Rebooting a computer every time there’s a Windows update has always been the norm…and everyone finds it as hassle.

But things are about to change – at least for some updates – according to a document accidentally published by Microsoft.

Microsoft accidentally published a support page on “Hotpatch for Windows.” It was withdrawn, seemingly because it was only a draft document, but all bets are on it becoming reality.

However, computing experts say hotpatching will only happen on Windows 11, not on older versions of Windows.

A regular software patch is any update that fixes issues or implements new features, but a hotpatch can be applied without any need to restart your computer.

It updates the operating system in the background – eliminating the need to physically shut down a computer; something that’s been a feature of Windows since day one.

It won’t apply to every update. Experts say Microsoft hotpatching will be available for its monthly security updates, not for additional changes.

Hotpatching is not new, Microsoft already uses it on its Xbox and on Windows servers.

But the company want to move more customers to Windows 11 and this could act as an incentive. Meanwhile, Microsoft have had a tough time of late, with news that the notorious CrowdStrike issue led to 8.5 million of its computers having issues.