Why Does Windows 10 Update So Much?
howtogeek.com
Why Does Windows 10 Update So Much?
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Windows 10 configuring updates boot screen
Microsoft says Windows 10 is a "service,"
and the company updates it frequently with security patches, bug fixes, and
new features. Updates normally happen automatically in the background, so
let's demystify that: Here's what Windows is installing and when.
How Often Does Windows 10 Check for Updates?
Windows Update settings on Windows 10
Windows 10 checks for updates once per day. It does this automatically in
the background. Windows doesn't always check for updates at the same time
every
day, varying its schedule by a few hours to ensure Microsoft's servers
aren't overwhelmed by an army of PCs checking for updates all at once.
If Windows finds any updates, it downloads and installs them automatically.
While Windows 10 does check for updates once per day, that doesn't mean it's
installing them every day. Microsoft doesn't release Windows Updates every
day, so Windows Update will often find no updates available and not install
anything.
Definition Updates Arrive Multiple Times Per Day
Update history showing malware definition updates on Windows 10
Microsoft's Windows Defender application, now known as Windows Security, is
an antimalware (antivirus) application built into Windows 10. It runs
automatically
in the background and protects your PC. If you install a different
antivirus, the built-in Windows antivirus disables itself and lets your
antivirus of
choice work.
Like all security applications, Microsoft's antivirus needs regular
definition updates, so it can identify and catch the latest discovered
malware. These
updates are small, quick, and don't require a reboot. You won't even notice
your PC is installing them unless you open the Windows Update page in
Settings
and are keeping an eye on it.
To check when definition updates were installed, head to Settings > Update &
Security > Windows Update > View Update History, scroll down, and expand
"Definition
Updates."
You can check how often definition updates are being installed by heading to
Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View Update History,
scrolling
down, and expanding the "Definition Updates" section.
RELATED:
What's the Best Antivirus for Windows 10? (Is Windows Defender Good Enough?)
Driver Updates Arrive Occasionally
Driver update history in Windows 10's Settings
Hardware drivers are the bits of software that enable hardware devices like
your sound, Wi-Fi, graphics, printer, and other PC components. Hardware
manufacturers
sometimes release new versions of these drivers with bug fixes or other
improvements.
Windows Update also delivers hardware driver updates for your PC. Hardware
manufacturers give new hardware drivers to Microsoft, and Windows Update
downloads
them to your PC. How often your PC receives driver updates depends on the
hardware devices it contains and how often the hardware manufacturers are
releasing
updates.
You may have to restart your PC for driver updates, depending on the driver.
A list of installed driver updates can be found under "Driver Updates" on
Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View Update History.
Cumulative Updates Arrive Once Per Month
Quality updates in Windows 10's settings
Microsoft releases a "quality update" to Windows every month on the second
Tuesday of each month, which is known as "Patch Tuesday." These are big
updates
that contain security fixes as well as other bug fixes. They're called
cumulative updates because they bundle a large number of fixes-even fixes
from previous
updates, ensuring you just have to install one big cumulative update even if
your PC is off for a few months.
Technically, it's a little more complicated than this. Patch Tuesday's
cumulative update is known as a "B update" because it's released in the
second week
of the month. There are also "C" and "D" updates released in the third and
fourth weeks of the month. These contain bugfixes and other improvements,
but
you'll only get them if you
manually click the "Check for Updates" button
. If you never do that, you'll receive these bugfixes in next month's B
update on Patch Tuesday.
Cumulative updates require a reboot.
They touch important files that can't be modified while Windows is running.
You can view the list of cumulative updates Windows has found from the
Update History page, too. Head to Settings > Update & Security > Windows
Update
View Update History, scroll down, and expand "Quality Updates."
Windows Update > View Update History screen.
