Microsoft is planning a useful change: no reboot required after the Windows update

Microsoft is testing an update method for Windows 11 that will no longer require a restart for regular security updates in the future. The online portal Windows Central was the first to report this. The feature, known as hotpatching, is expected to be introduced with version 24H2 of the operating system, due in the second half of 2024.

Registered users of Microsoft’s Windows Insider program should be able to test the feature in a preliminary version. Microsoft already uses hot patching on some versions of its Windows Server server operating system and on the Xbox Series X gaming console.

As Windows Central notes, the introduction of the feature doesn’t mean users will never have to restart after Windows updates again. Hotpatching is only for monthly security updates. Major updates still required a PC restart. Microsoft wants to use hot patching to ensure that security updates are installed faster.

Will hot patching be available to all users?

It is also unclear whether the function will be published for all users, it is said. For example, Microsoft may initially only make hotpatching available for certain commercial versions such as Windows Enterprise Edition or Windows Education.

A few days ago it was also announced that Microsoft was working on its major feature update 24H2 for Windows 11 instead of Windows 12. The new version includes the long-awaited sudo command. This is a well-known feature of Unix operating systems that is now also being integrated into Windows 11.

For example, using Sudo allows faster file operations with administrative rights directly in the console – without having to go through the user interface. Developers and IT specialists in particular will be happy with this new feature.