{
  "id": 8647081,
  "title": "How Windows turned months of inactivity into a 7-hour update hostage situation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/how-windows-turned-months-of-inactivity-into-a-7-hour-update-hostage-8647081",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-20T08:14:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Register Science",
    "slug": "the-register-science",
    "url": "https://www.theregister.com/os-platforms/2026/09/20/how-windows-turned-months-of-inactivity-into-a-7-hour-update-hostage-situation/5297478"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Microsoft has faced criticism for the time it takes for Windows systems to update after extended periods of inactivity. A recent experience with a Windows 11 laptop, which had been up to date less than a year ago, revealed that it took about seven hours to complete updates, including firmware and driver updates, restarts, and progress bar issues. While Microsoft and its vendors are focusing on optimizing code efficiency, they must also address the continuous flow of updates, which can lead to lengthy wait times for users. This issue is as much a problem for Microsoft as it is for other vendors, highlighting the need for improved update management systems.",
  "summary": "Windows is getting more efficient. The updates, not so much",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Register",
        "title": "How Windows turned months of inactivity into a 7-hour update hostage situation",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/how-windows-turned-months-of-inactivity-into-a-7-hour-update-hostage",
        "published": "2026-09-20T08:14:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}