Published: Jul 17, 2024
Key Takeaways:
- Microsoft plans to introduce checkpoint cumulative updates for Windows 11 version 24H2 and Windows Server 2025.
- These updates will be quicker to download and install, saving time, bandwidth, and hard drive space by only fetching and installing changes since the last checkpoint.
- IT admins managing updates with tools like Windows Update for Business and WSUS won’t need to make changes.
Microsoft is set to enhance the Windows update process with the introduction of checkpoint cumulative updates for Windows 11 version 24H2 and Windows Server 2025, promising faster and more efficient updates. This new system aims to reduce bandwidth usage and installation time by delivering smaller, incremental updates based on the last checkpoint.
Cumulative updates (CUs) are monthly updates released on Patch Tuesday for all supported versions of Windows. Each cumulative update grows in size because it includes compressed versions of every component and binary that has changed since Windows was released, potentially using too much bandwidth.
Microsoft previously introduced differential downloads to reduce the size of Windows Updates. This system only fetches and installs the parts of updates that are missing on the Windows device, which Microsoft claims can reduce the size of most updates by around 35 percent.
Microsoft plans to significantly shrink the size of Windows updates with checkpoint cumulative updates in Windows 11 version 24H2. The company will release a milestone update called a checkpoint cumulative update. After that, Microsoft will periodically deliver smaller patches that only contain changes since the last checkpoint.
Essentially, users will find these updates quicker to download and install on Windows 11 PCs. Checkpoint cumulative updates streamline the update process, making it faster, more efficient, and less resource-intensive for Windows 11 devices. These checkpoint cumulative updates are already available in preview for Windows Insiders on the Dev Channel.
“This will allow you to get features and security enhancements via the latest cumulative update through smaller, incremental differentials containing only the changes since the previous checkpoint cumulative update. This means that you can save time, bandwidth, and hard drive space,” Microsoft explained.
Additionally, IT admins using tools like Windows Update for Business, Windows Autopatch, or Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) won’t need to take any action. However, enterprise admins may notice that some updates contain multiple package files: one representing a checkpoint and another with the cumulative payload.
Microsoft notes that checkpoint cumulative updates will have the same impact on feature updates delivered through an enablement package. “When a checkpoint is introduced in alignment with the availability of a feature update with an enablement package, the monthly updates for those releases can start fresh and small. This means that Microsoft can scale to more enablement packages for feature updates, and you can adopt them faster, more easily, and more efficiently than a traditional feature update,” Microsoft added.
Windows 11 version 24H2 is already available on new Copilot+ PCs that began shipping on June 18. This feature update includes new features and performance enhancements, such as Windows Studio Effects, Voice Clarity, Windows Protected Print Mode, and on-device generative AI capabilities with Cocreator in Paint and Image Generator in Photos. This release also brings improvements to File Explorer and Taskbar’s Quick Settings.