How Microsoft Improves Windows Update in Windows 10 19H1

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New refinements coming to the update experience

Updating Windows continues to be quite a challenge for the millions of Microsoft users, but the software giant is working on fixing this with substantial improvement to every part of the update process.

After promising to focus more on the quality of updates shipped to Windows users, Microsoft is also refining the Windows Update service altogether.

And the first step in this approach is a batch of improvements for Windows Update in Windows 10, with the upcoming 19H1 release to make them available for everyone.

Basically, what Microsoft tries to do right now is to make Windows Update more straightforward and to give users more control over the updates they install.

So with build 18282, currently available for users in the Fast ring, Microsoft is introducing two important changes that are supposed to be part of this Windows Update overhaul.

First and foremost, the option to pause updates is now migrated right to the main UI of the update screen.

Basically, this particular setting makes it possible to pause the process of downloading and installing updates for a user-defined number of days. By default, it’s set to 7 days, but you can adjust that number from the advanced section screen.

What’s important to know is that pausing updates only works with Windows security updates, and certain updates, like new virus definitions for Windows Defender, are still allowed to get through.

Options to pause updates are already available for all Windows 10 users, even in the October 2018 Update, but they’re buried deep down in Windows Update. So with 19H1, Microsoft brings it to main screen for a more straightforward approach.

Additionally, Microsoft is bringing intelligent active hours to Windows 10 devices. Active hours is a feature that’s already part of the Windows 10 feature arsenal, and it’s purpose is to prevent accidental reboots to complete the installation of news updates.

As you might remember if you’re a long-time Windows user, the operating system needs to reboot the system in order to complete the update task. In the past, these system restarts were often forced on users, leading to more frustration in the user community.

Microsoft has basically resolved this with active hours, which allow users to define the hours when they are working on their systems to prevent forced reboots.

And with Windows 10 19H1, this feature is being pushed a step further with intelligent improvements. Active hours can now adapt to your working hours, as Microsoft explains.

“Setting your active hours will let Windows know when to avoid rebooting your device. However, we understand some of our users have shifting productivity schedules and remembering to adjust Active hours can be a challenge. Now, Windows can automatically adjust active hours for you based on your device activity.”

This feature can be enabled from Settings > Update and Security > Windows Update > Change active hours, and it also allows you to change the default active hours on Windows 10.

Basically, this approach should make unexpected reboots something that no longer happens in Windows 10, and this can only be good news for users. Furthermore, with Windows Update tweaked to spend less time in offline stage, the update experience is clearly on the right path for everyone on Windows 10.

These features are currently available in preview stage, and there’s no doubt that the update experience will be further refined in Windows 10. According to Microsoft’s typical product roadmap, Windows 10 19H1 is projected to be finalized in March, while the public rollout should begin in April. New builds are also expected to go live in the coming weeks.

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