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 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 14 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 20 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].