Windows 10: "Windows as a service" means big, painful changes for IT pros

Brink · Feb 20, 2017

Everything you know about Windows deployment is undergoing wrenching changes. For IT pros who've grown accustomed to "set it and forget it" as a management strategy, three big changes are making life much more challenging.

When Microsoft rolled out the "Windows as a Service" tagline for Windows 10, most of us assumed it was just another marketing ploy.

But as we approach Windows 10's two-year anniversary, it's becoming apparent that there's some substance behind the label. And for Windows power users and IT pros, the ramifications are just beginning to become apparent.

Microsoft has published a handful of low-key technical articles covering the new rules, but some of those details have shifted over time. The maximum interval for deferring feature updates, for example, was eight months when the feature debuted in November 2015, but shrank to 180 days in the July 2016 Anniversary Update.

Even for those of us who regularly attend IT-focused conferences and keep up with deployment news, managing a Windows-based organization in this new era can be confusing. For those who are simply using Windows for day-to-day-business, the changes can appear unexpectedly. And the realization that tried-and-true workflows no longer apply isn't sitting well with some IT pros.

For the past year, I've been hearing a steady stream of complaints from longtime Windows admins and users. Consistently, those grumbles all boil down to a single objection: Because of "Windows as a service," we're losing control of our desktop PCs.

They have a point.

For the past quarter-century, businesses running Windows have been able to count on a few constants, all of which are now changing. Consider these three major shifts:
Click to expand...

Read more: "Windows as a service" means big, painful changes for IT pros | ZDNet

:)

PA Bear - MS MVP · Feb 20, 2017

IS THE WINDOWS DEFENDER OFFLINE SCAN PROB CAUSED BY UPDATES

WYSIWYG, mate. Remember: Microsoft knows what's good for you & your computer.

Quick guide to Windows as a service (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs:

Quick guide to Windows as a service (Windows 10)

'Windows as a service' means big, painful changes for IT pros

'Windows as a service' means big, painful changes for IT pros | ZDNet

PA Bear - MS MVP · Feb 20, 2017

Latest Windows Upgrade complete with pop-up choice box

You rang? <wink>

Will someone tell me what this feature update (a.k.a., upgrade) will do to and for my computing experience...I know it's legitimate--I just wonder what it is about. Thanks!
Click to expand...

It's all about Windows-as-a-Service (WaaS). Translation: You can't NOT install Feature updates.

Quick guide to Windows as a service

Quick guide to Windows as a service (Windows 10)

'Windows as a service' means big, painful changes...

'Windows as a service' means big, painful changes for IT pros | ZDNet

PS: You won't be able to "snooze" or defer Creators Update much longer. At some point in the not-too-distant future, your current Windows Version (1607, I assume) will no longer be supported. (Support for Win10 1511 ends on 10 Oct-17!)

TIP: Think of Windows 10 Version 1511 as Win10 Service Pack 0.5, Win10 1607 as Win10 SP1, and Win10 1703 as SP1.5.

Windows 10: "Windows as a service" means big, painful changes for IT pros

"Windows as a service" means big, painful changes for IT pros

"Windows as a service" means big, painful changes for IT pros

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