- Microsoft shipped Windows 11 version 24H2 recently, which includes several fixes and new features.
- Among the changes are improvements to how Windows updates work.
- Following the installation of Windows 11 version 24H2, future updates will see a reduction in installation time, restart time, and CPU usage.
When Microsoft rolled out Windows 11 version 24H2 (also known as the Windows 11 2024 Update), the tech giant shipped several new features to PCs. The update also brought improvements to the underlying platform of Windows 11, resulting in significant performance improvements. While the immediate impact of the Windows 11 2024 Update will be performance and the new features, the update also improves the process of installing updates in the future.
Windows 11 version 24H2 improves the installation of monthly updates when compared to previous versions of Windows 11. How much better the update process will be depends on if your PC is well-maintained. Microsoft saw 45.6% faster installation, 39.7% faster restart time, and 15.3 less CPU usage using Windows 11 version 24H2 to install an update compared to Windows 11 version 22H2. In that test, the PC was well-maintained.
Performing the same test but with a device that was 18 months out of date saw slightly less significant improvements of 43.6% faster installation time, 33.5% faster restart time. Interestingly, CPU usage was reduced more when upgrading an out-of-date PC (25% less).
Microsoft outlined the improvements to Windows 11 updates:
- Parallel processing of component manifests. This complements the parallel hydration of newly serviced components using reverse and forward differentials first introduced in Windows 11, version 22H2.
- Optimized reading and parsing of component manifests. After reading and parsing the first time, we cache the results to use later in the process. This helps efficiency if the same component is referenced across multiple packages.
- Scalable use of available random-access memory (RAM). We use more RAM for storing the manifest cache if available and less if not.
Traditional feature updates are now also slightly smaller, though I'm not sure a 200 MB reduction will be noticed by many. That change comes from some inbox apps being updated through the Microsoft Store rather than managed through Windows monthly updates. If your system is already running the latest version of an inbox app, such as Mail, Calendar, and Notepad, a feature update will not include changes to those apps.
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Windows 11 version 24H2
Our Senior Editor Zac Bowden has a full Windows 11 version 24H2 review. He broke down the following topics in that written review, as well as in his video review of the latest version of Windows 11.
Desktop & Start
- Phone Link is now integrated with the Start menu
- Taskbar system tray layout has been simplified
- Quick Settings has been rebuilt to be faster and more customizable
- Windows Spotlight image is now the default wallpaper setting
- Taskbar app preview thumbnails now have an animation
- You can now set HDR images as a desktop wallpaper
File Explorer
- File Explorer home tab now includes updated layout with shared documents
- You can now duplicate tabs by right-clicking the tab.
- Context Menu layout has been updated with better labelling to be easier to use.
- You can now create .7z and .TAR archive formats.
- You can view your Android phone's file system directly in File Explorer
Apps
- A new Outlook app for email, calendar, and contact is included
- Microsoft has updated Copilot as a standalone web app
- Photos now includes AI-enhanced generative erase and background editing
- Photos can now generate AI images based on user criteria (Copilot+ PC)
- A new Recall app uses AI to capture everything you do and makes finding things easier (Copilot+ PC)
- Paint now has built-in generative AI capabilities based on user drawn sketch (Copilot+ PC)
Settings & Misc
- Windows Update now supports checkpoints and hot patching for faster and less obtrusive updates
- Voice Clarity uses AI to remove background noise picked up by your microphone in supported apps
- Power settings for plugged/unplugged state can now be configured simultaneously
- A new Energy Saver mode replaces battery saver and applies to both laptops and desktops
- You can now configure mouse scroll wheel direction in Settings
- Wi-Fi 7 hardware is now supported
- New PRISM emulation layer makes x86 emulated apps run better on Arm
- Arm-based devices should now run smoother
- AutoSR uses AI to enhances the framerate and quality of games (Copilot+ PC)
- Live Captions can now translate languages into English in real-time locally (Copilot+ PC)
- Advanced Windows Studio Effects enhance your webcam with filters (Copilot+ PC)
