14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is getting ready for a new Update Tuesday cycle, this time with fewer updates targeting vulnerabilities in software solutions such as Windows and Internet Explorer.
The company announced in the security bulletin advance notification for September 2014 that a total of four bulletins would be launched on Tuesday, with just a single one being rated as “critical,” while the other ones are considered to be “important.”
Only little is known at this point, as Microsoft does not provide details about these security flaws in order to keep users protected until the patches become available, but it does mention that all Windows and Internet Explorer versions are part of this new rollout.
As pretty much everyone should know by now, Windows XP is left out of Patch Tuesday, despite the fact that 23 percent of the desktop computers worldwide are still running it. Microsoft stopped releasing updates and security patches for Windows XP in April this year and is recommending everyone to update to a newer operating system as soon as possible.
“While it's true that you can keep using your PC with Windows XP after support ends, we don’t recommend it. For starters, it’ll become five times more vulnerable to security risks and viruses, which means you could get hacked and have your personal information stolen,” Microsoft says.
“Also, companies that make devices like digital cameras, Internet-ready TVs, and printers won’t provide drivers that work with Windows XP, so if you get new devices, they won’t work with your current PC. And over time, the security and performance of your PC will just continue to degrade so things will only get worse.”
As is the case of every single Update Tuesday rollout, users will get patches via Windows Update, while system administrators will also be provided with a dedicated ISO containing only Windows fixes that would allow them to patch computers without the need for an Internet connection.
At the same time, Microsoft is also expected to release firmware updates for Surface tablets on Patch Tuesday, including a new pack of improvements for the top-of-the-range Surface Pro 3.
The company is said to be working on a fix addressing limited Wi-Fi connectivity issues as we speak, and a support engineer has recently said that the September 2014 Patch Tuesday is very likely to bring some fixes in this regard.
In addition to security patches, Microsoft is also very likely to debut a wide array of other improvements bringing enhanced performance to modern Windows and Internet Explorer, but full details will only be provided next week, after the rollout begins.