Downloading Windows 10 November Update with Media Creation Tool is Now Possible Again

Today news began to circulate that Microsoft had pulled the November ‘big bang’ update download, making it only possible to update through Windows Update.

This made it impossible to download an .ISO image of the most recent build using Microsoft’s media creation tool, a useful method for professionals and businesses that need to update multiple machines using one install DVD or USB drive.

Fortunately, Microsoft recently announced that they’ve fixed the November update ISO and have re-added it to the media creation tool, so everything is back to normal now.

They’ve also provided an official explanation for why the update was pulled in the first place, revealing that 4 important privacy settings had been inadvertently reverted to default.

A Few Reverted Privacy Settings Causing All of This?

The privacy settings that were not retained were:

• Advertising ID
• Background apps
• Sync with devices
• SmartScreen Filter

While most Windows 10 users probably wouldn’t have noticed, those who have opted to disable the above features were probably noticing that they had been re-enabled by the update. Microsoft has called the percentage of users affected by this bug an “extremely small number.” So then the question that begs to be asked here is:

Why pull the entire update without explanation over a few settings tweaks that a tiny minority of users could’ve easily re-disabled manually. We tend to think that the answer lies in the fact that Microsoft is trying to provide an optimal experience for ALL users, not just the majority.

November Update Available in the Media Creation Tool Again

Whatever confusion or commotion was caused by this brief ordeal, none of it matters anymore, as you can once again download the Windows 10 November big bang update (version 1511) directly from the Microsoft media creation tool page.

The advantages of downloading the .ISO directly instead of waiting for it to be downloaded via Windows Update are:

A) You get the update faster

and

B) You can then burn the .ISO image onto a DVD or USB drive and use it to install the update on multiple machines, without having to waste the bandwidth downloading the new version onto each device separately

If neither of the two advantages above seem important to you, then just wait until Windows Update rolls out the files onto your machine automatically, which should be happening gradually over the remainder of the month.