Microsoft invites business users to test Windows 10 version 20H2 ahead of public release

The Windows 10 20H2 update, which Microsoft plans to release this fall, is now available for commercial pre-release validation.

Just like the November 2019 Update (version 1909) was for the May 2019 Update (version 1903) last year, the 20H2 Update will be a minor patch for the May 2020 Update (version 2004), and it will install in just a couple of minutes like a regular cumulative update. Microsoft is now allowing business users to test the update process, including those who use Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) to deploy updates on managed devices.

“We not only want to ensure that you have access to the upcoming Windows 10 feature update payload via any channel you may use today, we also want to enable you to validate with confidence. Therefore, customers in the Windows Insider Program for Business can once again receive Microsoft Support for the Windows 10, version 20H2 build available through WSUS, ISO download, Azure Marketplace, and directly from Windows Update in the Beta and Release Preview Channels,” the Windows Insider Program for Business team explained.

New 20H2 features are actually available in the latest public version of the May 2020 Update, but they’re currently in a dormant state. Microsoft will turn them on later this year through an “enablement package,” just as it did last year for the transition between the May 2019 Update and the November 2019 Update.

Windows 10 20H2 may be a minor update, but it will bring some welcome changes to the Start Menu, the Taskbar, toast notifications, the Alt + tab experience, and more. Most of the new features shipped with the build 19042.421 last month, and we invite you to check our previous post for more details.