Windows 10 Update: First Post-Launch Release SR1 Rolls Out To Users

Just one week after the launch of Windows 10, the first post-launch update has been released. Cumulative Update for Windows 10: August 5, 2014, also known as Service Release 1 (SR1), will be making its way automatically to Windows 10 installations through Windows Update.

According to Microsoft's Knowledge Base article on the update, the release makes "non–security-related changes to enhance the functionality of Windows 10 through new features and improvements." A previous report suggested that SR1 would only focus on bug fixes, and Microsoft does not explain what these new features may be.

Upon release, Windows 10 received warm praise for being a good start, but reviewers criticized the bugs that remained in the software. "Don’t upgrade until more of the bugs have been worked out," said Walt Mossberg in his review. It is unclear what exact changes SR1 makes, but it is a promising sign that Microsoft has plans to fix issues as soon as possible, by updating the software a week after launch.

While this is the first update since the launch of Windows 10, it is not the first update since the software was finished. Updates were rolled out to Insider Preview users already using the final software, meaning that there were already updates waiting when users installed the OS on July 29. According to Microsoft, these updates are cumulative: installing the latest update also installs any previous missing updates.

This release is the first step in Microsoft's next plans for Windows 10, which it intends to update on a regular basis. Future patches include a planned October launch of the Skype-integrated Messaging app, extensions support for Microsoft Edge, and improvements to battery life. Next year, a project codenamed "Redstone" will bring two major updates: one in the summer, and one in the fall.