Windows 8 Security Updates to be Less Intrusive

According to Microsoft, Windows 8 will change the way users restart their computers after software updates, making life easier for home users and network administrators alike.

Microsoft will be scheduling all Windows 8 software updates for the second Tuesday of each month. Dubbed 'Patch Tuesday,' that date already sees all Microsoft security updates. Under the new plan, only emergency security updates will be released on other days. (Source: techspot.com)

Windows Update: New Three-Day Warning

Microsoft says it is also simplifying the update process.

Under the new scheme, updates will automatically download, then trigger a message notifying the user that he or she has three days to install the update. The update can be installed by either clicking a button on the log-in screen, later on the Control Panel, or through a new option in the Power menu. The Power menu shuts down, restarts, or puts the computer to sleep.

After the three days, the computer will automatically install the update and restart, preserving user data by doing so when no data is at risk, or by warning of an automatic restart in 15 minutes.

Auto-Install Now The Norm

According to Microsoft, these changes are in response to the way Windows 7 users currently handle updates.

Microsoft says that almost 90 per cent of users now have their computers set to download and install updates automatically.

Fewer than five per cent do all their updates manually, presumably waiting until they hear of a particularly major problem before letting Windows make a change. (Source: msdn.com)

Windows Updates Viewed as "Unnecessary Interruption"

Of those who get automated updates, there's a near-even split between the three main options: 39 per cent have their PCs set to install updates the next time they shut down their computer, 30 per cent have them set to install updates at a specific time (most commonly 3am) and 31 per cent simply restart as soon as they see a notification of a downloaded update.

Microsoft says it's surprised by this, and believes many of these users may regard updates as an unnecessary interruption.

The company also noted that even with these improvements, the restart itself is still necessary. That's because many updates can't be applied while applications are running.

Microsoft says it's trying to limit the amount of forced restarts to once every 30 days. (Source: pcworld.com)