Windows 10 version 1903 May 2019 Feature Update: My Experience

[David Baxter PhD]

Windows 10 version 1903 May 2019 Feature Update

Well I took advantage of the July 1 long weekend to try to update my desktop and laptop to the latest feature update.

TL;DR version: It was unsuccessful. But the good news is that in some cases Windows will now tell you this up front and in other cases it rolls back any changes if the update is unsuccessful so you simply return to your previous version.

I first tried the simple option: select update from Windows 10 Settings. I didn't expect this to work because it never does for me, and sure enough it didn't.

So I then went to the option that usually does work for me:

1. follow the instructions at Windows 10 Media Creation Tool: Create Installation Media
2. download the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft here: Download Windows 10
3. follow Microsoft's instructions at Using the tool to create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) to install Windows 10 on a different PC (click to show more or less information)
4. use the Create installation media for another PC and then Upgrade this PC now
5. if you elect to use a DVD, you will need to right click on the ISO file after it downloads to burn it to a blank DVD
6. finally start Setup.exe from the media you have selected

I kept getting this error:

0xC1900101 - 0x20017 (using USB) or 0xC1900101 - 0x30017 (using DVD)
The installation failed in the SAFE_OS phase with an error during the BOOT operation.

According to Get help with Windows 10 upgrade and installation errors - Windows Help this means:

A driver has caused a problem.

Disable or remove all 3rd party antivirus or antispyware from your system. Disconnect all peripheral devices that are connected to the system, except for the mouse, keyboard and display.

Contact your hardware vendor to obtain updated device drivers.

I did all this, three times because I was eventually upgrading third-party drivers that were already up to date just in case.

No luck.

Windows advice is to wait for further updates to reolve any problems you have with installing the feature update.

I'm stubborn, although I prefer to call it tenacious.

However, after the third attempt yesterday, I'm going to take their advice.

 

[GaryQ]

I took a chance and started the 1903 PRO upgrade one by one 3 PC's using the update method over a 2 week period. All went well except one it told me to uninstall a program before proceeding.

INTEL I7-3770K, AMD FX-8320E, AMD FX-6300. I'll leave out the boring details regarding the 48gb ram, 1.756 TB of SSDs and the 49.5 TB of HDDs and other components in those 3.

Only one I haven't tried is the old Intel Core2Quad system.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Mine was the 1903 Home upgrade. Don't know if that made a difference.

 

[GaryQ]

:uh-uh: It's just a Windows issue. Are you running a brand name pre-fab PC? They're usually the ones wih the most reported issues.

Things are expected to be smoother starting with the fall update as they are trying to convince business users to leave windows 7 as free service updates EOL Jan 2020. They are also imitating the Linux disto method of longer supprt cycles starting this fall. One of the 2 yearly upgrades will have a longer suppport life.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Yes. A pre-built.

We do know that Microsoft is working on issues related to specific drivers and processors.

I'll wait.

 

[GaryQ]

Yes. A pre-built.

We do know that Microsoft is working on issues related to specific drivers and processors.

I'll wait.

Nothing really exciting in it and it's not like you have a choice but to wait :lol:

I'm surprised I even attempted it before it was ready for business as I normally did having that option previously with the pro version. But they now give even home version users a chance to delay (finally)