Microsoft’s big overhaul of Windows 10 which they call the Windows 10 Anniversary Edition was released to the public on August 2, 2016. Microsoft is delivering this update to more than 350 million devices around the world, so it is being rolled out slowly. We never expected it to be immediately be available to all users, but we are surprised that now, weeks later, many are still waiting for it to appear on their computers.
Get the Update on your Computer
If you are tired of waiting for the Windows 10 Anniversary Update to make its appearance on your computer, here’s a quick way to get it. First, go to Settings>Update &Security. You will see a button labeled, Check for Updates. Once you click that button, Windows will look for the latest updates. If it finds any, let them install. If you are very lucky, this might start the desired update. More than likely though, it will simply make sure all the other smaller updates have been installed.
Restart your computer, then go back to Settings and choose Update & Security. In the Windows Update area click on Learn More. This will take you to a page where you will see a large Get the Anniversary Update now button. Clicking on that button will start the update process. Be prepared to have it take up to an hour for the update to install. After installing this update many times, I have only had one problem. At the end of the update process on one computer, Windows said it wasn’t completed properly and it reverted back to where the computer started. A quick assessment pointed to a slightly erratic wireless connection as the culprit. When hooked up with a wired connection, the computer in question updated quickly and easily. All my other updates went quite smoothly, but as usual, I still remind you to back up your important information before you start the update.
The Anniversary Update, like all Windows 10 upgrades and updates is free. This new version brings minor tweaks to the operating system, but it also includes several excellent feature upgrades. After the update you will see some slight differences when you press the Windows key. The old Windows 10 Start Screen that pops up will have your name at the top of the window and will say “All Apps” at the bottom. The Anniversary version will have three bold lines at the top of the window and at the bottom you see an alphabetized list of apps and programs instead of the “All Apps” selection.
Another small visual difference that can be quickly identified is an icon in the lower right corner for the Action Center, which is now much more useful. Next to that icon, you will see the date/time icon, as usual, but now when you click the date/time you will see an expanded view which includes your appointments. Again, a useful change.
If you still want to double-check that you have installed the Anniversary Edition, press Windows + R then type: winver and hit Enter on your keyboard. Look at the OS version number. If it reads “1607”, you have the Anniversary Update installed.
Get the update on your Xbox
Like other Windows 10 devices, the Xbox is also getting the free Windows 10 Anniversary Update, but these updates haven’t yet reached many Xboxes. To get the update on your Xbox, just go to the Settings by double tapping on the Xbox logo button on your controller or if you’re using a Kinect by saying, “Xbox, go to Settings.” Select All Settings> System>Console Info & Updates.>Update Console.
Expect to spend about 20 minutes installing the update. After the update is complete, you will notice some things have been moved around. Most notably you will see MyApps & Games on the right side of the screen. You can now use Cortana with your Xbox Kinect or by talking into your headphones. You will notice several other changes including new sorting options.
This Anniversary update also brings the ability to play music in the background while running apps. Some users will rejoice at the new music option. Well, it is really not so new. With the original Xbox you could rip CDs to the hard drive and play them in the background. This option was removed from later devices and now reappears as an updated and welcome feature.
The updated Xbox operating system brings it closer to the Windows 10 operating system and also includes a much-needed revamp of the Xbox store.
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