14 DAY TRIAL // Just as expected, the July 2019 Patch Tuesday cycle brought new monthly rollups to Windows 7 and 8.1, along with security-only updates that users can install right now manually.
First of all, it’s Windows 7, the operating system that is projected to go dark in January 2020 but which still remains the second most-used desktop operating system worldwide.
Windows 7 devices are provided with monthly rollup KB4507449 and security-only update KB4507456.
Both updates come with a single fix and point to security improvements aimed at Windows 7 and the other built-in modules. The change log reads:
“Security updates to Windows Server, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows Shell, Windows Input and Composition, and Windows Kernel.”
Critical security fixes included this month
In the case of Windows 8.1, users can download monthly rollup KB4507448 and security-only update KB4507457.
This time, in addition to the same security improvements as in the case of the Windows 7 monthly rollup, Microsoft also included a BitLocker patch as explained below:
“Addresses an issue that may cause BitLocker to go into recovery mode if BitLocker is being provisioned at the same time as updates are being installed.”
Just like Windows 10 cumulative updates, monthly rollups include all the previously-released fixes, and installing the most recent version brings a device fully up-to-date. Security-only updates are specifically aimed at users who don’t want to download the full monthly rollups, but only the security patches, thus addressing the vulnerabilities that Microsoft resolved.
Users can head over to Windows Update to download the monthly rollups or manually download the security-only patches using the links above. Given that critical security fixes are part of this patching cycle, installing at least the security-only updates should be a priority for IT pros regardless of the platform they run in their network.