Windows 10 21H1, or the ‘Spring Update’, will be released within the next two months, and while it does not contain too many new and interesting features, it does prepare us for a more exciting feature update coming this fall.
Microsoft has announced that the Spring Update will be released using a power-on package that enables dormant features already found in Windows 10 2004 and Windows 10 20H2.
For users using these versions of Windows 10, this means that Windows 10 will install 21H1 very quickly, as it only needs to change a few settings to enable the features.
For users using older versions of Windows, you will need to install a much more important update, probably larger than 2 GB, and this will take a little longer to download and install.
Unfortunately, many of the features that Windows users look forward to, such as DoH, the new Battery settings, and the modern Disk Management settings page, do not come to Windows 10 21H1. For these features, users will have to wait until the ‘Windows 10 21H2 Sun Valley update’ arrives by the end of the year.
Instead, Windows 10 21H1 provides support for Windows Hello multi-camera, enhanced Windows Defender Application Guard, and enhanced Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Group Policy Service (GPSVC).
For standalone features, such as the Windows 10 Start Menu, WSL, and Notepad, Microsoft is likely to enhance it with “Windows Feature Experience Packs,” which are a new way to update and improve the operating system outside of feature updates.
As you can see, this is not a very exciting release.
Users still need to upgrade to Windows 10 21H1 as there may be improvements under the hood that improve security and Windows performance.
The Windows 10 Spring Update can now be tried
Although the spring update of Windows 10 will only be released to the public in April or May 2021, users who want to test it can use two methods.
Method 1: Add Windows 10 insall to the Insider program
The first method is to switch to the Windows 10 Insider program on an existing Windows 10 device and select the ‘Beta’ channel.
Once you join this channel, you will be prompted to download the latest version of Windows 10 21H1 the next time you use Windows Update.
To participate in the Windows Insider program, you can perform the following steps in Windows 10:
- Open the Windows 10 settings.
- Navigate to Update and security > Windows Insider Program or simply search for ‘Windows Insider application settings’ to skip the navigation steps.
- Click on Start on Windows Insider page.
- Link your Microsoft account (email should be the one you used to sign in to the Insider program earlier).
- If you are asked which channel you want to join, select ‘Beta. ‘
Method 2: Install Windows 10 21H1 Using an ISO
This week, Microsoft released the first Windows 10 21H1 ISO to Insiders that can be downloaded from the Windows Insider website.
Insiders can only download the ISO, but once downloaded, it can be used to perform a clean install on any device, as long as you have a Windows 10 product key.
If you do not have a Windows 10 product key, you can also use the ISO to perform an on-site upgrade of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.
When you upgrade to an older version, Microsoft issues a free Windows 10 digital license associated with your Microsoft account.
If you decide to follow the upgrade route, you should check the following checklist and before proceeding.
- Install the latest hardware drivers for your computer, including disk drive, audio, network, USB and graphics drivers. If you are using older drivers, the upgrade may not be allowed.
- Disconnect USB devices such as flash drives, external storage and printers. These devices are known to have prevented updates from being installed correctly in the past.
- Microsoft sometimes blocks upgrades due to older antivirus software. Before performing the upgrade, you must remove your antivirus software so that it does not clash with the upgrade.
When the upgrade is complete, you can reinstall your antivirus software and plug in any USB devices.
Windows 10 21H1, the Spring Update, will now be installed and ready to use.