Forcing Windows Update to finish configuration of all patches

[stephen_az]

Some people may be aware that when Windows Update downloaded multiple patches in December and January several of those patches require an additional reboot beyond the first one. Windows RT, however, does not automatically complete the process on the next boot but instead finishes on a later shutdown or restart. It appears to be timed but I haven't bothered to check what the interval is before the trigger.

Having had to do a couple resets recently while doing some experiments with the tablet, I have noticed there is a way to force the OS to finish configuring all downloaded updates. If you restart the tablet, go to disk cleanup. select clean system files, and then choose all the options, when next you shutdown/restart the tablet, it will trigger Windows update to finish configuring additional updates and then run an update cleanup routine. Yes, this does also appear to recapture a bit of space. Actually, the only option you probably need to check in disk cleanup is cleanup windows update but I had no desire to rerun the utility to delete additional stuff so I don't know that as a fact.

 

[msdugn]

This isn't true.

All reboots for needed updates are collapsed into a single reboot. A second reboot is only needed if there is a firmware update (as there was in January). There was also an update released in January that fixed the 30-day automatic cleanup that should usually free up disk space for installed packages. So, while you forced of a disk cleanup that likely cleaned up some items, it's the January update that actually triggered the cleanup for Windows Update residual content. With the recent January fix, Windows Update will automatically clean itself up every 30 days - although you can force it earlier via Disk Cleanup.

 

[stephen_az]

This isn't true.

All reboots for needed updates are collapsed into a single reboot. A second reboot is only needed if there is a firmware update (as there was in January). There was also an update released in January that fixed the 30-day automatic cleanup that should usually free up disk space for installed packages. So, while you forced of a disk cleanup that likely cleaned up some items, it's the January update that actually triggered the cleanup for Windows Update residual content. With the recent January fix, Windows Update will automatically clean itself up every 30 days - although you can force it earlier via Disk Cleanup.

Actually, you are absolutely incorrect. Even a check of the Microsoft info posted with its patches every month would tell you the obvious. In each of the past two months, there have been patches that require an independent reboot. If you do a refresh of tablet, let it reboot or even reboot a couple times, and then run a disk cleanup, you would notice something obvious. On the next reboot, it will go through the standard screen re configuring updates, reboot, and then run the cleanup utility. It is something that is easily verified. Having also had update configuration trigger the normal way (a couple days later) when sitting in a coffee shop and either needing to restart or completely shut down, it is also something that can be annoying under certain circumstances.

Sorry but this is just a fact of life. It is also absolutely a fact of life that there will be months where more than one reboot is going to be mandatory due to the nature of the patches. Microsoft has also never tried to change that and package everything into one reboot in the entire time it is has used WU. If people haven't noticed that it is because it is mostly transparent and many people don't care to observe that some boots are a little longer than others. The fact that you can trigger update configuration in Windows RT is an easily demonstrable fact - end of subject.

 

[msdugn]

The design for Windows 8/RT updating is documented here

Minimizing restarts after automatic updating in Windows Update - Building Windows 8 - Site Home - MSDN Blogs

Only 2 classes of updates can trigger a required restart, and those types are only released on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. At that time, whether it's 2, 3, 5 or 7 updates that all require a reboot, all of the updates are batched together and all of their individual reboots are collapsed into a single reboot. Any updates released any other day of the month that aren't of these two classifications (security update or critical update) may also require a reboot, but they are prevented from rebooting the device until the 2nd Tuesday timeframe.

There have been two exceptions to the once-a-month-only (2nd Tuesday) release of updates - both due to critical updates. All updates to Windows 8/RT are publicly documented here:
Description of Software Update Services and Windows Server Update Services changes in content for 2013

Additionally, Windows RT may incur a special class of update (again, relegated to only 2nd Tuesday), which is a firmware update for which an immediate reboot is required (no 3 day countdown timer as documented above).

I can honestly say that everyone where we work has a Windows RT device. We test each update and batches of updates before they are released to ensure quality. And in addition to telemetry and stats we have built into the OS, we have employees that quickly report any issues or variation they observe from the documented behaviors so we can look into them straightaway.

I hope that helps...

dugn