Windows 10 Upgrade Woes Include Deleted Apps and System Hangs

Microsoft’s first attempt to roll out a “Windows as a Service” upgrade is in progress, but the jump from Windows 10 RTM to version 1511 (aka Fall Update and Threshold 2) has not been trouble-free. Here are some of the problems you may be experiencing, as well as a few solutions.

Realize that the v 1511 upgrade is not a cumulative update: Microsoft downloads about 3GB of files, and the installation can take 30 minutes or more.

Of course, freeing up 20GB (the estimated install space) on a small device could be something of a challenge.

There’s a thread on Reddit that describes how many software products are removed when upgrading to v 1511. Among the programs mentioned: CPU-Z, speccy, 8gadgetpack, a Cisco VPN client, SATA drivers, SpyBot, RSAT, the F5 VPN, and HWMonitor. Apparently moving from Win10 RTM to v 1511 is similar to upgrading from Win7 or Win8.1 to v 1511, except there’s no advanced scan to warn you what will be removed. Fortunately, there’s a list of removed apps that appears in the notification center when you boot.

If you’re having other problems with the upgrade, first take a look at the Windows Update FAQ. I was personally surprised to see this admonition:

If it’s been less than 31 days since you upgraded to Windows 10, you won’t get the November update right away; this will allow you to go back to your previous version of Windows if you choose. After the 31 days have passed, your PC will automatically download the November update.

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