What Windows Version Are You On?

Hi everyone, i was just wondering what version of Windows people are on, and how did you get it? I have been on 1909 for a long time, but have also had the 2004 note on the windows update screen without being offered it. So i decided to take the plunge this week and join as in insider, and ive been offered 2004. So far everything is working well (start menu was a little slow at first, and firefox crashed) but windows actually seems to run a bit faster on my machine now. Would love to hear others experiences of upgrades….

Conversation 34 comments

  • xperiencewindows

    03 February, 2021 - 12:31 pm

    <p>Is this an old post? 2004 has been out since May 2020</p>

    • greatrexmark

      04 February, 2021 - 3:47 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#611583">In reply to xperiencewindows:</a></em></blockquote><p>Not an old post, but i had been waiting for 2004 to be offered (still was waiting before i tried updating it myself) just curious on others experiences.</p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    03 February, 2021 - 1:06 pm

    <p>20H2 on all machines. Using the media creation tool. </p>

  • erichk

    Premium Member
    03 February, 2021 - 1:45 pm

    <p>20H2 on all three of my Windows machines through the normal update process. Can't think of any issues offhand.</p><p><br></p><p>Edit: Typo (though &gt; through)</p>

  • dftf

    03 February, 2021 - 3:26 pm

    <p>On 20H2 here, as are both my parents' laptops, though my brother's is stuck on 1909 due to the Conexant audio-driver issue, so when you go to Start &gt; Settings &gt; Update &amp; Security you just see the "your device is not ready".</p><p><br></p><p>Simply changing that device's driver to the generic "High-Definition Audio" one would likely be enough to remove the safeguard… as if Microsoft and Conexant haven't resolved the issue by the end of May this year, I'm not sure if his device will continue to get security-updates or not, as formally, 1909 Home ends-support in May…</p>

    • greatrexmark

      04 February, 2021 - 5:15 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#611599">In reply to dftf:</a></em></blockquote><p>Thats what i wondered. When 1909 ends support then what happens if there is still a blocker? If you do a backup before may then you have a fallback, and your brother might get moved to 2004 near end of 1909 support, but i dont know.</p>

      • dftf

        05 February, 2021 - 11:25 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#611645">In reply to greatrexmark:</a></em></blockquote><p>Something similar has happened in-the-past: there were some Intel Atom processors (Clover Trail era) which I think are stuck on 1709, but they will continue to receive security updates until Jan 2023.</p><p><br></p><p>It is rather-vague with Windows 10 though, compared to 8.1 and older, as you get support "for the lifetime of that device", which could mean anything. Whereas for 8.1 and older, it was 10 years of support from the day that version of Windows first released to the market.</p><p><br></p><p>So, you could find support drop for an older device at any point…</p>

  • lwetzel

    Premium Member
    03 February, 2021 - 4:10 pm

    <p>20H2 on all machines except my test machine and it is Version 2004 (OS Build 21301.1010) which is Dev channel Insider.</p>

    • dftf

      05 February, 2021 - 11:29 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#611603">In reply to lwetzel:</a></em></blockquote><p>It's puzzling why your Insider machine is on 2004, when your "stable-branch" one is on 20H2.</p><p><br></p><p>According to Wikipedia, for that build-number, your test-machine is running the latest Feb 1, 2021 Dev-channel update-patch. So if you bring-up the WINVER utility, does it actually say in there "Version 2004 (OS Build 21301.1010)" rather-than "Version 21H1 (OS Build 21301.1010)"?</p>

  • ianw789

    03 February, 2021 - 5:40 pm

    <p>I have a Lenovo T440s (6 years old; but it is a 7 year old model) that got 20H2 through the regular update process.</p>

  • hrlngrv

    Premium Member
    03 February, 2021 - 6:20 pm

    <p>Windows as host OS: 20H2.</p><p>Windows VMs running under Linux host: Windows 8.1 (up to date), Windows 10 Insider build 21301.</p>

