Gracefully Handling Windows 10 Updates
In Windows 10, the user is not warned of updates being processed in the background. There exists warnings to tell the user updates are pending and a few controls associated to that but there is nothing obvious about a Windows system that has updates being applied already in the background while the user is working on the system. In lay terms, once invoked, Windows doesn't keep the user apprised of the progress or that there even exists processes in the background applying updates. When you combine that with how a laptop is typically used there exists a high probability for error. The common scenario with these aforementioned condition is a user closing the lid of a laptop forcing hibernation (or power off) mode(s) while an update is being applied. In lay terms you'd be pulling the rug from under its feet.
The key is recognizing the signs that an update is in progress. A majority of the time when a user is faced with a blank or black screen s/he will assume the computer is frozen and reboot it; at any point, if you closed the lid, force a restart or let the battery run out you'd be facing corrupt files which is damage that you, as the user, would not likely recover from without assistance. This is very common for laptops due to their nature and how they get used.
As I mentioned, the key is recognizing that state. The most helpful hint I can provide is that you can always check the status of the windows update process. Here's how:
- open the menu and click on the cogwheel;
- in the new window, scroll down to Updates & Security and select it;
- in this new window you can view the progress (if any) of updates.
However, if an update is already in progress the most common signs are:
- intermittent black aka blank screens;
- slowness or seemingly unresponsive to user input;
- reboot/restart without advance notice.
If you see there are updates being applied, it is critical to:
- ensure the power cable is connected;
- not let the system go into hibernation;
- not reboot/restart or shut it down;
- monitor the Updates & Security section and action any pending tasks such as restarting the system to complete updates in a timely fashion.
On a side note: hibernation and sleep mode are different. A computer in sleep mode will in most cases continue to have its updates applied or more precisely, wake to have its updates applied whereas a computer in hibernation is, for all intents and purposes, off. Its state is suspended in RAM and the only purpose of the power to the system (or from the battery) is to save that state.
Now that we understand the modes and state of updates, we can talk about how to deal with certain specific situations. Before we dive in to that, it is also important to consider that keeping (and differing) updates for long periods of time can only fuel system instability. That said, it is perfectly acceptable to postpone updates for short periods of time until important work is complete. This approach allows you to plan for updates during less peak times to ensure they can complete and not interfere with your day to day work. In other words, allow or “action” updates as soon as you can within reason. Furthermore, since you're now always going to be keeping tabs on the status of updates ;) I can offer one more useful tip:
when you check for updates before you close the lid and you know the next time you're going to be using the system, it will be for a brief period of time such as an out of office meeting, you can pause the updates for a day. That way, when you open the lid and have your meeting an update isn't going to start in an instance when you know it isn't likely to have a chance to finish.
Pausing updates is simple: from the Updates & Security section, select Advanced options. In that new page find the Pause Updates section and select the drop down to choose an appropriate day. A day or two should be sufficient to get you to a point where you can power on the system with enough time to complete a major (or series of) update(s). This isn't fool proof or perfect but it will mitigate the majority of issues you would have faced otherwise having not paused them. This will also ensure your system is in a state that is reasonably up to date to protect yourself from vulnerabilities. One last note on the subject; if you learn of a major update, one that professionals are claiming to up of utmost importance, it would be wise not to pause said update for any reason and you should therefore always endeavour to apply those at your earliest convenience. In other words, your work isn’t more important than those updates because without them, you might have have a working computer, period.