- Microsoft explained why some standard monthly updates require multiple reboots lately.
- This is due to additional changes to the update packs for Secure Boot certificates.
- The reboot behavior has some Windows 11 users worried that the update will go wrong, but rest assured, everything is working as expected
Microsoft has explained why Windows 11 updates are taking much longer recently and can, in some cases, require multiple reboots – and luckily, there’s nothing to worry about.
Windows Latest noticed that Microsoft had posted a message on its Windows Release Health Dashboard to note that: “With recent and upcoming Windows Updates over the next few months, a limited number of consumer and business devices may experience an additional reboot during installation.
So this is due to the Secure Boot certificate changes that Microsoft shared with us earlier this year, informing us that they would be part of the monthly cumulative updates for Windows 11 (and Windows 10, for those with extended support).
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While Microsoft says affected Windows 11 users should expect one additional reboot, two in total with the update in question, Windows Latest observes that some people have reported three reboots.
Analysis: Multiple reboots can trigger a sense of impending doom
The problem here is that a monthly update for Windows 11 usually only requires a single reboot to be applied. Given this, when your PC restarts a third time during what should be a simple and relatively limited update, it’s only natural to start worrying that something is wrong and your system has gone off the rails – or perhaps into a repeat boot loop.
The dreaded boot loop is one of the most unpleasant problems you can encounter, with the PC stuck restarting over and over again, meaning you have to go to the recovery menu to try potentially tricky solutions to fix things and access the Windows 11 desktop again.
Either way, at least now you know about this behavior – and you might experience it in the May Update for Windows 11, which arrives a week today. These Secure Boot changes were rolled out more widely in April and will be rolling out to more people this month.
If you’re wondering why Secure Boot requires any attention, it’s because the certificates mentioned were issued in 2011 and expire in June 2026 – so they need to be updated with new versions from 2023 onwards.
Secure Boot is an important feature as it is designed to prevent certain malware – like rootkits – from compromising your PC before it even loads the operating system (potentially going completely unnoticed).
Unfortunately, as Windows Latest points out, some Windows 11 users are having trouble receiving the new certificates due to firmware issues. In reality, since this is a necessary adjustment for Secure Boot to continue to keep you secure, experiencing multiple reboots with your next update is probably a good sign, as it means the new certificate (should) hopefully be in place.
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