Credit: Microsoft
The release of Microsoft’s next feature update for Windows 10 continues to move closer to the goal line. On March 18, Microsoft representatives announced that Windows 10 21H1 is now available for “commercial pre-release validation” by business users.
This testing phase precedes general availability and is aimed at companies that want to take an initial step in checking for new features and fixes in the upcoming release. This is only for commercial devices, which Microsoft defines as a PC that does not run the Home edition of Windows 10; which is managed by an IT administrator (via Microsoft Endpoint Manager or a third-party MDM tool); or covered by a volume license key, a CommercialID or domain-associated.
As Microsoft previously announced, Windows 10 21H1 will be a small update. For customers already using Windows 10 20H2, the latest Windows 10 feature update generally available, the next version 21H1 will look like a cumulative update that arrives via an activation package. For those in previous versions, the 21H1 update will take a little longer and be a little longer.
Microsoft is making Windows 10 21H1 available for companies to try today through Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and Azure Marketplace. It is also making version 21H1 available as an ISO for download. Users who rely on the Release Preview Insider Channel can access the Windows Update settings page and update directly from there.
More details are available in the Microsoft blog post on March 18. Microsoft officials have not said exactly when Windows 10 21H1 will be available to ordinary users, but it is expected this spring (around May 2021).
(Thanks to Michael Reinders for a tweet with the link to today’s blog post.)