I have been trying to install the May 2020 update for Windows 10 since it arrived on May 27, but it has yet to take effect. It has been almost a week since then and I am still getting a seemingly worrisome message that my PC is not compatible with the latest feature upgrade. Microsoft is taking a conservative approach to rolling out the latest major updates.

The May 2020 update (formerly known as 20H1) is the first of two major Windows 10 upgrades scheduled for this year. This update has already begun to be applied to some PCs, and the 20H2 update will be released in the fall.

As with past releases, Microsoft will not distribute this update to all PCs at the same time. Right now, it is unclear exactly how many PCs have it installed, or what the initial criteria are, but it seems to be quite widely available. Here at PC Gamer, several of my colleagues are in the same situation.

Our friends at TechRadar are no different, noting (via Windows Latest) that Microsoft is using the new compatibility notification to let users know that their PCs are not yet "ready."

"Windows 10 May 2020 Update is coming soon. We are providing this update to compatible devices, but your device is not ready yet. Once your device is ready, you will see the update on this page. You do not need to do anything at this time," the notification states.

Microsoft's wording is vague and does not provide any details as to which specific hardware is incompatible. Is it my Sound Blaster ZxR sound card or my Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H motherboard, both of which are several years old?

This notice could be better worded, but Microsoft's approach is sound. It is difficult to catch every bug about the multitude of hardware combinations that exist in the world, and the slow rollout is absolutely the right decision. Microsoft admitted on the day the May 2020 update was first released that it was still investigating several known issues with this release.

Other than wanting to actually experience what I am writing about, I am not in much of a hurry to receive the latest update. Rather, I am hoping that Microsoft will fix the problem. When they do, I'll see you again.