Devices and protection
Why updates keep asking you to restart
“Restart now or later?” Most people choose later, again and again. The update is not finished until the restart happens.
1 min readExplainer
The short version
Many security fixes cannot take effect while the programs they fix are running. Postponing the restart postpones the protection.
Why a restart is needed
Updates replace files that make up the operating system and programs. Many of those files are in use while the computer is running, so they cannot be swapped out until everything stops. The update downloads and waits, but the fix is not active until you restart.
Until then, your computer is still running the old version, with the old flaw.
Why it matters
When a security fix is published, attackers study it to work out what it fixed, then target computers that have not installed it. The gap between a fix and attacks can be a few days. A computer that has postponed its restart for two weeks is exposed for all of that time.
Good habits
- Restart at the end of the day when an update is waiting, or let it restart overnight.
- Shut down properly once in a while. Closing the lid is not a restart.
- Save your work often, so a restart is never a disaster.
- Do not ignore a reminder for weeks. If restarts are disrupting your work, tell IT, who can schedule them better.
Talk to us about your technology
Tell us what you run today and what is getting in the way. We will get back to you about how we can help.