2024-07-29 22:07:40
Microsoft is testing a technology to install Windows 11 security updates without restarting the computer.
Microsoft could remove one of the most annoying features of Windows in its next update. The tech giant is considering a new way to Install security updates without restarting your computer. This will free users from the mandatory reboot that interrupts productivity or gaming sessions.
Windows 11 Insider build 26058, available in the Canary and Dev channels, includes an option where it can be installed without a reboot. To do this You need to activate the Memory Integrity, an operating system feature that protects your computer from malware attacks that could compromise the kernel. According to Microsoft, those who enable it will be able to install without a mandatory reboot.
The Memory Integrity is found in the menu Core Isolationa Windows Security option that Protects important Windows core processes by isolating them in memory. By activating the Memory Integrityan isolated environment is created through hardware virtualization, so malware cannot use low-level drivers to hijack the computer.
What does that have to do with updates and reboots? Core Isolationor is part of Virtualization-Based Security (VBS), a solution that, in turn, allows you to use a technology to patch Windows without having to restart your computer. Microsoft defines it as “Hotpatch for virtual machines” and it is used in Windows Server 2022.
The main advantage of the Hotpatch is that Windows security updates are installed faster without rebooting. The packages They include fewer binary files, so they don’t consume as much disk and CPU resources.streamlining the workload.
Windows 11 will say goodbye to reboots after security updates
According to Windows Centralwhen installing version 26058 the string is added ge_release_svc_hotpatch_prod1.240211-0859 to the Windows build name, which would confirm the use of a technology that until now was exclusive to Windows Server. Sources close to the technology company told the media that Microsoft plans to bring this technology to Windows 11so we could see it deployed this year.
Mandatory reboot in security patches is a feature that has been applied since the beginning of Windows Update con Windows 98. In some versions of the operating system, Users had to wait hours to complete the installation. Windows would download updates without warning and the user would accidentally reboot by tapping the taskbar notification.
Despite the advance in connection speeds and hardware performance, The Windows 11 update process hasn’t changed muchThe current version of the operating system omits technical details so as not to confuse the average user, but it does retain the mandatory reboot. That is why many users rely on tricks such as changing group policies or disabling Windows Update.
Security updates without mandatory reboot via Hotpatch could be implemented in Windows 11 24H2the next major Windows update.