Editor's note 4.30.2024 – This post has been updated to add further clarity and context.
If you're using Windows 10, you're about to experience a significant increase in efficiency.
Microsoft releases security and quality updates for Windows every month, resulting in a substantial amount of content that can quickly consume the network bandwidth of users operating on slower networks. To reduce the demands on your network, Microsoft is now taking a page from the Windows 11 playbook and reducing the size of Windows 10 update packages.
With Windows 11, we optimized cumulative updates through more efficient packaging, including the removal of reverse differentials from the cumulative update package. (To understand how the update size for Windows 11 is reduced, please see How Microsoft reduced Windows 11 update size by 40%.)
Microsoft is now bringing the same functionality to Windows 10, version 22H2, thereby decreasing the size of the monthly latest cumulative update (LCU) package. This means reduced bandwidth usage, faster downloads, minimized network traffic, and improved performance on slow connections. This feature will be available starting with the April 23, 2024 optional non-security preview release.
Devices on Windows 10, version 22H2 will observe a reduction in update package size from 830 MB for the April 9, 2024 monthly security update to approximately 650 MB for the April 23, 2024 optional non-security preview release.
Whether you've been using Windows Update, Windows Update for Business, Windows Autopatch, Windows Server Update Service (WSUS), or Configuration Manager to manage updates for your Windows 10, version 22H2 devices, this transition will be seamless! Simply approve and install LCUs for your Windows 10, version 22H2 devices as you do today, and you will witness the size improvement[i].
[1] Note: If you manage Windows 10, version 22H2 installation media and have not updated that media since July 25, 2023, you may need to apply the October 10, 2023 special standalone servicing stack update before applying the April 23, 2024 or later cumulative update to that installation media.
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