    • dftf

      05 February, 2021 - 11:36 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#611630">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p>I kind of forget about Windows 8.1 thesedays!</p><p><br></p><p>I wonder what pieces of software have started to drop-support for it? I know Microsoft Office 2019 doesn't officially run on it, nor do the latest versions of iTunes or NVIDIA Broadcast, but not sure of any others (though I'd imagine many AAA games' installers will insist on Windows 10).</p><p><br></p><p>Only just starting to see some software drop Windows 7 support, and even-then, in many cases (e.g. Audacity, Filezilla) it's a case of "we won't block it from installing, but we won't officially support any issues on that platform".</p>

      • hrlngrv

        Premium Member
        05 February, 2021 - 11:58 pm

        <p><a href="https://www.thurrott.com/forums/general-discussion/windows/thread/what-windows-version-are-you-on#611862&quot; target="_blank"><em>In reply to dftf:</em></a></p><blockquote>I know Microsoft Office 2019 doesn't officially run on it</blockquote><p>Office 365 installs and works on Windows 8.1 without issues.</p>

        • dftf

          06 February, 2021 - 11:33 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#611974">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p>True, though that's an annual-fee: the one-off purchase option, Office 2019, doesn't officially install (though over at the MSFN forum there is an unofficial hack to get it to)</p><p><br></p><p>Does Office365 still get feature-updates on Windows 8.1 or security-only? You can still install Office365 on Windows 7 SP1 clients, but February 2020 was the last time any new features would be added; from then on, O365 on Windows 7 only gets security-patches, but no new features</p>

  • codymesh

    04 February, 2021 - 2:54 am

    <p>???? you joined insider to upgrade? and then got 2004? no 20H2?</p><p><br></p><p>this is the most bizzare upgrade story yet.</p>

    • greatrexmark

      04 February, 2021 - 3:52 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#611639">In reply to codymesh:</a></em></blockquote><p>Thats why i was wondering am i just having a bizzare experience? I was using 1909 quite happily but i wanted to update to 2004. (When 1903 was getting near to end of support i got upgraded to 1909, wasnt sure if it would do the same again for 2004) but then i read somewhere you can use the insider option to get an upgrade, so i did a system image and gave it a go and it worked. I have now been offered 2009…</p>

      • lwetzel

        Premium Member
        04 February, 2021 - 11:08 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#611642">In reply to greatrexmark:</a></em></blockquote><p>As I noted before I have a test machine on Dev Channel and it shows current and</p><p><br></p><p>Version 2004 (OS Build 21301.1010) </p><p><br></p>

  • j5

    Premium Member
    04 February, 2021 - 8:04 am

    <p>Windows 10 Pro 1909. I've been on this version for a long time. I had a bad experience, well more like frustrating, when I installed an Insider Build and decided to just be a good tech normie and wait for it to get pushed to me when it was ready.</p>

    • greatrexmark

      04 February, 2021 - 8:47 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#611646">In reply to j5:</a></em></blockquote><p>I thought 2004 or 20H2 might get pushed to me eventually (i was on 1903 and 1909 for a really long time until this week.) I actually didn't need to update, but also really wanted to know if my old laptop could handle the next update. But i can feel quite a boost in responsiveness on this old hardware after the update to 20H2)</p>

      • j5

        Premium Member
        05 February, 2021 - 7:55 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#611647">In reply to greatrexmark:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yeah, I might do it. But honestly, I don't do anything processor or even graphic-intensive on my laptop anyways; mostly surfing the web. So the juice ain't worth the squeeze really. Signing up for Insider, restarting my laptop, installing the Insider build, wondering ok what's gonna act screwy lol. But I definitely keep up with it news-wise ?!</p>

  • navarac

    04 February, 2021 - 10:00 am

    <p>20H2 on one machine (used for gaming). The rest of the machines (3) migrated to Linux over the past year. At least Linux (Ubuntu) is consistent whereas Windows gets worse. It is a shame really, as I have been using Windows since Windows 3.0 on a 286. </p>

