Microsoft has finally resolved all the most significant known issues holding up the rollout of Windows 10 20H2 and 2004 ahead of the version 21H1 release and moments before version 1909 reached the end of service.
The elimination of the upgrade blocking issues means that devices running version 1909 or older releases with specific hardware configuration can safely upgrade to the next supported version from Windows Update without losing their files or settings.
According to the Windows health release page, the longest-standing problems were the audio drivers from Synaptics and Conexant (also own by Synaptics), which were initially opened in May 2020 and finally closed in May 2021. The driver had a compatibility issue that caused Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) during or after the upgrade to version 2004.
In the resolution, the company explains that the safeguard hold has been lifted for all devices. However, you will need a driver update before the device can upgrade successfully, which Microsoft is currently rolling out through Windows Update.
If the computer does not have the update, the upgrade will fail. If this happens, the recommendation is to try the upgrade one more time.
While it is good to see the update blocks getting resolved, Microsoft just barely fixed them on time. Otherwise, many devices would have been stuck on an unsupported version of Windows 10 since this problem mainly affected computers running version 1909, which happened to reach the end of service on May 11, 2021.
If you are still on a previous version, it is recommended to upgrade as soon as possible to version 2004 or 20H2 using Windows Update, Update Assistant, or Media Creation Tool, which you can use to perform an in-place upgrade or clean install of Windows 10.
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].