Earlier today we reported on a new set of device updates which were appearing in Windows Update for Surface Pro users. As usual, Microsoft initially rolled out these updates without documenting a changelog. Now that some time has settled, the changelog are finally available, and it has revealed that the updates were focused on enabling support for Windows 10 S (via Neowin.)
The details on the update are available on the Surface Pro update history page. Specifically, the August 12 listing on the page details the Intel Dynamic Platform, Thermal Platform, and Framework areas which received updates for Windows 10 S support. This means that the updates are all focused on compatibility, and bring no security, reliability, connectivity, performance, or battery life enhancements.
- Intel(R) Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework Processor Participant: 8.2.11004.3973 enable support for Windows 10s.
- Intel(R) Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework Power Participant: 8.2.11004.3973 enable support for Windows 10s.
- Intel(R) Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework Generic Participant: 8.2.11004.3973 enable support for Windows 10s.
These updates to bring support for Windows 10 S are not quite surprising, given that anyone can download the Windows 10 S installer and run the OS to their machine. The updates, though, do come after Microsoft faced criticism from Consumer Reports, which dropped the “recommended” status for some Microsoft Surface models.
Here’s to hoping that the firmware updates will not cause issues with the Windows Hello experience, which many Surface Pro 4 users had complained about previously. Let us know if you’ve experience any issues with your Surface Pro device by dropping us a comment below.