After months of testing with Windows Insiders, Microsoft has announced the official name and release schedule for the next update of Windows 10 — code-named 19H2. Now dubbed the Windows 10 November 2019 Update, it will be coming to PCs everywhere sometime this November.
According to Microsoft, build 18363.418 is the final preview build of the November 2019 Update, which was previously tested last week with Windows Insiders. Though the company says it will continue to improve on the experience of the November 2019 Update with regular patches, this build is now part of the final steps of getting the update ready for release. It could likely be what most consumers will see in Windows Update when the November 2019 Update finally exits beta testing in the coming weeks.
As we’ve previously explained, this year’s November 2019 Update is quite different. Rather than appearing as a full-on new version of Windows, it will show up in Windows Update in a similar matter to a cumulative update or security patch. This means that the download size will be smaller, and the install time will be significantly faster than before.
The November 2019 Update is also light on new features, as Microsoft has shifted the second (fall time) Windows 10 release to bug fixes and servicing the (first) spring release. This comes after Microsoft faced heavy criticism for the way it rolled out the Windows 10 October 2019 Update. That update plagued many consumers’ PCs with bugs, caused data deletion issues, and forced Microsoft to pull back the official release well into the month of December.
If you’re willing, you can install the November 2019 Update right now in a few ways. The safest method is to enroll your PC in the Release Preview Ring of the Windows Insider program. This can be done by heading to Windows 10 Settings, clicking Update & Security, then Windows Insider Program, and then the Get Started button. You can end the process by choosing Just fixes, apps, and drivers. Finally, you must reboot your PC and then head back into Windows Update to install and check for new updates.
The few new features in the November 2019 Update include an ability to access third-party assistants on the lock screen, an ability to enter calendar events from the taskbar clock, and some new ways to manage Windows 10 notifications.