Microsoft: Windows needs a minimum of 8 hours online to update successfully

[midian182]

In brief: Do you find Windows updates a pain? Microsoft has looked into reasons why so many Windows devices are not always fully up to date and found that they need to be online for at least eight hours to grab the latest updates and install them correctly.

David Guyer, program manager for Windows Updates in Endpoint Manager at Microsoft, writes on the Microsoft IT Pro Blog (via Bleeping Computer) that devices that don’t meet a certain amount of connected time are very unlikely to update successfully.

Microsoft tracks how long a device is powered on and also connected to one of its services, such as Windows Update, using a measurement it calls ‘Update Connectivity.’ The company discovered that a device requires a minimum of two hours of continuous connectivity followed by six total connected hours after an update is released to update reliably.

Microsoft also found that around 50% of devices running a Windows 10 build that’s no longer serviced don’t spend enough time online for the updates to be downloaded and installed. For those who are on a Windows 10 serviced build but have security updates that are more than 60 days out of date, the figure drops to 25%.

Guyer recommends businesses meet the minimum Update Connectivity measurement by leaving their devices powered on overnight so that the updates can download and install properly. “Impress upon them [device owners] the importance of keeping their devices connected so their devices can stay protected and they can stay productive,” Guyer writes.

Thanks to improved compression technology, Microsoft reduced the size of security and quality updates in Windows 11 by 40%, so the minimum Update Connectivity threshold for devices on the latest OS should be lower.

You can check which devices have insufficient Update Connectivity using the Microsoft Intune app, navigating to Devices > Monitor, and selecting either the Feature update failures or Windows Expedited update failures report.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/93207-microsoft-windows-needs-minimum-8-hours-online-connectivity.html

 

[Michael7]

8 hours?! WTF?!

 

[sorten]

Interesting data point and might be a reason I never have issues. I just let my computer sleep at night.

 

[theruck]

As pathetic as MS

 

[VaRmeNsI]

Just click check for updates button once a week?

 

[Dimitriid]

You know I remember that when 10 was about to be released so many people assured me this had to be done because they were being condescending of end users but overall it was going to be a benefit for security.

Yet by having just about 0 control of the update process, it's proven to actually be the opposite: Why shouldn't I be able to tell my PC "I'm going to take a long shower, for the next 30 minutes take over all of my available bandwidth and CPU cycles as you need and fully update/upgrade"?

Why would that be so wrong? Why do people are basically being told they need to live their laptops plugged in and possibly change their power plan to keep them from going to sleep if they're not getting 8 freaking hours of continued use?

This is ridiculous knowing well that whenever *you* decide as the user you need to catch up on your updates, you can just get almost any of the major Linux distros to get them all at once and patch everything (Usually well inside the 1 hour mark or so most repositories have really good speeds) so even though it's not as safe proof as "We decided when to download security updates so we make sure you get them" the Linux user is far more likely to get them installed if they do the crime of owning a laptop and run at default settings with PCs normally going to sleep or hibernate regularly.

 

[captaincranky]

Windows 7, for fast, fast, fast relief from all this bullsh!t.

Either that, or disable sleep states altogether, suck it up, and pay the electric bill for having the damned computer run 24/7.

Besides, S-6 is kind of iffy anyway.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Funny, I can download months worht of updates on linux mint, and install them, in a little under a single minute.

 

[sorten]

You know I remember that when 10 was about to be released so many people assured me this had to be done because they were being condescending of end users but overall it was going to be a benefit for security.

Yet by having just about 0 control of the update process, it's proven to actually be the opposite: Why shouldn't I be able to tell my PC "I'm going to take a long shower, for the next 30 minutes take over all of my available bandwidth and CPU cycles as you need and fully update/upgrade"?

Why would that be so wrong? Why do people are basically being told they need to live their laptops plugged in and possibly change their power plan to keep them from going to sleep if they're not getting 8 freaking hours of continued use?

This is ridiculous knowing well that whenever *you* decide as the user you need to catch up on your updates, you can just get almost any of the major Linux distros to get them all at once and patch everything (Usually well inside the 1 hour mark or so most repositories have really good speeds) so even though it's not as safe proof as "We decided when to download security updates so we make sure you get them" the Linux user is far more likely to get them installed if they do the crime of owning a laptop and run at default settings with PCs normally going to sleep or hibernate regularly.

You can still manually check for updates and install them on demand. Just tap the Windows key, type "update", and select "check for updates", and then click the button : - )

I assume the 8-hour threshold is if you're just letting updates happen automatically.

 

[sorten]

Funny, I can download months worht of updates on linux mint, and install them, in a little under a single minute.

It's been so long since I've actually watched a Windows update run that I don't know how long they take these days, but I assume it's a bit slower than a typical Linux distro.

 

[Ben Myers]

This makes no sense at all. It seems that after I do a fresh install of the latest Version 21H2, there are updates, of course. So I let the computer handle the updates. Then there is a required reboot, so I reboot the system. After that, there are still more updates. What does this 8-hour nonsense have to to with these Windows updates? Does Guyer mean that an update can take up to 8 hours? Wow! Well, maybe it does on a pathetically underconfigured system with only 4GB of memory and an old-timey hard drive spinning at 5400 rpm.

