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Find information on known issues and the status of the rollout for Windows 10, version 21H1. Looking for a specific issue? Press CTRL + F (or Command + F if you are using a Mac) and enter your search term(s). Want the latest Windows release health updates? Follow @WindowsUpdate on Twitter.
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The current Windows version is Microsoft Windows 10, which has a new look of Metro Style UI (User Interface), and Microsoft had to take a further step to create a Mixture of Windows 7 and Windows 8 to form the latest Windows 10. System Requirements: Required OS: Windows 10 Home Required processor: 1 GHz or faster compatible processor Required memory: 1GB RAM for 32-bit; 2GB for 64-bit Required hard disk space: Up to 20GB available hard disk space Required video card: 800 x 600 screen resolution or higher. DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM driver Required connectivity: Internet access (fees may apply).
Windows 10, version 21H1 is available for users with devices running Windows 10, version 20H2 and Windows 10, version 2004, who manually seek to “Check for updates” via Windows Update. We are now starting a new phase in our rollout. Using the machine learning training we have done so far, we are increasing the number of devices selected to update automatically to Windows 10, version 21H1 that are approaching end of servicing. We will continue to train our machine learning through all phases to deliver a smooth update experience. As always, we recommend that you update your devices to the latest version of Windows 10 as soon as possible to ensure that you can take advantage of the latest features and advanced protections from the latest security threats. For more details, see How to get the Windows 10 May 2021 Update. |
- Windows 10 is a huge release from the Redmond-based software giant. In fact, it's so big that it's expected to break the Internet during its rollout period. And with a lot riding on this big.
- Windows 10 is the latest operating system from Microsoft for computers, laptops and mobile devices. Windows 10 is a milestone for Microsoft. The operating system was designed specifically to address the myriad of complaints users had with the radically different Windows 8.
- Windows 10 Pro - English - Windows. Publisher: Microsoft. User rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars with 294 reviews. (294) Price Match Guarantee.
| Windows 10, version 21H1 is now available Find out how to get the update > | IT tools for Windows 10, version 21H1 Explore the latest tools and resources to support your rollout > |
Known issues
| Summary | Originating update | Status | Last updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Printing and scanning might fail when these devices use smart-card authentication Non-compliant printers, scanners, and multifunction devices might fail to print when using smart-card authentication. | OS Build 19043.1110 KB5004237 2021-07-13 | Resolved | 2021-08-03 10:36 PT |
| Certain printers unable to print Most affected printers are receipt or label printers that connect via USB. | OS Build 19043.1081 KB5003690 2021-06-21 | Resolved KB5004237 | 2021-07-13 10:00 PT |
| Automatic input of Furigana might not work as expected In certain circumstances, the automatic Furigana input/conversion feature may not work as expected in apps. | N/A | Mitigated | 2021-05-18 10:21 PT |
Issue details
July 2021
Printing and scanning might fail when these devices use smart-card authentication | ||
| Status | Originating update | History |
| Resolved | OS Build 19043.1110 KB5004237 2021-07-13 | Resolved: 2021-08-03, 10:36 PT Opened: 2021-07-23, 14:36 PT |
After installing updates released July 13, 2021 on domain controllers (DCs) in your environment, printers, scanners, and multifunction devices which are not compliant with section 3.2.1 of RFC 4556 spec, might fail to print when using smart-card (PIV) authentication. Affected platforms:
Next steps: A temporary mitigation is now available. For more information, please see KB5005408 - Smart-card authentication might cause print and scan failures. | ||
Certain printers unable to print | ||
| Status | Originating update | History |
| Resolved KB5004237 | OS Build 19043.1081 KB5003690 2021-06-21 | Resolved: 2021-07-13, 10:00 PT Opened: 2021-07-08, 16:40 PT |
After installing KB5003690 or later updates (including out of band updates, KB5004760 and KB5004945), you might have issues printing to certain printers. Various brands and models are affected, primarily receipt or label printers that connect via USB. Note This issue is not related to CVE-2021-34527 or CVE-2021-1675. Affected platforms:
Resolution: This issue was resolved in KB5004237, released July 13, 2021. If you are using an update released before July 13, 2021, you can resolve this issue using Known Issue Rollback (KIR). Please note that it might take up to 24 hours for the resolution to propagate automatically to consumer devices and non-managed business devices. Restarting your Windows device might help the resolution apply to your device faster. For enterprise-managed devices that have installed an affected update and encountered this issue, it can be resolved by installing and configuring a special Group Policy. Note Devices need to be restarted after configuring the special Group Policy. For help, please see How to use Group Policy to deploy a Known Issue Rollback. For general information on using Group Policies, see Group Policy Overview. Important If you install an update released July 13, 2021 ( KB5004237) or later, you do not need to use a Known Issue Rollback (KIR) or a special Group Policy to resolve this issue. | ||
December 2020
Automatic input of Furigana might not work as expected | ||
| Status | Originating update | History |
| Mitigated | N/A | Last updated: 2021-05-18, 10:21 PT Opened: 2020-12-03, 12:29 PT |
When using the Microsoft Japanese Input Method Editor (IME) to enter Kanji characters in an app that automatically allow the input of Furigana characters, you might not get the correct Furigana characters and might need to enter them manually. Note for developers: Affected apps are using the ImmGetCompositionString function. Workaround: To mitigate this issue, please follow the instructions in Revert to a previous version of an IME (Input Method Editor). Affected platforms:
Next steps: We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release. | ||
People can still update previous Windows versions to Windows 10 for free in 2021
Contents
- People can still update previous Windows versions to Windows 10 for free in 2021
It has been four years since Microsoft ended the offer to get Windows 10 for free by updating from previous versions in 2016. It was a simple process that merely required a quick click on the upgrade button from the notification. Yet, many people have still been able to update their Windows 7 and 8 operating systems to the newest one in 2021. The only thing is required — an authentic version of previous Windows versions and its activation key.
