Redmond, We Have a Problem (Premium)

It is suddenly very clear that Windows 10 version 1803 is a serious step backward in software quality, erasing all of the reliability wins that Microsoft earned over the previous two releases.

The warning signs were there, of course.

I experienced three blue/green screens during or soon after installing the original RTM version of Windows 10 version 1803. One of these occurred during the offline part of PC Reset, which I had never seen before.

Then, Microsoft delayed the release of this Windows 10 version, later citing blue screen issues after about 10 days of silence.

And then the Windows 10 version 1803 roll-out belatedly began this past Monday. That release was supposed to be only for those "seekers" who went to look for the release at Microsoft's download site. Surprise: It's hitting PCs all over the place via Windows Update instead, a crazy turn of events for a build that, just weeks earlier, was blue screening on many customers.

And as I reported earlier, Windows 10 version suffers from hangs and freezes when you run Chrome---literally the most popular Windows application on earth---and "Hey, Cortana." Which may literally be the least-used Windows application on earth.

How bad is your testing methodology when you don't catch that?

This morning's episode triggered a test. I have an Intel NUC that I've been using with Windows 10 S, and I upgraded it, of course, to Windows 10 version 1803 (in S mode). I use this PC for the Windows 10 Field Guide.

The initial install of this version, with the first RTM build of version 1803, went fine. But when I installed the second RTM build---the one that everyone is now using---Bluetooth stopped working. It just disappeared. And I was seeing a USB hardware error in Device Manager.

So a few days ago, I re-installed Windows 10 version 1803, this time using Home because S mode is not an option anymore in Setup. And sure enough, Bluetooth was dead. And I had a USB hardware error.

Wait a second.

This morning, I blew away this computer yet again. This time, however, I installed the previous Windows 10 version, 1709.

Guess what? Right. Bluetooth works fine. No USB hardware issues. The issue is Windows 10 version 1803, not my PC.

Oh, and there is one more thing.

I checked Windows Update. Yep. Windows 10 version 1803 is now installing.

This version of Windows 10 is a disgrace. That Microsoft released such a shoddy product to the public in the wake of massive reliability issues so late in its development is inexcusable.

 

Gain unlimited access to Premium articles.

With technology shaping our everyday lives, how could we not dig deeper?

Thurrott Premium delivers an honest and thorough perspective about the technologies we use and rely on everyday. Discover deeper content as a Premium member.

Tagged with

Share post

Please check our Community Guidelines before commenting

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Thurrott © 2024 Thurrott LLC