Windows Update Questions

newmann · Jun 13, 2023

Dell xps 15 9520 with windows 11 pro. I would say on average 1 or 2 times a month, I get that notification on the bottom right corner that says

Your device needs to restart to install updates. Select a time to restart.

When I click on it, it would show the estimated amount of minutes it would takes. It would also show what the updates are. So few times it has shown Dell Firmware Update or some cumulative update. So when it's the dell firmware update, it would be the BIOS. Now each time I done an update, there wasn't an issue with the update. However, several times after doing an update, there were issues where my main external monitor didn't work and just my 2nd external monitor and only way to fix this was go to the intel site and download the intel/arc driver and that fixed the issue. I have i7-12700h processor and downloaded the same graphics card drive updated which fixed it. Other time, my sound didn't work but then it got fixed somehow by itself.

At the moment when checking on this windows update, it shows

Restart required (estimate: 5 min) Option of restart now or schedule restart

2023-06 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 48.1.1 for Windows 11, version 22H@ for x64 (KB5027119)

2023-06 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5027231)

Now each time I notice the bottom right notification of a windows update, what I do is ... assuming I'm not busy doing something at the moment, I would then just close all my programs and chrome windows. Then I would click on it and restart now. Then it would take a bit to restart my laptop and then that's all. But of course if I have external monitor issue or sound, I have to fix it.

1. Now... what happens if I don't click restart now and just continue what I'm doing on my laptop until I'm finished and then just shut down my laptop? The next time I power on my laptop, it would still show that windows update notification logo on the bottom right of my laptop? If so, how long can I have that there without doing the update? A few days? A week? How long before it automatically updates it for me?

2. The other big question is this. If it automatically does the update, is it possible it does it during the day when I'm busy on the laptop? Example say I'm going to be busy on the laptop for the next 8 hours. Is it possible during those 8 hours, it then automatically restarts my laptop to do the update? Because I absolutely cannot have this happen which is why whenever I see that windows update notification, I make sure to restart now for the update assuming I'm not busy now... or do it in few hours when I am done for the day... or say it is during a time when I'm busy for next 8 hours on the laptop. Well I do the windows update after I'm done with my business.

3. Do most people just click restart now whenever they see that windows update notification? I mean obviously you aren't going to restart now if you are busy on your laptop trading stocks or say on a zoom or skype call and do it afterwards. But can you delay it for several days or longer? There is option to schedule restart but when you do that, you pick the exact date and time? But what happens if your laptop isn't powered on during that day and time? Also whenever these windows update show up, they are safe right? Or should you wait a few days to see if others complain about these updates? Reason I ask is basically by the end of the night, I always click restart now to do the update because I don't want the next day I'm on the computer and it suddenly restarts and update when I'm busy on the laptop the next 8 hours or more.

4. Is there a way to know these updates are not good such as it causes issues for your computer? Such as with the monitor and sound issues? I am not a fan of updates because several times it has caused issues with monitor or sound. But these updates have to be done?

5. I do not do any dell updates and only do update from windows. That is always the way to do it? I have the Dell Update app but I figure better to only do Windows Updates?

wiganken · Jun 14, 2023

First off I would turn off 'Get the latest updates as soon as they are available'. See photo.

Then I would do the updates manually at a time to suit yourself when you are not using the laptop for anything else. This will only take maybe 20 minutes once per month per machine and leaves you free to forget about updates for another month. This sorts out questions 1, 2 and 3.

Re question 4 - The short answer is No! Patch Tuesday updates nearly always contain security patches so in that sense it is advisable to install them but there is no garauntee they are problem free. In my case I have only seen one issue in the last 5 years with either of my two machines after an update and that was caused by using a 3rd party updating app IOBit DriverBooster (which I no longer use and do not recommend).

Re question 5 - I too have a DELL laptop and I use DELL Support Assistant with no problems. This app selects the correct drivers that are specific to the machine and they have always installed smoothly. I think BIOS updates are not available via Windows but I could be wrong on that.

K7MEM · Jun 14, 2023

I'm updated to Windows 11 over a year ago. I get regular notices about updates. I generally ignore them until it suites me. I don't have a Dell computer. I use HP computers.

If you don't click restart now, the updates will just sit there until your ready. I think the longest I have ever put them off was 2 weeks. You can delay the updates manually, but I have never used that option. Under Windows Updates --> Advanced Options is a setting for Active Hours. The maximum time is 18 hours. I have my computer set for 3 AM to 9PM. That covers most of the day. If it covers your working hours, you will not be bothered with automatic reboots. Even outside of the Active Hours, if your computer is in use and busy, you will not be interrupted.

In the early days of W10, updates would wake up your computer and install updates. But they stopped doing that a long time ago. I have never been interrupted in the middle of working, even outside of active hours.

