Are you still wondering the question: What’s the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update? Well, it’s the next major feature update for Windows 10, and it was previously known with the “Redstone 3” codename.
The Fall Creators Update is just another update, but unlike those updates you get every second Tuesday of every month, this release brings new features and changes to improve the user experience.
Why it’s called the ‘Fall Creators Update’?
As you can clearly tell, Microsoft is reusing the “Creators Update” as part of the name, because this update is a follow up to the previous version. Otherwise, they would have used a totally different name.
The company is using the “Creators Update” name because the update aims to unleash the creator in everyone. However, the name has a more marketing purpose, as using a friendly name, it’s easier to sell than a number. And “Fall” simply indicates that will release just after the summer.
When the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update will be available?
The formerly known as “Redstone 3” update is available starting October 17, 2017, and it’s offered as a free update for all devices already running Windows 10.
Microsoft will be rolling out the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update on stages, meaning that everyone will not get it the same day.
Instead, only a select group of PCs, laptops, and tablets to be known to work with the update will get it first. Then when the update has been through more testing, and it’s proven to work as expected, Microsoft will continue pushing this update to other devices.
In other words, if your device isn’t seeing the Fall Creators Update, it’s likely because it’s not ready for your device.
It’s not recommended to force major feature updates, unless you know exactly what you’re doing, and you understand the implications.
What’s the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update version number?
Following the same version scheme used on previous version, this new release is also known as “Windows 10 version 1709,” indicating the year and month of the release — although the update will be available in October.
Additionally, the new update is part of the new Windows as a Service (WaaS) model, which means that instead of getting a brand-new version of the OS (e.g., Windows 7 and Windows Vista) around every three years, you’ll get two incremental updates with new features and improvements every year. In this new servicing model, the work to improve Windows 10 is an ongoing process, and it’s never consider a final product.
How to get the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update?
When the Fall Creators Update arrives, and it’s ready for your device, you’ll receive a Windows Update notification asking you to review your privacy settings before downloading the update, and it’ll install as a regular update.
On the Fall Creators Update, Windows 10 introduced new changes on how updates are delivered, so the download will be smaller and the installation will be faster than before.
If you can’t wait, there is a number of ways to get the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update using the Media Creation Tool and Update Assistant. You can also download the Windows 10 ISO file with the Fall Creators Update if you want to take this route.
What’s new on the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update?
Although this release is not expected to be as big as version 1703, the Fall Creators Update follow up arriving this fall will introduce a number of new features and improvements focus on overhauling the user interface, and making Windows 10 more connected with your iOS and Android devices.
On the Fall Creators Update, Microsoft is introducing a new design language system officially known as “Microsoft Fluent Design System” (formerly known as Project Neon).
The new system brings transparency, blur, and new animation effects to deliver a more intuitive, responsive, and inclusive cross-device experiences and interactions.
This release is also focus to make other devices, such as your iPhone and Android phone to work better with Windows 10. Starting with the Fall update, the OS will connect to the Microsoft Graph to provide a connectivity glue with other devices.
Pick up where you left off using Cortana was first introduced with the fall update, and now it’ll be available across devices, including on Android, and iOS devices.
OneDrive File On-Demand is another new feature coming to the Fall Creators Update. Similar to placeholders, you’ll be able to access files in the cloud without having to download them to your device. In addition, OneDrive will be smart enough to decide which files you’re going to need, and it’ll download them automatically.
In this new version, Microsoft is also introducing Story Remix, an evolution of the Photos app (the second coming of the Windows Movie Maker app). This new app will let you quickly and easily create videos of photos and other videos, and using AI and machine learning, the app will also find relevant content on your collections and create videos automatically, which you can delete and edit to your liking.
Also, new apps will be available through the Windows Store, including iTunes, Spotify, as well as Ubuntu, SUSE Linux, and Fedora Linux.
How to defer the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
Although the Fall Creators Update is aiming to be a great release, significant updates like this one are known not to be 100 percent free of bugs, even more during the rollout period.
If you want to avoid possible errors and other issues, it’s always a good idea to defer Windows 10 feature updates for at least a month or two until you know for sure the update is stable and working correctly.
Originally published on May 2017, updated on October 2017.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He is also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.