Windows 10: What We’ve Learned about Updating and Maintaining Microsoft’s Latest Rex McMillan Alan Braithwaite

1. Windows 10 – What We’ve Learned about Updating and
Maintaining Microsoft’s Latest
Rex McMillan & Alan Braithwaite

2. How was dinner?

3. Windows 10 Is Happening!
“Sorry: Both chips (Intel Kaby
Lake and AMD Zen chips) are
officially supported only by
Microsoft’s Windows 10.”
– PC World
“50% of enterprises will
have started Windows 10
deployments by January 2017.”​
– Forrester
“Remember, Windows 10 is
intended to be a work in progress,
upgraded continually.”
— InfoWorld.com

4. Adoption rates
Win 10
Windows 7
XP
Windows 8
Adoption
Softchoice Aug 2016

5. Enterprises & Windows 10
41%
7%
35%
17%
16%
23%
4%
16%
3%
27% 10%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
2015
2016
We do not have it installed anywhere
IT has it installed in the lab for our own
testing and education
Some IT staff are using it for their work
We have piloted with select users
We are in production with some users
We are fully in production

6. Windows 10: Like a Car Being Built While Driving

7. Why are people moving to Windows 10?
 Security improvements
 Windows 7 end-of-life in 2020
 Hardware

8. The Nagging Questions about Windows 10
• What branch?
• How often to update?
• Drain on productivity and
resources?
?

9. Current vs. LTSB
Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise
(Current Branch, Current Branch for
Business)
Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise
2015 LTSB

10. Long Term Servicing Branch 1-2 years | Supported for up to 10 years
Insider Program
What we think we know
1-4 weeks
Current (Consumer) Branch ~ 4 months
Current Branch for Business ~ 4 month delay | deploy within 8 months
6 months
4-6 month delay | Supported for 12 months

11. Windows 10 Versions
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-info.aspx

12. The first EOL is Here
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-info.aspx

13. Windows lifecycle
 Windows 7 SP1
 Released Feb 22, 2011
 End of support Jan 14, 2020
 Windows 10
 Releases every 6 months
 End of support 18 months
later
9 years
1.5 years

14. Updating Windows 10
2017 2018 2019
1703 1709 1709
CBB
1703
CBB
1803 18091803
CBB

15. Updating Windows 10
2017 2018 2019
1703 1709 1709
CBB
Defer 180 days
1703
CBB
1803 18091803
CBB

16. Updating Windows 10
2017 2018 2019
1703 1709 1709
CBB
Defer 365 days
1703
CBB
1803 18091803
CBB

17. Updating Windows 10
2017 2018 2019
1703 1709 1709
CBB
1703
CBB
Defer 365 days
1803 18091803
CBB

18. Updating Windows 10
2017 2018 2019
1703 1709 18031709
CBB
18091703
CBB
1803
CBB
Defer 365 days

19. Updating Windows 10
2017 2018 2019
1703 1709 18031709
CBB
18091703
CBB
1803
CBB
2 mos to deploy
18 month lifespan
Defer 365 days
4 mos to test
6 months later,
start testing next
version

20. Who’s on First
Branch
Who
Impact
Insider
• 1 percent
• Test systems
• Bleeding edge
IT staff
• Weekly
upgrades
• Lab
• Self Support
Current Branch
• 2-5%
• Application
ow ners
• IT staff
• 6 Month
upgrades
Current Branch
for Business
• 95%
• Enterprise
• Annual
upgrade

21. What side of the fence are you on?
The proposed cadence
of Windows 10 will
hold firm and
enterprises will adapt.
-Rex (The Kool-aid
drinker)
Microsoft will continue
adapting to meet
reality of enterprises.
-Alan (The Skeptic)

22.  Windows 10 Gotcha’s

23. Fun Facts
 Active Hours
 Time Zones
 Forced upgrades – No cancel
 Patch or be Vulnerable
 Hardware issues

24. What side of the fence are you on?
Security makes it
worth the gotcha’s.
-Rex (The Kool-aid
drinker)
Users are the most
valuable asset and
productivity is
paramount.
-Alan (The Skeptic)

25.  Migrations

26. Migrations are no small task!
User Downtime
UX
Branches
Cumulative
Updates
When
Security
Compatibility
How
Image
Going back

27. Microsoft Migration Statistics

28. Microsoft method used in internal upgrade
“In-place upgrade is the preferred deployment method
for all but newly provisioned or rebuilt machines at
Microsoft.”
https://www.microsoft.com/itshowcase/Article/Content/668/Deploying-Windows-10-at-Microsoft-as-an-inplace-upgrade

29. Windows 10 Migration Changes
• Compatibility
• Profile is maintained
• In-place is supported
• Upgrades will fail back if failure occurs

30. Reset and Refresh Options

31. Microsoft Control
Blocking availability of the update to devices we know will
experience issues is a key aspect of our controlled rollout approach.
We decide what to block based on user impact, and blocking issues
are a high priority for us to address as quickly as possible. During
the time it takes to address an issue, we want to limit the number of
customers exposed to that issue.
http://bgr.com/2017/04/27/windows-10-creators-update-bluetooth-issues/
identified a Bluetooth issue affecting Windows computers that use a
series of Broadcom radio

32. What side of the fence are you on?
Full trust
-Rex (The Kool-aid
drinker)
Plan, Prepare and
Protect the user.
-Alan (The Skeptic)

33. Updates

34. Windows 10 Updates: Cumulative, Large, and Growing
1507 x64 Cumulative Update Growth
81% increase from August 2015 to May 2016
6.4% average growth / month
August
2016
1507 X64
Estimate
720 MB
A u g u s t
2 0 1 5
1 5 0 7
x 6 4
3 6 8 M B
May
2016
1507 x64
664 MB

35. Our Methodology

36. Provide Insight with Xtraction

37. OS Files Profile
1 2 5
7
WIN
10
WIN
3 4
Drivers Apps
Windows 10 Migration Solutions
Pro
Services
Service Management Workflow
Environment Manager
File Director
Insight
Endpoint Manager
Patch for Endpoint Manager

38. Windows 10 Migration — Zero Touch Model
1
2
3
4
6
6
End User Requests
New Laptop
Self-Service Portal
Manager
Approval
Device
Ordered
Provision
New Laptop
Laptop Sent
Directly to User
New Laptop
New Profiles & Data
User Data &
Profiles Copied
to New LaptopUser Data
and Profiles
Harvested
Process Engine
Endpoint
Management
Device
Vendor
User Data &
Profiles
5
b

40. 7 Steps to Prepare for Migration
1. Protect User data
2. Ensure user experience is consistent
3. Limit the impact to users
4. Use migration to reduce risk and standardize
5. Ensure you can monitor your projects
6. Make the process reusable (every 12 months)
7. Test and retest your applications

41. Thank you