14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just released four new cumulative updates for Windows 10, this time as part of Patch Tuesday, so the focus is mostly on security improvements.
The four new updates are the following: KB4041676 (1703), KB4041691 (1607), KB4041689 (1511), and KB4042895 (RTM) with a few notes in the case of the last two.
First and foremost, the RTM cumulative update is only available for enterprises who are still getting support for the original Windows 10 version – for consumers, Microsoft has already stopped shipping updates if the RTM version of Windows 10 is concerned, which means that upgrading is necessary to get cumulative updates.
Then, version 1511, which is also known as the November Update, is getting its last cumulative update for consumers, with Microsoft to then continue shipping more patches only to enterprises, just like in the case of the RTM.
The currently-supported versions of Windows 10 are the Anniversary Update (1607) and Creators Update (1703), with Microsoft also getting ready to take the wraps off the Fall Creators Update (1703) in just a week.
No failed installs so far
As it’s the case with all the other cumulative updates, installing the latest versions bring systems fully up-to-date. On the other hand, it’s important to know that cumulative updates increase in size every month, but if your system is already up-to-date, only the most recent changes are downloaded and installed.
For system administrators that do not rely on Windows Update to keep systems patched, Microsoft is shipping delta updates, which are cumulative updates that include only the changes introduced since the previous patch. These packages will be published on the Microsoft Update Catalog shortly.
Cumulative updates require a system reboot, and system admins need to save work before beginning deployment. At the time of writing this article, we aren’t aware of any issues experienced when setting up the new updates, but we’ll continue to keep an eye on reports and let you know should any problem be discovered.