The idea why people should use Windows 10 free download is because the official support for Windows 7 has been discontinued since January 14, 2021. It means that the operating system is no longer being updated, bugs are not fixed, and users receive no technical support. In other terms, it is no longer safe to either use or store data on Windows 7 for security reasons, such as Zoom vulnerabilities. Essentially, even FBI recommends switching from Windows 7 to 10. Unfortunately, it is most likely that Windows 8 support will be ended in the near future as well.
Experts believe that Microsoft has left a loophole to upgrade to Windows 10 free for people who have previously used authentic Windows versions intentionally. Currently, Windows 10 has over 1 billion active users and the number is only increasing. If you are using an earlier variant of the operating system, you can also upgrade it without any additional fees or breaking any rules.
Geek’s Advice team has created a guide on how you can get Windows 10 free. download full version 2021. Our cybersecurity experts strongly advise you to follow these instructions as they are not breaking any laws and does not include dubious third-party tools or other illegal software. People should be aware that using any unverified programs to get the newest Windows version can lead to serious computer infections and other dangerous consequences.
What you need to know before updating your PC
Please note that if you were previously using Windows Home edition, your computer will be updated to Windows 10 Home version. Just like Windows Pro license is updated to Windows 10 Pro free. In case you are eager to change your OS edition, you must purchase a new license key for the edition you desire. For example, if you have Windows 8 Home, you must buy a new license before updating it to Windows 10 Pro. Otherwise, you will end up with Windows 10 Home.
Furthermore, keep in mind that these instructions do not work on Windows XP or Windows Vista as these variants were not entitled to a free Windows 10 upgrade tool in the first place. Therefore, people should not try to update these operating systems as the process will not bring any benefit.
Windows 10 Media Creation Tool
Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 users will find instructions to show how to use a media creation tool to download windows 10 Microsoft. Before even starting the process, users should make sure that they have approximately 4GB of free space and only then follow each step attentively to avoid any issues and successfully update their operating systems.
Recommendation: back up your personal files first
Windows 10 Update Assistant
Before you begin upgrading to Windows 10, we recommend you to create a backup copy of your personal files first. This is an extra security step to protect your files in case anything goes wrong. Besides, many people tend to store many important files and folders on the desktop, which might get deleted during the upgrade.
For that reason, we recommend you to either backup your data using an external data storage device, or use a trustworthy backup software.
How to Upgrade to Windows 10 for Free
This method explains how to update your OS for free using Windows 10 upgrade tool from Microsoft.
- Find an official Windows license key that might be attached to your PC’s motherboard or sign in to your Microsoft account and check it there;
- Go to Download Windows 10 Website;
- Navigate down until you find Create Windows 10 Media Installation section;
- Press the Download Tool Now button and wait for the download to finish (takes up no more than 2 minutes);
- Open MediaCreationTool2004.exe file from your downloads folder;
- Once Windows 10 Setup launches, press the Accept button to Microsoft’s terms and conditions;
- Select Upgrade this PC now or Create installation media for another PC option depending on if you want to install Windows 10 on this computer or another device and press Next;
- You can choose from three possibilities: Keep personal files and apps, Keep personal files only, and Nothing; Select the option according to your needs;
- Press the Install button and wait until the installation is finished;
- Once your PC restarts, navigate to Settings > Update & Security > Activation;
- Here, you will see the Windows Edition and License information for the current system.
The suggested method has been tested and confirmed by many computer-related websites and is known to be working at the time of writing as well. We hope that you found this guide useful and you will patch current security vulnerabilities in your OS by upgrading to Windows 10 for free.
Windows 10 Download
Scott Bolton is a senior content strategist in our Geek’s Advice team. He is exceptionally passionate about covering the latest information technology themes and inspire other team members to follow new innovations. Despite the fact that Scott is an old-timer among the Geeks, he still enjoys writing comprehensive articles about exciting cybersecurity news or quick tutorials.