In our latest sneak peek at what's new in Windows 8, we take a look at how Microsoft is tackling that necessary evil: updating your OS.
There's no denying Windows Update makes it easy to, well, update Windows. And most everyone is happy for Windows Update to download and install the latest patches in the background to keep the operating system up to date (according to Microsoft, 90% of users opt to do this). But as Microsoft found out, most everyone hates the need to reboot -- it simply interrupts what you're doing: forcing you to close down programs, wait for rebooting and start your programs again.
Windows Update notifications will be found on the login screen (bottom right) to remind the user to reboot.
Unfortunately, this isn't going with Windows 8 -- but Microsoft is working to make the experience a little less annoying. One of the problems Microsoft faces is that even when updates are automatically installed, if a reboot is required it prompts the user to let them know they need to reboot. Chances are if they're at the computer using it, the user will delay it. If an update happens to be a patch for a critical vulnerability that's being exploited out in the wild at the time, this leaves the machine susceptible. It doesn't help that these annoying prompts are the reason some users set updating to manual so they can update when they're ready. Good for the user, not for Microsoft attempting to stem the tide of a vulnerability.
To this end a number of changes are being made to how Windows Update will function in Windows 8.
Consolidated updates
Microsoft's famed 'Patch Tuesday' -- the second Tuesday of each month -- will become a staple update window for all Windows 8 users. In order to minimise the number of reboots due to updates installed via Windows Update, any fixes that require a reboot will be rolled into the Patch Tuesday updates, so only one reboot is required if security patches are installed that also require a reboot. Microsoft's promise is that you'll only need to reboot your computer once a month at the most.
There is, however, an exception -- in instances of serious security threats (like the spread of a new worm), Windows 8 will be notified to download the critical update and reboot as soon as possible.
Forced restart
This one is more controversial. Microsoft found that most users install updates and reboot within three days of new patches being released. To this end, when Windows 8 downloads updates, a new notification will be displayed on the login screen telling the user that updates have been installed and they have three days to reboot. Sounds good, and the notification is on the login screen where they're more likely to notice it than on a temporary pop-up in the corner while they're working.
The catch, however, is that if the user doesn't reboot within three days Windows 8 will do it for them. Obviously those who don't like being forced to do anything with their own computers may find this more than a little intrusive. The one saving grace is that if the user is absent and applications are open, in order to prevent data loss the machine won't be rebooted but the user will be told they need to save their work when they next log in, after which the user has 15 minutes before the machine will reboot.
Minimised interruptions
The other intelligent action Windows 8 takes in regard to updates is that if a notification were to be displayed, this is suppressed if the user is doing something important. Microsoft gives the examples of a user watching a movie or playing a game, or in the business environment being interrupted during a PowerPoint presentation (we've seen this one plenty of times!). Here the restart will be delayed until the machine is no longer doing, presumably, something classed as important by Windows, or alternatively it will prompt the user the next time they log in that a reboot needs to take place.
While Windows Update could certainly see some improvements, we'll have to wait and see just how intrusive the Windows Update changes in Windows 8 are. It seems we still have some way to go before we have an OS that doesn't need to reboot and can be updated without resetting the computer. When that happens our PCs might finally be appliances.
