If you’ve been a Windows user for a few upgrade cycles, you may know that Microsoft has made quite a few changes to the way it issues updates to its operating system. Many of us remember the bad old days when the dreaded Windows Update meant no more work was happening for hours — and that’s assuming the update was installed successfully! When one failed, well— it wasn’t good.
Around a decade ago, Microsoft started working on fixing the problems that contributed to “Windows Update dread,” making updates less bulky and time-consuming. Now the company is changing the way it updates Windows once more, and this time it’s good news. Still, any change to the way your business’s computers operate is a big deal.
Here’s what you need to know.
The (Old) Problem with Windows Updates
Back in the day, those massive Windows Updates were problematic in all sorts of ways. Because they were so big, they took forever to download (and even longer to actually install). This meant hours of lost work time for people whose jobs required a PC.
So what did people do? They snoozed those updates, putting them off as long as their computers (and IT departments) would allow.
You can’t exactly blame them for wanting to get their work done, can you?
But those Windows Updates contained all the major security updates to the operating system. That means that if Microsoft discovered a flaw or vulnerability, some way that digital criminals could get in and do damage, they patched the problem and rolled it into the Windows Update.
All those well-intentioned productive workers who snoozed the update? They were leaving their PCs (and your company!) vulnerable to whatever Microsoft was trying to fix or patch out.
The (Less Old) Problem with Windows Updates
Starting with Windows 10 (which first hit the scene way back in 2014), Microsoft made strides in this area. Major updates dropped on a more predictable schedule (roughly every six months) and some smaller security updates could be installed while people worked, without locking up their computers for hours at a time.
Those major updates could still be pretty significant, though, and the inconsistency of the in-between security updates created all sorts of headaches for IT teams, who often wanted to manage endpoints without getting surprised by updates or having half the fleet on one version and half on another.
Fast-forward to Windows 11, and things got better still. The update cycle slowed to one a year. But of course, slowing it down to one per year meant those major updates were, well, major. They could still take up a lot of time, storage space, and bandwidth.
What’s Changing Now
With the next major Windows update, named Windows 11 24H2 (named for its release window, the second half of 2024), Windows will change the way it installs cumulative updates. That’s the name for those in-between updates with security fixes and bugfixes and the like.
Right now, Windows 11 PCs get a cumulative update once a month. But once you’re running build 24H2, you’ll have access to something called “checkpoint cumulative updates.”
Not the most user-friendly name, but essentially this means your cumulative updates will install in real time, automatically. Since they’re all smaller, you probably won’t even notice a change in performance. Windows will keep track of these cumulative updates in between major updates or in-between updates called checkpoints.
What To Watch For
This change will improve security and stability without harming productivity for most Windows 11 users. Just make sure your endpoint management capabilities are ready for the change, and if you’re still holding onto Windows 10, maybe this change is the nudge you need to upgrade.
Got questions? Ready to upgrade to Windows 11? We can help— reach out anytime!