Windows 10 1903: We'll still update PCs with less than 32GB storage, says Microsoft
Ahead of the Windows 10 version 1903 release, Microsoft said in an April support document this version would raise the minimum storage capacity to 32GB for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows.
Windows 10
The company didn't explain why Windows 10 required more storage but, as ZDNet reported at the time, the Windows 10 May 2019 Update, aka 1903, also introduced 'reserved storage', roughly 7GB of disk space to ensure updates don't fail.
SEE: 20 pro tips to make Windows 10 work the way you want (free PDF)
Microsoft has now clarified in a recent support document aimed at IT pros that this minimum requirement for Windows 10 1903 doesn't apply to PCs that are already in use, only to OEMs manufacturing new PCs. So, Windows 10 users with 32GB PCs can still expect to receive version 1903 at some point in future.
"New disk space requirement for Windows 10, version 1903 applies only to OEMs for the manufacture of new PCs. This new requirement does not apply to existing devices," said Microsoft.
"PCs that don't meet new device disk space requirements will continue to receive updates and the 1903 update will require about the same amount of free disk space as previous updates."
As for why OEMs won't get Windows 10 version 1903 on systems with less than 32GB, Microsoft points to its explanation about reserved storage, which will be enabled automatically on new PCs with Windows 10 1903 pre-installed and for clean installs.
"It will not be enabled when updating from a previous version of Windows 10," Microsoft notes.
The document also details key Windows 10 update control and quality improvements that Microsoft made in the wake of the disastrous Windows 10 version 1809 rollout, such as the ability for Windows to automatically uninstall certain updates if they trigger a startup failure.
"You can now automatically recover from startup failures by removing updates if the startup failure was introduced after the installation of recent driver or quality updates. When a device is unable to start up properly after the recent installation of Quality of driver updates, Windows will now automatically uninstall the updates to get the device back up and running normally," the document states.
Microsoft also highlights the new option for Windows 10 Home users to pause updates for 35 days, which again was part of its response to version 1809.
Additionally, Windows will now display a colored dot on the Power button in the Start Menu and Windows icon in the taskbar to indicate there's an update requiring a device restart.
More on Microsoft's Windows 10 updates
- Windows 10 May 2019 Update 1903 gets first major bug fixes
- Windows 10 1809 May 14 update: So good, it's installing twice?
- Windows 10 security: Are ads in Microsoft's own apps pushing fake malware alerts?
- End to surprise Windows 10 updates? New 'download and install now' option rolls out
- Windows 10 PC with under 32GB storage? No 1903 update for you, says Microsoft
- Microsoft: Windows 10 to grab 7GB of your storage so big updates don't fail
- Windows 10 October 2018 Update: Dump your files to avoid crashes, warns Microsoft
- Windows 10: Microsoft lists the processors you'll need for the May 2019 Update
- Windows 10: Buggy patch stalls testing of 20H1 preview
- Windows patch warning: Windows 10 boot problems, as Windows 7 AV clash widens
- How to turn features on and off in Microsoft Windows 10 from the Control Panel TechRepublic
- How to reinstall updates that Windows 10 automatically uninstalled CNET