📎 AI Summary:
The thread discusses whether Windows 10 automatically searches for and installs updates without user login, particularly when booting to the Welcome screen. The original poster questions if updates occur independently of user login and whether battery power affects automatic updates, similar to how Android manages app updates. Respondent suggests that while Windows updates are a service that could run in the background even on the Welcome screen, it's uncertain if they do so, and recommends testing by checking update logs; they also indicate that updates generally do not have restrictions based on battery power.
P

pstein

Extraordinary Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2010
Messages
454
Thread Author #1
Assume I boot Win10 but do NOT login.

So currently the Login=Welcome screen is visible.

Does Win10 in this state (auto)search for updates, download and install them?

In other words: Is auto-update Win10 user-independent or a user login required?

Related question: From Android it is known that updates from Google Play Store are only automatically downloaded+installed when the SmartPhone is currently connected with a power cable.

This should avoid interrupted/corrupted App downloads when battery is empty.

Is this the same with Win10?
So when my notebook runs currently on battery no auto-updates are performed?

Correct?

Peter
 

Neemobeer

Neemobeer

Windows Forum Team
Staff member
Joined
Jul 4, 2015
Messages
8,995
#2
Well since Windows updates is a service process it can "in theory" update even on the welcome screen. I can't say with certainty if Windows will update while at the welcome screen. You could test this as follows
  • Power on the computer and note the time
  • Wait about 15 minutes and then login
  • Export the WindowsUpdate.log file with the following powershell command Get-WindowsUpdateLog -LogPath "$($env:USERPROFILE)\Desktop\WU.log"
  • This should produce a log on your desktop
  • Inspect the log during that 15 minute period if you have update scan activity then you have your answer

As far as a device on battery only, I'm not aware that Windows update has any restrictions about updating while on battery. Windows Updates are fairly resilient and would likely resume on power up in many cases. There are some cases that could likely result in corruption but the transactional behavior of Windows updates and the journaling feature of the file system should resolve most issues.
 

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