TECH NEWS – The company may finally be changing something in its operating system that we found annoying back in the 1990s.

Even though a computer can be so stable that it can run for weeks without a hitch, sometimes you just HAVE to restart Windows because its updates force you to. There’s nothing worse than when the operating system unexpectedly pops up and says, well, now you have to reboot because it’s updating itself. Luckily for us, Microsoft wants to eliminate this scenario.

Windows Central has reported that they’re working on a Windows Update method that doesn’t require a reboot. The method, called hot patching, will install updates to the operating system while it is running. The company already uses this method in its Windows Azure versions, so it is a logical step for Microsoft to bring it to the traditional desktop version.

In Windows Azure, the documentation explains how reboot-free updating works: “It establishes a baseline with the current Cumulative Update for Windows Server. Periodically (starting every three months), it refreshes the baseline with the latest Cumulative Update, and then releases hot patches for two months.” So you have to reboot, but four times a year. And that’s a lot less than we’ve seen before, but that’s okay.

However, there is a trick to this: you need VBS to avoid the need for frequent reboots. VBS stands for Virtualization Based Security, and it has a negative impact on game performance. So if you are using a PC built for gaming, be prepared for a lower frame rate with VBS turned on, but of course for older, less system-intensive games this should not be a problem.

It’s likely that Microsoft will add this feature to the operating system in the Windows 11 Update 24H2. This will certainly require a reboot or two, and probably at the same time as the DirectX DirectSR technology that was in the news today.

Source: PCGamer, Windows Central, Microsoft