If you’re using an older PC with an Atom processor, you should avoid manually upgrading to the Windows 10 Creators Update.
But then, this isn’t new advice: Microsoft made this recommendation back in April when the Creators Update first shipped. Plus, anyone using such a PC isn’t the type of person that would ever manually install an OS update.
Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!
"*" indicates required fields
“Microsoft is working with our partners to provide compatible drivers for these processors,” the support note explains. “Until then, Windows Update will prevent devices containing one of the processors listed above from installing the Creators Update.”
The processors in question are:
In other words, the story hasn’t changed: If you aren’t technical, you should wait until the Creators Update is actually offered to you via Windows Update. Otherwise, you may have bad results as there’s a reason this update isn’t being delivered to your PC automatically. In this case, what I’d imagine is a pretty serious issue.
This comes up today because of a ZDNet report that states that “an entire generation of PCs, most only three or four years old, are now unable to receive new feature updates to Windows 10.” That’s very dramatic, but the reality is that Microsoft is just doing what it always does by ensuring the highest-quality upgrade experience. And missing a few non-essential feature updates isn’t all that important.
Nothing to see here.
skane2600
<blockquote><a href="#147355"><em>In reply to Waethorn:</em></a></blockquote><p>MS customer service: "Buy a new computer if you have an update problem after we encouraged you to update to an incompatible version."</p>
skane2600
<blockquote><a href="#147376"><em>In reply to Waethorn:</em></a></blockquote><p>It's called bad customer service. Why is criticism of MS so often defended by pointing to what Apple does? I have an ancient Mac Mini that a client gave me for a Mac project years ago that I no longer use. The only Apple device I ever paid for was an Airport Express that is now broken and hasn't been used in years. So the problems of Mac users is of no interest to me and irrelevant to this discussion.</p>
skane2600
<blockquote><a href="#147565"><em>In reply to Waethorn:</em></a></blockquote><p>And I'm saying Windows users don't care about Apple problems. </p>
skane2600
<p>"That’s very dramatic, but the reality is that Microsoft is just doing what it always does by ensuring the highest-quality upgrade experience."</p><p><br></p><p>You forgot the /s tag. My PC has an i5 processor and creators update gets stuck at 90% but that doesn't stop MS from bugging me every few days to update. Until the Atom processor problem is fixed, the security argument about updates is dead in the water too.</p>
skane2600
<blockquote><a href="#147574"><em>In reply to mikiem:</em></a></blockquote><p>Most people buy low powered devices because they are less expensive. There's no more logic in having to throw away a $300 laptop than a $2000 laptop relative to your income. The excuses are really thick here today.</p>