Microsoft regularly updates their Windows 10 operating system (OS) with new security and performance improvements. In late May 2021, Microsoft released their latest batch of OS updates in the form of Windows 10 version 21H1 build 19043.1023 or “21H1” for short. For many businesses, rolling out Windows 10 updates to all users can sometimes mean the IT department is in for long days of testing, deployment, and post-deployment support as employees get used to the new feature enhancements. Prior to the official launch to the public, Amaxra’s consultants have installed “Insider” builds of the Windows 10 21H1 update on our PCs to check out the updates new security features and performance enhancements—and this blog post outlines why we recommend all IT departments install the 21H1 update.
Starting in late May 2021, consumers with Windows 10 PCs began receiving the 21H1 update through the cloud-based Microsoft Update service built into the operating system. However, most business users disable these automated updates for their users. To determine what version of Windows 10 your PCs are currently using, type Run in the Windows search bar and click the “Open” link in the pop-up window. In the Run app, type “winver” in the text box and hit enter on your keyboard to see the About Windows information for your PC. If you see “Microsoft Windows Version 21H1 build 19043.1023” in the box, then your PC is running the 21H1 version of Windows. Any build number smaller than 19043.1023 will be a prior version of the OS and can be updated to 21H1.
It’s no surprise that in a post-pandemic world, the features Microsoft added to the Windows 10 21H1 update are targeted at business users and help empower hybrid working and the remote workforce. The key new features for Windows 10 21H1 include:
One of the first things Amaxra consultants noticed when deploying the new 21H1 update to our existing Windows 10 devices was the ease at which everything installed. That’s because 21H1 is being rolled out as an enablement package for Windows 10 2004 (also known as the “Windows 10 May 2020 Update”) and later builds. As all Amaxra employee devices with Windows 10 were already running the most recent version of the OS (known as the “20H2” build), the software framework for almost all of the new security features and performance enhancements found in 21H1 were already installed on employee PCs. So, the features were in the OS but not turned on for public use. It’s a brilliant concept designed by Microsoft to help IT departments with rolling out OS updates because Microsoft can leverage the power of their global cloud infrastructure, anonymized real-world user telemetry, and artificial intelligence to “test” specific aspects of the new OS features without actually installing them formally. What the 21H1 enablement package did was, in effect, “flip the switch” to enable those dormant features in the operating system.
The enablement package rollout will work for all Windows 10 OS builds going back to the 2004 build. While Amaxra always recommends every business IT department test a Windows 10 OS update on a small representative sample set of PCs before a broad company-wide rollout, the enablement package update for 21H1 makes things relatively quick and simple for PCs with the latest Windows 10 build. For builds older than Windows 10 2004, IT departments will be required to install the full 21H1 update which will take significantly longer. So, if the PCs at your business are still running the Windows 10, version 1909 Enterprise SKU, then Amaxra recommends your IT department to set aside additional time for a more rigorous testing regime.
Amaxra can help your company to get the most out of not only the Windows 10 21H1 updates, but any of the cloud-powered solutions from Microsoft. We are a Gold-level Microsoft Partner with extensive experience deploying Windows 10, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Teams solutions at scale for small to midsized businesses like yours. To get started on simplifying your business IT, connect with an Amaxra consultant today.