Should I install preview updates for Windows 10 or Windows 11?

Microsoft releases at least two updates for its Windows 10 and 11 operating systems per month. The first update is implemented on the second Tuesday of the month; includes security updates for supported versions of the Windows operating system and is automatically installed on most home systems (since this is the default setting).

The second update that Microsoft releases is optional; it is a preview update that includes changes that will be included in the next Patch Tuesday update. Preview updates are not installed automatically, and administrators may need to run a manual check for updates using the Windows Update section of the Settings app, manually download updates, or use other update management systems to install updates.

Preview updates do not include security patches for Windows. Optional updates can introduce new features to Windows, fix bugs and problems, or make changes to existing features.

He Preview March 2022 Update for Windows 10 version 21H2 introduced the new Featured Search feature, fixed a heap leak that was degrading the performance of domain controllers, and fixed a blue screen issue on some devices when linking devices Bluetooth.

Advice– See Should I install Windows 10 optional driver updates?, which provides a version of the optional driver updates. It has been written for Windows 10, but it is also valid for Windows 11.

Reasons for installing optional Windows updates

There are arguments for and against installing preview updates. Installing preview updates can fix problems that are experienced on the system. Having issues resolved weeks in advance is a strong argument for installing optional updates on occasion.

Some admins can also use these optional updates to test changes before they’re released on the second Tuesday of the following month. However, testing is limited to non-security patches and further testing is required to ensure that security patches do not introduce new problems. Some users like the idea of ​​having the latest updates installed on their devices.

Arguments against installing Windows preview updates

The main argument against installing Windows preview updates is that any update can have problems of its own. Why risk installing buggy updates on a buggy system? Optional updates should be considered beta updates, as Microsoft uses Telemetry from the initial release to detect problems they may create on customer systems.

Preview updates can sometimes introduce changes that users may not want or like. Skipping preview updates delays the introduction of these changes by a few weeks.

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Preview updates can be useful in certain situations. If they fix important issues that users are experiencing, it might be helpful to install the updates to resolve these issues for users. However, most users may want to ignore optional updates most of the time because they can introduce system issues of their own and because they are included in the cumulative security updates that Microsoft releases just a few weeks later.

Now you: Are optional Windows updates installed?

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