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'This won't take long'.

E J B 80 Reputation points
2026-03-20T09:36:55.1033333+00:00

Windows 11...all up to date etc.

Message appears each time I go on to the internet.

It obviously continues in the background.

Remedy Please?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Security and privacy
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  1. DaveM121 866.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-03-21T06:15:49.0433333+00:00

    Sorry, I was offline, how are you proceeding with this now, also, is this a notification in the Edge browser, or a Windows notification you are seeing.

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  2. E J B 80 Reputation points
    2026-03-20T17:41:24.41+00:00

    Can I just add that all 3 machines are operating perfectly normally except the 'Won't take long' screen flashes on for a split second when the internet (MS Edge) button is pressed.

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  3. E J B 80 Reputation points
    2026-03-20T13:54:30.4033333+00:00

    Have tried suggestions to a reasonable conclusion but has not worked.

    Now our second PC has the same problem!!!

  4. DaveM121 866.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-03-20T10:08:49.36+00:00

    1

    Click your Start Button, type winver and hit Enter

    Please provide a screenshot of the resulting dialog.

    2

    Open the Settings App

    Go to Windows Updates

    Please provide a screenshot of that window

  5. Q&A Assist
    2026-03-20T09:37:05.5033333+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    The message likely appears because Windows is checking for or installing updates in the background. Windows 11 is designed to automatically download and install updates to keep the device secure and up to date, and this activity can trigger brief notifications such as “This won’t take long” when connecting to the internet.

    To reduce or control when this happens:

    1. Manually check and complete any pending updates
      • Select Start > Settings > Windows Update.
      • Select Check for updates and allow Windows to download and install everything offered.
      • Restart the PC if prompted so updates can finish, which should reduce repeated background activity.
    2. Temporarily pause updates
      • In Settings > Windows Update, use Pause updates and choose a pause length.
      • This will temporarily stop new updates from downloading and installing, which may prevent the message from appearing during that period. After the pause limit is reached, updates must be installed before pausing again.

    If the message continues to appear very frequently or updates do not complete, run the Windows Update troubleshooter:

    1. Select Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
    2. Find Windows Update and select Run, then follow the on‑screen instructions.

    This will attempt to fix common Windows Update problems that might be causing repeated background update attempts.

    References:

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