System updates for Wii U are important and we highly recommend that any Wii U owner does not stop the system update while in progress.

It may take an hour or more to perform the first system update – the time required depends on the speed of your Internet connection. Powering off the console during the update may damage your system.  The update enables numerous features including Miiverse, Wii U Chat, the eShop, and the ability to download video-on-demand applications.