system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5:What the hell do Windows updates actually do?

I'm constantly having to download all these half-a-gig updates but there's no noticeable difference to my Windows experience.
gpt
Windows updates typically fix issues so that you never see them in the first place. A lot of their updates are security related, so the only time you'd see their effect, or lack thereof, is if they failed to protect your computer from a security risk. They do produce minor performance upgrades, but they are typically small and hard to notice.

Edit: If you want a description of what each update is actually doing, try clicking on it, then searching on windows' website to see the details of the update.