# How can a Windows update take so long to complete? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 18, 2018, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-windows-update-take-so-long-to-complete/809048 "2018-02-18T14:57:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-windows-update-take-so-long-to-complete/809048/1 "2018-02-18T14:57:39Z")
Windows 10 has just decided to inflict its latest update on me. It’s a non-essential one so I’ve been trying ever since it got downloaded to tell Windows I didn’t want it, going so far as to disable updates. Windows however simply kept reverting it and now it finally caught me unawares and I come back to my laptop to do some work and find that it’s at the beginning of the installation process. 1% This will take a while. Don’t turn off your computer. Well, at least they said my computer, I was beginning to think it belonged to Microsoft, the way they ignore your wishes. Here’s my question though. Using my partner’s Apple to check the net I find that such updates can take hours and hours with some poor guy getting to 13 hours before it decided to freeze. How can it take so long on a modern computer. Aren’t these things supposed to be super fast? And what happens if I ignore the warning and switch off? Would it be disastrous? ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-windows-update-take-so-long-to-complete/809048/2 "2018-02-18T16:37:38Z")
You have some setting or some incorrect registry entry that the update wasn’t written to handle. This started happening to me more, lately, when i started using ccleaner to remove more “useless” registry entries. When this happens, I start ignoring updates until a little time passes and they (Microsoft and Priform) fix the issue. I don’t know what happens if you interrupt the “Do Not Turn OFF Your Computer” dialog. I did it to my TiVo and ruined it. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-windows-update-take-so-long-to-complete/809048/3 "2018-02-18T17:17:44Z")
Update has got to be the worst aspect of Windows 10. That said, I actually wouldn’t mind the OS updating whenever it wants (well, I do mind, but I guess it’s at the lowest possible level of tolerable), but the random reboots drive me crazy. What experience are you having with the update exactly? For me, it usually tells me it’s installing, and it can take surprisingly long time(not 13 hours, though. But sometimes an hour or so…) But it happens completely in the background. Then, there’s the dreaded reboot. My favorite part, of course, is that after rebooting, it sometimes finds some more updates to download and install, rerunning the whole cycle. ---
**Author:** ![Roy\_Batty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Roy\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roy_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-windows-update-take-so-long-to-complete/809048/4 "2018-02-18T21:30:37Z")
These numerous & unnecessary updates are one of the many things I hate about Windows 10. I’ve been using Windows since it made it’s debut with Windows 95, and I can honestly say that W10 is the WORST Operating System Windows has ever come out with. What a piece of shit. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-windows-update-take-so-long-to-complete/809048/5 "2018-02-19T11:41:21Z")
I have a different experience. My W10 computer is left switched on all day, every day and although I have seen some update/re-boots, it’s rare for them to take very long. I wonder if it’s related to broadband speed - mine is currently 77.33 Mb/s down, and 19.39 Mb/s up. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-windows-update-take-so-long-to-complete/809048/6 "2018-02-19T13:07:29Z")
The Fall Creators Update took 4 hours to complete on one of my computers and only about 20 minutes on another. I don’t really know why - both on the same network; both fairly similar in spec and vintage (although different brands). I concede, however that updates are necessary, and end users cannot be left to defer them indefinitely.