Update Connectivity

[Trouble]

Microsoft has invested significant effort into understanding why Windows devices are not always fully up to date. One of the most impactful things we explored was how much time a device needs to be powered on and connected to Windows Update to be able to successfully install quality and feature updates. What we found is that devices that don’t meet a certain amount of connected time are very unlikely to successfully update. Specifically, data shows that devices need a minimum of two continuous connected hours, and six total connected hours after an update is released to reliably update. This allows for a successful download and background installations that are able to restart or resume once a device is active and connected.

SOURCE: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com...ce-with-update-connectivity-data/ba-p/3073356

Who knew??
Might explain some of the problems we've heard reported here.

 

[Tim Locke]

Interesting. My PCs ( regular W11 and Dev W11) are often turned off after an update but when they are turned on again the next day they are on for 10-11 hours. Although, after an update and the associated restart I usually do another check for updates and another restart before the evening power down.

 

[Trouble]

It might not apply, at least not quite as much, to Windows 11 computers.

Windows 11 updates are smaller than their Windows 10 counterparts due to improved compression, and new Microsoft Graph APIs released last year should also help speed up the update process.

SOURCE: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/windows-update-needs-eight-hours

 

[ubuysa]

Well that's new to me, but it is kind of understandable otherwise some users might receive updates for devices they don't actually have? My PC is on 24 x 7 - perhaps that's why I never have any issues? (All my PCs since the dinosaurs died out have been left running 24 x 7)....

 

[davehc]

I ploughed through the various comments..etc regarding the original MS blog. IMHO, it sound almost like an excuse for MIcrosoft's poorly assembled updates. But, in depth, the association, not mentioned to clearly, is that some of your hardware/software is not always connected to the internet, and therefore does not automatically update.
I would have (and always have) assumed that a "cumulative" update, meant just that. In other words, once downloaded, it was all available and, at that stage, you could actually disconnect from the web and still achieve 100% success. But, there you go, I am getting too old and stoopid.

 

[ubuysa]

I ploughed through the various comments..etc regarding the original MS blog. IMHO, it sound almost like an excuse for MIcrosoft's poorly assembled updates. But, in depth, the association, not mentioned to clearly, is that some of your hardware/software is not always connected to the internet, and therefore does not automatically update.
I would have (and always have) assumed that a "cumulative" update, meant just that. In other words, once downloaded, it was all available and, at that stage, you could actually disconnect from the web and still achieve 100% success. But, there you go, I am getting too old and stoopid.

I don't subscribe to the 'poorly assembled updates' thesis personally. Microsoft have to update Windows running on a massive varierty of systems; all with different hardware and drivers, widely differing software installations, and often with users who have (not to put too fine a point on it) shot themselves in the foot already with unwise 'hacks' or who have followed less than reliable advice from the web or run 'tune up' or registry cleaning tools, it amazing that so many updates are applied cleanly.

Windows is a victim of its own success and there is so much hardware and software out there that people use. Don't forget that every driver installs as kernel code, it's not hard to foul up Windows updates with drivers that aren't well coded - or worse, with drivers that aren't even intended for Windows 10.