to stop it. It took a long time until I finally managed to stop/block/deny autodownload and reboot... but the consequence is that now I can't even manually update W10. Own goal really for me but also for MS. I'm sure I'm not the only person/PC with W10 that is no longer updating therefore leaving the door wide open to unpatched security threats as well as missing feature updates.

Anyone else here stopped their W10 from force reboot?
www.windowscentral.com/how-configure-active-hours-avoid-windows-10-sudden-restarts-during-updates
Posted on Reply
#15
Melvis
Prima.VeraWhy?
Please elaborate on details and with links, otherwise your post is childish to say the least...
o_O 2016 you must have a MS account to install it!, great fun been a tech guy when your clients forgot there MS account details. 365 is a subscription.....erm no?, just go buy it out right, its cheaper in the long run. :slap:

2013 and older are better in this respect.
Posted on Reply
#16
Prima.Vera
I have Office Pro 2016 which I bought for ultra cheap, like 10$ cheap, because of very special deal my company has with Microsoft, and I have no issues or complains what so ever. I already had a company email, so that one was already registered for the promotion. My company also uses Office 365, and again, no issues.
Why do people love to bitch that much?
Posted on Reply
#17
TheinsanegamerN
Melviso_O 2016 you must have a MS account to install it!, great fun been a tech guy when your clients forgot there MS account details. 365 is a subscription.....erm no?, just go buy it out right, its cheaper in the long run. :slap:

2013 and older are better in this respect.
unless you need a specific funtion that only MS office has, libreoffice is a far better choice. Hooray for free!
Posted on Reply
#18
TheinsanegamerN
Prima.VeraI have Office Pro 2016 which I bought for ultra cheap, like 10$ cheap, because of very special deal my company has with Microsoft, and I have no issues or complains what so ever. I already had a company email, so that one was already registered for the promotion. My company also uses Office 365, and again, no issues.
Why do people love to bitch that much?
some people dont want to have to create a MS account and link an email address for an office product, or pay a subscription to write word documents.

Why do people bitch about people bitching about how everything MS is making now needs to be registered and connected? we are allowed opinions, and there are plenty of people who do not like where MS is going.
Posted on Reply
#19
Melvis
TheinsanegamerNunless you need a specific funtion that only MS office has, libreoffice is a far better choice. Hooray for free!
Indeed and thats what I use on my work PC, libreoffice and an old 2007 MS Office blue edition. Hooray for free indeed :)
Posted on Reply
#20
Prima.Vera
TheinsanegamerNsome people dont want to have to create a MS account and link an email address for an office product, or pay a subscription to write word documents.

Why do people bitch about people bitching about how everything MS is making now needs to be registered and connected? we are allowed opinions, and there are plenty of people who do not like where MS is going.
If you think that having to register an email address so you can receive the serial number of a product is the worst thing in life, then my friend....
Posted on Reply
#21
megamanxtreme
alucasaI did the same with Office. Switched to LibreOffice. Takes some time getting used to it but, once I did, I never looked back.
I tried LibreOffice but didn't leave OpenOffice when Word took a while to open, even with the preload. So, OpenOffice is a winner in my laptop. Of course, none of them beat MS Office in starting up.
Laptop is with the A6-6310, so you get the idea.
Plus, I avoided LibreOffice like the plague when an article stated it being backed by Google, so I will never support it.
Posted on Reply
#22
Caring1
megamanxtremeI tried LibreOffice but didn't leave OpenOffice when Word took a while to open, even with the preload. So, OpenOffice is a winner in my laptop. ....
Plus, I avoided LibreOffice like the plague when an article stated it being backed by Google, so I will never support it.
Funny story, Open Office is now Libre Office.
Posted on Reply
#23
megamanxtreme
Caring1Funny story, Open Office is now Libre Office.
I use Apache Open Office, two different things. Yeah, LibreOffice took from OpenOffice's base, true.
Posted on Reply
#24
Mr.Scott
Inching closer and closer to a subscription service. Just like 365.
Posted on Reply
#25
alucasa
Personally, I wish Windows had Office 365-like activation system. It'd make my life a lot easier without having to call.
Posted on Reply
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