How to skip the queue and install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update today
Microsoft will release the Fall Creators Update for Windows 10 later today in a staged roll out. If past roll outs are an indicator, it may take months before the update is offered to all devices running the Windows 10 operating system.
Microsoft will make the update available to newer devices running Windows 10 that pass compatibility checks. It will lower the bar gradually over the course of weeks and months to offer it to older devices as well.
Luckily, there are ways to skip the queue to download and install the Fall Creators Update right away.
I do recommend that you wait a bit before you install the update unless you really, really need the new functionality that it includes. The main reason for a bit of delay is that you may want to wait and see how the update is received from a reliability point of view. Does it cause blue screens, lag, crashes, or other issues?
Microsoft will release the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update today at 10 a.m. P.T.
Install the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update today
You have two core options when it comes to installing the Fall Creators Update for Windows 10. First, through Windows Update and the Update Assistant, and second, by using the Media Creation Tool.
The easiest option that you have is to check Windows Update to see if the update is offered to you already.
- Tap on the Windows-key, type Windows Update, and hit the Enter-key to open the Update section of the Settings application on the Windows 10 device.
- Click on the "Check for Updates" button to see if the update is offered to your device already.
If the update is not offered yet, you have two other options to grab the update early.
Update Assistant
The Update Assistant helps you update systems directly. It is a small program that you can download from the Microsoft website.
Note that Microsoft needs to unlock the program's capabilities so that it enables the installation of the Fall Creators Update. The version that is offered at the time of writing is still for the Creators Update.
This will change once Microsoft releases the Fall Creators Update officially.
Media Creation Tool
The Media Creation Tool may be used as well. You do need to wait for the official release before you may use the program. The program lets you create ISO images or USB Flash drives, handy if you need to update multiple devices or want to have a copy available locally if things don't turn out well. Also handy if you want to do a clean install.
- Download the program from the Microsoft website and run it afterwards.
- You are asked to accept the Terms of Service.
- Select "create installation media" or "upgrade this PC now". The first creates an ISO image or copies the operating system files to a Flash drive, the second will run the upgrade directly without creating installation media.
Tip: you can download the Windows 10 Version 1709 ISO image using Adguard's service as well. Downloads are from Microsoft servers.
Installed from ISO. This looked a lot like a complete Windows install, driver issues and all.
While the desktop and explorer appeared to be functional at first, my user profile active, things went to hell right after the first tweak; specifically, I removed the new “contact” icon from systray. From then on, there was no taskbar functionality, no start menu, no right click anywhere, no win key, basically no shortcuts except for win-r and ctrl-shift-esc, which helped with debugging. System was basically dead in the water, at least from a desktop user perspective.
Win-r came handy to run computer management console (compmgmt.msc). From there, enable admin account, log-off, log as admin (create password if blank, don’t skip this) , which creates a new profile if so needed. Proceed to edit user account, for instance removing it from admin group. Log back as user, find everything fixed, back to normal.
if you have vmware or virtualbox installed remove them. after 6 hours at 75% on a i7 12gb ram machine I rebooted to restore, removed virtualbox and then the last reboot only took 3 hours.
this is with ssd also.
this was WSUS pushed update, normal update channels or media creation tool user may not see those long times
I accidentally started the update because my antivirus NOD32 warned me that a critical Windows update was waiting. I checked for updates, and it installed the small update; but then also started the big Fall update.The first install attempt failed, maybe because I got sick of waiting and left my computer for ten hours. The second attempt succeeded after several hours and several restarts.
Now my computer is noticeably *peppier* launching apps. Otherwise, there are no new interesting features for me. I noticed only one setting changed by the update so far – taskbar and Start Menu transparency.
OMG! Start Menu Search is fixed! After the Spring Creator’s update, the Start Menu Search stopped finding my installed desktop apps; it only found Microsoft apps included in Windows. The only fix was that would work would be to create a new User and reinstall all apps. I dreaded reinstalling apps so much that I procrastinated six months. But after installing the Fall update, Start Menu Search now finds all my apps.
One of the few times procrastination actually paid off! (…if I ignore losing Start Menu Search for six months.)
Thanks Martin! Your site is invaluable.
Mmh… I just downloaded the .iso and mounted it and started the setup.exe with a doubleclick. After 20 minutes everything was ready and updated to 1709. Is there something against it?
Downloaded it on both my Windows desktop and laptop yesterday evening. I had no issues with the download/installation, but it was about a 1-2 hour process to download/install the update and make my desired tweaks. My very early thoughts are that it seems to be a good update, though as Martin and others have said, it is not an update that anyone needs to run out to get. My first two impressions are that everything “feels” more fluid after the update, especially on the menu pages.
Additionally, Edge is a heck of a lot faster. The bump in performance that Windows boasted about feels legit and with uBlock Origin installed, Edge flies through everything you toss it. I’m not sure it will overtake Firefox or Vivaldi as my primary Windows browsers, but it definitely is a browser I will be using a lot more after this update.
Thanks a lot Martin !
I downloaded through windows update. Is there any way to convert it to iso?
From Microsoft Homepage as Media Creation Tool,… then u can do as ISO, not via regular update i guess. :(
Here is a little Media CReator Helper I created:
https://github.com/CHEF-KOCH/Microsoft-Windows-10-Media-Creation-Tool-Helper
Enjoy (:
No surprises for those who are having problems; knowing that Windows 10 will continue running along just fine for at least one month, I am surprised so many users actually downloaded the media and installed or [cough] tried updating via update manager.
