Understanding the Growing Size of Windows 11 Updates
In the background of your daily tasks, Windows 11 updates are significantly increasing in size. Recent monthly cumulative updates have consistently exceeded 4GB, with some even approaching 5GB. When these updates are extracted, they can grow to nearly 9GB. This analysis specifically refers to updates downloaded from the Microsoft Update Catalog, which represents the initial size before hardware adjustments and previous updates are taken into account.
There are various speculations about the reasons behind this increase, with many attributing it to the implementation of AI features such as Copilot, on-device AI models, and semantic search. However, while AI does contribute to this growth, it’s essential to delve deeper into how Windows updates are organized and delivered to uncover the root of the issue.
Reasons Behind the Spike in Update Sizes
Traditionally, Microsoft delivered small, individual patches; however, the update strategy has changed. Now, users receive cumulative updates (LCUs) every month, which include every fix since the last major update. This means if you install the latest monthly security update (commonly known as Patch Tuesday), your system instantly becomes fully updated, even if earlier updates were skipped.
This approach is beneficial for ensuring reliability and compatibility; however, the unintended consequence is the substantial increase in update sizes over time.
Even for minor fixes, the updates include the entire set of alterations required to upgrade any system to the latest version, which inherently adds bulk to the file size.
Microsoft introduced Checkpoint Cumulative Updates with Windows 11 24H2, aiming to alleviate this issue. By establishing periodic “checkpoints” as new baselines, subsequent monthly updates would ideally include only the changes since the last checkpoint, resulting in smaller, quicker installations.
However, after the September 2024 checkpoint, while updates remained small until April 2025, the May 2025 update saw a significant jump in size, nearly tripling to over 4GB. Since then, no new checkpoint has been implemented, and thus the anticipated size reductions have not materialized.
Analyzing the May 2025 Update Size Surge
The decompressed size of the May 2025 cumulative update increased from approximately 6.5GB to almost 9GB over April, highlighting an interesting trend. The compressed MSU file saw a 3GB expansion while the actual decompressed content increased by only 2.5GB. Such discrepancies usually indicate the underlying complexities of update packaging.
This update included tens of thousands of files, over 28, 000 to be exact. Notably, there were no exceptionally large individual files contributing to the growth; however, a surge in the number of MSIX files was noted, particularly ones like PSTokenizer and various AI-related components, which contribute significantly to the overall growth.
The April 2025 cumulative size was 1, 287 MB, while the May update ballooned to 4, 369 MB, underscoring the impact of the new AI-centric features bundled as part of the installation package.
AI’s Role in Update Size Growth
While AI components undoubtedly contribute to the escalation in update sizes, Windows Update’s applicability logic serves to mitigate this somewhat. Prior to any download, the system assesses your device’s specifications, ensuring only necessary items are pulled. For instance, a clean installation of Windows 11 25H2 on a virtual machine with no previous updates downloaded approximately 1.7GB from the catalog of a 4GB+ package, demonstrating the variability based on system configurations.
Window’s update framework does allow expansion into newer hardware configurations, including AI components designed for advanced systems. This means that while certain users may benefit from the full range of features, many devices are still compelled to download an array of components that they might never utilize.
The Case Against Only Upgrading Changed Files
Given that Windows recognizes system-specific requirements, one might wonder why Microsoft opts to include comprehensive packages in updates rather than targeting only altered files. Differential updates exist, utilizing Express updates and the Unified Update Platform to ensure that only modified portions of binaries are downloaded.
Despite this capability, the overarching structure of update packages remains inefficient. The challenges of delivering updates across a billion users with a multitude of hardware configurations complicate the update process. Issues such as backward compatibility and ensuring stability across various systems are paramount. Enterprises also face significant hurdles, as full updates must be downloaded and distributed weekly, leading to significant storage concerns.
Comparing with Apple’s Update Model
Contrasting the Windows update model, Apple typically delivers incremental macOS updates ranging from 1GB to 3GB, reserving more substantial updates for major releases. This smaller footprint is achievable because Apple exerts complete control over its hardware ecosystem, enabling them to enforce stricter compatibility guidelines and more agile deployment practices. Conversely, Windows prioritizes compatibility across a vast diversity of system configurations, which often results in bulkier updates.
Implications for Enterprises and Users
The experience of home users tends to be less burdensome due to the delta logic employed, allowing for smaller downloads in practice. However, enterprises must contend with the complete updates every month, leading to rapid storage consumption. The cost associated with maintaining these large files is escalating, complicating IT infrastructure management and exacerbating storage challenges.
As observed, storage costs have more than quadrupled since 2024, with organizational storage requirements for updates ballooning from around 11GB to approximately 52GB for the same architecture. For organizations with multiple distribution points, costs scale even higher, creating significant pressure on storage resources.
The upward trend for update sizes is clear, and while efforts may be underway to optimize download times, actual size reductions remain uncertain.
Monitoring Your Download Activity During Updates
To gain insights into the actual download sizes your PC incurs, navigate to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization > Activity monitor. This will reveal precisely how much data is being downloaded from Microsoft’s servers, local peers, and cached files.
For more comprehensive details, consult the Event Viewer for Windows Update logs, or utilize PowerShell to run Get-WindowsUpdateLog for an easily readable log file.
Understanding the discrepancy between catalog data and user download activity is crucial for identifying the implications of package design.
The Future of Windows Updates
The substantial size of Windows updates is largely due to their design for maximum compatibility across diverse setups. Although Microsoft is attempting to decrease download impact, the package structures continue to grow in complexity. Until real changes are made concerning the delivery of AI components and an updated checkpoint system, we may find ourselves facing even larger updates in the future.
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