Windows 10: end of delta updates in 2019
Microsoft employee Mike Benson revealed on Wednesday that Microsoft will retire delta updates in February 2019 to use Express Updates exclusively.
Microsoft introduced cumulative updates in Windows 10 to "reduce ecosystem fragmentation" and to "make it easier for IT admins and end users to stay up to date and secure". Cumulative updates introduced issues on the other hand; first, that it removed choice from users and admins in regards to the updates that would get installed on Windows systems. With cumulative updates, users and admins have only two choices: whether to install a cumulative update or not, and whether to install security-only or full updates.
Microsoft identified a growing size of updates as another issue. Benson notes that cumulative updates started at between 100 to 200 Megabytes but grew to between 1 and 1.2 Gigabytes over the course of the lifespan.
The company informed users and administrators in 2017 that it reduced the size of Windows Updates by using differential packages.
Microsoft designed three different types of updates to improve how cumulative updates are deployed to systems:
- Full updates include all components and files that have changed or been added since the last feature update. Microsoft calls these updates LCU, Latest Cumulative Update.
- Delta updates only include components and files that changed in the most recent update. Delta updates apply only if the system has last month's update installed, and will only push changed files to the system. They include the full component that changed (not just individual files).
- Express updates generate differential downloads for every component of the full update based on certain criteria. Devices will only download what is needed as the optimal differentials are determined.
Delta updates are larger in size than express updates, and full updates are larger than delta updates.
Express updates have another advantage over delta updates: they don't require the previous month's updates installed.
Delta updates were made available by Microsoft primarily because the express update protocol was only available to devices connecting to Windows Update or Windows Server Update Services, and not to third-party update management systems.
Microsoft extended the express update protocol in January 2017 but did not disable delta updates then to "give companies and third-party update management tools time to implement support for express updates".
All recent feature updates for Windows 10 support delta updates (Windows 10 version 1607 to 1803), and Windows 10 version 1809, the October 2018 Update, will support delta updates as well.
Windows 10 version 1809 will be the last feature update version that supports delta updates; Microsoft announced that it will end support for delta updates on February 12, 2019. (via Born)
Its a good step. Windows is by far the slowest system to update..apart from Gentoo but thats due to its compiling every component.
Can’t wait for 1809 with Dark Explorer Feature, seems fine. Only using normal Updates of certain
Releases, no fixes needed.
Just saw, we can change Apps running in 32Bit Mode to 16 Bit, did a great Performance Job on my older Machine.
When I go to the Microsoft Update Catalogue, I never see an Express Update option, only Cumulative and Delta. Worse, any time I try to install the Delta update, it runs for a while and finally spits out a message that this update is not suited for my computer (both my Lenovo and Dell experience this behavior). I always am forced to load the Cumulative update. Sure would like to see that Express option.
When I go to the Microsoft Update Catalogue, I never see an Express Update option, only Cumulative and Delta. Worse, any time I try to install the Delta update, it runs for a while and finally spits out a message that this update is not suited for my computer (both my Lenovo and Dell on version 1709 experience this behavior). I always am forced to load the Cumulative update. Sure would like to see that Express option.
From what I gather, Express Updates will always be generated uniquely for your machine. As stated in the article, they’re only available directly from the Windows Update site.
Nice news, I guess. I still can’t understand why the major upgrade from Windows 10 1709 to 1803 is able to make unusable my fully functional system that worked like a charm since 1511. I really miss the old updating method with no upgrade each six months and no cumulative updates. I know some friends of mine who disconnect the wifi driver to disable updates when they are working because they are afraid about losing their work. Windows 10 upgrading and updating is by now a complete nightmare, specially with every major upgrade, the worst experience for some people.
Install Simplewall and enable filtering in whitelist mode and they no longer have to worry about losing work.
https://github.com/henrypp/simplewall
With Simplewall, you have control over what can access internet and what cannot. Windows 10 will be forced to ask your permission to access the internet.
Very interesting! Thanks! :)
wonder how wsus will be affected
Will this make it harder to avoid updates?
I don’t think it changes any of that as it just changes how updates are delivered to systems.
Install Gentoo
What they don’t tell you that the calculation of the differences on low performance workstations takes 50 times longer than downloading a gigabyte large update.