14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has released update KB4457139 for Windows 7, which although offered as optional, is a preview of the monthly rollup that the company will ship in October.
With these previews, Microsoft plans to give IT pros the chance to try out the changes that the company would implement in the next monthly rollup in advance.
Basically, these updates only include non-security fixes, but the package would then receive security fixes as well in order to address vulnerabilities on Patch Tuesday.
This new preview is KB4457139 and it comes with four different fixes, one of which resolves a memory leak issue that happens when a device with a multilingual UI calls the LoadString API. Microsoft says it has also included revisions for Windows updates.
“Addresses an issue with evaluating the compatibility status of the Windows ecosystem to help ensure application and device compatibility for all updates to Windows,” the changelog reads.
There are several things that users have to keep in mind when planning to install this new Windows 7 update.
One known issue
First and foremost, KB4457139 requires the latest Servicing Stack Update, which in the case of Windows 7, is KB3177467. If this update isn’t already installed on the system it’s automatically downloaded via Windows Update.
Then, the new preview includes one known issue, and Microsoft explains on the official KB page linked above:
“After you apply this update, the network interface controller may stop working on some client software configurations. This occurs because of an issue related to a missing file, oem.inf. The exact problematic configurations are currently unknown.”
To resolve this problem, you need to locate your network device via devmgmt.msc and then scan for hardware changes from the Action menu.
The October 2018 Patch Tuesday, when Microsoft will release this update to all users, will take place on September 9, and security fixes will be part of the rollout as well.