[Important] If You Click “Check for Updates” Button in Windows 10

Windows 10 comes with automatic updates functionality which allows Windows 10 to automatically check for updates without user action. Once it finds new updates available, it automatically downloads and installs them in user’s computer. After successful installation, it notifies the user by showing an alert notification in Action Center.

Related: Fixing Windows 10 Automatic Updates Installation Problem

If you open Settings -> Update & Security -> Windows Update page, you’ll find a “Check for updates” button which allows users to manually check for new updates. If new updates are available, Windows 10 starts downloading and installing them automatically.

Windows 10 regularly checks for new updates. Usually it scans/checks for new updates at the interval of 22 hours. But if a user wants to check for new updates early, he can click on “Check for updates” button present on Windows Update page to force Windows 10 to immediately check for newer updates.

Now let us ask you one question! Do you manually check for updates by clicking on “Check for updates” button in Windows 10? Do you regularly click on “Check for updates” button in Windows 10? If yes, then this article is very important for you.

Did you know by clicking on “Check for updates” button, you are becoming an advanced user and forcing Windows 10 to download and install testing/preview updates? Yes, you read it right.

Let us explain in details:

There are 3 types of Windows updates:

• B release (these updates are released in second week of the month)
• C release (these updates are released in third week of the month)
• D release (these updates are released in fourth week of the month)

B release updates are regular and officially released updates which are released on Windows Update at Patch Tuesday (also known as Update Tuesday) every month. These updates are released on every 2nd week (2nd Tuesday at 10:00 AM Pacific Time) in the month. B release updates are monthly released updates that include new security fixes as well as previously released security and non-security fixes. These updates are cumulative and contain all previously released fixes.

On the other hand, C release and D release updates are optional updates which are released in 3rd and 4th weeks of the month respectively. These updates are not cumulative and only contain non-security fixes. These updates are released for advanced users to test the non-security fixes that will become a part of B release updates next Patch Tuesday. C release and D release updates are optional and Windows 10 doesn’t download and install them automatically. By default, Windows 10 checks for B release updates only.

Now let’s come to the “Check for updates” button discussion again! When you click on “Check for updates” button, you intentionally or unintentionally become a tester and you force Windows 10 to check for C release and D release updates. If you click on “Check for updates” button in 3rd week of a month, you invite C release updates in your computer and if you click on “Check for updates” button in 4th week of a month, you invite D release updates.

So the bottom line is that if you regularly click on “Check for updates” button in Windows 10, you should know that you are going to install testing updates in your computer which are not intended for general public. These updates may contain issues and that’s why these updates are not released by default and you need to manually download them by clicking on “Check for updates” button. Once these updates are thoroughly tested, Microsoft releases them to all on Patch Tuesday as B release updates.

If you are ok with testing updates, feel free to click on “Check for updates” button regularly but if you didn’t know about this fact and don’t want to become a tester, do not click on “Check for updates” button in Windows 10.

Related: [Tip] Disable “Check for Updates” Button in Windows 10

PS: Windows 10 Feature updates are also released in the same manner. First the feature updates are released to advanced users only who manually click on “Check for updates” button. After some days or months, these feature updates are distributed to all Windows 10 users via Windows Update.

Related: How to Prevent or Skip Feature Update Installation in Windows 10