Microsoft seems to be quietly switching its primary focus to the further development of Windows 11. Proof of this can be found in the recent Windows 10 22H2 update – the update that changes nothing but your version number.
Windows 10 reigned supreme as the PC OS of all OSs. Now, though, Microsoft seems to be preparing to shelve the former premier operating system in favor of its contemporary and successor, Windows 11. The recent update which sees Windows 10 going from version 21H2 to 22H2 is incredibly small compared to previous Windows 10 updates, and especially small in comparison to the massive updates being pushed to Windows 11.
Windows 10 version 22H2 is actually only 177 kB in size. That isn’t a misprint. So what can an update this small actually do? Not much, as it turns out. In reality, all the update does is change the version number as support for version 21H2 is coming to an end.
See, Microsoft has numerous types of updates that it releases for its operating systems still in service. The most well-known of these are the cumulative updates that are usually released in the second half of each calendar year. This latest update that pushes Windows 10 to version 22H2 is a cumulative update. Cumulative updates usually contain loads of new features to set the operating system up for whatever future plans the company has for them. However, there are no new features of which to speak in this update, so why release one at all?
The various versions of the Windows operating system have always had shelf-lives. Recently, Windows 7 saw its end-of-life. This means there are no more updates coming to keep Windows 7 systems safe and bug free – no official updates that is. The shelf-life for Windows 10 version 21H2 is coming to an end, and instead of extending the shelf-life by another year or 2, Microsoft have decided to instead institute a new version number and thus begin a new shelf-life period. But what does this mean for the future of Windows 10?
Essentially, Windows 10 will still receive updates surrounding cyber security and bug fixes, but we might be looking at the end of new features being added to the aging OS. If you haven’t already, it might be time to move over to Windows 11, especially considering the updates that Windows 10 is still receiving are breaking critical operational features of the OS. For instance, Windows 10 KB5014666 is breaking USB printers.
