From PC World: Microsoft is tweaking how your PCs will receive Windows updates yet again, making them quicker and smaller to download. But, if you’ve been holding out for the Windows 11 24H2 update that’s landed on Copilot+ PCs, you’ll have to wait a little longer.
How Microsoft is improving Windows updates is a bit technical, but builds off what Microsoft has done before. Beginning in 2021 with the Windows 11 21H2 update, Microsoft trimmed the file size of Windows updates by about 40 percent in basically two ways: separating Windows applications like Mail into their own apps, and not part of Windows; and downloading only what was needed for a Windows update.
Microsoft is taking the same approach for Windows 11 24H2, but more aggressively. Going forward, Microsoft will look at the code it released during the last feature update that was downloaded to your machine, and the code it released during the current update, and try to send over just the code that is the “difference” between them. Between each feature update, Microsoft will issue smaller cumulative updates called “checkpoints.” The same technique will apply: Microsoft will send over just what’s changed, and not the entire update.
The change in approach should be better for users in several different ways: smaller, quicker downloads, and probably less storage on your PC from older Windows updates that are archived there in case of a problem. The new experience will begin with Windows 11 24H2 later this year.
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