Windows 10 optional updates to be halted from May due to coronavirus

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Windows updates which are optional will no longer be provided by Microsoft from May 2020, with the software giant only producing vital security updates going forward due to the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.

That means Windows 10, and indeed all supported versions of Windows, including Server versions, all the way down to Windows Server 2008 (so Windows 8 users, this also applies to you).

We should stress that this is only optional updates, and not security fixes which will continue to be deployed as normal (so Patch Tuesday, the day when Microsoft releases its monthly security rollup, is still a thing).

Microsoft said in a statement: “We have been evaluating the public health situation, and we understand this is impacting our customers. In response to these challenges we are prioritizing our focus on security updates.

“Starting in May 2020, we are pausing all optional non-security releases (C and D updates) for all supported versions of Windows client and server products (Windows 10, version 1909 down through Windows Server 2008 SP2).”

No crystal ball

Microsoft didn’t mention any timeframe for how long this state of affairs might last – but obviously the company doesn’t have a crystal ball, and that will depend on how the situation with coronavirus unfolds as we move into the future.

Optional updates are just that of course – you don’t have to install them anyway. And we suppose one brighter chink of light in this is that the fewer updates applied to Windows, the less likely that any spanners are going to be thrown into the works of the OS, what with Microsoft’s track record of patches breaking things in recent times.

Most recently we’ve seen a Windows 10 update reportedly mess up the operating system’s built-in antivirus protection, causing an error message explaining that some files haven’t been scanned (for an unknown reason). Hopefully that problem with Windows Defender will be fixed soon enough.

Via Wccftech

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

Latest in Windows
Printer
No, your printer isn't possessed: a Windows 11 23H2 bug could be making it print random characters when connected via USB
Man having Windows 11 problems with his laptop
Fed up of adverts creeping into Windows 11? You won’t like Microsoft’s latest update, then, although it does provide some important bug fixes
Acer Aspire 14 AI laptop display showing the Windows 11 login screen
Shock, horror – I’m not going to argue with Microsoft’s latest bit of nagging in Windows 11, as this pop-up is justified
A laptop on a desk with the Windows 11 background on its screen.
Microsoft is adding image editing and compression to its Windows Share feature - and I couldn't be happier
AOC Agon Pro AG276FK gaming monitor tilted slightly to the side, showing the Windows desktop screen
Windows 11 users get ready for more ‘recommendations’ from Microsoft – but I’m relieved to say these suggestions might actually be useful
Microsoft Store logo on a blurred background
There's finally a fix for an annoying Microsoft Store bug that's older than Windows 11
Latest in News
An image of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra from a hands-on event
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could resurrect an intriguing camera feature
Eurocom Raptor X18
At $15,000, this massive 256GB RAM laptop makes Apple's MacBook Pro look affordable, tiny and very, very slow
Cristin Milioti in Black Mirror season 7
Netflix launches trailer for Black Mirror season 7, giving us a look at its first-ever sequel episode and an unexpected returning character
A graphic of the PC Gaming Show
Get ready for a bounty of PC games on June 8, as the PC Gaming show is back
A close up of The Daily podcast from Pocket Casts' web page
‘Podcasting shouldn’t be locked behind walled gardens’: Pocket Casts slams Spotify and makes its web player free to all
A smartphone on a sofa showing the WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal apps
Forget AI – WhatsApp is planning a simple messages feature that could be its most useful upgrade in years