 

[p51d007]

LOL, I seem to remember when 10 was released, they said something about less reboots.

 

[Lew Zealand]

Windows 7, for fast, fast, fast relief from all this bullsh!t.

Either that, or disable sleep states altogether, suck it up, and pay the electric bill for having the damned computer run 24/7.

Besides, S-6 is kind of iffy anyway.

Piker.

At least one person here knows that Windows XP is the only way to go. Win 7 is for rubes.

 

[defaultluser]

Maybe if you have bitlocer installed on an ancient hard drive? Otherwise, all my quad core systems plus sata ssds can install a feature update within 15 minutes .

 

[hel0sn8]

You can still manually check for updates and install them on demand. Just tap the Windows key, type "update", and select "check for updates", and then click the button : - )

I assume the 8-hour threshold is if you're just letting updates happen automatically.

It exactly that - its not hard for many to reach 8 hours online time.
Misleading headling;
"The company discovered that a device requires a minimum of two hours of continuous connectivity followed by six total connected hours after an update is released to update reliably."
So 2 hours online constant. Not overnight as some above think. Then 6 hours made up of any usage.
Folks like to jump on the bandwagon without forming their own valid opinion when they could if they just read the article fully.
And those spouting Win 7 as the fix are clueless IMHO. To say the fix is a previous OS by the same company is beyond sense and experience.

 

[bviktor]

Windows 7, for fast, fast, fast relief from all this bullsh!t.

Either that, or disable sleep states altogether, suck it up, and pay the electric bill for having the damned computer run 24/7.

Besides, S-6 is kind of iffy anyway.

That's indeed a "relief" from update issues for sure, as it doesn't have any anymore. A+ IT consulting, thanks.

 

[bviktor]

8 hours. I see. So, dear Microsoft, please kindly go back to the drawing board then.

 

[captaincranky]

That's indeed a "relief" from update issues for sure, as it doesn't have any anymore. A+ IT consulting, thanks.

Dude, I gave you two options, W7, or leave the computer on 24/7. Pick the one that's right for you.

Steve Ballmer was dumb enough to back Windows 8, and got ousted. Then Nadella, (Who I consider a glorified H1-B (**)), force fed everybody Windows 10. Ever so many people bent over for that.

And now you're lining up for an OS that was never supposed to happen. And an OS, as it happens, that introduces "planned obsolescence" into the desktop world.

I keep spare activated drives around for all my machines, I don't need A+IT support. Since I can't get video cards at anywhere near MSRP, the fact I'm not addicted to video gaming or mining, leaves me right where I need to be, at W7. YMMV.

(**) Satya Nadella, is 10 times as pushy, greedy, and obnoxious as Bill Gates, and is more than likely working for 1/10 the money.

"Windows 10 is the last version of Winows ever"> BTW, he's a bold faced liar as well.

 

[captaincranky]

Piker.

At least one person here knows that Windows XP is the only way to go. Win 7 is for rubes.

Yeah well, XP won't give you a steady parade, of neckit gurlz across your desktop. Me being a dirty old man who's into that sort of thing, is why W7 sealed the deal.

PS, I also appreciate fantasy landscapes as wallpaper. So here's hoping you don't think too little of me...

OTOH, y'all can go back to arguing about how you think the start menu should be. While I gaze on living manga. And hey, this is almost SFW

 

[wiyosaya]

For me, I have shut off updates in the Group Policy editor. Every once-in-a-while, though I make a bootable USB stick using the "Windows Update Assistant" for whatever Windohs 10 YYHx is available and just update from the stick - telling the update, don't download anything else right now. This way, the updates usually complete without issue and only take about two hours at most - depending on whether I'm updating my underpowered laptop, or one of my desktop PCs.

Problem solved.**

** Of course, I do an image backup beforehand just in case the update has gone south for the winter.

 

[captaincranky]

And those spouting Win 7 as the fix are clueless IMHO. To say the fix is a previous OS by the same company is beyond sense and experience.

At least you've finally smartened up enough to do your name calling via the backdoor

It is kind of ironic though, all the people who went to Windows 8, claimed it was great, then went around looking for skins to make it look like Win 7. What shall we call that? Oh wait, I know, "reverse engineering".

 

[wiyosaya]

LOL, I seem to remember when 10 was released, they said something about less reboots.

M$ says that all the time with every Windohs release. Its that old saying "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me".

 

[captaincranky]

** Of course, I do an image backup beforehand just in case the update has gone south for the winter.

Judging by the Windoz 10 update threads, the updates always work, it's everything else that takes a sh!t. But of course, that's the users fault. Just ask M$, Nadella will tellya..

 

[sorten]

These outrage harvesting posts always bring out the same characters. LOL

Hey, if you want to be on XP or 7, you do you.

 

[Vanderlinde]

Its the first step to microsoft actually starting to publish, telemetry based data. And I dont like it.

It's ridiculous this whole update proces of an avg of 8 hours. Second; how many users turned away from their computer to have it rebooted (and lost their work) or have it updated and stuck in a BSOD. Or even in my case dataloss after an update.

Since then I disabled updates completely, registery hacked everything out of it (Shutup Windows 10) and since then it's working as intended. Weird.