Windows 10 Anniversary Update rollout continues, may go on for months

Kellogg Brengel

While the Windows 10 Anniversary Update began rolling out on August 2nd, some users still might not receive the latest version of Windows 10 for another two months. This latest news comes from ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley who noticed a footnote in a mass email from Microsoft on September 1st.

The footnote reads:

The Anniversary Update will download and install via Windows Update. The download is automatically available to you. It will begin rolling out on 2 August 2016 and may take up to 3 months to reach all users. Internet access fees may apply.

Like the original rollout of Windows 10 and last year’s Fall Update, the Anniversary Update is rolled out to PCs over time and not all at once. This helps Microsoft control the update experience and any problems that arise. And problems certainly have risen with the Anniversary Update.

Windows 10 BSOD QR Code
Some users are reporting BSOD errors when connecting an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite to their Windows 10 PC

Users have reported issues with Windows 10 freezing, Amazon Kindle Paperwhites triggering BSOD errors, and webcams not working. Microsoft has already tackled the freezing issues with the latest cumulative update for Windows 10. But the rollout of the Anniversary Update has certainly been bumpy for a considerable number of users.

Those who still haven’t received the Anniversary Update can manually trigger the update process. But on the other hand, there may be good reason to wait for Microsoft to push the Anniversary Update to your machine.

If Microsoft is controlling the release of Anniversary Update to help mitigate problems, it might be the worth the ounce of prevention to wait for the update given the list of issues that has arisen already since August 2nd.

Still, three months is a long time to roll out an update which was signed off as ready for general release. Hopefully, Microsoft is learning from the experience to improve future rollouts as the company continues its transition to treating Windows-as-a-Service.