Microsoft released the Windows 10 May 2020 Update on May 27, making it available for eligible users who wanted to update it through Windows Update or through the various other methods, such as using the Media Media Creation tool or the Update Assistant. However, the OS update did come with a bunch of known issues, which were interestingly never listed during the 15 months of testing that the version went through.
These issues and other undocumented incompatibilities resulted in the Redmond giant blocking the update for many users, including its own Surface devices. However, the company said that it removed the update block for Surface devices earlier this month after it fixed the issue affecting devices with ‘Always On, Always Connected’ feature. The affected devices included Surface Pro 7 and Laptop 3 devices. However, it looks like the update block is still in place for most users.
The original verbiage on the release information page has been recently updated (spotted by ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley) to imply that the block is only removed for devices that may not have “any other safeguards” that affect the devices. This contrasts with the earlier statement suggesting that the “safeguard hold has been removed”. Additionally, Foley notes that in addition to the Pro 7 and Laptop 3, other devices like the Book 2 and Go 2 are also being blocked from updating to version 2004.
It is not clear what the “other safeguards” are that are blocking these devices from updating to the latest version of Windows 10. The company has not updated the list of known issues to document these measures. Recent reports and Microsoft’s forum posts also suggest that the company is blocking users from updating to the newest version using the Media Creation Tool or the Update Assistant due to some ”PC settings”. Even the OneDrive app has been cited as one of the reasons for the block.
The May 2020 Update has been a troublesome one for many users. Though the update was serviced with cumulative updates for close to six months, there have been numerous problems that have been reported. It will be interesting to see if the company provides any clarification on the issues, especially for its own hardware.