I think Martin hinted that maybe it wasn’t such a great idea to update right away: https://www.ghacks.net/2017/10/12/how-to-delay-the-windows-10-fall-creators-update/
Not that Martin works for BetaNews, but BN had all this information out late last night:
https://betanews.com/2017/10/17/windows-10-fall-creators-update-out-now/
https://betanews.com/2017/10/17/windows-10-fall-creators-update-changelog/
Honestly, users still trust MS enough to immediately install an update. Odd!
Not that odd. I have Macrium Reflect images that only take 10 minutes or so to restore (small C: partition).
How many usability bugs have any of you run into? It seems every Windows 10 release has them and it take months for them to iron it out. I am currently on 1607 education edition which support cycle ends next year in March and 1709 seems to be the next longish supported version.
MCT failed at about 50 percent installing with formated 8gb usb, am trying again after reformating twice to defaults like the first time. Download speed good at 30 to 32 mbs with an occasional quick drop here an there.
Also failed to mention on both attempts I got the popup to format the flash drive at the same time as the install failed. Cant find anything wrong with the drives.
Something else a bit odd is all the icons on the task bar flashed just before the failure. Im thinking something crashed but have checked all that yet.
And second attempt failed at 60 percent. Will be waiting to see what luck others have had with the new update before even trying again.
Enabled Chrome Anti-Exploit protection.
Custom Setting.
Usual way to get 1709 is Windowsupdate. Check Load from other Pcs when downloading Upgrade.
After a 90 Minutes Process of Upgrade, recheck to NOT download from other Pcs.
Reorder checked Buttons, as u like.
Done, no problems here.
Use Defrag to get it all rightway again.(NOT SSDs, of course!)
Check Services to see which are to be ended and deactivated.
Voila, runs smootha and fine.
Win 10 Pro, 2 GB Ram, and Intel III Processors (2).
For anyone having issues, the best solution is to create a bootable USB drive. Install, run setup.exe on the usb drive, from within Windows. I’ve updated four PC’s this way. I did this with the last two feature updates also. Running it directly from the download had not been reliable for me.
Updating now via the ‘Update Assistant’. Fingers crossed!
Wish I’d seen this earlier – I might have preferred this option.
Notified of the big update 3 hours ago.
I’d done an image backup just this morning so I went for it. Didn’t see a single option to back out or delay the update. Never mind – let’s just go with the flow I thought.
I don’t have super-broadband, but it is a solid 15mb/s connection. But it took over an hour just to ‘validate the update.’ Then into the download which has now sat at 95% for over an hour.
What WAS I thinking, trusting MS not to screw up my computer?
I’ll give it another hour, then it’s hard switch off and recovery as best I can.
Bloody Microsoft!!!!!!
I had this problem. The download hangs. If you look at your network activity in task manager, nothing is happening. Reboot your PC and it will resume the download.
Thanks. I did that, and while it was still plainfully slow, the process did complete.
Have to say after all the hype, I can’t see much difference, other than I once again have a ton of unwanted apps.
Maybe Microsoft’s servers are struggling due to the initial flood of users trying to update? I have always assumed that reason is at the core of why they do these “staged” roll-outs.
This is probably part of the reason, but Telemetry and monitoring the process plays a bigger part probably.
You’re the best Martin.
So yeah, I used the latest Media Creation Tool and started the upgrade.. an hour later I was greeted with a little popup: INSTALLATION FAILED. Oh hey thanks! Why am I not even surprised… Now who can I sue to get that hour back?
Encrypted main hard drive by chance?
@ FUK…….
Imagine Win 10 Home users are forced to endure these “nuisance” and unnecessary upgrades every 6 months.
I bought my Win 7 SP1 laptop in 2013 and no “nuisance” upgrades from M$ since then and until 2020 = about 3 years of peacefulness, ie until M$ started degrading Win 7/8.1 with compulsory Patch Rollups in Oct 2016.
… Win XP SP3 was the best = about 10 years without being ‘harassed’ by M$.
So, a little update… I found the latest and greatest Upgrade Assistant Tool, so off we went! Again, an hour later.. Installation aborted =) With an errorcode I am supposed to contact Microsoft with. Yeah, that’s gonna happen… So, Redmond, TWICE a year you are going to force a new version of Windblows 10 on me and it’s a 50/50 chance things go well? I am somewhat ticked off at this very moment and very close to installing SOLUS on this thing. I need a beer.
Nope. Not even antivirus installed. This same machine updated from Anniversary to Creator without a hitch, but that time I used the Upgrade Assistant Tool. This time around I couldn’t find a new one of those so I tried the Media Creation Tool instead. Won’t be trying that again any decade soon..
Is there a way to verify we get the correct ISO from the Media Creation Tool? The version I got of MCT is 10.0.15063.0 which I think is the previous one.
The Privacy statement in the ISO (after running its setup.exe) is titled “Windows prerelease privacy statement”.
(I meant the Media Creation Tool itself is v.10.0.15063.0 – the resulting ISO is the one I’m not sure of what it is)
Use this Media Creation Tool: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=691209
Or these tools linked here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
Thanks Martin. Looks like the Adguard website does not provide combined x86/x64 ISO’s. You can only do that with the Media Creation Tool (not sure if it downloads them separately and then combines into a single ISO).