- Microsoft has a magnificent vision of Windows update that provides updates to all software installed on the PC
- This is mainly aimed at business to begin with, but there is no reason why consumers ultimately benefit from
- Developers will need to be persuaded to connect their apps to Microsoft’s new total delivery platform, however
Microsoft plans to get Windows 11 even to handle all software updates via the Windows Update system or it seems the idea for the future.
The Verge discovered a Microsoft blog post that outlined a vision of the “Unified Future for App updates on Windows,” as bound by product manager Angie Chen.
Although this is a post on the IT Pro blog and as such it is targeted at the administrators and organizations as Microsoft pushes in this direction, there is no reason why consumers will not benefit from this as well.
This is definitely the plan, although not mentioned explicitly, as the post announces that a private preview of the new system is now starting that any app developer can participate in to start getting their software ready for Microsoft’s brave new update world.
As it is now, Windows Update provides relevant updates to the operating system itself (of course) and related frames as well as drivers sometimes. When it comes to individual apps – or suites of software – you depend on the developer to deliver them through their own mechanisms.
Microsoft wants to change this by introducing a “Windows-norcened Update Platform” that allows any app developer to make use of Windows update to deliver patches to their software along with regular Windows 11 updates.
As Microsoft explains, there are several benefits to working this way, not least it is that it keeps things simple and streamlined to get all your updates from a source.
In addition, you can see a story with all updates across your entire PC via the Update History of the Windows 11 settings app. Furthermore, developers will be able to use the operating system’s forces to decide when to use updates, such as obeying the user’s or administrator’s time windows for updating, for example.
Analysis: A sensible path forward
All of this makes sense, and the convenience of combining all updates under a hub managed by Windows itself is definitely taking a step forward.
After all, with updates that depend on the delivery methods for individual software developers, it can be easy to fall behind, especially if the update mechanism is hidden away somewhere and does not happen automatically. Or, in fact, if you are not running a piece of software in ages, it could hang around the background in a lousy uncanny state.
With Windows update that handles all this, you would be on top of your software updates consistently, at least in theory. That said, cynics may be quick to hit the reliability of Windows Update.
Failed installations of updates are not exactly uncommon and reported with some regularity. However, remember that these are updates to Windows 11 yourself – more complex, knotted us upgrades – and small app updates will probably not like such wrinkles. And whether they do it or not will probably be down to Devs anyway, to a large extent.
It is worth noting that you get updates pipes through to Windows apps automatically with software installed via Microsoft Store, but of course wants far from any developer to use this store.
Concerned about app support and some software are omitted? Each base must be covered with support for all common app types (not just Microsoft’s own creations, such as MSIX apps), as described in the blog post.
However, there can still be a catch here, namely that it is up to software developers to use Microsoft’s new platform. And nothing forces them to join the system and will they bother?
That’s the question of several million dollars, but from my perspective it all seems a sensible idea. While this may be a plan targeting the business world originally, I imagine a wider movement against this model of Windows updates for all kinds of app developers in the end. And when more gets the leap, others could be persuaded to follow …
