smaller downloads Archives

Winsage

April 28, 2026

I investigated Windows 11’s massive 5GB monthly .msu updates. AI is only part of the problem.

Windows 11 updates have significantly increased in size, with monthly cumulative updates often exceeding 4GB and some approaching 5GB. One update can expand to nearly 9GB when extracted. Microsoft has shifted to delivering Latest Cumulative Updates (LCUs), which include all previous fixes, leading to larger update sizes over time. The introduction of Checkpoint Cumulative Updates aims to reduce this growth by establishing periodic baselines, but the effectiveness has been mixed. The May 2025 cumulative update saw a size increase from approximately 6.5GB to nearly 9GB, with new MSIX files related to semantic search and on-device AI contributing to this growth. Windows Update uses applicability logic to minimize download sizes for users, but enterprises must download full packages, resulting in increased storage costs. The average yearly storage cost for enterprises rose from about 11 GB in 2024 to 52 GB by 2026. Users can check their actual download sizes through the Windows Update settings and Event Viewer logs.

Winsage

October 24, 2024

Windows 11 24H2 makes PCs faster with reduced CPU usage for Windows Update

Windows 11 24H2 introduces enhancements to the update process, including "checkpoint cumulative updates" to reduce the size of monthly update packages and improve overall PC performance. Key improvements include: - Faster installation time: 45.6% faster on well-maintained devices and 43.6% faster on outdated devices. - Reduced restart time: 39.7% faster on well-maintained devices and 33.5% faster on outdated devices. - Lower CPU usage: 15.3% less on well-maintained devices and 25% less on outdated devices. - Smaller feature updates: Approximately 200 MB reduction in download size, with conditional app downloads for only outdated or missing apps. - Techniques used to accelerate updates include reverse and forward differentials, caching parsing results, and dynamic RAM allocation. Comparative tests showed significant advancements in update efficiency, with improvements in both installation speed and resource usage. Microsoft has also separated store app updates from core system updates for a smaller overall footprint.

Winsage

July 18, 2024

Microsoft introduces Windows 11 Checkpoint Cumulative Updates

- Windows 11 Checkpoint Cumulative Updates optimize devices with new features, bug fixes, and compatibility improvements. - Checkpoint cumulative updates contain only the changes since the previous update, saving bandwidth, time, and hard drive space. - The updates are automatically implemented and do not require any changes to enable the feature. - Advantages include smaller downloads, sustainable redistribution of packages, and improved security and compliance.

Winsage

July 16, 2024

Windows 11 will soon offer smaller targeted updates

Microsoft is making changes in Windows 11 24H2 to deliver feature and security updates with only binary differences. This will result in smaller update downloads, faster installation, time savings, and reduced server-side load.