Microsoft Is Finally Making Installation Of Windows Updates A Breeze

Let’s admit it, installing Windows updates is a tedious task that we keep delaying to the point where it forcefully initiates the process. The biggest reason is, even in 2024, Windows updates take forever to install. Well, that’s going to change soon, as Microsoft seems to have finally heard our plea with the Windows 11 24H2 update.

Steve DiAcetis, Principal Program Manager Lead at Microsoft, took to the Microsoft Tech Community to state that the latest Windows 11 24H2 version brings “reduced installation time, restart time, and central processing unit (CPU) usage for Windows monthly updates.”

He backs these claims up by sharing some test results. For starters, they made some tweaks to a “well-maintained device” running Windows 11 22H2 (Build 22621.3155) and updated it to the upcoming month’s patch. Then, they compared it to a system running on Windows 11 24H2.

The results revealed a 45.6% faster installation time, alongside a 39.7% faster restart time after installing the update. Additionally, the CPU usage time was also reduced by 15.3%. The tests don’t end there though.

Further expanding the testing grounds, they update a PC that’s not been updated in 18 months to compare the test results. Now, this PC running on Windows 11 24H2 turned out to be 43.6% faster at installing updates, with a 33.5% faster restart time and 25% reduced CPU usage.

The post also reveals how the Windows 11 22H2’s servicing stack is similar to that of 23H2. So, these results more or less represent how both these versions would compare to the improved 24H2’s update installation capabilities.

In addition, Steve also informs how the usual feature updates are now smaller by roughly 200 MB. This has been achieved by including system apps like Settings and File Explorer into the Windows monthly update, while other apps like Mail, Calendar, and Notepad need to be updated via the Microsoft Store.

Well, I’m just over the moon about not having to wait eons for my Windows 11 laptop to update and restart. However, only time will tell whether it’s as good as the test results show it to be. What about you? Drop your thoughts in the comments down below!