  • greatrexmark

    05 February, 2021 - 6:44 am

    <p>Thanks for everyones input. I'll see what happens on the next big update…</p>

  • vladimir

    Premium Member
    05 February, 2021 - 11:50 am

    <p>I'm on 20h2 and I received it through Windows update. I am not in the insider program.</p><p><br></p><p>Now I have available an Optional quality update: 2021-01 Cumulative update preview for Windows 10 20H2.</p><p><br></p><p>I wonder what this is, why is optional and why is a preview. Also, if I have no information about what it is about, how can I decide if to install it or not?</p><p><br></p><p>Windows becomes weirder every day in my opinion.</p><p><br></p>

    • lwetzel

      Premium Member
      06 February, 2021 - 3:17 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#611868">In reply to Vladimir:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes. I have this also. Have you found any information on it?</p>

  • paulf

    06 February, 2021 - 11:02 am

    <p>Windows 10 Pro 1909 on Surface Pro. </p><p><br></p><p>2004 been "on it's way" for some time according to Windows Update. I do not know why Microsoft cannot get new versions to work with their own hardware!</p>

  • sherlockholmes

    Premium Member
    06 February, 2021 - 11:52 pm

    <p>Windows 10 Enterprise Version 20H2. The Enterprise Version came from the agency I work for 🙂 </p>

  • bkkcanuck

    07 February, 2021 - 6:35 am

    <p>Windows version on my DIY Build is:</p><p>Windows 10 Pro Version 2004 Build 19041.746</p>

  • greatrexmark

    10 February, 2021 - 5:18 pm

    <p>Well after running 20H2 for a few days something happened. (Not sure if it was something i did but it might have been. I was doing a bit of system cleanup) but then discovered i couldnt create a new folder in explorer, so decided to sort it the next day, but then when i turned on the laptop the next day it wouldnt boot up. (Tried recovery but something wasnt working and it couldnt repair the boot) </p><p><br></p><p>So i thought why not just go for it and reinstall 20H2 from fresh. (Everything runs much quicker now: this laptop had accumulated a lot of bloat.) No problems so far, think i will wait for and see what happens if i get the next version upgrade automatically…just wanted to share my strange experience/mistakes….</p>

    • dftf

      11 February, 2021 - 6:26 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#612671">In reply to greatrexmark:</a></em></blockquote><p>In future, you may want to first try a little repair then cleanup.</p><p><br></p><p>In a Command Prompt window launched "as administrator", and while connected to the Internet, run these two commands to do a repair:</p><p><br></p><p>DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth</p><p><br></p><p>SFC /SCANNOW</p><p><br></p><p>then, to reclaim disk-space from system files you no-longer need, run:</p><p><br></p><p>DISM /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase</p><p><br></p><p>After that, you could also run Disk Cleanup "as administrator" and put a tick next to everything except "Thumbnails" and "Recycle Bin"</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

      • greatrexmark

        11 February, 2021 - 7:06 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#612692">In reply to dftf:</a></em></blockquote><p>Thanks, will have to give that a try next time. (Have done a new system image for a clean backup in case i need it) Windows detected all but a few drivers which i can download. (I was itching to do a clean install and it kind of forced me to do it now, )but very pleased with the new responsiveness..</p><p><br></p><p>Oh, also. Because i had blockers before in windows update, will i be blocked for the next version upgrade?</p>

        • dftf

          11 February, 2021 - 11:34 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#612698">In reply to greatrexmark:</a></em></blockquote><p>Visit: docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-health</p><p><br></p><p>Under a version of Windows, e.g. 20H2, click "known issues". It will list reasons why devices on older versions of Windows may be blocked from upgrading.</p><p><br></p><p>See if anything there may apply to your machine (also check "Resolved Issues" for previous blockers that have since been lifted; one of those might have applied to your device earlier-on…)</p>

      • ghostrider

        11 February, 2021 - 4:18 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#612692">In reply to dftf:</a></em></blockquote><p>Ok, let's be honest, that's a techies solution, but for the average person it's a non-starter. This is just the big problem with Windows – when it works, it's fine, when it has a problem (which is quite often, more common after patches), it's a nightmare, and a lot of people just give up and do a full re-install, which is often the only solution for many, and that is just diabolical for what should be a mature OS. Windows is now just so complicated and so inaccessible to all but the most capable, it's almost comical.</p>

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