From May 2025, Windows 11 security updates will also install without restart. The new hot patch function reduces necessary system restarts from monthly to just four times a year. But who is this time -saving innovation actually available?
Restart Ade: Windows 11 receives hot patch updates
In the second week of 2025, Microsoft will publish the first regular hot patch update for Windows 11 24H2 – the group announced this a few weeks ago. The company has now confirmed this and explains the new update construct in the Windows news center.
This innovative update technology revolutionizes the system maintenance, since security updates can be installed without the restart that has always been required. For companies in particular, this means a significant reduction in downtimes and the associated increase in productivity.
Drastic reduction in restarts
So far, hot patch updates were only available as trial versions that companies could use to test functionality. With the upcoming patch day on May 13th, the official starting sign for the innovation will take place. An important advantage of hot patching is the drastic minimization of the necessary system restart.
In the future, systems that will be updated via hot patch will only restart four times a year after the patch days instead of monthly. The hot patch function is implemented as an expansion of Windows Update, companies must also have configured autopatch.
To make the transition easier, Microsoft has now provided extensive resources for IT administrators to inform about all important details. In addition to the technical documentation, this includes above all the new hot patch calendar and detailed instructions for the setup.
Technical requirements and availability
The April Update KB5055523 (Build 26100.3775) is a prerequisite for the use of the May Hot Patch updates. By March 2025, the hot patch updates were only available for ARM processors; Intel and AMD CPUs have also been supported since April.
Hotpatching can also only be used for enterprise editions of Windows 11 version 24H2. Although the updates could also work technically in consumer versions, Microsoft at least currently limits their use to corporate environments. A later expansion to other editions has not yet been publicly discussed.
Background of the technology
Hotpatch technology is not new; It is already used in Windows server versions and is now only transferred to Windows 11. Technically, when the code is hot patching, the code is imported directly into the current process. This requires special preparation of the system and careful planning of the update sequences.
For Windows Server 2025, this function will be subject to a fee from July 2025. Originally developed for cloud environments in which downtimes are critical, the technology now finds its way into the Desktop operating systems from Microsoft.
