14 DAY TRIAL // On August 12, Microsoft rolled out one of the most eagerly awaited Windows 8.1 updates, but instead of implementing a Start menu and other exciting features, the company actually focused on minor improvements for PCs and tablets.
The so-called August 2014 update rolled out for Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 caused quite a lot of issues for many users who installed it, so Microsoft quickly decided to pull it and block further computers from deploying the botched update.
Today, the company has officially announced that Windows 8.1 August Update, officially known as KB2975719, is again available for download with fixes for all issues that were reported last month.
Microsoft says that only a small number of customers actually experienced problems with the August 2014 update, although posts on forums across the web suggest that lots of computers were actually broken down by this new release.
“On August 15th, as soon as we became aware of a small number of customers experiencing problems with the August 2014 update rollup for Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB2975719), we immediately investigated and pulled the problematic update making it unavailable to download. Today, we are re-releasing this update with fixes for these known issues,” Microsoft has said in an announcement today.
The company also explains that customers who have already installed the Windows 8.1 August Update and are running the operating system with Windows Update turned on should not do anything because the new patch is automatically delivered to their computers.
“Customers who have already installed the original update that was released on August 12, 2014, and who may have experienced an issue, can read this KB article that details instructions on how to resolve the issue before the new updates will install automatically. Customers with Windows Updates enabled, and who have selected to receive optional updates automatically, do not need to take any action,” the company says.
Contrary to what people expected, Windows 8.1 August Update brings only three minor improvements, so no Start menu or options to run Metro apps on the desktop are part of the package. Here’s what this new update brings new, according to Microsoft’s own release notes:
• Precision touchpad improvements – three new end-user settings have been added: leave touch pad on when a mouse is connected; allow right-clicks on the touchpad; double-tap and drag.
• Miracast Receive – exposes a set of Wi-Fi direct APIs for Independent Hardware Vendor (IHV) drivers or OEM drivers to develop Windows 32-bit applications that run on all supported x86-based or x64-based versions of Windows 8.1, enabling the computer as a Miracast receiver.
• Minimizing login prompts for SharePoint Online – reduces the number of prompts with federated use in accessing SharePoint Online sites. If you select the “Keep me signed in” check box when you log on for the first time, you will not see prompts for successive access to that SharePoint Online site.