Crazy Smooth Windows Upgrade to Windows 11

[NETWizz]

Have a computer that got the Windows 11 upgrade, which took like all of 5 minutes to restart!

The crazy thing is not only did not not break anything, but I had some open web pages and an Excel document. When it started back up, they were still OPEN just like some of the Windows 10 updates.

 

[Porthos]

Have a computer that got the Windows 11 upgrade, which took like all of 5 minutes to restart!

The upgrade must have already finished to the point of needing a restart. No way on any hardware could it go from start to finish in 5 minutes.

 

[Sky-Knight]

The upgrade must have already finished to the point of needing a restart. No way on any hardware could it go from start to finish in 5 minutes.

Not true, feature release updates for Windows 10 have been in this space for a couple years now. It's only when you manually apply the update that a full delta is processed and it takes forever.

If you get it via Windows Update, it's basically a reboot and done. It takes about as much time as the 20H1 and 21H1 updates did... that is... almost none.

 

[NETWizz]

That is exactly right. It was a glorified Windows update to Windows 11 and completely uneventful.

 

[Porthos]

Not true, feature release updates for Windows 10 have been in this space for a couple years now. It's only when you manually apply the update that a full delta is processed and it takes forever.

If you get it via Windows Update, it's basically a reboot and done. It takes about as much time as the 20H1 and 21H1 updates did... that is... almost none.

I will have to watch the next client machine and see. I personally use the ISO.

 

[Sky-Knight]

I will have to watch the next client machine and see. I personally use the ISO.

As do I when I'm forcing an update... but that takes longer.

Also, I've noticed that the update from 20H2 to 21H1 is available via a standard windows update API call, so I've been doing that feature update just as a regular patch! It's wonderful! I'm hoping that behavior sticks.

 

[Porthos]

Also, I've noticed that the update from 20H2 to 21H1 is available via a standard windows update API call, so I've been doing that feature update just as a regular patch! It's wonderful! I'm hoping that behavior sticks.

So do I and it is the same for 21h2.

As for 11, I have very few clients that have compatible hardware. So I have to wait until one calls and asks. But for the moment, I am going to ask them to wait until the new year.

 

[Sky-Knight]

So do I and it is the same for 21h2.

As for 11, I have very few clients that have compatible hardware. So I have to wait until one calls and asks. But for the moment, I am going to ask them to wait until the new year.

I'm very much in the same boat, I think of my managed fleet there are 5 machines in service that are Win11 compatible? All of which are "spares" right now, and not actually in service.

But I am making MS accounts for these machines, because the local admin login for the system gets Windows Hello'd before it ships so I have those recovery keys.

 

[HankArnold]

I recently "upgraded my personal machine (Surface Laptop) to W11 from W10. As others have indicated, it took a lot longer than 5 minutes. On the plus side, it went very smoothly. However, while most personalization transferred, a lot (like the Start menu) didn't. Bottom line: I don't see any significant reason to migrate from W10 for most folks. W10 is good until October 14th, 2025, so plenty of time for it to revolve... I will be advising folks to stay with W10.

Here's a "first look" review I did:

PC Security and Other Useful Information - Windows 10 or Windows 11?

blogs.msmvps.com

 

[alexsmith2709]

Not true, feature release updates for Windows 10 have been in this space for a couple years now. It's only when you manually apply the update that a full delta is processed and it takes forever.

If you get it via Windows Update, it's basically a reboot and done. It takes about as much time as the 20H1 and 21H1 updates did... that is... almost none.

I was a bit confused when i did this update and it was completed almost instantly. I didnt believe it had actually done the update. I read something recently about a change Microsoft had done in the way windows 11 downloads updates allowing less data to be downloaded so hopefully these kind of quick reboots and done are here to stay

 

[nlinecomputers]

Windows 11 was originally just a standard Windows 10 feature upgrade. Other than the new shell there’s no difference in the structure of Windows 11 over Windows 10. So of course it upgraded just like a cumulative update does. Because it IS ONE!

 

[britechguy]

Also remember that Windows Update does virtually all the "heavy lifting" as far as downloading and all the staging prep in the background while you are doing other things. You have no idea of how much work is being done or how long it has taken because it is "out of sight, out of mind."

Contrast that with either the Update Assistant (if you happen to kick it off before Windows Update has done a lot of the work already) or using an ISO, where all of the steps are front and center.

I don't think the non-ISO installs, if we were able to see all the steps, are really very different from each other in terms of the totality of what needs to be done. It's more a matter of what we're made aware of when it's happening.

The reboot step, even on HDD machines, is not the most time consuming one and on SSD machines is little more than a blip.

 

[Sky-Knight]

@britechguy The Windows 11 upgrade appears on eligible machines just like any other feature release.

And since you have to click that link to "start the process" right then and there... there cannot be any preloading.

The update still takes almost no time, it's very comparable to the 21H1 update when coming from 20H2.

 

[britechguy]

And since you have to click that link to "start the process" right then and there... there cannot be any preloading.

Uh, what do you call what occurs in the background before you are even presented with the option to "Download and install"?

I long ago learned that the download part was, for Windows Updates of any sort, generally done in advance of my activating that link, though there are some exceptions. Feature Updates have generally had no real "download" wait any time I've activated that link, and you cannot tell me that there was nothing that needed to be downloaded and staged for the install part.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Uh, what do you call what occurs in the background before you are even presented with the option to "Download and install"?

I long ago learned that the download part was, for Windows Updates of any sort, generally done in advance of my activating that link, though there are some exceptions. Feature Updates have generally had no real "download" wait any time I've activated that link, and you cannot tell me that there was nothing that needed to be downloaded and staged for the install part.

Nothing occurs, if there was there'd be a measurable drive space spike to show the 2nd installation of Windows. That Windows.old folder doesn't appear out of nowhere... it's c:\windows renamed, then the new one is built.

A file copy of c:\windows happens when you click the link, then the delta happens on reboot. If on an SSD the two things happen VERY quickly. I have no idea how MS did it, but it's all happening all at once that fast.