Microsoft is bringing Window’s 11’s slimmed-down updates to Windows 10, shedding megabytes for quicker upgrades

[TechRadar]

Windows 10’s monthly updates will get a lot smaller, and therefore quicker to download and install, thanks to a feature that first debuted in Windows 11. Users with eligible devices can expect a decrease in update since the April 9, 2024 update which was 830 MB to around 630 MB with the latest update, released on April 23, 2024. 

The change was announced by Microsoft in a Windows blog post, writing that Windows 10 users will be getting a significant efficiency boost. Monthly Windows updates are typical for Windows 10 and Windows 11, and having to download bulky updates can be annoying and time consuming, especially for people with slower (or metered) internet connections. 

You can read more about what the shrunk-down update, KB5036979, will bring on Microsoft’s Support blog. Some of the developments that this update brings include account-related notifications (such as account activities, data backups, subscription management, and security settings) across the Start menu and Settings, an updated Widgets lock screen, a fix for a Bluetooth-related issue affecting certain wireless earbuds, an improved and more reliable Windows Search, as well as other quality-of-life updates. 

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Gorodenkoff)

Improved Windows 10 updates ahead

Microsoft explains that until now, Windows 11 cumulative updates were more efficiently packaged than those for Windows 10. This has now changed, with a reduction in the size of the monthly latest cumulative update (LCU) package.

If your device is running Windows 10, make sure you have done the following to make sure you’re ready for these new updates:

1. Check if you’ve updated your system since the Windows 10 July 23, 2023 update (KB5028244).
2. If you haven’t, download and install Servicing Stack Update (SSU) KB5031539. 
3. Once the above step is finished, download and install a quality update from April 2023 or later. 

It’s good to see that Windows 10 users are still getting quality updates and that Microsoft is making adjustments to make them easier to install, especially as we approach Windows 10’s End-of-Life date on October 14, 2025. While I’m sure Windows 10 users appreciate that they’re still getting improved functionality, it remains sensible to prepare to update to Windows 11 (or whatever the next iteration of Windows is called which we expect to learn about soon). 

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