Why does a Windows 11 update still feel like it's 1985?

[Adam Beckett]

I decided today to hop from Win11 21H2 to 23H2 (Preview build) ... and - like always with Microsoft Windows - they wasted my whole day.

Initially, I wanted to skip to the 24H2 version (Insider Preview), but that didn't work out, since the update was stuck on 31%.

"Please do not turn off your computer".

Googlebinging "31% windows update stuck" ... gave me years old reddit and MS posts of users having the exact same issue.

Eventually, I was able to install 23H2 - having to re-enable TPM 2.0, Hypervisor and 'Secure Boot' in the UEFI/BIOS settings. I could not skip those, because I needed to 'update' my existing Windows install, due to the gazillion games that are installed on this particular machine, with license keys bound to the registry (yes, that still exists). Export/Import local profile is risky and may not work with all files/folders/reg-settings.

What feels like it's 1985 (MS Windows 1.0) is the fact that Windows is STILL doing the same s**t in the same s**tty manner: obscurity over transparency.

Slap a blue screen on the display and pretend "We got this! Don't worry about anything" - The Redmond way. Also the Apple way - even though, less sophisticated.

With old UNIX (and now Linux) systems, you get to see what is happening, where it is at all times, where it is temporarily stuck, what came before - line by line.

With Windows, you stare at a blue screen - or worse - a loading bar or a fake percentage number stuck at 6% for 30 minutes.

Things may or may not be happening in the background.

Granted, Microsoft never cared about giving more 'sophisticated' users a different option. Even sysadmins doing large-scale mass deployment via console/powershell and DISM have lots to complain about. It is not just us - 'Gamers'.

And to finish it off - after a (successful) update, I decided to immediately delete the previous Windows version ... using the 'Disk Cleanup' Windows tool.

"Immediately delete" ... I have to take it back.

Windows took like another 30 minutes to 'delete' these files (4x4.3GHz Intel, 32GB RAM + SSD), because it did not just rewrite the file table (MFT), but instead PHYSICALLY WROTE for 30 minutes zeroes to erase the nodes?! SSD C: drive usage 100% for 30 min! WTF?!

It was not finished while I started to write this essay here.

My apologies for doing this 'me-blog-post' in public.

I needed to vent. Where better than though a 'Valve'?

[r.linder]

Welcome to Windows, where it takes hours to install the OS and set things up the way you want it, including disabling and removing a bunch of junk that Microsoft baked into it.

[Electric Cupcake]

I think you mean 1984.

[A&A]

lol, at least older program installers allowed you to see if your system was actually doing something.
What would it cost them to add something like this?

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Originally posted by A&A:

lol, at least older program installers allowed you to see if your system was actually doing something.
What would it cost them to add something like this?

You can see that within Task Manager and Resource Monitor quite easily actually.

What can help is if you would like WU to finish up a little quicker, you can change Delivery Optimization settings for WU to allow a higher maximum LAN throughput for doing the updates, as you can always adjust this and/or turn it down later if needed.

Also can help that before or during you do a WU process, that you disable everything for Defender to temp kill its real-time scanning. It would auto-re-enable itself afterwards anyways, or after a log off, log on; or a reboot anyways.

What you might also be experiencing with WU being slow is simply the download servers being slow for you at that time. You can usually stop and cancel all of that out if you wish, then go download each KB update yourself via web browser and then apply them afterwards.

If you are wanting to do a Feature Update (such as Win10 22H2 or Win11 24H2 within the current OS; such as going from Win10 21H2 to 22H2 for example) the best way to do this would be to simply download the entire OS ISO, make a Bootable USB for that with ISO contents (using MCT or RUFUS); once created and ready to use, simply run the Setup.exe from the USB within current OS and have it perform the needed updates.

[A&A]

Some updates can be installed without rebooting the system, others require it as a feature update as you mention, and in this case it will also happen if you want to install/remove optional features, so during this installation I don't think it's possible to access either the Task Manager or the Resource monitor.

Good suggestions btw

[󠀡]

Originally posted by Adam Beckett:

I decided today to hop from Win11 21H2 to 23H2 (Preview build) ... and - like always with Microsoft Windows - they wasted my whole day.

Initially, I wanted to skip to the 24H2 version (Insider Preview), but that didn't work out, since the update was stuck on 31%.

"Please do not turn off your computer".

Googlebinging "31% windows update stuck" ... gave me years old reddit and MS posts of users having the exact same issue.

Eventually, I was able to install 23H2 - having to re-enable TPM 2.0, Hypervisor and 'Secure Boot' in the UEFI/BIOS settings. I could not skip those, because I needed to 'update' my existing Windows install, due to the gazillion games that are installed on this particular machine, with license keys bound to the registry (yes, that still exists). Export/Import local profile is risky and may not work with all files/folders/reg-settings.

