Alongside the new features and changes, starting with Windows 10 version 2004, May 2020 Update, Microsoft is removing the option to defer features update up to one year. According to the updated documentation (via WindowsTimes and ZDNet), the company is making the change to prevent confusion.
The reason is that during 2019, the software giant implemented a new installation policy that stopped forcing new feature updates on Windows 10 automatically, and only target automatic updates on devices running a version nearing the end of service. As a result of this change, a lot of devices are now only updating once a year making the option to defer updates redundant.
Since the manual deferral option no longer serves a purpose, and to reduce confusion, Microsoft has decided to remove it from the Windows Update advanced options page starting with the Windows 10 May 2020 Update.
The feature was previously available only for Windows 10 Pro, Education, and Enterprise, and it allowed devices to defer new versions up to 365 days using Windows Update.
Although the option is going away from the Settings app, it’s still possible to configure the feature using the Group Policy Editor.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert and founder of Pureinfotech (est. 2010). With over 21 years as a technology writer and IT Specialist, Mauro specializes in Windows, software, and cross-platform systems such as Linux, Android, and macOS.
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