Windows 10 20H2, October 2020 Update, is the tenth major update since the original release and the second semi-annual update of the year, which Microsoft started rolling on October 20, 2020.
Like the updates available in 2019, the company follows the same “major” and “minor” schedule. This means that in 2020, the Windows 10 2004 is the update considered “major,” and the Windows 10 20H2 is the update considered “minor” rolling out similar to a cumulative update with fixes, improvements, and a small set of features.
The Windows 10 20H2 is an optional update (which isn’t required to install) available for devices running version 1903 and higher. However, Microsoft is limiting availability and placing safeguard holds to prevent devices from encountering problems during and after the upgrade. When the new version becomes available for your device, you will receive a “Feature update to Windows 10, version 20H2” notification to download it manually through Windows Update.
If you are a “seeker,” you may force the upgrade by clicking the Check for updates button in the Windows Update settings and then clicking the Download and install button. Alternatively, you can install the October 2020 Update using the Media Creation Tool to perform a clean install or in-place upgrade. You can also use the “Update Assistant,” or you can even download the ISO file to create a USB bootable media to proceed with the upgrade. You can also follow this guide to complete the installation without problems. If you are not ready to upgrade, this guide will help you to prevent Windows 10 from installing version 20H2 on your device.
In this guide, we will highlight the new features and improvements available with version 20H2.
Windows 10 20H2 new features summary
- New Start menu design for Windows 10 20H2 (October 2020 Update).
- Taskbar comes with a more personalized layout for new accounts.
- Notifications are now less intrusive.
- New refresh rate settings in Display.
- Windows 10 20H2 About settings copy device info option.
- Tablet mode no longer shows a notification to select mode when detaching the keyboard.
- Microsoft Edge tabs now appear in Alt + Tab.
What’s new on Windows 10 20H2
Here are all the new features and changes that are included as part of Windows 10 20H2:
Start menu new design
Windows 10 20H2 now includes an updated version of the Start menu with a streamlined design that removes the solid color backplates behind the icon in the apps list and applies a partially transparent background to the tiles, which matches the menu color scheme that should help to make easier to scan and find an app quickly.
The new menu design works with both the light and dark mode on Windows 10. However, if you want to use different colors, you need to enable the dark mode and select the color.
Taskbar personalization on Windows 10 20H2
Windows 10 can now offer a more personalized layout, cleaner, and less clutter taskbar experience using the user and device signals. For instance, if you link your Android phone, you’ll now see the Your Phone app pinned in the taskbar, and if you have an Xbox Live account, then you’ll also see the Xbox app.
The experience is only available for new account creations or first login scenarios. Microsoft is not planning to alter the Taskbar layout on existing accounts.
Notifications improvements on Windows 10 20H2
In this feature update, you will also see some changes to the notification experience, including an icon at the top to understand the app that generated the alert. The system also turns off the Focus Assist notification and summary toast by default to avoid unwanted distractions. (You can always rollback the previous behavior using the Settings app.)
Refresh rate on display settings
Once you install the update, you’ll also find an updated Advanced display settings page that now includes an option to change the monitor refresh rate.
About settings page tweaks
The About settings page now allows you to copy the device information to the clipboard, and it’s removing the Windows Security status.
Starting with the October 2020 Update, links that would open the System page in Control Panel will direct you to the About page in Settings.
Tablet experience changes
Starting with the Windows 10 20H2 update, the new tablet experience, introduced with the May 2020 Update, is the default mode when detaching the keyboard on convertible devices. This means that you will no longer see a notification asking to select one of the available modes. Also, to prevent confusion with some users getting stuck in tablet mode on non-touch devices, Windows 10 now removes the tablet mode quick action on non-touch devices.
Furthermore, with the new version, there’s a new logic to let users boot into the appropriate mode according to the mode they were last signed in and whether the keyboard is attached or not.
Microsoft Edge
The Chromium version of Microsoft Edge now comes built into the operating system. Also, open tabs will now appear in the App Switcher (Alt + Tab) shortcut.
If you prefer to see a different number of tabs with Alt + Tab or the classic experience, Windows 10 includes settings under Settings > System > Multitasking. You can configure the Alt + Tab shortcut to show all the last three, the last five tabs, or you can even select the option to disable this feature completely.
Also, you can now hover over the pinned sites to see all of the open tabs for that site across any of your browser windows.
Other changes
Microsoft is also adding a new Local Users and Groups modern device management (MDM) policy for network administrators and improves support for non-ASCII file paths for Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) Auto Incident Response (IR).
Since build 19042.541, Windows 10 will suspend uploads and downloads automatically when you use a VPN connection. The update also fixes the issue that prevents Microsoft Intune from syncing on a computer using the VPNv2 configuration service provider (CSP). Microsoft has also added support for more Windows Mixed Reality motion controllers.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Windows 10 version 20H2, October 2020 Update, is a small update that introduces many enhancements for existing features, such as a new fresh look for the Start menu, the ability to change the refresh rate within the Settings, deeper integration with Microsoft Edge, and more.
You are not getting new significant features this time around, but this new version of Windows 10 includes many small changes that should improve the work introduced with version 2004.
If you are upgrading from version 2004 to 20H2, the installation will only require a quick enablement package since both versions share a common core file system, and the features and improvements have already been deployed, and they’re in an inactive update on your device.
In the case that you’ll be upgrading from an older version, such as version 1909 to 20H2, then the upgrade experience won’t change, and full reinstallation will be required to version 2004 before you can apply version 20H2. Also, even though this feature update is optional, devices nearing the end of service will upgrade automatically.
When I spent using this update, performance and memory usage were not different from the previous or even older versions. I haven’t experienced any significant problems during or after the upgrade, but the experience will depend on your hardware configuration and apps.
As you may have noticed, in this new version, Microsoft is also changing the versioning scheme from the year and month to year and a half one or two of the year scheme. For example, the October 2020 Update is version 20H2 because it is releasing in the second half of 2020. Using this new versioning scheme, the next version is expected to be 21H1 since it’s expected to release during the first half of 2021.
Editor’s note: This guide includes features and improvements that appeared until Windows 10 build 19042.572. It should be noted that this guide focuses on features for consumers, as Microsoft is also adding other features aimed at enterprises, which aren’t included here. (Last updated on February 2021.)
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].