How to move from 1803 to 1809 — and put off the upgrade to 1903 for a bit longer

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Good question from DMB: Was trying to follow your advice and do an incremental update to Win10 1809 rather than leap-frogging from 1803 to 1903.  Seem
[See the full post at: How to move from 1803 to 1809 — and put off the upgrade to 1903 for a bit longer]

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Elly, abbodi86

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I just checked the Windows ISO site out of curiosity ( I already had previously downloaded the 1809 ISO.) Guess what? There no longer is an option to select which version. Clicking on the link to the media creation tool will download only the 1903 version.

There was nowhere that I could see where one could still down the tool for the 1809 version.

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See below.

I wonder if there’s an easy step-by-step procedure for “normal” Windows users that’ll end up with the 1809 ISO? Spoofing the user agent in your browser isn’t exactly a “Dummies” level exercise.

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Bluetrix

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For instance, zdnet, ghacks, thewindowsclub, and even MS.com say several issues will block 1903 installation. Old Bluetooth drivers. drive reassignments, AMD RAID drivers, USB sticks etc.

I will stick with my 3rd party app and cross fingers. It seems clear MS will ignore any prevention measures taken in Settings.

As usual, reading anything proclaiming to prevent/delay a 1903 install doesn’t say Win10 PRO only, you find that out 1/2 way thru the article.

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[rc primak]

So I’m guessing the safer Update Assistant route would also result in Version 1903 now?

I did my own 1809 upgrade months ago, and used the Assistant to make sure my system was ready for the upgrade. I think you can run the Assistant just through the readiness phases, then quit if it thinks your system is ready. If not, it gives suggestions as to what needs adjusting.

The key here is to find a genuine Version 1809 ISO and then use the Media Creation Tool or some other USB installer builder to install Version 1809 from the ISO.

Here’s the official page for the ISO (only) download. I can even fetch it in Chrome or Firefox under Ubuntu Linux, so it’s almost sure to download the 1809 Fall Update under Windows in either Edge, IE 11, Chrome or Firefox, or probably any other browser:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

Options exist there for the October 2018 and May 2019 updates, as of this morning, Eastern Time Zone, USA.

Note: This is not the Media Creation Tool page. For creating a bootable USB installer, you are on your own after this download.

-- rc primak

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by rc primak.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by rc primak.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by rc primak.

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woody

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Yeah, that’s the problem – if it detects that you’re using Windows, it won’t offer the ISO even from that address. It offers the new MCT instead.

If you’re on Windows, you need to use one of the user-agent switchers or do something even weirder and not tell the server you’re on Windows to get the direct ISO download.

Just checked.

But once the server believes you’re not on Windows, you do still get a choice between the 1809 and 1903 ISOs.

I guess doing it that way makes someone at Microsoft happy or something. “See, we’ve had this many people running other operating systems and downloading Windows! Whee!”

(And I’m sure the privacy-conscious people with user-agent randomizers will randomly get either the MCT or the ISO…)

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woody, rc primak

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You can use a Linux live CD to get the ISO.

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Elly

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[rc primak]

Ah, so here’s one instance where we can trick out MS’s detection mechanism only by resorting to using a different OS. Seen that trick at the MS site before, only it usually works the opposite way — you can’t download anything for Windows if you’re using any other OS.

You can use a Linux live CD to get the ISO.

I do have a version of Linux Live on USB drives for each PC I own. Comes in handy sometimes, you know. ( :Rolleyes: )

-- rc primak

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by rc primak.

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Well, technically, it’s still possible to download the ISO on a Windows system without using user-agent switchers.

You just need to get a browser running inside WSL… or a suitable virtualization guest… yeah, I count that as rather more complicated than necessary.

Oh well. Seen worse.

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You can just search online for MediaCreationTool1809.exe which will download and save ISO file.

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Where did you find anyone offering a download of a genuine MCT for 1809 after 1903 started to be offered? Certainly not through a Google Search. I tried, and there’s nothing listed. Not anymore. Not for 1809.

-- rc primak

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Rufus can still grab older ISO’s directly from Microsofts servers.

https://rufus.ie/

~ Group "Weekend" ~

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rc primak, columbia2011

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rc primak wrote:

Where did you find anyone offering a download of a genuine MCT for 1809

https://software-download.microsoft.com/download/pr/MediaCreationTool1809.exe

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rc primak, NetDef

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