What feels like it's 1985 (MS Windows 1.0) is the fact that Windows is STILL doing the same s**t in the same s**tty manner: obscurity over transparency.

Slap a blue screen on the display and pretend "We got this! Don't worry about anything" - The Redmond way. Also the Apple way - even though, less sophisticated.

With old UNIX (and now Linux) systems, you get to see what is happening, where it is at all times, where it is temporarily stuck, what came before - line by line.

With Windows, you stare at a blue screen - or worse - a loading bar or a fake percentage number stuck at 6% for 30 minutes.

Things may or may not be happening in the background.

Granted, Microsoft never cared about giving more 'sophisticated' users a different option. Even sysadmins doing large-scale mass deployment via console/powershell and DISM have lots to complain about. It is not just us - 'Gamers'.

And to finish it off - after a (successful) update, I decided to immediately delete the previous Windows version ... using the 'Disk Cleanup' Windows tool.

"Immediately delete" ... I have to take it back.

Windows took like another 30 minutes to 'delete' these files (4x4.3GHz Intel, 32GB RAM + SSD), because it did not just rewrite the file table (MFT), but instead PHYSICALLY WROTE for 30 minutes zeroes to erase the nodes?! SSD C: drive usage 100% for 30 min! WTF?!

It was not finished while I started to write this essay here.

My apologies for doing this 'me-blog-post' in public.

I needed to vent. Where better than though a 'Valve'?

Don't use windows 11

https://www.techspot.com/news/104398-microsoft-try-resurrect-windows-recall-ai-october.html

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Doesn't matter which OS UPDATE or DEVICE DRIVER you install; you should always reboot when done.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Originally posted by Channel_191:

Don't use windows 11

https://www.techspot.com/news/104398-microsoft-try-resurrect-windows-recall-ai-october.html

It's up to the users to just be aware and disable all that junk. MS might as well just stop making Windows OS if that is heading towards any kind of OS-wide Default Setting. We already made them reverse course once on this matter. They'd be digging their own graves to try it again.

Nothing AI related belongs in consumer OS' ~ where it can record and learn you.

Being an optional online tool is a different story.

[=J.DAY= THE TERMINATOR 2]

if you like statistics graphs and probabilities i think the world is probably going to more or less skip out on win 11. and when i say more or less i mean more.

no one can convince me to install windows 11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqCTq3EeDcY

[Bad 💀 Motha]

I don't see what everyone sees in Win11 that has you as a user fearful; if you are already using Win10 then what's the problem?


"no one can convince me to install windows 11"

I could of sworn I heard that all before... Oh right, every one said that about Win10

[=J.DAY= THE TERMINATOR 2]

you caught me but it was free.

[=J.DAY= THE TERMINATOR 2]

damn this i7-2700k i really secretly want widows 11 its only bad if youre one of those people all entering your phone number and microsoft email account into it

ill never trust microsoft since digital activation. that put an end to most of my interet surfing habits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QjMS8ut6mE

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Originally posted by Grand Ayatrollah:

damn this i7-2700k i really secretly want widows 11 its only bad if youre one of those people all entering your phone number and microsoft email account into it

ill never trust microsoft since digital activation. that put an end to most of my interet surfing habits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QjMS8ut6mE

You can just use a local account; never need to use MS online account for WinOS.
Save that for apps/services you might want to log into via the Store app or Web Browser.
No one forcing you to use a MS account as your OS login.

[A&A]

I was and am perfectly fine with Windows 10, although it was annoying at times…
Windows 8 wasn't that bad, but I don't understand why they had to merge the UI with the mobile versions when it's clearly not suitable for a PC where you actually want your programs and files organized for quick access.

[=J.DAY= THE TERMINATOR 2]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

Originally posted by Grand Ayatrollah:

damn this i7-2700k i really secretly want widows 11 its only bad if youre one of those people all entering your phone number and microsoft email account into it

ill never trust microsoft since digital activation. that put an end to most of my interet surfing habits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QjMS8ut6mE

You can just use a local account; never need to use MS online account for WinOS.
Save that for apps/services you might want to log into via the Store app or Web Browser.
No one forcing you to use a MS account as your OS login.

omg the laptop we are talking about in the other thread...

FORCED ME TO USE INTERNET BEFORE I COULD EVEN CONTINUE

its absolutely mandatory to sign up a fake microsoft account. i couldnt believe it normally theyre really good at hiding the local account option because they dont want everyone clicking on it. but IT WAS NOT THERE! lol

i had to download the factory iso from windows and then with rufus, disable microsoft account requirments.


i musta had one special laptop. its half the reason i gave up on windows 11 ad retured it to the store. maybe i just had a pos laptop and im hating win 11 for no reason?