Microsoft says its next big update to Windows 10 will install in as little as 30 minutes—as opposed to a year ago, when the Creators Update required well over an hour.
While the total installation time hasn’t markedly changed, Microsoft said the upcoming version (code-named Redstone 4 and informally known as the Spring Creators Update) will do more behind the scenes while you’re actively using the PC. That will reduce the overall downtime to roughly a half-hour, as opposed to a time of about 82 minutes for last year’s Creators Update, and 51 minutes for the Fall Creators Update.
Don’t expect the Windows 10 to require exactly 30 minutes to download and install. However, Microsoft is moving two specific tasks behind the scenes—preparing your user content (files and documents) for migration, and creating a temporary directory for the new OS. By assigning both processes low priority, they shouldn’t negatively affect your PC’s performance as you work.
What this means for you: Microsoft appears to be making progress on reducing the time it takes to install major upgrades on your PC, and that’s good news. In the bad old days, you booted your PC, then went to make a cup of coffee. Today, especially with the rise of fast SSDs, PCs boot and resume in a matter of seconds. When Microsoft pushes its major Windows 10 update to your PC, however, that process can seemingly take forever—part of the reason Microsoft encourages you to apply the upgrade after hours. If you have a relatively speedy machine, however, you may be able to apply the update while you grab a sandwich—rather than sacrifice a chunk of your afternoon.