Windows 10 May 2020 update: Everything you need to know – CNET

The Windows 10 May 2020 Update will be rolling out this month.

Microsoftis rolling out the Windows 10 ($120 at Walmart) May 2020 Update this month, bringing new features to help with productivity, security and speed. The update -- also known asWindows 10 versions 2004 and 20H1, and formerly referred to as the April 2020 Update -- is expected to start rolling out to mainstream users on May 28.

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Windows 10 is now on more than 1 billion devices worldwide, Microsoft said in March. Now that support for Windows 7 is officially over, Microsoft is encouraging users to either upgrade their PC to Windows 10 to keep it running smoothly and securely or buy a new computer.

Major refreshes to the OS come about every six months, with the most recent being the November 2019 update. Early reports from our sister site ZDNet are that the latest update -- currently available as a preview release -- takes anywhere from 7 to 17 minutes to install.

Here's what we know so far about the Windows 10 May 2020 update.

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For those in the Windows Insider Program, the May 2020 Update has been available as a preview release for about a year (again, it was originally referred to as the April 2020 update, but given the coronavirus pandemic, its release was pushed back).

The final version is expected to roll out to developers on May 12, and to mainstream users starting May 28, ZDNet reported.

If you want access to the preview release now, you can join the Windows 10 Insider Slow Ring, and toggle the Stop Getting Preview Builds option to On. (This allows you to use the current preview and keeps it from being replaced by future ones as they arrive.) Otherwise, you can wait until the update's general release.

The Windows 10 May 2020 update includes a number of changes for users, according to Microsoft, such as:

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Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 1809(also known as the October 2018 update) Home, Pro, Pro Education and Pro for Workstations editions in November of this year (this was originally scheduled to happen in May, but again, Microsoft delayed it due to the impact of coronavirus). Enterprise and Education editions support will last until May 2021.

You can still use version 1809, but the loss of Microsoft support means you will no longer get important security patches or other updates.

Read more:20 pro tips to make Windows 10 work the way you want (free PDF)(TechRepublic)

Nope. Microsoft recommends that you update, of course, but it's not mandatory -- unless you're about to hit an end-of-service date for the version you're currently running. You can find out more about the update process onZDNet.

To see which version of Windows 10 you have, go to Settings > System > About and scroll to Windows Specifications, where you'll find the edition and version number.

If you have version 1903 (released in May 2019) and want to keep it, you have until December 2020 before support ends. And if you have version 1909 (released in November 2019), you have until May 2021 to update.

In a Monday blog post, Panos Panay, Microsoft's chief product officer of Windows and devices, gave an update on the Windows 10X operating system. The OS was announced last year, and designed to work with new dual-screenSurface Neodevices, which are not yet available. However, given the changes in the world and the fact that most people are sticking to more typical laptops and two-in-one devices right now, Microsoft will pivot the focus of Windows 10X to single-screen devices instead, Panay wrote.

"With Windows 10X, we designed for flexibility, and that flexibility has enabled us to pivot our focus toward single-screen Windows 10X devices that leverage the power of the cloud to help our customers work, learn and play in new ways," Panay wrote in the post. "These single-screen devices will be the first expression of Windows 10X that we deliver to our customers, and we will continue to look for the right moment, in conjunction with our OEM partners, to bring dual-screen devices to market."

For more, check outWindows 10 tips and tricksand6 simple security changes all Windows 10 users need to make.

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Windows 10 May 2020 update: Everything you need to know - CNET