You may have seen the “restart” warning after an update came to your computer or after installing a new program. Sometimes the automatic startup of the computer without asking the user can be annoying.
This restarting to make an update on the computer or to install a program has become a part of our lives. Despite the release of new versions of Windows, we still encounter this situation that steals users’ time.
Why hasn’t this situation changed after the installation, even after years? Let’s examine it together.
The basis of the reboot lies in those famous ‘.DLL’ files.
A software installation may require replacing .DLL files in the Dynamic Link Library, but this is unlikely to be done directly because ‘.DLLs’ are used by other programs. Forcing changes while ‘.DLL’ is in use can damage some things on the system. Therefore, when the relevant ‘.DLL’ files need to be changed in updates, the computer needs to be restarted for a healthy operation.
Compared to older versions of Windows, operations using this restart state seem a bit more limited. Although active restarts are still common, the latest version of Windows provides users with a little more peace of mind.
Why Are Reboots Needed?
Windows updates and many application installations require access to files in the core system that are in use while Windows is running. The processes required for a software installation or update to work must be integrated with the components of Windows. Since most of the processes in the core system that will do this are in use while Windows is running, a system reboot is required for application installations or updates to complete cleanly.
Is There Any Other Way to Edit Core Files While in Use Without Rebooting?
There is no way to replace a kernel system file while it is in use. You can technically terminate the system process required for this process, but doing so may completely crash your computer. Although it is annoying to restart, which seems to be the only way, it does not require the computer to be turned on and off many times compared to the past.
What about operating systems such as Linux and MacOS?
Linux users are a bit more comfortable than Windows users, as most of the time no reboot is required, except for important operations such as kernel upgrade. Another version of the same convenience is available for users who prefer Apple’s operating system MacOS. A reboot is required on macOS only in case of system update. To put it briefly, Linux and MacOS users are a bit more comfortable than Windows users, although they can’t avoid rebooting.