One of the reasons that I put off the updates for a week, is so I can read this forum and look for any reported issues. If I don't see any in a week, I just assume that the update is OK. Years ago, with W10, I had one bad update. But I just backed it out and reinstalled it. No problem after that. I have had the case where, while waiting, a update was reissued because of a problem. By the time I installed it, the problem was fixed.

My laptop is never shut down. When I am through working, I just close the lid (hibernation). When I am ready to work again, I open the lid, hit the start button, and get back to work. Everything that was running when I closed the lid, is still there when I open it. Windows Update has never tried to restart my computer while the lid was closed, and just notifies me of updates, when I open the lid. I still do the updates manually, when it suits me.

Usually the updates will wait for me to download and install them. But sometimes, if I wait long enough, they will automatically download and install themselves. Even while I am working. I can tell that my system is bogged down a bit, but when it's done, it does not automatically reboot my computer. It still waits for me to give it the go ahead. Maybe I will do it later, or maybe not till tomorrow.

wiganken said:
First off I would turn off 'Get the latest updates as soon as they are available'.

Personally, I leave that "On" all the time. It has never bothered me with any of the updates. I have 3 updates waiting for me right now. They are not causing any issues.

On my laptop, security updates happen every day. Sometimes two a day. They load and install without any notice and don't require manual installation or a system reboot.

newmann · Jun 15, 2023

wiganken said:
First off I would turn off 'Get the latest updates as soon as they are available'. See photo.

Then I would do the updates manually at a time to suit yourself when you are not using the laptop for anything else. This will only take maybe 20 minutes once per month per machine and leaves you free to forget about updates for another month. This sorts out questions 1, 2 and 3.

Re question 4 - The short answer is No! Patch Tuesday updates nearly always contain security patches so in that sense it is advisable to install them but there is no garauntee they are problem free. In my case I have only seen one issue in the last 5 years with either of my two machines after an update and that was caused by using a 3rd party updating app IOBit DriverBooster (which I no longer use and do not recommend).

Re question 5 - I too have a DELL laptop and I use DELL Support Assistant with no problems. This app selects the correct drivers that are specific to the machine and they have always installed smoothly. I think BIOS updates are not available via Windows but I could be wrong on that.

View attachment 62340

It shows off already. So what does that mean? So these updates are not as soon as they are available then?

newmann · Jun 15, 2023

Well I shut down my laptop when it is off. The last thing I want is if I'm busy doing something, then it updates itself while I'm busy for a while.

So that is why I always restart the laptop to install the update before I shut down the computer.

So is that bad idea or not?

wiganken · Jun 15, 2023

wiganken said:
Then I would do the updates manually at a time to suit yourself when you are not using the laptop for anything else. This will only take maybe 20 minutes once per month per machine and leaves you free to forget about updates for another month. This sorts out questions 1, 2 and 3.

If you do the updates manually once per month as I said earlier then I believe this will sort out your query. I suggest doing the update on the 20th of each month and click on 'Restart now' to finish installing them.

20 minutes effort per month and you will be sorted except for 'out-of-band' updates that is. See: -

Making sense of out-of-band Windows updates and KIRs .

K7MEM · Jun 15, 2023

newmann said:
It shows off already. So what does that mean? So these updates are not as soon as they are available then?

I only means that, if it was "On" you might get some of the updates sooner than usual. MS says:

"Whether you set the toggle to Off or On, you'll still get the regular security updates as usual. The toggle determines how quickly you get the additional non-security updates, fixes, feature updates, and improvements."

I have mine "On" all the time and haven't noticed much of a difference in the delivery of updates. I still make them wait, until I am ready to update.

According to my Update History, I get Quality and Definition Updates every 2 to 4 weeks, Driver Updates every 4 weeks, and Definition Updates every day.

newmann said:
Well I shut down my laptop when it is off. The last thing I want is if I'm busy doing something, then it updates itself while I'm busy for a while.

So that is why I always restart the laptop to install the update before I shut down the computer.

So is that bad idea or not?

If that is how you do it, that's fine. Other users do it differently. When I'm ready for updates, I download and install every update that is available, close all of my programs, and then Update and Restart. The update system is not going to wait around looking for you to get busy, so it can interrupt you. For most users, the Active Hours setting is going to keep you safe while you are working. Even if you are working on you computer outside of the Active Hours, MS will not come blasting through and update and restart your machine. It can recognize that you are busy. I have been using W11 for about 1-1/2 years now and have never been interrupted with a restart to install updates, on or off Active Hours. The worst I get is a little notice in the task bar.

Note, there is a little difference between Installing and Updating. Updates can be installed while you are working. They won't bother anything, other than using up some disk and CPU time. This gets the updates ready for your system restart. Once you restart, the updates are applied to the affected OS and applications.