Microsoft is getting ready for its next major update to Windows 10, dubbed Threshold 2, and to hear Paul Thurrott tell it we’ll be getting the update next month. We’ve been hearing about a major update to Windows 10 this fall, which will be followed by the major ”Redstone” updates in 2016.
Thurrott doesn’t specify a date for the Threshold 2 release—although Zac Bowden over at WinBeta says it’s coming Monday, November 2. Whatever the exact date is, Threshold 2 is almost upon us.
The new update will be a cumulative release, meaning you can jump straight to it if you’re already on Windows 10 even if you’ve put off a few updates. The build itself is called Windows 10 Fall Update, Thurrott says, although when you see the update in the Settings app it will be called “Windows 10 November 2015.”
The build number will reportedly be 1511 (year/month), which may confuse some considering the current build number is 10240. At least we know that Microsoft’s staggering ability to give one thing multiple, confusing names is still intact.
Threshold 2 should include the newer features from the recent fast ring Windows Insider builds that are ready for prime time. That should mean items like the new Messaging app, improvements to Cortana, and Windows 10 Mobile integration. One thing we apparently won’t see, however, is Edge browser extensions, which are now expected in 2016.
The Windows 10 Fall Update should also include the ability to activate Windows 10 with Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 product keys.
Why this matters: Microsoft is making good on its promise to deliver regular, timely updates to Windows 10 users. While you need to be on the fast ring to see the new features as they come out, we’re already expecting three major Windows 10 updates in the next twelve months. That’s not bad for an operating system that’s merely three months old.