Microsoft is adding the ability for Windows 11 to update without having to reboot your PC

According to a new report at Windows Central, Microsoft is currently testing a new feature that will allow it to deploy security updates and other patches to Windows 11 systems without forcing a reboot or restart. We've all suffered through having to restart Windows as part of every minor update for years, so this is excellent news.

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The ability to update Windows 11 without having to reboot? Yes, please.

The latest Windows 11 build on the Dev Channel notes that Insiders with the Virtualization Based Security (VBS) feature turned on will be able to "receive Build 26058.1400 (KB5036080) and may not experience a restart upon installing the update." Very cool.

Hot patching is a brand-new feature for Windows 11 desktop users, and how it works is pretty simple. "It works by patching the in-memory code of running processes without the need to restart the process," Microsoft writes. Which lowers the workload impact, offers better protection, and reduces the time it takes to update.

Hot patching has been a part of Windows Servers for a while now (which is where Virtualization Based Security (VBS) comes from). Still, it's reported that Microsoft plans to bring the feature to all Windows 11 users for its monthly security updates - though there's a chance it will be limited to Enterprise, Education, and Windows 365 customers.

More significant patches will still require a reboot, but hot patching will significantly reduce the times you will be prompted to 'update and shutdown' or 'update and restart.' This feature is rumored to be a part of the big Windows 11 version 24H2 update later this year.

• Read more: Some Windows 11 users can't install February update because 'something didn't go as planned'
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• Read more: Microsoft is using AI to 'force-update' older Windows 11 versions to the newer Windows 11 23H2