Microsoft announces new Windows ‘checkpoint’ cumulative updates

Microsoft Introduces Checkpoint Cumulative Updates

Microsoft has announced that starting in late 2024, checkpoint cumulative updates will be introduced for systems running devices with Windows Server 2025 and Windows 11, version 24H2 or later. These updates will deliver security fixes and new features through smaller, incremental differentials that include only changes added since the previous checkpoint cumulative update.

The main goal of these updates is to help Windows users save bandwidth, hard drive space, and time spent installing new cumulative updates every month. According to Redmond, this new approach will result in a quicker and more efficient update experience for users, as the update files will be smaller.

Microsoft plans to release checkpoint cumulative updates periodically, with subsequent updates consisting of update package files associated with the checkpoints and new update package files with incremental binary differentials against the last checkpoint. This process will be repeated multiple times for each Windows release, generating multiple checkpoints across the lifecycle.

Starting with Windows 11 24H2, the servicing stack will be able to merge all checkpoints to ensure that only the missing content is downloaded and installed on the device. Admins managing updates with various tools such as Windows Update, Windows Update for Business, Windows Autopatch, or Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) will not be required to take any additional actions following the introduction of checkpoint cumulative updates.

Microsoft has assured that these updates will appear as normal monthly updates, only improved. Users can continue to use the same tools and processes for approving and deploying updates. Those interested in exploring this new feature can join the Insider Dev Channel and install Windows Insider Preview Build 26120.1252.

This announcement comes five years after Microsoft discontinued Windows 10 Delta and Express updates delivered via the Microsoft Update Catalog on April 9th, 2019.

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Microsoft announces new Windows 'checkpoint' cumulative updates