Hello,
There are indeed some changes with the upcoming Windows 10 anniversary update. There are also updates in the current versions. Both of them will make your job easier from now on, and will drastically reduce the reasons for complaints from your end users.
I have to update the deployment guidelines for RTM but let me detail here the main changes and what they mean to you.
On Windows 7 - Windows 10 TH2 (up to and including build 10586)
You should use the same packages as before, deploying them with a build ceiling in your rules if you are using the Windows Insiders build in production.
There is a change on the receiving computer. Before 8.0, the video driver would be swapped when the installation is made. This means that the screens were getting blanked until the end user rebooted. This is now gone.
The installer will upgrade sound and Ethernet straight away, but not the video drivers which will be swapped at the following reboot. This means the user does NOT have to reboot straight away anymore as they keep their external displays.
The DisplayLink icon will also stay present and report where the issue is: no dock, or no monitor detected, to ease troubleshooting.
From Windows 10 RS1 (builds higher than 10586)
DisplayLink has been working with Microsoft to bring *native* DisplayLink USB graphics support in the OS. So this means a change of driver architecture, but now it will be a much lighter one. We don't care about the primary graphics card driver anymore because we have the right hooks in the OS. It also means we will be able to work with old computers upgraded to Windows 10 without proper Windows 10 graphics drivers (using the Microsoft basic driver) or the exotic semi-clone graphics card. You'll notice that your device using DisplayLink technology is also now in Device Manager in the Display adapters category.
The installation is also much better: no need to reboot even for first ever install.
8.0 M0 for Windows 10 Redstone has been published on Windows Update for Windows Insiders yesterday. It will deactivate 7.9.
Removing 7.9 before would be better. Unfortunately, because of the removal of the co-installers from Redstone, we cannot clean-up everything as the driver does not have access to the files! We are looking at ways to improve that.
Today, 7.9 M7 (build 7.9.1589.0) might work on some computers with RS1 builds. However, please do NOT deploy 7.9 on RS1 as a new WDDM 2.1 version is coming up and it will create problems.
When do you expect to roll out Windows 10 Redstone in your company?
Are you in the Current Business Branch?
Kind regards,
Alban
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