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Microsoft updates - please explain types

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wickham
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Microsoft updates - please explain types

#172704

Postby wickham » October 10th, 2018, 8:01 am

I'm confused by Microsoft Windows 10 updates, I seem to be offered a cumulative update, a features update and separate monthly updates.

Please explain the differences in simple language.

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Re: Microsoft updates - please explain types

#172733

Postby Howyoudoin » October 10th, 2018, 10:16 am

wickham wrote:I'm confused by Microsoft Windows 10 updates, I seem to be offered a cumulative update, a features update and separate monthly updates.

Please explain the differences in simple language.



https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/hel ... ribe-micro


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Re: Microsoft updates - please explain types

#172777

Postby Breelander » October 10th, 2018, 12:15 pm

wickham wrote:I'm confused by Microsoft Windows 10 updates...


You may be even more confused after reading HYD's link, as the 'Monthly Rollup' and 'Preview of Monthly Rollup' updates it refers to are only for Windows 7 and 8.1. Their monthly rollup is the equivalent on Windows 10's Cumulative Update.

'Patch Tuesday' is the second Tuesday of the month. This is the day Microsoft issue a new Cumulative Update with all the latests security fixes, plus patches for Windows. This is identified by the year, month and name such as:
2018-10 Cumulative Update for Windows 10...'.

At the same time MS routinely issue a security update for Adobe Flash Player and the latest version of the Malicious Software Removal Tool. So that's three updates you should expect once a month.

Sometimes there's an update for Windows Update components, otherwise known as the Servicing Stack. There may also be other occasional updates that do not directly update the OS, such as the Intel microcode update that provides the CPU with protection against Spectre threats. Such updates have a name without the word 'cumulative' in it, such as:
2018-09 Update for Windows 10...'


Patch Tuesday isn't the only day a new cumulative update may be issued, but it is the only day of the month that a cumulative update will include new security fixes. These extra cumulative updates are the equivalent of Win7/8.1's 'Preview of Monthly Rollup'. As such, these other cumulative updates won't normally be installed automatically by windows update. They will only be found and installed if you click the 'Check for updates' button in Settings. See this blog for more on that.

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/ ... a-p/222376

Cumulative updates will always include fixes from all previous ones, so you only ever need the latest one.

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Re: Microsoft updates - please explain types

#172793

Postby wickham » October 10th, 2018, 1:24 pm

Thanks. It's the Features update that I seem to have got installed in the past but I'm not sure if I need any special features. Is it worth uninstalling this? What useful features does it have for a user who only browses normal websites, does banking but doesn't watch tv or videos much.

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Re: Microsoft updates - please explain types

#172801

Postby Breelander » October 10th, 2018, 1:54 pm

wickham wrote:Thanks. It's the Features update that I seem to have got installed in the past but I'm not sure if I need any special features. Is it worth uninstalling this?


Every six months Microsoft issue a new version of Windows 10. They call this a 'Features Update' but in reality it is an upgrade to the next version of Windows 10. Unlike a cumulative update that just has a few patches in it, a Features Update downloads and installs a completely new copy of Windows. Your previous Windows is stored in a windows.old folder in case you need to roll back to the previous version, but this will automatically be deleted 10 days after the features update was installed.

You cannot uninstall a Features update, only go back to your previous windows in the 10 days after the update. Windows 10 Home gives you no options to control feature updates, you will get them automatically through windows update. This will happen some time in the weeks or months following the release of a new version. This is what Microsoft mean by Windows as a Service (WaaS).

If you have Pro there are options to defer features updates for up to 365 days, but even Pro will eventually have to accept a features update.

What you get in a features update is... well... new features. Some of these are security related and should be welcomed. Over the past two or three features updates the capabilities of Defender have been significantly enhanced, particularly in the area of Ransomware protection. The ability for Edge to use extensions is an example of a non-security feature that was added by a features update.

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Re: Microsoft updates - please explain types

#172811

Postby wickham » October 10th, 2018, 2:49 pm

Thanks. Updates just seem to take such a long time and I was thinking of ignoring some of them.

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Re: Microsoft updates - please explain types

#172823

Postby Breelander » October 10th, 2018, 3:52 pm

wickham wrote:Thanks. Updates just seem to take such a long time and I was thinking of ignoring some of them.


You can safely ignore any cumulative update that is issued in week three or four of the month. These are previews of non-security patches that will be in the next 'Patch Tuesday' update. In fact, the automatic windows update ignores them too, it will only install them if you manually check for updates.

The monthly 'Patch Tuesday' updates are security fixes so should not be skipped. If you are on Home you won't have the option to skip them anyway.

Features Updates are the really time consuming ones, typically up to an hour to install. When windows update downloads one it doesn't force you to update immediately. You can postpone the install for a more convenient time.


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