You sit down to work. The laptop sighs. A little pop-up appears. Update available. Restart now? You click Later. Tomorrow becomes next week. Next week becomes next month.
Many computer users are unaware that Windows has a command that can help update several applications installed on a laptop or desktop without opening each programme individually.
Think of it as a centralised way of checking for available updates to supported applications and installing them in one operation. However, it is important to understand what it does — and what it does not do.
First, What Does “Update Everything” Actually Mean?
When people say “update my computer,” they usually mean four different things happening at once:
- Windows itself: Security patches, bug fixes, and new features from Microsoft. This is the most important one.
- Microsoft Store Apps: Things like Photos, Calculator, WhatsApp, Spotify if you installed it from the Store.
- Your Other Apps: Chrome, Zoom, VLC, WhatsApp Desktop, Adobe Reader; the apps you downloaded from the internet. Windows Update does not touch these by default.
- Drivers: The small pieces of software that make your Wi-Fi, sound, and graphics work.
The trick is to update all four in one move.
How to Update Your Windows With One Command
Follow these steps:
- Connect your laptop or desktop to the internet.
- Click the Windows Start button.
- Search for Command Prompt or Windows Terminal.
- Right-click it and select Run as administrator.
- Type the following command: winget upgrade –all
- Press Enter and allow the process to run.
Windows will check supported applications for available updates and attempt to install them. Depending on the applications installed, you may encounter prompts asking you to accept agreements or close running programs.
Third-Party vs. Windows System Files: winget upgrade –all updates the vast majority of installed software and programs managed through the package manager (such as browsers, runtimes, and utilities). If this declines, try to run winget upgrade –all –accept-package-agreements –accept-source-agreements
To see which applications have updates available before installing them, run: winget upgrade
This is particularly useful because it allows you to review what will be updated before proceeding.
WinGet is Microsoft’s free, open-source command-line package manager for Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server.
Is Wi-Fi Required, and How Much Data Does It Consume?
Yes, an internet connection is necessary to download updates. It does not have to be Wi-Fi; mobile data through a hotspot or another internet connection will also work.
There is no fixed data consumption figure. It depends on the number of applications, their sizes and how outdated they are.
On average, budget 2 GB to 8 GB for a full “update everything” session if you have not updated in months. If you do it every month, it will be under 1 GB.
Windows system updates can require considerably more data, particularly when downloading major feature upgrades.
What About Windows 10 in 2026?
This is particularly important. Microsoft officially ended standard Windows 10 support on 14 October 2025. Computers running it will continue working, but ordinary security and feature updates have stopped.
Your laptop or PC will still turn on. Your apps will still open. But every month you stay on Windows 10, you are becoming more exposed to viruses, hacking, and banking fraud. It is like living in a house where the landlord has stopped fixing the locks.
If your computer can run it, Microsoft wants you on Windows 11 — and the upgrade is still free for most genuine Windows 10 users. Go to Settings > Windows Update and look for Upgrade to Windows 11.
Microsoft offers an Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for eligible Windows 10 devices, providing critical security updates until 12 October 2027.
