Microsoft Plans Two Major Windows 10 'Redstone' Updates For 2017

Now that the Anniversary Update has been pushed out to Windows 10 users, Microsoft is looking to the future. For your everyday Windows users, Windows 10 updates will simply be in “maintenance mode” with bug fixes and the usual security updates for the next six months or so. But according to Microsoft’s Nathan Mercer, that will change in 2017.

“Based on feedback from organizations moving to Windows 10, this will be our last feature update for 2016, with two additional feature updates expected in 2017,” writes Mercer.

For those keeping score, these are the three most recent public releases of Windows 10:

• Windows 10 (Version 1507): AKA Threshold 1, this was the initial public release of Windows 10.
• Windows 10 November Update (Version 1511): AKA Threshold 2, was the first major update to Windows 10, and brought with it numerous performance enhancements and tweaks to Cortana and Edge
• Windows 10 Anniversary Update (Version 1607): AKA Redstone 1, was released on Tuesday and is the biggest update to Windows 10 to date. It brings Windows Ink, Windows Hello, a vastly improved Cortana, extension support for Edge, and Start menu tweaks to the operating system

The two 2017 updates are tentatively named Redstone 2 and Redstone 3. According to Windows Central, Redstone 2 will debut during the opening months of 2017, while Redstone 3 is earmarked for a summer or early fall release.

If you’re on the Windows Insider Fast track, you could soon be seeing the first smatterings of Redstone 2, which Microsoft hopes that you will vet thoroughly. Although Microsoft has been for the most part mum on what features could be introduced with Threshold 2 or Threshold 3, there’s at least one Windows app that’s getting a much-needed overhaul:

@HUGEMSFAN Yes we are working on a total update of file explorer! Can't articulate schedule yet. You are right.

— peter skillman (@peterskillman) March 18, 2016