Windows Update can be a pain. Rebooting for updates is one thing — but a forced reboot for updates that shut down your running applications when you’re trying to get work done? Now, that’s obnoxious.

David Nield is a technology journalist from Manchester in the U.K. who has been writing about gadgets and apps for more than 20 years. He has a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Durham ...

Sometimes you just want Windows to shut down. But instead of shutting down quickly, the system seems to ponder, blocked by running processes, background services, or open apps. However, for decades ...