Improving the update discoverability experience

[Alec_Oot]

Based on your feedback, it is now easier for you to discover available Windows 10 feature updates, monthly non-security quality updates, and driver updates.

Beginning with the August 2020 security update for Windows 10, when optional updates are detected by your device, they will be displayed on a new page under Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View optional updates. That means you no longer need to utilize Device Manager to search for updated drivers for specific devices.

How to view optional updates in Windows 10

How optional driver updates will appear in Windows 10, beginning with the August 2020 update

Windows Update will, of course, continue to automatically keep your drivers updated, but installing optional drivers may help if you are experiencing an issue.

We look forward to your feedback on this enhancement to the update experience, and to bringing you continued improvements that improve your experience with Windows 10 overall.

[Brian .]

Is this the justification for the very unfortunate and inexplicable removal (as of 20H1) of Device Manager's ability to check the Internet for an updated driver for a given device? It now only can update with a local driver.

[Vadim Sterkin]

@Alec_Oot 

Can you clarify the UI rationale behind this blue hyperlink?

• Is this opening a web page? Nope. 
• Did our feedback ask for introducing more inconsistency to the UI on this page? Nope.
• Can you find other blue hyperlinks in Settings? I challenge you.
• Why isn't it the same UI element as the others below it (Pause, Change, etc)? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@Brian . what's you problem exactly except for the changed UX? There's a logic behind this change, and no loss of overall functionality. Device manager checked Windows Update, which was redundant in older Windows OSs that had optional updates in WU.  Windows Update page checks Windows Update. If there's a new driver, it will be available on the Windows Update page. 

[theKaedin]

To enable easier installation of Optional updates, I've created a following suggestion proposing an addition of 'Select all' type of checkbox for each expandable update category. If you like it, please upvote! 

https://aka.ms/AA99g7b

[Daniel Sidler]

@Vadim Sterkin There are other instances of the blue hyperlink. For example on the very same page, when you have installed any update that requires restart. Right to the grey 'Restart now' button, there is 'Schedule the restart' as a blue hyperlink that takes you to another page within Settings. There are tons of such hyperlinks in Settings btw. 

Edit: typos

[Vadim Sterkin]

@Daniel Sidler , the very same page is not a good example, because this is the same team doing this. I can expand on inconsistency, if you'd like. 

On the screenshot, there are six UI elements. Four of them look alike, but only three of those are action verbs ('Advanced Options' stands out). Why is that?

'Check for updates' is a button, although it's an action verb too. I can understand that they want it to stand out, fine. But why 'View optional updates' is a hyperlink? How is it different from 'View update history' or 'Pause updates'? FWIW, aligning 'View optional' updates with these elements would enable them to make it more informative, e.g. explain that this is about drivers, etc. The hyperlink? No chance.

Why do you use something that implies opening a web page for an action that opens just another subpage like all other elements? Oh, probably because opening web pages is a gray hyperlink w/o underline, same as opening legacy control panel items or anything else:)

As for 'tons', you're certainly exagerrating. But even if there's, it's just another proof that Settings UI is the most inconsistent across all apps. Each team invents their own UI language and sticks into Settings.

[Eureleus1665]

An incredible disaster!

"That means you no longer need to utilize Device Manager to search for updated drivers for specific devices."

Why did you remove such a great working function?

[Eureleus1665]

---

Based on your feedback, it is now easier for you to discover available Windows 10 feature updates, monthly non-security quality updates, and driver updates.

It would be better to make a notification window with important information about each Windows update. Especially it concerns the correction of errors and bugs.

[Eureleus1665]

@Vadim Sterkin You are wrong about Device Manager and Windows Update.

[Vadim Sterkin]

@Eureleus1665 simply claiming your opponent is wrong is not enough, but I'm only interested in techincal discussion. 

[Eureleus1665]

@Vadim Sterkin We will definitely discuss it again.

[theKaedin]

@Eureleus1665

Why did you remove such a great working function?

Actually, being able to check updates for all the drivers at once is a great new feature. That's something you couldn't do with the old behavior as you had to manually go through each of the devices instead. Though, I do get your point that why was it necessary to remove the capability to check the updates individually for a specific device, instead of keeping it functional alongside the new feature.

[theKaedin]

There's a one caveat though: it is pretty much impossible task to easily identify that for which device the update is given through 'Optional updates'. Their descriptions are often pretty generic and therefore it could be a great addition to indicate the target device for which the update is intended for.

[The_Smart_One]

This new feature is awful because it provides no information about the "optional" driver, e.g. its release date or version number.

I recently read someone's blog who said a specific version of the Intel USB driver must be avoided. (Sorry, I don't remember the details right now.) Without seeing the version number, how can I avoid it? The only option is to install it and see the details in the Device Manager, but that's too risky.

[The_Smart_One]

P.S. This website (techcommunity.microsoft.com) is broken. Whenever I click on an image, I see a smaller version of it, not a larger one.