In Windows 11, you decide when and how to get the latest updates to keep your device running smoothly and securely. When you update, you'll get the latest fixes and security improvements, helping your device run efficiently and stay protected. In most cases, restarting your device completes the update.
Make sure your device is plugged in when you know updates will be installed. If other questions come up when you update Windows 11, here are some other areas that might interest you:. How to reset your Microsoft account password.
Activate Windows. When you only want info about updating Windows 11, you'll find answers to many of your questions here:. When Windows 11 is ready for your device, it will be available to download and install from the Windows Update page in Settings. Choose a time that works best for you to install the upgrade. You'll then need to restart your device and complete the installation. After that, your device will be running Windows Check for updates. If a feature update is available for your device, it will appear separately on the Windows Update page.
To install it, select Download and install now. Make sure that your device is connected to the internet. Downloading updates requires an internet connection. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter. Under Most frequent , select Windows Update. If the Troubleshooter doesn't fix the problem, see Troubleshoot problems updating Windows or Fix Windows Update errors. The time required to download updates primarily depends on internet connection speed, network settings, and update size.
Make sure your device is plugged in and connected to the internet to download updates faster. Here's how to temporarily pause updates from being downloaded and installed. Note that after the pause limit is reached, you'll need to install the latest updates before you can pause updates again. Next to Pause updates , select the pause length you prefer. To finish installing an update, your device will need to restart.
Windows will try to restart your device when you're not using it. If it can't, you'll be asked to schedule the restart for a more convenient time. Or, you can schedule anytime by following these steps:. Select Schedule the restart and choose a time that's convenient for you. You can set active hours to make sure automatic restarts for updates only happen when you're not using your device. Get updates when you're away from your PC with active hours in Windows. For more tips on freeing up disk space, see Free up drive space in Windows.
This way, if updates are installed outside active hours, your device will have enough power to complete the installation. An update history is available so you can see which updates were installed, and when. Testing all possible computers systems would be almost impossible. It is very important to create a group of desktops and servers for testing the latest updates.
Once the updates are applied to the test, computers monitor and document any irregularities in behavior of the test systems. Although Microsoft updates rarely cause a problem it has been known to happen thus the reason for a test group of computers. If all is well after at least a week with the test group, it is relatively safe to deploy the tested updates to production. It is critical to install security updates to protect your systems from malicious attacks.
In the long run, it is also important to install software updates, not only to access new features, but also to be on the safe side in terms of security loop holes being discovered in outdated programs. And it is in your own best interest to install all other updates, which may potentially cause your system to become vulnerable to attack. Questions about your unique environment? End your IT frustration today.
Consequences to Not Installing Updates Potential consequences of not installing security updates are damaged software, loss of data, or identity theft. Here is a list taken from Microsoft of some common types of updates available each month. Critical Updates Critical Updates are a widely released fix for a specific problem that addresses a critical non-security-related bug. Security Updates Security updates are a widely released fix for a product-specific, security-related vulnerability.
Monthly Rollups Monthly Rollups are relatively new. Service Packs A service pack is a tested, cumulative set of all hotfixes, security updates, critical updates, and other updates. Non Critical Updates While non critical updates are not responsible for security-relevant vulnerabilities, they may still be very annoying as they potentially impact the performance and stability of Windows. The optional update disappears the following month, when it's replaced by the regular Patch Tuesday update.
Note that as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft briefly suspended delivery of the "C" and "D" updates in early These updates resume in July Click the entry for any update to see further details about that update, if they're available. Follow this link for instructions on how to identify the build installed on your device and compare it to the master list of Windows 10 updates:.
Windows 10 tip: Find and decode secret version details. To review an up-to-the-minute list of updates for all currently supported Windows 10 versions, see the official Windows 10 Update History page. Use the links in the navigation pane on the left to choose a specific Windows 10 version. Windows 10 downloads cumulative updates in the background and installs them automatically.
As noted earlier, optional updates released in the "C" and "D" weeks are not installed automatically. In addition, as of version , feature updates are also not installed automatically unless the current device is approaching its end-of-support date. Using options on the Windows Update page in Settings, you can specify Active Hours a block of up to 18 continuous hours when you don't want to be interrupted by these installations. In theory, that prevents a large update from interfering with your workday activities, although the strategy fails if you shut your device down at the end of the day and don't restart until the next day.
Windows 10 offers additional notification options as well as the option to choose a specific time during your lunch break, for example when updates will be installed. As of version , Windows 10 no longer installs feature updates automatically.
Instead, as with the optional cumulative updates delivered in the "C" and "D" weeks, the update is listed as available in Windows Update, but you have to click Download And Install to kick off the installation.
This change affects all editions, including Windows 10 Home. If you choose not to click that link, Windows 10 will respect your decision, but not indefinitely. For retail editions of Windows Home and Pro , each version is supported for 18 months from its initial release date. When you approach the end of that period, Windows Update will notify you that it plan to install an upgrade to the current version; you can choose the installation time within a narrow range of dates, but you can't delay the installation indefinitely.
If you're running a version of Windows 10 Home earlier than version , there is no supported way to delay the installation of cumulative updates, and when a feature update is available, it will install in the next window outside Active Hours. You can try various workarounds, such as shutting off the Windows Update service or setting your network connection as metered, but these only briefly postpone the inevitable.
As of version , all publicly released non-Insider editions of Windows 10 allow users to pause all updates. The option to pause for 7 days is available on the main Windows Update page in all editions. In business editions Pro, Enterprise, Education , you can use the Advanced Options button to choose a specific date up to 35 days in the future. For full details about this feature, see "Windows 10 tip: When you should and shouldn't pause updates.
In Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions, you can defer feature updates for up to days after their initial release. In addition, you can defer quality updates, including the monthly Patch Tuesday fixes, by up to 30 days. As of version , those deferral options must be set using the Local Group Policy Editor. Update deferrals use the Windows Update for Business feature set. For full instructions on how to use Windows Update for Business, see "Windows 10 update: The complete guide for businesses of every size.
After you reach the maximum deferral period for each type of update, Windows 10 installs it automatically. No further deferrals are permitted. Windows 10 tip: Hide unwanted drivers in Windows Update. More update questions?
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