Microsoft confirms second major Windows 10 update will land in 2017

Microsoft has confirmed that it will be releasing a second major update for Windows 10 later this year, following the Creators Update which is due to arrive soon (most likely in April).

The confirmation comes from the Ignite Australia conference, where Microsoft showed a slide which outlined Windows 10’s release cadence (as spotted and posted by Twitter user Rafael Rivera, an engineer and technical contributor to Thurrott.com).

The slide (see below) shows the imminent Creators Update and a further update scheduled for later this year which unfortunately isn’t named – it’s merely called the ‘second update in 2017’.

There’s no specific date given for either, with a timeframe which is still marked as TBD (to be determined).

  • For a more dramatic change, try the MacBook Pro on for size

Image Credit: Rafael Rivera

Image Credit: Rafael Rivera

Falling into place

However, over at Thurrott.com, sources have indicated a rough release date which is reportedly October or November. That certainly makes sense, and it would give Microsoft a good six months between the Creators Update and its successor; plenty of time to hammer out the latter.

Although it does go against what we’ve heard on the grapevine before, namely that the second update might follow quite quickly on the heels of the Creators Update. But then, when we heard this previous chatter, we’ve got to admit we weren’t convinced this would be the case anyway.

The second big update for 2017 is likely to be our initial taste of Project Neon, a fresh new look for the Windows 10 interface which will apply a good deal of polish, and bring back some familiar elements from Windows 7. At this point, it looks like a pretty smart set of changes for the UI, so fingers crossed it is realized this year.

We may also see the 'People Bar' which was due to make an appearance in the Creators Update, but was delayed.

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

Latest in Windows
A woman sitting in a chair looking at a Windows 11 laptop
It looks like Microsoft might have thought better about banishing Copilot AI shortcut from Windows 11
Using Zipped files and folders in Windows 11
Windows 11 should soon be faster at extracting files from compressed ZIPs – and it’s about time, frankly
Xbox Wireless Controller
Microsoft is adding a powerful new feature for using Xbox controllers with Windows 11
Woman disgusted by her laptop
Embarrassing Windows 11 bug that deleted Copilot app is now fixed – but will anyone outside of Microsoft care?
Student sat at a desk with a laptop in a dormitory looking at a mobile phone
Windows 11 could eventually help you understand how fast your PC is - as well as offer tips for making your PC or laptop faster for free
Windows 10
Microsoft gets into the spam game by again emailing Windows 10 users to prod them to upgrade to Windows 11 – is the nagging going too far now?
Latest in News
Disney Plus logo with popcorn
You can finally tell Disney+ to stop bugging you about that terrible Marvel show you regret starting
Girl wearing Meta Quest 3 headset interacting with a jungle playset
Latest Meta Quest 3 software beta teases a major design overhaul and VR screen sharing – and I need these updates now
Philips Hue
Philips Hue might be working on a video doorbell, and according to a new report, we just got our first look at it
Microsoft
"Another pair of eyes" - Microsoft launches all-new Security Copilot Agents to give security teams the upper hand
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display the January 22, 2025 Galaxy Unpacked event.
A fresh Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge leak hints at a 2K display and a titanium frame
Hatch Restore 3 in Putty
You can finally start your day with The Office theme song, and I couldn't be more excited