Microsoft introduced the Unified Update Platform (UUP) for Windows 10, and it’s a new update mechanism that will bring smaller and faster to install updates.
The Unified Update Platform uses differential downloads that only includes the changes necessary since the last update to bring devices to the latest version of Windows 10. This is a big shift since feature updates, up until now, required a full download and reinstallation of the operating system.
Unified Update Platform benefits
This allows to reduce the download size of a new feature update by 35 percent on average. Smaller updates also mean faster downloads using less bandwidth. Installation process will be faster because there is no need to reinstall the entire operating system. As a result updates will reduce processor cycles, which translate in less power consumption, optimizing battery life on laptops, tablets, and phones.
The new update publishing system is expected to arrive with the Windows 10 Creators Update in March. However, it’s only available for feature updates, which means that users won’t see the benefit until the feature update that comes after the Creators Update.
Microsoft is testing the Unified Update Platform now on Windows 10 Mobile devices enrolled in the Windows Insider Program. When the Creators Update releases, it’ll also be available for PCs, tablets, IoT and HoloLens devices. Xbox One won’t be part of the Unified Update Platform as the console gets updated in a different way.
Improved update checking mechanism
Alongside the new update mechanism, Microsoft is also making changes in the way devices check for updates making the experience more efficient.
In the next major feature update, when a device triggers an update check, most of the process will be handled by the Windows Update service in the cloud. This means that devices will have to spend fewer resources, which will translate in reduction of power consumption and a faster update experience, especially on mobile.
Same update experience across devices
Finally, Microsoft is taking the same concept of updating PCs, and bringing it to Mobile. In the past, you were required to install more than one update to get to the latest version of Windows 10 Mobile. Moving forward, with the Unified Update Platform, mobile devices will only need to install one update to get to the latest version, just like on PC.
While users will notice a difference when moving to a new version of Windows 10, nothing will seem different of the surface, and these new changes will occur in the background, behind the scenes.
What do you think about the new Unified Update Platform coming to the Windows 10 Creators Update? Tell us in the comments below
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].