It’s going to get easier to sort and install (or avoid) optional Windows 10 updates

Not every update that Microsoft pushes out for Windows 10 needs to be installed on your system, and in some cases, they can have unintended consequences. Unfortunately, optional updates get clumped together with mandatory ones, but that's finally going to change—albeit not until next year.

The upcoming change is how it was done in the old days, before Windows 10—Microsoft would separate optional updates from the regular security patches, and users could choose to install or ignore them rather easily.

That feature disappeared with Windows 10, but Microsoft is planning to reintroduce this separation to the public at large in its Windows 10 20H1 release due out in 2020. In the meantime, it's being tested in the Windows Insider program.

"As some Insiders have noticed, we’re working on making it easier for you to see all optional updates (including drivers, feature updates, and monthly non-security quality updates) in one place. Once optional updates are detected, they will be listed in a new page under Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View optional updates. For drivers, you no longer need to browse Device Manager for a specific device to update. Windows Update will automatically keep your drivers up-to-date, same as before, but if you’re having a problem one of those optional drivers might help," Microsoft stated in a blog post.

The folks at BleepingComputer posted some screenshots of how this will look. The Windows Update screen is largely unchanged, except for the addition of a "View optional updates" link. This brings up a new screen listing the various optional updates that might be available, each with a checkbox.

Microsoft mentions it will still keep automatically updating drivers after this change takes place, though if you want to disable that feature, you will still be able to do so as you can now—just head to the "Device installation settings" screen and click the "No (your device might now work as expected)" option.

Microsoft has committed to rolling out two major upgrades to Windows 10 each year. The most recent of those was the May 2019 update rolled out in May, and there is a second one slated for sometime next month (presumably), called 19H2. The 20H1 release will be the first of the two major updates to arrive in 2020.

Paul Lilly

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).

Latest in Windows
Microsoft Copilot
A rather pleasing Windows 11 update bug automatically uninstalls Copilot and unpins it from the taskbar, which is jolly nice of it
Microsoft's Task Manager in Windows 11
After years of complaints about Windows Task Manager displaying CPU utilization incorrectly, a fix is finally on its way
Microsoft Windows 11
The latest Windows 11 dev build gives you the ability to snap together commonly paired apps for access in a single click, and I'm already sold
Windows 11's new emoji button in the taskbar.
You might mock Microsoft's new emoji button in Windows 11 but as someone that's explained how to quickly access emojis and special characters too many times, I get it
Windows 10 operating system logo is displayed on a laptop screen for illustration photo. Gliwice, Poland on January 23, 2022.
Valve's monthly survey reveals that almost 45% of Steam users on PC are still using Windows 10 even with the sword of Damocles hanging over them
Microsoft Windows 11
If you installed Windows 11 with certain security updates and a USB stick, you may not get any more security updates warns Microsoft
Latest in News
Junah beginning a battle in Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Today's RPG fans are 'very sensitive to feeling like they wasted time' when they die, says Metaphor: ReFantazio battle planner—but Atlus still made combat hard anyway
Image of Cersei Lanniser from Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Steam early access trailer
A new Game of Thrones RPG is coming to Steam today with a cast of 'familiar faces,' which is good because it's really the only way to tell it's a GoT game at all
The new Prime Asset featured in the upcoming update for the Outlast Trials.
The Outlast Trials puts its already paranoid players under surveillance for a time-limited story event
A Viera looking confused in Final Fantasy 14.
Old armor continues to fall victim to Final Fantasy 14's bizarre two-channel dye system, unless you're super into changing the colour of teeny-tiny eyelets: 'Why even bother at this point?'
Starfield: Shattered Space
By the time Bethesda was on Starfield, you'd 'basically get in trouble' for breaking schedule, says former dev: 'A lot of the great stuff within Skyrim came from having the freedom to do what you want'
Otter AI Meeting Agent
As if your work meetings weren't already fun enough, now Otter has a new all-hearing AI agent that remembers everything anyone has said and can join in the discussion