WINDOWS UPDATES: ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Qwhat exactly are Windows Updates?
They are pieces of software that are periodically issued by Microsoft, often to fix problems that have been discovered or to improve Windows in some way. They are downloaded to your PC and applied via the Windows Update service that runs in the background.
Qwhat different types of update are there?
There are several types, which can go by different names, depending on the version of Windows you’re using. Essentially, however, updates tend to fall into three main categories:
SECURITY UPDATES
Sometimes referred to as critical updates, these are important fixes, issued whenever Microsoft needs to address dangerous vulnerabilities that have been found in Windows, such as the recent Krack Wi-fi and Meltdown processor flaws.
QUALITY UPDATES
Known as hotfixes in previous versions of Windows, these usually include several updates rolled into one package. They mostly comprise multiple security fixes and performance improvements. With Windows 10, quality updates are cumulative – that’s to say each one builds upon previously installed updates. Quality and security updates can usually be identified by a KB number, such as KB4054517.
FEATURE UPDATES
Before Windows 10, Microsoft released occasional service packs for its operating systems – major updates that bundled lots of fixes and features in one installable package. But with its latest operating system (OS), Microsoft has taken to releasing regular feature updates, such as the recent Fall Creators Update (FCU). These are major overhauls of the OS – new builds that have their own version numbers (1709 in the case of the FCU). Click Settings, then About to check yours (see screenshot above).
These are like entirely new versions of Windows 10, adding (and removing) lots of features and functionality. The FCU, for example, added the ability to pin contacts to your taskbar (see screenshot below left), among other improvements.
OTHER TYPES
You can also set Windows Update to look for and apply updates for other Microsoft programs and tools, such as Microsoft Office. To do this, click Start, Settings, ‘Update & security’, ‘Advanced options’, then tick the option ‘Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows’ (see screenshot above right).
Windows Update will also download the latest virus definitions for Microsoft’s antivirus tools, such as Windows Defender, and the latest version of the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool.
In addition, Windows Update will look for and download the latest device drivers for your PC’S hardware, though it won’t necessarily find drivers for all your components and accessories. If your mouse or printer came with software that adds features, for example, you may need to obtain updates for these devices directly from the manufacturer.
Qhow often do they arrive?
Microsoft issues regular OS updates on the second Tuesday of every month – sometimes referred to as Patch Tuesday – but will also release updates as needed. If a critical flaw is discovered, for example, it will usually release a fix via Windows Update as soon as it’s ready. Your PC is configured to automatically check for updates at a random time every day.
Windows 10 currently receives feature updates on a schedule of twice a year – in spring and autumn. Windows 7 and 8.1 won’t receive any more major service packs, as their mainstream support period has now ended (see below).
Qhow long will Microsoft update Windows for?
Microsoft supports every version of Windows for a finite period of time (known as a product lifecycle), which usually lasts for around 10 years. Within that lifecycle, there are two levels of support: ‘mainstream’, which covers roughly the first five years, and ‘extended’, which covers the final years. During mainstream support, you can expect to receive regular Security, Quality and Feature updates. During the extended-support period, only Security and Quality updates will be released.
Windows 7’s mainstream support ended on January 13 2015, so it will no longer receive any major updates, though security fixes and other performance updates will be issued up to 14 January 2020. Similarly, Windows 8.1’s mainstream support ended on 9 January this year, but it will receive important fixes until 10 January, 2023.